Reflection of the Month
ON MENTAL RECREATION Quite some time has passed since the last reflection. For me, springtime was filled with creative work. My new book Modig, which would translate to “Courageous “ in English, is right now being printed for launch in August. In parallel with the writing I have also been trying to be on top of the construction of my new house on an island outside Stockholm. During this period I have noticed, surprisingly enough, that it can be hard to write something decent with one hand and to direct an excavator with the other. Important in life is the balancing act between work and rest/recreation. In certain periods of life, this balance will arise naturally. At other times it may be easily done to down-prioritize the rest and the recreational part, locking on everything that “should” be done. With a fair share of control need, and the juggling of book writing and house construction, or whatever other projects it may be that takes one's attention, it is undoubtedly helpful to clarify a few things for oneself. First, when is the time to be satisfied? You know, you can always do a little bit more, you can always do it a little bit better. It is however not certain that this ambition will be optimal for the totality of you, since the striving for just a little bit more and better at a certain point will make us loose presence and drain our energy. And when presence and energy are down, it is of course harder to concentrate, and effectiveness, creativity and joy leave us at the same time. To commit to being really satisfied every now and then, and to be satisfied without everything being so perfect and complete, is therefore both helpful and strengthening. Second, do I want a boring time or a fun time? Our mental attitude has great impact on how we perceive reality. We can see the cleaning of the home, the analysis at work and even the construction of our dream house as something that just needs to be done, so that we then can enjoy the result of it. We can also see these things as opportunities to learn something (yes, it goes for the cleaning too), to make a difference and to experience sincere satisfaction and joy along the way. We can in other words decide to have a boring time or a joyful time. In the end we somehow choose our mental and emotional state. Sometimes it is of course challenging to see the meaning or the potential of joy when we get stuck or face a setback, but with a mental foundation of for instance: “Every day I choose joy”, we will surely notice a difference. Third, when am I totally free of duty? I often meet people that say that they never feel totally off from work. There is always something to do. The job can take up a lot of time, but also social activities and interests can turn into yet another item to tick off. I believe that it is important to once in a while decide to be totally free of duty, especially in periods of intense activity. Sometimes we need to state this very clear to ourselves. This is neither identical to not working actively, it is nor the same as not doing anything. Once again it has more to do with the state of the mental operations. You can sit at home on a Sunday thinking about work, about the threatening pile of laundry or about the call that you have postponed. Physically you are off, but not in thought and feeling. It can also be the other way around, that are dedicating yourself to various tasks but with a free attitude, without performance expectations, and the activity may give you a free, refreshing and rewarding experience. If you think it is valuable, take a moment and reflect on your relationship to work and play, and to work and rest. In the areas where you may not be fully happy with the balance, clarify how you best relate to that with “should” be done, and explore how you can approach the task with an attitude and some mentalt guiding that every day brings you a little bit more satisfaction, joy and mental recreation. I wish you a wonderful rejuvenating summer wherever you are in the world. Warm regards,
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