It is natural to hibernate during winter, but sometimes it’s necessary to take a personal retreat regardless. Even if this means simply leaving the room; it’s for sanity or self-preservation. Mostly, it’s for self-awareness.
The noise of the world is louder than it’s ever been, from politics to wars to potential wars; from social media and hustle culture; from short clips and videos, and everyone having a platform to share from. I find absolutely everyone to be selling something: a doctrine, an agenda; a way of life; a clothing item; a supplement to cure all ails.
In the investing world, noise refers to information or activity that confuses or misrepresents underlying trends. In the financial markets, noise can include small price corrections in the market as well as price fluctuations–called volatility–that distort the overall trend. This market noise makes it challenging for investors to discern what's driving the trend and whether a trend is changing or merely experiencing short-term volatility. This is why, if you aren’t day trading, keep it simple. Set it and forget it.
In the diet world, people want to overcomplicate the simplest solution to losing weight: eat real food while burning more calories than you consume. Because gaining weight and becoming unhealthy take time over a period of time, results won’t be immediate either. Most give up before the real journey has begun. All the books and supplements and fitness options in this billions-of-dollars industry create more noise and confusion, unnecessarily overcomplicating and exasperating a person.
There’s a deliberate desire to ignore it all. It doesn't take a vacation or a staycation in your own city or a self-care retreat. It mainly takes a personal decision around focus and what to focus on. Some people have the Sabbath. Others are disciplined about completely checking out from work and news on the weekend.
I ignore most things because most things are noise. I’m especially good at this when it comes to pop culture. How am I less witty or smart because I don’t know a tv show or movie reference? Is my taste less relevant because I can’t stand Taylor Swift’s voice? Who are the idiots standing in two-hour lines for Stanley cups or waiting in hours-long, fast-food drive-through lines when a new Chick-fil-A or In-N-Out comes to town? I understand people want to be a part of the group experience, but at the end of the day, none of this does a damn thing for a person’s quality of life. It’s another form of mass hysteria, just a mass hysteria that brings you joy. Another tool I implemented years ago is not reading any political articles premised on ‘could, would, or should.’ It’s complete conjecture. There is no real information here. Save your time. They’re easy to spot when you get in the habit.
World events and politics and politicians are simply another way we can pick a tribe and ‘find a purpose’ in the mass hysteria. Unfortunately, these categories are more crucial to an individual’s way of life. Some modicum of education and participation is required. It should not be a LIFE.
The older I get, the more I realize, a good life is simple. Because the world is complicated, this leads to a false conclusion –solutions must be complicated too. A really good life is lived in the retreat from the noise. It’s in the quiet; in our homes; in our private conversations; in the weekend getaways; and in the intimate dinners. It’s not with the masses by any means.
In the retreat, we hear ourselves and not the voices of the world. It’s where we get to understand our desires and dreams and not those espoused by influencers on Instagram or TikTok. It’s where we trust our values and not some news anchor. Where you trust what you see with your eyes and not what someone is saying.
Sadly, many have never considered taking a time-out.
*Photo by Mikki Lagerstedt illuminating the magical solitude of a Nordic winter
**This post was long enough. I can’t be bothered with a long health update, other than to say I had a bad allergic reaction to the infusion this past Thursday so we are deciding on a FOURTH medicine to try this week. I’m eating well and sleeping well. Progress at a snail’s pace.