We Within

Last week I wrote about multipotentiality and how some of us enjoy pursuing different projects and interests rather than focusing on just one. That post made me think of my own relationship with commitment and today I want to talk about this. Commitment in itself is a great thing. It’s how we get things done, how we grow and build new habits, how our relationships flourish… Yes, we all know its benefits. But I find it’s equally important to know when it’s time to break a commitment. And it’s a very simple formula: We break a commitment when it no longer feels right. When it starts draining us instead of filling us up. When there’s no meaning or purpose left in the activity or the relationship we committed to. We break a commitment when it no longer feels in alignment with who we are. I have practised this many times in my life whenever I felt I needed to go in a different direction. Many people don’t understand, and I don’t expect them to. It’s not something I can explain beyond the w...

Today I tried something new: a forest bath, or shinrin-yoku . This is a Japanese concept that consists of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way , using all your senses to be fully present in the moment. This practice was developed in Japan in the 80s and is becoming increasingly popular around the world, as societies everywhere feel a strong need to cope with stress, anxiety and other ailments of our time. Nature heals . It helps us pause, breathe and relax. It has a positive effect on our body, mind and spirit. But when I decided to do this forest bath activity, I wasn’t sure how different it would be from just being in nature. It turned out being was the key. I saw the difference between us and other people walking or cycling on the same path as us. I even saw a difference between some members of my group and others, and between my own self in memories of past hikes and the self who was there this morning. It all came down to one thing: Being in my body, quieting the mind, e...

Are you a bee flying from flower to flower? I recently came across the term multipotentialite , also known as multipod or generalist , among other names. It’s roughly defined as someone with many interests and creative pursuits , as opposed to a specialist , which is someone who specialises in one particular interest. [Click here to watch Emilie Wapnick’s TED Talk about this topic and here to dive deeper into it]. At first, I wasn’t sure this term applied to me. Sure, I have many interests, but I’ve often thought of myself as a person in search of her one true calling, trying out one thing after another and never feeling fully content. I would get bored of all my pursuits and give them up so, surely, that would mean they were the wrong choice! That is a common sentiment between multipotentialites. Our society promotes specialists. It is built on this mentality. You pick something and stick with it for the rest of your life until you become an expert. I see the logic in it, but this...