It has been 36 hours since I arrived in Malaysia from a 20-hour flight from California, where there is a 9 hour time difference. Yesterday, I felt floating for most of the day and by 7.00 p.m., I collapsed unconsciously in bed and woke up naturally at 1.00 a.m. My body felt energized like it was daytime when outside was pitch dark. It did not help that I was sweating from the Malaysian weather.
Now as I am writing this (draft), it is 2.00 p.m., and I am starting to feel sleepy. A quick calculation reminded that it is bedtime in California. I can fight the sleepiness until the evening but I know I will struggle to stay alert during a dinner appointment. The experienced traveler in me knows that after writing this draft, it is right to take a short nap. Surely and steadily, my body clock will adjust to Malaysia time.
Can jet lag be observed and experienced through books or external advice? Anybody who has experienced jet lag knows that the only way to know is by doing: to cross time-zones, observing and adapting to new environments. Clearly, jet lag is the natural consequence of our body clock with crossing time zones.
What other lessons occur as a natural consequence of phenomena, especially one which is personal and of changing circumstances? Most life lessons are presented this way: the experience of falling in love, being a parent, or seeing the death of a loved one. While books and advice can provide some perspective, the true lessons are always learned through experiencing natural consequences.
As a parent, how do we embrace our child’s natural consequences? Do we see it as a learning and growing experience? Or do we shun away, ignore, or react and fight with the reality because of our natural tendency to fear and protect? Do we tell lies for the same reason too?
I reminded that once I used to get grumpy about jet lag (since it prohibits what I wanted to do), and got sick because of it. Now, I understood the nature of the body clock and embrace it kindly. One important tip from extensive traveling and meditation is taking an attitude that is more observant than reactive. Particularly, I found this piece about right attitude useful.
In Acton Academy, we embrace realities as the way they are; but we work hard to ask insightful questions and offer choices and processes. The laws, covenants and promises are the extension of understanding and dealing with the natural consequences of being in a community.
This is why as Guides, we step back and step back again. Because we trust the learners and we believe plenty of lessons can only be learned through natural consequence. Like the jet lag, it cannot be explained or taught, it had to be experienced first hand.
Now, I want to talk more about sleep…
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…but it’s time for me to take that nap.
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