1-1-1: The Value of Monotony, The necessity of Missing Out and taking Your Time
1-Thought-Starter
"Can we do this again tomorrow?"
We spend our days dreaming of newer experiences, more significant opportunities, far off discoveries.. things we want to work towards and move away from our lives' monotony.
But is monotony such a bad thing after all?
" I want to do it again!!"
In many ways, monotony at its core is a cyclic, seamless flow of motion that, if we go beyond the surface, can unlock so much in our minds. The pre-frontal cortex (the part of our brain that, apart from many things, focuses on the control functions within our mind) goes into standby mode once we hit monotonous flow. When your action is cyclic, the need to have hyper-focus on control isn't a priority. When your subconscious mind goes free, it wanders, and the most creative ideas often strike.
" again, again"
So, why don't we give monotony credit? It is due.
When the most mundane tasks or actions in a cyclical form can spark the creativity within us, why don't we give it its due? I guess it's because we all enjoy looking at the horizon more than the grass under our feet?
All except the kids around us. The beginners who revel in the monotony of action, the process of repetition and the delight in the mundane. We adults can learn a thing or two from children, as I did through the statements above from my daughter as I was thinking of what I was going to write about as she painted something "again".
"Let's do this again, papa."
All I had to do was look at the grass under my feet instead of searching for something on the horizon. Trust a child to know better.
1-Insight
Do you feel the need to overshare on social media out of the fear of being forgotten? Perhaps it would be helpful for you to learn about NOMO – the Necessity of Missing Out.
Poet and performer Megha Rao sat down for a chat with me on the importance of being present and seeking internal validation, instead of chasing external validation. As a poet living in the Instagram age, she shares how she protects herself from burnout, and builds a healthy mindset towards competition.
You could also watch Part 1 of this conversation on YouTube:
1-Recommendation
I have something perfect for your weekend afternoon. Kick back with with cup of tea for a calming, meditative story from our favourite 90s actor David Duchovny. (I’m assuming you were an X-Files fan!) Cherry on top is that you’ll come away some things to ponder about, like the importance of pausing and taking your time.
If you’re constantly in planning mode, thinking about the next piece of the puzzle, you’ll never have a chance to ask yourself, “Am I doing what I’m doing because it’s something I want to do? Or, am I just running the rat race so I can live up to other people’s expectations?”
So, quieten your mind and sink into this thought-provoking story.
✌🏽