In the previous post I discussed how the Thais seem to have the life/balance thing pretty much sorted out. Yes, I know that many Thais have a tough life (so do many Aussies, Kiwis etc.).

Ko Samui sunrise

I think my main learnings from my recent fortnight in Samui was regarding simplicity and frustration.

One of the books I read whilst relaxing on the beach was The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton. In this book de Botton illustrates how the works of Epicurus, Montaigne, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Seneca, and Socrates can help us deal with the trials and tribulations of our lives. One chapter deals with frustration (Seneca) and how it generally stems from over-expectation. By expecting too much from life and from those around us, we set ourselves up for frustration. This was an epiphany for me (yet completely obvious at the same time). I’m now trying to apply this to my life.

Outside the world of books, I revisited my “keep it simple” philosophy by watching and learning from the locals. (I touched on this in the previous post.) I contend that it is the clutter and complexity of our lives that is the root of our troubles (mine included). When you remove the complexity (on a beach in Thailand) you sleep better, get more done, relax, enjoy…

Too often we struggle through life without direction or with outrageous expectations and thus feel lost, unloved and jaded. I am developing a personal philosophy that is based upon simplicity and clarity in the hope that my frustrations will diminish and I will be content and therefore happy as I grow older.

It’s almost midnight. I’m still wide awake. This is somewhat disconcerting. I like my sleep. Anything less than 8 hours and I’m like a bear with a sore head. It’s a little strange too. You see, I’ve been disconnected from the ‘real world’ for the past fortnight. I’ve been off the grid in sunny Thailand. Not one night that I spent there with my family did I have any trouble getting to sleep due to my overactive brain. Yet, I’ve been home for two nights now and tonight I just can’t turn off. I’ve plugged back in, I’m online again. I’ve been looking at numbers. I’ve been thinking about business. And now I can’t switch off.

I don’t think this situation is all that uncommon in the modern world. In fact, I think it’s almost ‘normal’. Sleep is becoming more and more desired and less and less accomplished by far too many people to count. Scary. And I expect to hear more and more about illnesses, accidents and otherwise unhappy incidents and occurances related to lack of sleep.

I think there is a lot to learn from the locals in Koh Samui. They seemed to lead a simpler, more laid back life. Yes, they had less but they also worried less, rushed less and (I expect) enjoyed more. I learned a lot watching their world as an outsider. I am going to try and implement some of their uncommonsense. When I’m not busy I’m not going to look for more tasks. When there’s time for rest, I’m going to take it. When my family is around, I’m going to be fully involved in that moment.