SOLUTIONS
Krishna C. Kalva
As a parent of an 8-year-old, I often hear the word “boredom.” The expectation I receive is to replace the feeling of boredom with something fun and interesting that keeps one engaged for an extended period.
The thought behind this column came from a conversation about boredom one weekend. In general, our daily routines keep us busy, offering us limited time to indulge in activities we are passionate about.
Sometimes, the level of participation in our chosen activities depends on our energy levels, motivation and other factors. And when we don’t have the motivation during our free time, we have a choice to do nothing and still not feel bored.
The notion of doing nothing is generally perceived as being inactive. However, if we pay closer attention, we realize that during our moments of doing nothing, there is activity taking place in the background. The background activity involves keeping our minds occupied in a space with continuous trains of thought.
The space in which our thoughts come and go without prompting us to take any action is considered as nothingness. In the state of nothingness, we remain present in the moment by allowing every thought to come and go without any preconceived labels.
To build the bridge with the idea of nothingness, imagine yourself watching a football game with a large group of spectators. You notice players from both the sides running on the field trying to defend the ball or pass it to another teammate who can reach the goal.
They are all physically active in the game trying to keep themselves and the audience engaged but also mentally active trying to avoid all unwanted distractions. Not to mention the contribution of on-field referees, ensuring that the game is played by the rules.
You notice another group that is also active but not on the field: the coaches, reserve players and the support staff from both sides. You may not see them sweating and actively running from one side to another, but they are very much in the game.
They follow every moment of the game, actively observing from the outside and analyzing the game plan of each player. Whenever called upon, the off-field players immediately join the field to maintain the intensity and continue with the game.
Throughout the game, both the on-field and off-field players remain focused, navigating through their individual moments of nothingness. The goal of the navigation is to proactively take the time required to reflect on the situation at hand and choose thought patterns that help them remain focused in the game.
Coaching and guidance play a key role to learn how to navigate and visualize to choose relevant thoughts and actions. The outcome of this exercise is clarity.
Let me take your attention back to the original idea, nothingness.
As already outlined, nothingness is a state of mind that is developed over time with an aim to bring awareness. By being aware, we manage our thought patterns and learn how to choose and remain engaged with ourselves. Through practice we develop the language to articulate our thought patterns and communicate through our moments of nothingness.
The language of communication we develop through nothingness can be identified as the ability to see things as they are with clarity of thought and identify how all moments are interdependent.
The ultimate outcome is gaining perspective. A perspective about ourselves, the people around us and the given situations. Once we have the perspective, we are filled with gratitude that encourages us to develop a toolkit of skills to actively dive in.
Krishna C. Kalva is program manager for sales leadership excellence in Germany for Siemens Healthineers. Email him at
krishnachaitanya.kalva@siemens-healthineers.com or connect through LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/krishna-chaitanya-kalva-a2773123.
