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Journalism of Courage
The dictionary defines the word ‘relax’ as ‘become less tense, anxious or rigid’. I looked around my circle of rich friends to find out how they relax. One friend plays golf and yet says, “How can one relax while playing golf, one has to swing the right way!” Another goes fishing. This man spent an entire day on the bank of a river without catching a single fish. Like golf, so with fishing. These people make tall claims. The man who goes fishing has to, unfortunately, produce the fish. This makes him tense.
There are others who go out with friends to bars. At the beginning, it looks like they are truly relaxed. With passage of time, arguments mount up, sudden tension and the party breaks up. And nobody knows why. The social elites believe parties are meant for people to relax. I am not too sure about this. There seems to be too much competition out there through the entire evening.
I like the way some of the others relax. They call on friends; indulge in harmless talk, gossip about the people behind their backs and nobody gets hurt. Of course, the Indian cinema plays a crucial role in helping people relax. They witness some fierce fights which makes their adrenaline flow without having to participate actively in it. The evil man getting punished lights up hope in their hearts. The song gives them the opportunity to shake their legs. And the love scenes give them a sudden burst of energy. They may emerge tired, even exhausted, but certainly more relaxed.
And, of course, there will be some who will ‘create’ their relaxing moments to impress others. I have often read interviews of the rich and famous who say they read books, listen to music, and visit art galleries. Sometimes more serious claims are made, “I work in slums and try to understand their problems.” None of these are really substantiated with facts.
However, I think there is some merit in analyzing why there is tension in the first place. There is a Chinese saying, “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” And a medical report says, “Stress: the non specific response of the body to any demand put upon it.”
One of the recommended procedures for relaxation is to remain idle for some time. However, it’s impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has lots of work to do. Management guru, Peter Drucker, says: “There are an enormous number of managers who have retired on the job.” This is really tough on them. However, if you are in Spain, it really does not matter. A Spanish proverb says, “How beautiful it is to do nothing and then rest afterward.”
The crux of the matter lies in the fact that we ourselves create these tensions and then seek ways of overcoming them. As Gandhiji said, “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Or to the American version, “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”
