Archives for July 2020

You have more options than you think…

“We write to taste life in the moment and in retrospect” — -Anais Nin

My brain is currently teeming with a thousand ideas about topics to write for The Medium but I am stumped. I am sure some of the writers are also in this situation.

What can I write about that interest and inspire others?

What can I write about that is useful to readers?

What can I write about that reflects my passion and desires?

I have more than 60 years of experience under my belt and I have not been living under a rock.

Somehow, through my fun-loving and curious character, egged on by my husband who is innately adventurous and a risk-taker, I managed to experience many events, positive and negative in my life so far.

Well, I suppose I could tap on that which I did in my previous articles. So, you could too. Here are three ways;

1 Tap on your emotions

We all have a wide range of emotions — from anger to sadness to sorrow to happiness to joy to embarrassment to apathy to disgust to frustration to fear to horror and so on.

So, if you are not a true hermit living in some cave, you would have been in contact with fellow human beings, each with their own set of experiences.

How have you interacted with them, how did you respond to their reactions?

People write best when they are emoting. People launch into long stories when they complain because of anger for example.

However, praises are more limited. The long stories could almost constitute good articles for The Medium and if they carry good takeaway messages, they are likely to be curated as well.

The next time when you experience an acute emotion, write the event down.

2 Do something

Still flustered? Well, I shall take a walk around my estate. Or go to a mall, have a coffee and people watch. Or call a friend to catch up.

Just remember your safety steps to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Innocuous as it may seem, if one does not get out of the house during this Covid-19 times, the growth stops. For the mind and the spirit. And you just grow older and more negative if you continue to surround yourself with bad news from the television and other Social media.

If you must get upset by all the things that are happening in the world, take a stand, write about who and what you think is wrong, how you would propose change and the medium is exactly where you could voice out if you are unable to influence the events in any way.

I often steal time away from work when there are no patients and settle down in a nice cafe and start reading.

Staying in the clinic or office exposes me to interruptions — phone ringing, cheques to sign, questions from staff. At the cafeteria or public bench, it is an idea mulling time and I find that it works well when I am sipping and savoring my cappuccino slowly and surely while reading other people’s articles.

Reading is the fountain of ideas. What others write about, you could give your spin to it as your perspectives may be drastically different. It is one of the most profitable activities in your life and career.

Find out how your friends have advanced themselves in the last few months or regressed, through a phone call. A crisis like Covid-19 brings out the best in some and the worst in others. Something you must avoid if it’s the latter case.

Generally, amazing things happen when people are cornered to cope in life.

Ideas will come. No input, no output. Someone wrote about quitting the rat race on The Medium and I came up with an article on ‘Why I will continue with the rat race.’ This is a contrarian approach but I get something written from a fresh perspective.

3 Recall and Recollect

Look at your photo albums.

See which photos provoke or incite you the most and write your feelings down. What could have been better? How have you dealt with your situation? What were you grateful for?

Fortunately, I have documented my travels on FB. When I looked at the pictures, the memories came flooding back. Why did I go back to Japan a few times a year? What was my best trip? What dangerous things did I do on a trip?

To others, it is mind-boggling and inexplicable. But I was inexorably drawn to a certain country for the reasons that appeal only to me — its food, culture, scenery, lifestyle, etc.

Knowing the language helps. My friends did not understand that I went solo there a few times to step out of my comfort zone and have found my footing there. I discovered nothing to fear traveling solo and how to cope with loneliness in a strange land. People are not all bad. If they cannot communicate with you, they turn away, more out of embarrassment than apathy. You will find your way.

After I figured out the megapolis, it became no threat to me though it was initially. I went back to Japan again to seek out experiences tourists do not get. That is plenty to write about.

4 Check Out Yourself

What are your passions? What did you love doing and what are you good in? Eating? Sleeping? Talking? Even that can constitute an article and become an inspiring one. If you think hard enough and do some research.

Believe yourself that you are a treasure trove of stories and lessons. You need to dig deeper into your past and present and dream of the future. Every day is a happening one if you do, ask, and observe.

“Start writing no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on” — — Louis L’ Amour

Writing is such an exciting activity. In the process of writing, my requirement to read led me to discover authors who have a real way with words and a system of making their articles so readable and inspiring, and so deserving of earning their passive income.

Currently, while feeling stuck thinking about what to write, I settled on writing “What to write when feeling stuck”. I have come up with this read on where one can get ideas and this also serves to remind me what I need to do.

