A Day Off

A Day Off

 

There is something wonderfully freeing about being forced to stay home sometimes. Yesterday in Dubai, the Government announced a Public Holiday and closed some of the main roads through the city. It was rumored that a very important politician hailing from the US of A was about to touch foot on our sacred soil and true to Dubai’s reputation for great hospitality and absolute security, the Government was doing everything it could to ensure a smooth visit. Thus all offices were closed and the unofficial “curfew” meant we residents could enjoy a day of “enforced captivity” at home. We had no choice but to go with the flow as the main artery through the city was temporarily blocked.

 

I woke up on that day with a strange sense of anticipation. Would everyone stop working? Would the shops be open? After all, how would their staff commute to work? The first thing I noticed was the eerie silence. I could not even hear the sound of the people upstairs. Yes, everything had stopped. The building sites surrounding my flat were silent and empty, except for the security guards who still kept their lonely vigil outside. There were no cars at the parking meters, nobody in the street. It reminded me of Graham Green’s “On the Beach”. Was this the end of the world as I knew it?  No! It was simply beautiful. Beautiful peace, beautiful silence. There was time to think, time to enjoy, time to do whatever I wanted. Time for me without the interruptions of the outside world. I smiled and I stretched and I wallowed in the peace and quiet.

 

Why is it that we put ourselves into such a state of high anxiety in our daily lives? Why can’t we give ourselves permission to be quiet? Couldn’t we introduce our own curfews? An occasional day when there is no one else to please, nothing urgent to do and only ourselves to consider. I can already hear your clamoring objections – “too busy, too much to do, too many commitments, can’t stop work”.  However, consider this: “What would happen if you did? What would happen if you didn’t? What wouldn’t happen if you did? What wouldn’t happen if you didn’t?” Has that scrambled your busy brain?

 

Meditating monks and enlightened Buddhists have all discovered the secret that silence is very powerful and rejuvenating. I have often thought that “silent rooms” at work instead of “conference rooms” would be far more beneficial in getting our creative juices to flow, along with improved personnel relationships. So, why is silence so beneficial? It helps us to get in touch with our inner souls (not the ones on our feet, of course, not those soles, yet!). When we block out the noise of our environment, the noise of our external thoughts, we can make more sense of our life and what we want from it. That’s why coaches are so successful these days. A coach helps you get in touch with your unconscious mind, your inner soul. To help you sort out what you really want in your life, to slow down that frantic pace that prevents you from making those choices that lead to success and happiness.

 

It’s your choice. Your curfew.