It is the curse of ASAP (As Soon As Possible) encircling us. Whether we are in deep sleep or in the middle of our meal, we have to meet a deadline or else perish. One ignores the fact that too much haste can lead to waste. The curse of ASAP saturates the negativity around and usually goes hand in hand with panic, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular problems, obesity, and bipolar disorder. For the urban soul in paralysis, after the curse of ASAP has stung it good and proper, the remedy is to go off to a temporary shutdown – switch off the phone, in a serene exotic, expensive meditation camp, inhale, exhale, purge and clean the mind, replete with the toxic clutter and let the exhausted soul soar like a kite on a splendid day. Mamta tells us the secret of how to change a curse into a blessing, exclusively in Different Truths.
Elizabeth Gilbert had used a beautiful phrase in her book, ‘Eat, Pray and Love’, “Dolce Far Niente”, meaning pleasant idleness, where all one needs is a good book, a canvas and a palette full of colours or green fingers that make blossoms bloom without having to think bout a stressful plan on how to spend a cluttered day so one can be a notch higher than one’s peers. One can enjoy the slow pace of the circadian rhythm, without disrupting its patterns.
Unfortunately, the slow rhythm is heading for demise. Here I am, deeply saddened to write an obituary for contentment, reciprocity, and thoughtfulness. Instead, the roller coaster ride that ushers in heart-burns, butterflies-in-the-stomach and drives heartbeats to the crescendo is here to stay.
Yahan tak dil ko ho gayi hain bequarari ki
Sukun- i- zindagi mein bhi tadapana kam nahin hota
This couplet by Figar Unnavi, says “The heart has become so restless that even amidst serenity in life, it’s writhing does not diminish,” accurately describes the hasty time we are living in!
Earlier, “hurry, worry, curry” were the deadly scourge for those in executive jobs, in metropolitan cities but now no city, big or small, remains untouched from this curse. There is never time for one’s own self. One is always dangerously treading between hope and hopelessness. The acid builds up in the guts of the tardy person, almost to the boiling point, feeling crippled for having been slack, while the other rush far ahead in the race for chasing targets and making an impact.
It is the curse of ASAP (As Soon As Possible) encircling us. Whether we are in deep sleep or in the middle of our meal, we have to meet a deadline or else perish. One ignores the fact that too much haste can lead to waste. The curse of ASAP saturates the negativity around and usually goes hand in hand with panic, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular problems, obesity, and bipolar disorder.
For the urban soul in paralysis, after the curse of ASAP has stung it good and proper, the remedy is to go off to a temporary shutdown – switch off the phone, in a serene exotic, expensive meditation camp, inhale, exhale, purge and clean the mind, replete with the toxic clutter and let the exhausted soul soar like a kite on a splendid day. Once the routine life resumes, the brisk treadmill routine starts with the same frenzy, with ‘no time to stand and stare’.
The emotional security provided by the soft cushion of family members, camaraderie with friends, the bonhomie, and cerebral debates at the ‘Addas’ like the coffee houses is on the wane. As the fragment of the past fades out, it wrenches away a part of a sensitive soul along with it. Just as an over taut string of a sitar or guitar snaps, the forced bravado of a lone man, multitasking and juggling too many chores, heads for a breakdown.
When we are here to live, why should we obsess only about deadlines? Why not think about people who matter in our lives and our wellness for a change. In supportive arms of our loved ones, we can change the curse of ASAP into a blessing, As Simple As Possible!
©Mamta Joshi
Pix from the Net.
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