“You must not mistake Sattva for dullness or laziness. The calm man has control over the mind waves. Activity is the manifestation of inferior strength, calmness, of the superior.” — Swami Vivekananda
In 2009, a few scientists conducted research on how people walk in dense forests, deserts, or fog. And they found something interesting.
When people walk without visual cues, they tend to walk in circles. (These cues could be a mountain, a tower, or the sun.) Small imbalances in muscle strength, leg length, or strides add up to make them loop in on themselves.
So, those movies in which people who are trying to get out of a forest end up right where they started? They’re not fiction, they are real.
In life too, you will end up moving in circles when you lose sight of a distant cue. It could be your goals, your values, or the boundaries you’ve drawn. Thoughtless action only makes you think you’re moving forward. In reality, you’re stuck in a loop.
You could be working more, but on things that don’t matter. You could own more possessions, but end up becoming a slave to them. You could know more people, but have no meaningful connections.
Donkeys are busy. You want to be productive. Be the person who thinks twice before taking the leap, not the one who jumps into something without thinking. Keep your eyes on a distant cue.
If you behave like a robot, you’ll be replaced by one. If you let a clear mind guide your actions, you’ll go long.