I haven’t been writing much after my move to Malaysia from London, because I was busy settling into a new environment, editing other people’s work and building new work bridges in the Asia Pacific. But there’s also another big reason: I haven’t had time to pause and reflect on my life.
I came to this realisation when I took a week-long course to become a certified adult trainer in Kuala Lumpur. It was an intense experience, with a lot to pack in. However, I had an opportunity to train alongside other educators, too.
“My life didn’t seem to get bigger despite doing all sorts to occupy my time.”
At a lunchtime break, our team member Soraya pointed out that we needed time to reflect on what we learned to completely understand what we studied. It was an important moment of realisation for me. We can’t fully understand anything if we don’t stop to absorb the knowledge. It’ll be just a bunch of information taking up space in our brains.
It made me scrutinise my reading habit, too. I’ve been struggling to focus on reading a book because my time has been hijacked by digital noises. Reading requires comprehension and a significant amount of reflection. We’re supposed to stare outside the window after a few chapters to replay what we just read in our minds. It’s so hard to have a break without reaching for our smartphones.
Our society is too busy producing and taking up the empty spaces in life that we’ve become indifferent despite the knowledge around us. Reflecting, or ‘doing nothing,’ is seen as wasteful.
No wonder my life didn’t seem to get bigger despite doing all sorts to occupy my time. So, I took a small pause: cleaning my flat without a single urgent thought in my head while listening to music. I leave the house regularly to dance classes. Gradually the motivation returns. That got me writing again.
“We can’t fully understand anything if we don’t stop to absorb the knowledge.”
After The Rain 