1 October 09
Listen to the air…what do you hear?
Have you tried sitting alone in your room or house, paused…and listen to your environment?
Since the day I recovered from sickness, I have learned one very important thing – It is OK to be still, quiet and be totally free.
Looking at the amount of youtube videos posted on facebook, I see how much we wanted and long to be entertained. TV is no longer enough to keep us entertained and occupied. We need many other things….facebook, msn, music, games, videos..Means that could feed our senses. That’s why having a portable video/music/game device is so important now.
When I was sick and was sitting alone at home. I didn’t turn on my laptop to work because I refused to bring work home since long time ago. No TV, no music…I felt suffocated because I felt the air was still.
I was lost for that 5 minutes. My mind kept telling me that I should make good use of my “free time” to work on my research and assignment. Otherwise, I was just wasting my “free time”. In that moment, I was struck by guilt. I felt guilty because I was not using my time “wisely”. Not because that I have deadlines to meet…I just felt wrong to feel “unoccupied“.
Just as I was about to stand up to bring out my research materials, I saw my rabbit lying at the balcony, looking at the world outside the house peacefully.
Her usual chill out pose
I started to think that she must be very bored. How could she remain at this position for at least 4 hours?
But and again, who says that being still and doing nothing means boring? I realised that I have not been listening to myself for a loooong time. I have been consumed with endless work, people’s matters and external noises, so much so that I thought the time has stopped when all these are removed.
I need to find that peace back. I need to re-learn that being absolutely free and quiet is nothing wrong, but to take time to hear the noises within me.
How’s it like for you? Do you think being occupied all the time is more comfortable?
Posted under Thoughts & musings | [5] Comments
October 1st, 2009 at 6:50 pm
We usually spend very less time to “think” ….when I say “think” mean you allocate designated time to do nothing but just thinking. This “thinking” process is not as simple as you think it is because to be alone whether you are lying at your bed, sitting on a cozy sofa at your sea front apartment or having a coffee at Starbuck etc…..you need to tell yourself I want to start thinking now.
Obviously when I want to think, I would like to be alone because this is a moment I want to talk to myself about anything….that’s is the time I learn how I understand myself, how do I know who I am, how can I know who is the real me, why I do react in the manner I don’t even believe myself that other day, there are so many questions when I start thinking.
To be alone without doing anything doesn’t mean you are doing nothing, of course when your mind is blank then may be you are wasting your time, but just be alone to listening to your heart is definite a need !! I do sometime fell loss in different stages of my life and most of the time I need to spend time to talk to myself and most of the time I stay alone…..whether I am walking alone or I am sitting alone in Starbuck surrounded by a lot of people but as long as I am alone then I will feel safe to “think”.
Even today I am still doing my Sunday morning Starbuck session when I will be going to the same Starbuck, sitting the same old place ( 90% of the time I got my old place because I make sure I start my Sunday journey earlier than anybody else!!), plug in my earphone and I will ignore everything that surrounded me for the coming 3 hours. What I did…just very simple thing…READING…. something that will bring me into a deep thought just between me and myself.
The outcome was I am now understand many things about myself which I could not possible know if I do not spend time to find out or just relied solely on my sub conscious mind to do the job for me. Obviously, I think I am better person now; I do not mentally overstress myself for some target I can never reach and become realistic about life because I know myself better now.
I hope my simple experience will help you to understand what you are doing now is absolutely fine!!!!
LY.Tai
October 1st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
wow.. your rabbit’s sooo chill..
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:16 am
I very good at “stoning”. Its a luxury to be able to do nothing these days. We are all so caught up in life that we don’t take time to listen to ourselves anymore. Sometimes we just go with the flow, or trying to deliver what others expect of us. So its good to be quiet and still to listen to our own internal voice.
October 9th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I think if u ever got a chance to nothing for a period of time,it’s already considered a pleasure =] not thinkin abt the work u have to do and stuff..
even a simple things like travellin on the bus till u reach ur destination..
sittin; doing nothing is great if you think about it
but at the end of the day,it’s down to individual preference =]
October 18th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Tai, really appreciate your sharing. You know, I hope to i will continue to have this “luxury” to do that. Of course, it is all about choice isn’t it?