More and more as the pressures of modern life and staying in the rat race continue to pressure us, we realize that as human beings we can only meet the pressures and demands thrust upon us, if we step away from our work for a short time.
Of course this is no new idea, no revolutionary thought, no 'innovation' as everything in the 21st century must almost of necessity, be. Scholars and philosophers from Shakespeare to the stoics of the past have always recommended some 'alone time' to re-energise and orient ourselves better - to develop a coping mechanism as it were in order to better handle today's 24 x 7 electronically leashed world.
While travelling has been known to broaden horizons, and going somewhere has been always advocated as the answer to finding one's hidden purpose, the truth remains that it will rarely give us hidden insights of our world within - that oft-unknown, hidden world of our subconscious self, that little niche which encompasses the vastness and answer to what makes us happy, what makes us alive, what is our true purpose.
A world that can shape us in fact into competent and confident individuals better able to deal with our lives on this information superhighway.
Listening to renowned travel writer Pico Iyer on his TED Talk session recently, I was fascinated by the author's affirmation that going nowhere was perhaps as important, if not more so, than going somewhere. He spoke of how important it was in this day and age, to observe an Internet Sabbath, an enforced break from social media and platforms, some time out for our whirlpool existence, to just be. At 29, the author realized one day, as he was returning home in a taxi, that although he was living his dream, writing and travelling the world, he could never manage to catch up with life, he was unable to hear himself think!
Following this epiphany, he decided to abandon his dream life for a single room in the backstreets of Kyoto, Japan. A place that boasted no excitement, no hopes of career advancement, no entertainment, and - get this - no technology of any sort. A place where when you wake up in the morning, the day simply stretches before you. Iyer never regretted his decision. He understood the importance of leaving it all behind or 'switching off' if you wanted to take control of your life back.
While cutting back is not something most of us can afford to do, the fact remains that this is a probably one of the best ways at our disposal today to simply recharge, rejuvenate and re-energise our souls. The most important prerequisite to forging ahead in our lives and careers, fulfilling the different roles we have to play - as professionals, productive stakeholders of the community or as proactive family members!
I have attached the TED Talk link to Pico Iyer's speech. Please take a few minutes to enjoy the message!
https://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_the_art_of_stillness?language=en
Of course this is no new idea, no revolutionary thought, no 'innovation' as everything in the 21st century must almost of necessity, be. Scholars and philosophers from Shakespeare to the stoics of the past have always recommended some 'alone time' to re-energise and orient ourselves better - to develop a coping mechanism as it were in order to better handle today's 24 x 7 electronically leashed world.
While travelling has been known to broaden horizons, and going somewhere has been always advocated as the answer to finding one's hidden purpose, the truth remains that it will rarely give us hidden insights of our world within - that oft-unknown, hidden world of our subconscious self, that little niche which encompasses the vastness and answer to what makes us happy, what makes us alive, what is our true purpose.
A world that can shape us in fact into competent and confident individuals better able to deal with our lives on this information superhighway.
Listening to renowned travel writer Pico Iyer on his TED Talk session recently, I was fascinated by the author's affirmation that going nowhere was perhaps as important, if not more so, than going somewhere. He spoke of how important it was in this day and age, to observe an Internet Sabbath, an enforced break from social media and platforms, some time out for our whirlpool existence, to just be. At 29, the author realized one day, as he was returning home in a taxi, that although he was living his dream, writing and travelling the world, he could never manage to catch up with life, he was unable to hear himself think!
Following this epiphany, he decided to abandon his dream life for a single room in the backstreets of Kyoto, Japan. A place that boasted no excitement, no hopes of career advancement, no entertainment, and - get this - no technology of any sort. A place where when you wake up in the morning, the day simply stretches before you. Iyer never regretted his decision. He understood the importance of leaving it all behind or 'switching off' if you wanted to take control of your life back.
While cutting back is not something most of us can afford to do, the fact remains that this is a probably one of the best ways at our disposal today to simply recharge, rejuvenate and re-energise our souls. The most important prerequisite to forging ahead in our lives and careers, fulfilling the different roles we have to play - as professionals, productive stakeholders of the community or as proactive family members!
I have attached the TED Talk link to Pico Iyer's speech. Please take a few minutes to enjoy the message!
https://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_the_art_of_stillness?language=en
