Calm 2026

“Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.”  Lao Tzu

This week’s conversation is about “calm”.  According to the Cambridge Dictionary, calm is an adjective and is peaceful, quiet and without worry.  Or without hurried movement or noise.  Calm is also a verb, to stop someone from feeling upset, angry or excited. It is also a noun, a quiet or peaceful period or situation or a quiet and relaxed manner.

Reflected on our recent trip, I recall the words of one of our guides during this time.  He had spent some time as a monk in a Buddhist temple, and he stated that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion.  A way of life and how you live, it guides your decisions.

As part of the trip, we did visit many temples, some old and now tourist sites and some working temples with schools for the young monks in training.  Through our guide, a young monk in training gave his reasons for attending the school and his hopes for the future.  The training is fully voluntary, the young males can return home at any stage, but many have a better life and the chance for education.

During our trip, I noticed that many of the Cambodians didn’t rush and life happened without the bustle.  Despite high number of people, they melded in – regardless of whether walking or driving. 

In both Cambodia and Vietnam, I noted a high amount of bonsai plants and I know for me – this can be a calm and mindfulness activity.  I wonder if this is why there are so many in all the streets and along the riverbank.

For me, a sense of calm relates to the ability to have a quiet mind.  This then relates back to mindfulness in which we can learn that we don’t need to go with each thought that comes to our mind. 

Any artistic endeavour or sport has the ability to be a mindfulness activity.  Most people are able to block out those pesky thoughts as they do an activity that they love.  Think painting, gardening, mosaics, bike riding and skateboarding – all these activities need to be done purely focused on the task.  Yes, our mind may wander – mindfulness is noting that and coming back to the task in hand.