Just standing still for a short time in this running world.

At the moment we are in Mae Rim (Chiang Mai). We still visit the place a couple of times a year to relax, enjoy the company of some friends living there. Just having a good time. 

The last couple of years Mae Rim turned into a kind of Bangkok-II. The center is exploding with new facilities. Actually I cannot really understand why. 

Everywhere around there are houses and is land for sale but not a lot of movement. Many houses unoccupied. In my opinion tourism is on the way back as are expats. Many places we once happily visited in our surroundings are closed. New shops and venues there come and after a short time also go/close again.  

The center, busy, busy, busy with a kind of ongoing rush-hours of traffic and traffic jams to and from the city center of Chiang Mai. Many U-turns are closed and It's nearly impossible to cross the road anymore.   

New in Mae Rim is "The Kad-Farang" (Market for foreigners). 

An area full of all kind of different new shops and the so called famous brands of shops you find everywhere in the world to drink coffee, eat chicken or pizza's. Soon another huge supermarket center (Lotus) will be opened to offer and sell even more. 

The area is really full of, one after another, screaming attention seeking shops to invite you to buy, buy and buy. Wonderful commercials and 'sales' to temporarily make you 'more happy'. Also great places to show yourself walking with a 'brand' shopping bag, making selfies and share your 'high-so' happiness on 'social' media. 

It brought me to write this blog. 

The energy, for me, is not right. Actually it makes me sick because it's just all too much an overkill of running and disturbing marketing. Maybe my experience has also to do with a higher way of sensitivity I got for it during my work experiences, the courses I followed and the 180 degrees changed lifestyle I made.   

Marketing/attention screaming, just in general and looking deeper, turned into a clever way of temptation and even scamming.  

There is no time of 'standing still', of mind relief, anymore in many people's life's. These times are stolen by ongoing promotion/marketing. Successive stimuli demanding your attention that shift ever more rapidly, keeping your mind in a state of agitation. It has become a disease. We don't give space to our mind and brain anymore to 'breath'. Unknowingly we entered an ongoing flow of brain 'multitasking'. Damaging the quality and attention on and of our work, our life, our family and our relationships. 

Ever thought about the idea that an average person, unconscious, is exposed to roughly 4.000 to 10.000 marketing messages and advertisements daily across digital and traditional platforms. 

Conscious or active exposures are a few hundred. All inviting us to buy and consume more to make us temporarily (more) happy and actually making us fatigue. 

After I got my burn-out in the year 2010, from one of my doctors I got the advise to daily go for a kind of 'meditative walk' in a natural environment and to stop several times in between just and only to observe.

Not really my thing at that moment in my running life where I had a responsible job, lot's to do, an ongoing loaded agenda, a private driver, etc.. 

I thought it was normal to always be available and run. I was 'used' to it and not even thinking of any different approach. And most of all I felt important and needed.

A meditative walk and especially sometimes standing still? A waste of time... 

On the other hand, I felt I needed to follow that advise. 

Really a hard job I can share with you now. Actually, with many people knowing me in the area I lived before in The Netherlands, I even felt guilty. I had a government job and people paid their taxes also for me to get a good salary. Another thing was, being away as the 'captain of the ship' of my organization felt terribly bad and 'impossible'.

But... finally I succeeded. On a regular base standing still and only observe without judging calms you physically and mental down. It's just a matter of exercise. 

By the way, what helped and still helps me in this process is photography. The art of observing and focus. 

This picture with the squirrel I made drinking coffee, relaxing without influence of any device, on my balcony. If you stand still, you offer yourself things that already are there or just are willing to appear to become visible and to amaze. 

Standing still gives you some time to mentally 'breath' and to create some space in between all the ongoing most times unasked impressions. 

It supports your health, and you create space and calmness to realize that happiness and appreciation is not about running more or buying more. You start to appreciate what, most times, already is. 

What do you really need to live a happy life? Indeed, at least your basic needs. After that most things that sustainable support happiness don't cost you a lot and many times are even free. 

Just an insight and thought; Grant yourself on a regular base some time to stand still in your running world. Not a waste of time to keep you healthy, fresh and aware. 

Frans Captijn (Gangey Gruma Báisjá)
email: captijninsight@gmail.com
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Blog (Dutch): http://franscaptijn.blogspot.comBan Na Sam, Na Bua, Mueang Surin, Surin, Thailand
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Captijn Insight. 

Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work (again).