Rein checking in -
This was in fact a draft article I wrote to be included in the Better Future newsletter. As my latest blog post won over this one, it didn't make it to the newsletter. However, I still felt it was worth keeping (even if only for my own memory's sake) so I am adding it to the blog. I can't remember exactly when I wrote it, but I think it fits here nicely, time-wise. Hope you enjoy it...
This was in fact a draft article I wrote to be included in the Better Future newsletter. As my latest blog post won over this one, it didn't make it to the newsletter. However, I still felt it was worth keeping (even if only for my own memory's sake) so I am adding it to the blog. I can't remember exactly when I wrote it, but I think it fits here nicely, time-wise. Hope you enjoy it...
"It was a hot summer's day on top of a hill in the French Provence in July 2010 that the concept of taking a sabbatical came to us. We were on a holiday, so had had some time to reflect on our professional life and how (un)fulfilling it was or had become.
For me, after almost 25 years of being what people call a "professional" I felt I was at a dead end and not sure where to find a source of energy to keep me going for the next 25 years. I had recently been looking around for new job opportunities, with mixed success, and started to realise that I needed a step change rather than just another "professional" position in another corporate environment.
It was in fact Simon who planted the seed for our joint sabbatical, casually mentioning during our hike: "what if we just packed everything up and spent some time 'up North' (in Australia)?”. I recall the rush of excitement with the idea that went through my body thinking about spending some time there. Having spent 6 years of my life "Down-Under", and returning to visit friends and family every 2 years, I always feel like I'm coming home when I arrive and I feel most happy when I'm visiting the outback. There is some kind of special energy emanating from the earth there that always fills me with positivity and happiness. To be there for an extended period of time, without the pressure of returning to work after a holiday, would truly be amazing.
So the concept stuck. When we got back home after our vacation that summer I shared my intention with friends and (trusted) colleagues. They universally commented on the excitement and positive energy with which I spoke about this idea, in spite of its potentially far reaching practical implications. Their feedback in turn confirmed my gut feel and so I started exploring the practicalities of actually doing "it": taking some time off from work to explore new horizons, exposing myself to new experiences and to truly be open to unexpected opportunities, without being constrained by obligations and commitments.
This exploration had both an encouraging and sobering effect. Encouragement for example in the discovery that Belgium, where I was employed at the time, offers a social scheme in terms of common employee rights to facilitate taking up to 12 months unpaid leave from work. And a lot of sobering practicalities, such as having to give up our lovely (rented) apartment in Brussels, all the conveniences that come with employment (such as an income!) and visas to be able to enter and be active in the countries which we wish to visit.
Nonetheless, by September I discussed my intentions with my employer and set a date for the sabbatical year to start. The following months saw me go through several ups and downs in working through the preparations of the year ahead. It felt like slowly undoing a life that took 25 years to build and I realised that the mental process that goes with a sabbatical had already begun. Three key lessons presented themselves very clearly for me to learn: 1) learning to let go; to let go of structure and security that provide an (often false) sense of control but also to let go of precise expectations as to be truly open to the new and unexpected; 2) daring to go with the flow; having a sense of trust in the unknown and in your own capability to make the best of what comes your way and finally 3) patience, patience, patience; destiny doesn’t appear overnight, it takes learning and growth to realise what your destiny is and for this one needs to live the journey as it unfolds instead of being too focused on its destination.
In essence, these three lessons seem simple and in fact quite obvious. But it took me to make a conscious decision to step out of the rat race I was living to become aware of their value for my own growth and development. Now, for over four months, I am living the journey of my sabbatical which, on our way to Australia, has taken me here to Bangalore, where I have been able to gain new experiences and contribute as a volunteer with the Spastics Society of Karnataka as well as Better Future and not a day goes past that I am not reminded of my three lessons to learn."
It was in fact Simon who planted the seed for our joint sabbatical, casually mentioning during our hike: "what if we just packed everything up and spent some time 'up North' (in Australia)?”. I recall the rush of excitement with the idea that went through my body thinking about spending some time there. Having spent 6 years of my life "Down-Under", and returning to visit friends and family every 2 years, I always feel like I'm coming home when I arrive and I feel most happy when I'm visiting the outback. There is some kind of special energy emanating from the earth there that always fills me with positivity and happiness. To be there for an extended period of time, without the pressure of returning to work after a holiday, would truly be amazing.
So the concept stuck. When we got back home after our vacation that summer I shared my intention with friends and (trusted) colleagues. They universally commented on the excitement and positive energy with which I spoke about this idea, in spite of its potentially far reaching practical implications. Their feedback in turn confirmed my gut feel and so I started exploring the practicalities of actually doing "it": taking some time off from work to explore new horizons, exposing myself to new experiences and to truly be open to unexpected opportunities, without being constrained by obligations and commitments.
This exploration had both an encouraging and sobering effect. Encouragement for example in the discovery that Belgium, where I was employed at the time, offers a social scheme in terms of common employee rights to facilitate taking up to 12 months unpaid leave from work. And a lot of sobering practicalities, such as having to give up our lovely (rented) apartment in Brussels, all the conveniences that come with employment (such as an income!) and visas to be able to enter and be active in the countries which we wish to visit.
Nonetheless, by September I discussed my intentions with my employer and set a date for the sabbatical year to start. The following months saw me go through several ups and downs in working through the preparations of the year ahead. It felt like slowly undoing a life that took 25 years to build and I realised that the mental process that goes with a sabbatical had already begun. Three key lessons presented themselves very clearly for me to learn: 1) learning to let go; to let go of structure and security that provide an (often false) sense of control but also to let go of precise expectations as to be truly open to the new and unexpected; 2) daring to go with the flow; having a sense of trust in the unknown and in your own capability to make the best of what comes your way and finally 3) patience, patience, patience; destiny doesn’t appear overnight, it takes learning and growth to realise what your destiny is and for this one needs to live the journey as it unfolds instead of being too focused on its destination.
In essence, these three lessons seem simple and in fact quite obvious. But it took me to make a conscious decision to step out of the rat race I was living to become aware of their value for my own growth and development. Now, for over four months, I am living the journey of my sabbatical which, on our way to Australia, has taken me here to Bangalore, where I have been able to gain new experiences and contribute as a volunteer with the Spastics Society of Karnataka as well as Better Future and not a day goes past that I am not reminded of my three lessons to learn."
- Rein checking out
No comments:
Post a Comment