Now, get that paper, wield that pen, and start writing. It will be blank for a moment or many moments. IT may be days and weeks or even months.

Persist.

The magic will come.

Words will flow, ideas will connect, and a message becomes imminent. Your article will be ready. You have written.

You will be ready for the next one.

I love it

Summer Lotus July 6th  5 min read

Are you tired of this rat race? To be faster, better, and richer.

Many people long to drop out of this rat race because they feel that it is killing them and life gets meaningless running this thread mill. They look forward to early retirement.

I want to continue with my rat race because it fulfills my challenge in life which is the opportunity to always cope with the changes that are inevitable. I want to be active and proactive until I become a dead rat.

Even if you drop out of this race, the change will still get to you and make you feel like a helpless rat unless you stay informed.

Because I am not a country rat but a city rat and I operate on a different rhythm. I knew about this when I went to the beautiful laid back city of Perth for 4 days. The first day was a vacation, second day a relaxation, third-day boredom, and 4th-day confinement.

It was just me. I needed a faster pace of life to sustain me. I was looking for stress that would nourish me.

Because my rat race is a diverse one — My race is not just about work, it is about life in general.

While working, I could encounter different settings and sets of challenges in an ever-changing world with its many demands. I would be egged on to engage in problem-solving because I want to be able to think critically.

Off work, I expect to be an active rat to enjoy life in whatever forms it presents, interacting, and sharing with others.

Definition by dictionary.com says;

A rat race has been defined as a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power.

To most people, a rat race means continuous working, increasing stress, and health problems. I believe that I could make my rat race a pleasant one.

How?

Does a rat race mean continuous working? It is a matter of perspective.

I see the ability and availability to work as a blessing. If your customer still engages with you, it means that you are able to offer value in your service and product.

I would find ways to work efficiently and effectively. Strategically pace me and think critically to get things done.

Resources in today’s world are abundant and there are always smart colleagues that one can emulate.

I have learned many technological issues from my younger colleagues, they in turn learned from my experiences and avoid pitfalls.

Work brings income that enables you to pursue other passions which cost money. Whether work is continuous beyond your time frame is within your control. If you work in a smart manner, you need not be consumed by work.

When you succeed beyond your expectations, you could filter it down to others and they would also share their talents with you.

Continuous working is actually continuous learning. As work involves change, you will always learn new things.

Does a rat race increases stress? There are many ways to deal with it.

Stress arises when one is unable to find solutions to problems. When one does not have a passion for the task or job, it is time to make a switch.

I have encountered people who are so passionate about their jobs that their eyes lit up when talking about it.

That love comes from their constant acquiring of knowledge and skills and remaining competent.

When in doubt, I often look around and ask for a capable friend to advise me. In today’s world, there is Google that provides a myriad of solutions. Some videos on Youtube even takes you to step by step to solve problems.

Solutions always abound if you search for it. Start the day by solving the most difficult task first. The rest will appear much easier. If the first task cannot be solved, shelve it for the time being. I find that solutions often surface as an afterthought and the problem may even be less minuscule than you think.

The key is to remain calm and collected.

Live in airtight compartments. Do not bring your work home.

It is not the stress that kills, it is our reaction to it. — -Hans Selye

Does a rat race damage your health? How you can protect your health.

The rat race is often associated with long hours and deadlines.

One often forgets that destiny is in your hands. Structure your work by making a large task into bite sizes that can make it achievable.

Cut out unnecessary idle talk while working, delegating where appropriate, and always update on the latest strategy to get work done. When work is beyond your ability to cope, you need to voice out.

Make time for rest, for recreation and rejuvenation. Nobody is too busy for relaxation or exercise. It is just not your priority.

Time management is life management. — — Robin Sharma

The rat race will go on for me because life can be more interesting that way. To be honest, most of us would need money to enable a reasonable standard of living in a city with an ever-increasing living cost. This is to ensure that we can buy the necessary things that often make our lives more convenient.

Staying in the rat race keeps us in the loop, and you are always connected to others and inadvertently will hear about how to deal with any changes. If you fall through the cracks, you might not be able to find someone to help you out as others are in the rat race.

If you are an organized, active, and hardworking rat with a system of balance in your life, I guess it is alright to stay in the rat race.

It is alright to be a busy rat but be a happy and healthy one.