Are You Fast Awake or Wide Asleep?
I love this question.
Over coffee, my friend (Peter Ayres ) observed that everyone nowadays seems to be constantly "fast awake."
Of course, it is not possible to be "fast awake" all the time. Therefore, the only way to cope is to shift to being "wide asleep."
We then discussed how being in either of these binary states was not a good position to be an effective leader.
So that's what this post is all about.
Enjoy.
Spanish Teacher | Spanish-speaking @ UWC South East Asia
3 周I’m writing this from a national park in Thailand at a hotel by the river. Yesterday I was simply observing the flow of the water and listening to its sound. I felt present, and my body was really craving this moment; it felt like it was begging for it. Finally, I found peace and could truly unwind. Since landing in Bangkok, my holidays have been packed with padel games, dance lessons, meeting friends, medical checks, writing units, reading books…Was this really a holiday? I completely relate to what you described. Since my arrival in Singapore, and yesterday was like, "Man, you need to stop and find ways to slow down on a daily basis." I reflected on this and came up with some solutions that I can’t wait to implement. Your reflection on whether we can make the best choices for our students when we are Fast awake or wide asleep really struck me. It made me question why I am a teacher and whether I am achieving what I aimed for. I believe I am (or at least I think I am), providing quality education, but I feel mostly on autopilot to meet all requirements. Am I making the difference I wanted to? Let’s reconnect with nature, with ourselves, and return with a fully intentional sense of purpose. As you said, meet me in the middle.
Leadership Coach, Strategy Consultant and Founding Partner, Solutions@
4 周Liking this from intensive care as I walked into a lamppost reading it…
An optimist dedicated to wellbeing, fostering collaboration, belonging, growth, & curiosity with over 25 years of international experience in education. Leading & building community through connected relationships & SEL.
1 个月Thank you, Damian, for a very enjoyable and reflective article. It reminds me of another frame for my personal/ professional goal of “energy management” - not to get too caught up when I’m “fast awake” and not to drift too far into “wide asleep”. Grateful for your musings.
Computer Sciences Teacher and ICT in Education integration specialist
1 个月A thought provoking article, Damian. Thank you. Something else I have observed is that as people are walking with heads in their phones, they are missing out on the connections with others and with the experience of life. I feel like we are so busy getting to the next place that we forget to enjoy the journey we are on.
Secondary school teacher of Theory of Knowledge, Global Perspectives and English
1 个月Or maybe just Germanify it: ?almost awake‘. Probably means the same thing in the end. ?Back in the day‘: that’s a phrase I associate with the military!