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Why You Need White Spaces In Your Life
The White Space Revolution: How Emptiness Can Fill Your Life
In this article, I will make a very strong argument: You need white spaces in your life.
Moments that are empty. Moments that are slow. Moments that are unproductive.
Space for breathing. Space for resting. Space for unthinking. Space for unlearning.
Space for mindfulness. Space for mindlessness.
Part 1: The Awakening
I used to think I was invincible. A dedicated scholar and academic, I prided myself on my ability to juggle a hundred tasks, answer emails at 1 AM, and still have energy for that 5 AM workout. Sleep was for the weak, I told myself. Meditation? A waste of time. Every moment had to be productive, every second accounted for.
Then, one ordinary Tuesday, I collapsed.
It was not dramatic. I didn’t faint in a meeting or have a heart attack on the train. I simply sat down at my desk one morning and couldn’t get up.