No Shame In the Temple

So, I’ve been thinking—uh oh. Not again. Yes, I’m thinking. You’ve been warned.

These days, I spend a bit of time on LinkedIn .

Not because I have to, but because I want to.

Not with any real intention of gaining eyeballs or followers. Nope. I’m there out of curiosity—real curiosity. And let me tell you, I am bumping into some incredible people.

I’m on a quiet little mission. You might call it "content hunting," or maybe it’s "authenticity spotting." Whatever it is, it’s like the proverbial “you know it when you see it.” It’s real. It’s different. And it stops me in my tracks.

Like Nick Hashemi .

I bumped into Nick (this morning, in fact) because there are a few of us, led by Jennifer Lynn Bernardo ??♂? ??♀? ??♂? (in Massachusetts) and Geo Maria Bughani ????? (in India), who recently started sharing photographs of the beauty that surrounds us. (to be fair, they’ve been doing it for a while, but I’ve just spotted their authenticity and added myself to their group, uninvited, but they haven’t voted me off the island… just yet).

And this beauty that is shared, you might normally walk right by. But not them, not us. We know we are immersed in it—overwhelmed by it sometimes—and we snap it, not for “content,” but to share it with others who get it. Who see that beauty too and say, “this is too much not to share.”

So back to Nick, he jumped in (well, because he was tagged, by me) the photo-sharing group today. I don’t know him, but I sort of feel like I do, over a few short exchanges on LinkedIn and only from his profile. Where he tells this amazing story that will, again, stop you in your tracks.

He grew up during the Iran-Iraq war, surviving bombings as a seven-year-old in Iran. At 11, his family fled to Sweden as refugees.

A traumatic childhood and constant adaptation marked his early years, and for decades, he felt unhappy, purposeless. He worked in sales and marketing, not out of passion but because it was what he knew. Even with career success and financial stability, fulfillment remained elusive.

Eventually, Nick moved to Thailand seeking change, but it didn’t stick. A tough divorce and struggles with alcohol pushed him into darkness. And then, one day, he hit a turning point and said, “Enough. It’s time to rise.” He realized the problem wasn’t the place but his mindset.

In just 12 months, Nick completely transformed his life. He dove into self-improvement with relentless focus. Mindfulness meditation, physical fitness, walking, reflecting, studying spiritual leaders, learning how the brain works—all of it. He even found the courage to visit a psychologist and was diagnosed with adult ADHD, a revelation that explained so much of his past struggles. But instead of letting it hold him back, he used it as fuel.

Here’s what Nick achieved in one year:

• 180 hours of mindfulness meditation
• 1,100 podcasts and 300 hours of self-improvement research
• 360 hours in the gym
• 2,100 kilometers of walking and reflecting
• He controlled ADHD without medication, beat alcoholism, got fit, and found a sense of profound purpose.

And right now, he’s in a temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, having an experience I can only imagine. Five months of pure immersion in—well, I don’t really know.

What do people do in temples?

I “imagine” there’s silence. Connection—not the digital kind, but something deeper, quieter. Reflection, maybe, as layers of distraction fall away. Immersion in nature, where you can hear the wind through the trees or the hum of life that’s always there if you stop to listen. Immersion in the embodied self, where the mind and body finally meet in harmony. Maybe all of that. Maybe more.

I don’t really know. But I’m hungry to find out.

And here’s the thing—thanks to LinkedIn, I get a sliver. Just a sliver of what it might be like. Through Nick’s photos, through his words, I can catch a glimpse of a world so vastly different from my own. It stirs something in me—a curiosity and a sense of wonder.

I hope Nick will write about it. I hope he’ll share more of what he’s learning, feeling, and experiencing, right here on LinkedIn. Because through his lens, I can explore it too.

I may never set foot in a temple in Chiang Mai, but through his story, I can “imagine.” And sometimes, that’s enough to open your mind and your heart to something new, something beautiful.

This got me thinking about the time I spend on LinkedIn, especially over the holidays. There’s always this push, this urgency, this resounding roar: “Log off! Be with your loved ones! Disconnect from social media!” It’s like we’re being shamed for spending time here.

But guess what? I’m not ashamed at all.

Because right now, I’m closing my eyes and imagining what it’s like to be Nick, in that temple in Chiang Mai, surrounded by beauty, immersed in this beautiful world, this beautiful life.

No shame in that.

None at all.

Photo: Is Nick’s. Nick Hashemi in Chiang Mai, Thailand.