This is the jet era. The wheel which came into existence some five thousand years ago picked up momentum and is still growing. With this momentum came specialization and competition. Speed, specialization and competition is the best combination for productivity which is witnessed today. With this development there is a change in lifestyle. But there is a catch. People are picking up speed but are unable to observe their surroundings. Specialization is being directed only towards profession and not other aspects of life. Competitionis turning unhealthy. In the process of chasing, people are leaving behind relationships. All this is leading to compartmentalized living. There is no coherence between various aspects of life. People, in general, are not living life to the brim.
A software specialist who is able to give solutions to the entire world is unable to
find solutions to his own relationship problems. He is unable to fulfil his responsibilities towards family, friends and society. A top executive who controls the financial health of a company very efficiently is unable to control his own waist line. A celebrated life coach is at a loss to motivate her own children. Psychotherapists, psychiatrists and relationship counsellors themselves are landing in divorce courts. Where stress should have been at the lowest ebb and in the background is coming to the forefront. New slogans are making rounds. Reduce speed. Don’t compete. Stop chasing.
For a prudent brain, it is clear that speed, specialization and competition are not the cause of stress that people are facing today; but attitude and approach to life and living are. Causes of stress are elsewhere and not in productivity; productivity results in abundance, luxury, comfort and satisfaction. The cause of stress is sometimes in lack of will to apply the intelligence used in professional matters to solve other issues. What is needed is a simple switching of gears. One needs to simply spare some time and invest one’s intelligence, directone’s energies to solve other issues of life. But one is unable to do so because of inertia. At other times the stress is due to undeserving desires, non-prioritizing, lack of time management or addiction to electronic media. And the biggest culprit is not taking responsibility for the effects of one’s thoughts and actions and instead vehemently attributing the cause to outside of the self.
The first step to overcome the conundrum is to shift+del the childhood tapes of “Mom guide me”, “I can’t handle”, “I am a poor little thing”, “I’m so helpless” etc. The second step is to take the ownership of the self. The next step is to plough back hidden in the labyrinths of brain the childlike curiosity to learn and enthusiastically look for solutions. These efforts will automatically change the thinking process. A new approach to life and living will dawn; fresh alternatives would be found. There will be a paradigm shift, a quantum leap and will infuse new life and new joy. It is then that one can live one’s life to the brim.
