13. Immerse Yourself
What would light you up if you could fully immerse in it for an extended period of time?
What Lights You Up?
Full immersion experiences can be life-changing. To be able to focus on just one thing at a time is the ultimate indulgence in a chaotic, distraction filled world. If you have heard of Jay Shetty (former monk whose aim is to make wisdom to go viral using video, podcasts and social media platforms) he discusses how you can dabble around doing small chunks of things but there is nothing like a full immersion experience. Even though he is a huge media star he allows three weeks each year to go back and immerse himself into his practice as a monk because he knows that is the foundation of who he is and why he does what he does. We see it all the time in students who go away on an outdoor camp and are often transformed after the experience, or a mother who gets her first girls weekend away since having a baby. Often in these times when we finally get a chance to slow down and minimise distractions, focus on just one thing we allow our minds to reflect on who we are, what we are doing and where we are going? I know that for many this luxury of time simply is not possible because of the responsibilities of life. Many people worry that this time-indulgence is selfish but don’t you think self-care and growth allows you to be more of you? It doesn’t mean you walk away and forgo your life responsibilities, it just means is there a possibility of creating a little time to do something for you that you can fully immerse yourself in? If you grow more, you can give more? Alternatively, is there someone in you life you can help to have a little bit of time to pursue something meaningful for them?
Every now and then I take on something big and starting my Diploma of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing was just that. The course was run by the Langley Group and you can click on this link if you want to find out more about what this amazing team offers. I could be wrong on this, but currently this is the only place globally where you can do a Diploma in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing. The field of positive psychology is the fastest growing field in psychology so watch this space!!! From a practical point of view many of our schools and institutions are using tools and strategies developed from this field. I flew over from New Zealand to Sydney and spent six days in an immersive learning environment with a group of amazing, like-minded people from diverse backgrounds and locations. I’m counting this as a 19 day challenge as like other full immersion challenges it takes a huge amount of planning, investment and preparation to be able to get to have the experience. I have wanted to do this course for some time but in the back of my head I worried about the investment of time, money and energy that comes with it. When you have responsibilities such as family and work it requires lots of support from other people and I am very grateful to my family and work who assisted me while I was away from home. Hopefully, what I have learnt from this experience will enable me to be able to give back to my community and support others better. The beauty of the course is that the assessments are all about living out the tools and strategies of positive psychology. This in turn gives me a ton of content and ideas for future ‘Live Up To You’ challenges!
What would light you up if you could fully immerse in it for an extended period of time?