#ThinkfullyHabit: Find the gap
In our hectic, busy schedules we often miss the gap or fail to make the small spaces in between activities for our thoughts to percolate and settle. But this is incredibly important.
It’s often in the small gaps where ideas can develop, different solutions can evolve and our brains can find the space to whirl away on a problem in the background.
WHY?
The Japanese have a well-known concept called ‘Ma’, which roughly translates as a pause in time or a gap. The meaning of 'Ma' can be understood better by looking at its Japanese Kanji symbol. 'Ma' combines the characters of door (gate) and sun. When brought together these two characters depict a door where sunlight is able to peep in through a small crevice*:
In this symbol, the door is therefore open to light. This is 'Ma' – the space between the edges. It speaks of silence as opposed to sound and of absence as opposed to substance. It is the momentary pause in-between that is as meaningful as what’s there.
“The key point I would take away from the concept of Ma is to take the time and space to step back, think and see from the whole perspective… It is all too easy to become swept up in those small insignificant distractions that sway us off course, preventing us from truly thinking for ourselves or lead us to only think of ourselves.”