In his insightful blog 'How I Approach the Toughest Decisions' https://bit.ly/3E159yW , Barack Obama gives insights into nuts and bolts of his decision making process. One specific aspect about his blog that caught my attention was that instance where in a crucial meeting on resolving economic crisis he left the meeting to have dinner and get a haircut and told his team on his expectation to achieve a consensus upon his return. He later reflects-
"You also want to create space to think. Remember that dinner and haircut break I took during that marathon economic session? That mattered, too. That was part of making the decision. Even in situations where you have to act relatively quickly, as was frequently the case during the financial crisis, it helps to build in time to let your thoughts marinate."
His act of taking break in a high stakes meeting to create space in his head to think is the essence of what the life skill of stillness is all about.
I got a chance to read Ryan Holiday's book "Stillness is the Key" and sharing some valuable perspectives on embracing Stillness as a life-skill-
1. Stillness is not the absence of activity.
2. It may seem abstract but you know it when you experience it. If you've concentrated so deeply that a burst of insight strikes you, you know stillness.
3. Stillness is about being present, about limiting the inputs in your life. You may go on a run without headphones or with headphones. If it's the latter, the very act of including an additional input may slow your chances of allowing ideas in your head to intermingle.
What activities can enhance your chances to achieve stillness ? Sharing my #sketchnote of some of the ideas shared by Ryan Holiday in his tweet- https://bit.ly/3ywAGaP
What else would you add to the list ? Do you find #stillness a virtue worth chasing ?
LinkedIn Post: linkedin.com/posts/anujmagazine_sketchnote-stillness-activity-6877062696815132673-Zrco/
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