This weekend a friend and I left our daily challenges and lengthy "to do" lists behind and headed 200 miles southeast of Portland to Central Oregon. Our destination was a 75 acre homestead owned by an extraordinary couple who have reared their children, retired and left a traditional city life and most of their "stuff" behind to build a "simple" life in the heart of the high desert. They are surrounded by rocky bluffs where eagles circled above in the mating dance of spring. Deer darted behind hills leading to the bluffs where we also watched for coyote and other animals who are usually visible only via the tracks, droppings and bony remains they leave behind.

The setting was well suited for walking, hiking and "exploring" and a pollution-free environment set the stage for a star-studded sky which was ultimately, shuttered by a moon brighter than any lamp light. The 320 sunny days a year there provide the solar rays to generate the necessary electricity for daily life. We shared a hearty meal in the warmth of a blazing wood stove fire, laughter and the good conversation that fills space when there is no radio, tv or telephone to interrupt life. But the most striking experience may have been the lengthy periods of outdoor quiet where I learned the true gift of "Listen to the silence."

It was in this silence that I was reminded of the importance of living in the present. It became clear that so much of what we choose today is anchored in the limits of our past experience. That clarity and willingness to enjoy today and embrace tomorrow was exemplified when I stood hand in hand by my friend at the top and edge of one of those high bluffs and realized I'd not only stared down my fear of heights, I'd discovered a new world. I was filled with an eagerness to fly-in short, to make the leap of faith that, for the homesteaders, was leaving city life behind and for me (or you) could open our own new world.

Make your entire life a practice of listening to the silence. It's amazing what you will hear.