One year back, I was busy like everyone in their 40’s in making a living , hustling my way to get more work and accumulate more wealth. Then I perceived that time had come for me to change something in my life: external sign was the break down of a parthership, internal sign was a deep longing to go on sabbatical.
This is not a new situation for me . I went on Sabbaticals without knowing the word , 3 times already :
1. At 18 upto 19
2. At 24 upto 25
3. At 29 upto 30
Now this is the 4th time at 42 upto 43
Sabbaticals are a process of purification , re-invention and preparation.
This 4th sabatical is coming to an end. may be a month or so left. Soon I’ll be busy succeeding in making more money and a acquiring more social power. Nothing new in that . However the 1 year sabatical will serve the following purpose :
1. Clear, well- defined and congruent vision / mission / values for uptil the next half of my life , that will guide me
2. Routine for physical, intellectual , spiritual, social well being : waking at 4 am , 2 hrs of exercise , 1.5 hrs in Samadhi, afternoon power nap , 7 to 7 working window , audio book in car , always carry a book in meetings , Youtube lectures during computer work time, weight maintained at 67 kg
3. Mastery of combining material fruitful life with spiritual life without expectation of returns : for everyone this is an ‘either or’ combination but I realized we can have both at the same time
Without this one year off, these components wouldn’t have existed . That would have my life hollow.
Last year I shun the world . Soon I’m going to take the world on. Yet internally I’ll be as peaceful as now.
In my past sabaticals , there was lots of external mess :
l. At 18 , I lost all my friends at a time when people are defined by them. So the cost was isolation.
2. At 24 ,I was unemployed and subject of worry to my family
3. At 29 , I was again unemployed but this time I had a track record of success and a plan
This 4th one , I lost more than half of my income and 3/4 th of what I could have earned if I had not gone into sabatical.
But every time , the loss was worth it.
I feel the doors are opening that had closed for me to complete this sabatical . This door is in the dimension of circumstances – call it the 5th dimension after time and space.
I have developed the ultimate framework that will help me to stop having to stop to get into sabatical . My mind being the part that is most active is engaged in 10 activities . I break down when I am unable to do some of them over long time :
1. Connect
2. Unite
3. Win negativity
4. Visualize
5. Plan
6. Analyse
7. Imagine
8. Decide
9. Relax
10. Organize
Anyway that year was very powerful. A new chapter is opening. Now on I will not have to break down.
