I once read a Wall Street Journal interview with George Schultz, former Secretary of State. He recalled running into Steve Job’s wife at a party.
When he asked where her husband was, she responded: “Oh, Steve’s taking six months off to think.”
Taking time off has long been respected by creative geniuses, primitive cultures and Eastern religions.
But few in our society teach, or even encourage, this practice any more. To many, down-time is a dirty word. And I know why.
Without endless activity, we’re left with empty space. And empty space gives rise to painful feelings.
Fear, self-doubt, anger, jealously, shame—all those vicious demons we’ve been artfully dodging—will inevitably rear their ugly heads. Rather than experience the pain, we fill up the spaces.
However, demons dodged, emotions repressed, and fears not faced will continue to thrive. They will intensify, sapping our power and producing self destructive behaviors.
But expose them to light, embrace their existence, and inevitably they’ll dissipate, losing their potency, if not evaporating entirely.
Essentially, our demons are the wounded parts of ourselves longing for love, aching to be heard and healed. As they say in psychotherapy circles—to heal, you must feel.
As counter intuitive as it sounds, periods of surrender, moments spent in stillness, are critical for achieving wealth and well-being.
What wounded parts of yourself need a hug? Tell me about it in the comments below.