Comments on: Greatness over Busyness

By: Ni Hao

Ni Hao — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:01:22 +0000

Hello Wayne,

I have to say something here since I am a non-Western from head to toe and a secret lover of Marie-Josee’s writings.
I don’t think “challenging ourselves to grow continuously” is “Western” at all. I can guess where your impression came from, though- “challenge” sounds like an action of an outward vector, and “grow” a linear, both of which have a different connotation in a non-Western linguistic system.
But even without such a blab, doesn’t “challenging ourselves” start from “accepting ourselves”? After all, nothing happens unless you accept- and this is neither Western nor Eastern- it’s the truth of life.

By: Jeff Dustin

Jeff Dustin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:24:58 +0000

I think the superiority of a whole culture over another is a racist notion. There are many in the West who are practicing Buddhists, mellow, and have a take things as they come approach to living. There are hard-charging, ambitious Asians.

I’d like to see more about techniques on how to move from a 2 to an 8 on a happiness scale. I wouldn’t like to see techniques aimed at remaining -2. Going with the flow is impractical because many problems require a solution. As the the Dalai Lama himself has said, “if you have an arrow in your chest…pull it out”. Acceptance is a fine step in a solution focused process. Remaining overlong at acceptance is a recipe for missing out on important opportunities.

If there is no solution, as with terminal disease, then accepting your fate seems appropriate. Conserve your energy and use it in domains that you value. Spend your last days on Earth doing what you love. Luckily there aren’t a whole lot of these kinds of situations in daily life. Usually you can make a difference.

If you find a happy person you find a project. That’s why I support efforts toward the pursuit of happiness.

By: David J. Pollay

David J. Pollay — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:16:16 +0000

Hi Marie-Josee!

Welcome to PPND! We’re glad to have you on the team! Thanks for kicking off your writing with a thought-provoking article!

Best to you,

David

p.s. Senia, thanks for adding another great team member to the roster!

By: wayne jencke

wayne jencke — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:55:37 +0000

5 years ago I would have agreed with you. Your approach is very wetsern as exemplified by “challenging ourselves to grow continuously”. What if not challenging ourselves but accepting ourselves was the essence of growing?

By: Marie-Josee Salvas

Marie-Josee Salvas — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:43:27 +0000

Hi Wayne!
May I emphasize that my article was mainly promoting the need for downtime and rest? Far from supporting an endless pursuit of goals, I am suggesting a strategy where there is room for both peaks and valleys. I believe optimal living does not exist without time to smell the roses, nor does it happen without challenging ourselves to grow continuously. Makes sense?
MarieJ

By: Wayne Jencke

Wayne Jencke — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:44:36 +0000

Marie-Josee,

Rather than a series of sprints why not just walk and smell the roses - that is just as energising as the endless pursuit of goals

By: Marie-Josee Salvas

Marie-Josee Salvas — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:34:32 +0000

Hi Kathryn!
Thank you for welcoming me to PPND!
I read a quote once that said something like “Rich people have money. Wealthy people have both time and money.”
Shame on me, I forget who it’s from…
Food for thought!
Warmly,
MarieJ

By: Marie-Josee Salvas

Marie-Josee Salvas — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:31:50 +0000

Hi Tim!
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad my article resonated with you! About your question, here are a few examples of how I suggest we can push beyond our limits - provided sufficient before and after rest time!
- In a workout routine: increase the intensity, speed, or duration of the exercise. The idea is to build stronger muscles as well as a stonger cardio capacity. The benefit is better health and higher overall energy (as well as decreased helath risks).
- At work: tackle a situation we may normally avoid - participate in a special committee, set higher sales goals for ourselves, volunteer to train a new team member in addition of normal responsibilities, figure out new ways of handling old tasks, expressing and defending an unpopular point of view, handling a difficult client, etc. The idea is to get out of our comfort zone and expand the range of situations we can handle. The resulting benefit is that we are not easily thrown off our game by life’s unexpected events.
- At home: learn to read faster, cook more often, integrate meditation in our week (that’s a great capacity-expansion method and it’s hard work for most of us!), avoid overuse of our TV, learn about new parenting strategies, be adventurous in courting our loved one. The idea is to keep learning and progressing in a healthy fashion so we are not always returning to the same old - often not so desirable - solutions. The benefit is a wider range of options that can be uplifting and stimulating.
Does that help? Let me know!
MarieJ

By: Kathryn Britton

Kathryn Britton — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:54:33 +0000

Ah, Jeff,

Aristotle’s expert mean.

That sweet spot between so busy you can’t reflect on what’s really important and so much free time that you reflect on things that don’t need to be reflected on (aka ruminating).

I guess we’re lucky that you have more time than you usually do — since that has led you to be an active member of the PPND community. That’s me contributing a smidgen to your “social status” meter.

Kathryn

By: Jeff Dustin

Jeff Dustin — Wed, 28 May 2008 05:49:46 +0000

Too much time is just as good/bad as too little. I am in the process of changing careers. I spent the last year obtaining a Master’s in Special Education but I’ve been living kind of like a retiree or a full-time college student might. Aside from a few in-person classes, I haven’t had a real schedule. I have at times felt lost without the constant drumbeat of busy work.

It could be that people want to stay busy because they ruminate when they are not occupied.