Leonardo Da Vinci said, Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. It has been said that being lazy is the hardest and most exhausting thing to do, because you can never stop to rest. It is true that what you do, when you have nothing to do, in many ways, speaks volumes about who you are and greatly impacts where you are headed in the future. Staying engaged, mentally, physically and emotionally, is key to staying sharp and living strong. Walter Hooper wrote, ““Our leisure, even our play, is a matter of serious concern. [That is because] there is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed and counter claimed by someone.” In other words, if you follow the pattern of disengaging from serious thought the moment you leave work, you will ultimately become soft and find it difficult to keep up. Another way to look at is with this question, “When you are away from work are you completely consumed by activities which are tension relieving or goal achieving? Da Vinci was a true renaissance man. He was completely dedicated to constantly learning, inventing, improving and acquiring more knowledge and developing new skills. He also recognized that nothing steals your drive, ambition and energy more than being complacent mentally. It has also been repeated often that mentally you are either green and growing or ripe and rotting. If you feel that your energy is dipping, that your enthusiasm is waning or that you are greeting the dawning of a new day already exhausted – you may want to assess how active you are mentally. When was the last time you were excited about a new idea or new opportunity? When did you last find yourself losing track of time because you were so caught up in exploring a new philosophy or strategy? When was the last time you couldn’t wait to call a friend, loved one or colleague to share something new you had learned or discovered? Those who stay sharp mentally, live longer, are more healthy and contribute more than those who have slowed down, disengaged or stopped learning. Even simple things like doing a cross-word puzzle, a Sudoku math game, reading or participating in a mastermind group can do wonders for your mind and soul. The vigor of your mind matters. Take great care to ensure you are keeping your energy up by keeping your mind engaged. Also recognized that the energy from your active mind will be felt by those you interact with, from your customers and clients to colleagues and friends. A motivated and active mind will keep a spring in your step, a sparkle in your eye and give you the edge to achieve more.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 07:48:08 +0000
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