Jul 6, 2021
Getting Away
“Sometimes you have to get away to get closer.” — Şems-i Tebrizi
Sometimes we need to get away from the environment we are in. From our lives that are automated with our daily routines…
Continuing in the same mode for a long time prevents us from feeling what we are going through.
Ways of doing business, work environment, friends, topics of conversation, roads traveled, eating and drinking styles and even worship… Many of them pass by with increasing momentum without being noticed or felt in details.
Just like we question our general course, health and spiritual world once a year in Ramadan, it can be good to step on the brakes, go out of routine and change the environment from time to time in life…
In fact, it is a sunnah of the Prophet (saas) to follow different routes on the way to and from work or a place that is routinely visited.
In these days when we take a step towards normalization by getting out of the covid-19 pandemic, changing the environment of those who have the opportunity can provide a quick recovery in terms of psychology, accelerate the rehabilitation process, and start the new period with hope, new projects and a new excitement.
Getting away means stepping back for a moment, looking at our lives from a macro level, being able to notice what we missed, turning to the good and beautiful, and reconsidering our priorities for this…
Getting away is actually an opportunity to make a good start to a second life when we come back… In a way, to learn from the experiences and leave them in the past, to put forward a new vision for the future, to make our personal strategic plan that can be applied in line with this vision, and finally to return to the present, to stay in the moment and try our best.
Getting away is not an escape. It is gathering strength for a stronger start.
Getting away means resetting our minds and hearts, perhaps returning to our factory settings.
Getting away can sometimes mean cutting off ties with someone, or it can be an opportunity to re-establish a stronger bond.
Getting away is sometimes finding yourself, getting closer to yourself.
“They asked the dervish: How can peace be achieved? He replied: By moving away!” — Anonymous
Getting away means rediscovering the gem within us, getting rid of the dirt and sailing to a clean start.
Getting away is not being alone, on the contrary, it is establishing new bonds and expanding the social network.
To move away is to see what we cannot see when we are close.
“Sometimes you have to leave others to come back to yourself. Getting away is freedom.” — Charles Bukowski
To get away is not to be defeated. Just as Hijra is not defeat…
Getting away is sometimes what is out of sight is also out of heart…
It’s not easy to get away either… It takes courage. It requires getting out of the comfort zone. Perhaps the most positive aspect of getting away is leaving the comfort zone and being able to take action.
“Let your relations with people be like your relations with fire. Don’t go too far, you freeze; Don’t come too close, you’ll burn.” — Sadi Shirazi
Getting away is an effort to think clearly…
Getting away may be a step that needs to be taken in time in order not to be “moved away”…
Getting away is an opportunity to leave problems, stress and all negativity “away” and return.
Getting away is being able to escape from yourself in order to find yourself…
Aykut GÜL
Note: This is the English version of my Medium article titled “Uzaklaşmak”
