Beat Commuter Pain – the Case for the Radical Sabbatical

“Commuter Pain” is taking its toll on the individual. Traffic keeps getting worse, causing stress, frustration and depriving people of sleep. According to IBM’s first-ever “Commuter Pain” survey-June 2008.

The survey found that 45 percent reported that traffic congestion increased their stress, 28 percent reported increased anger, 19 percent said traffic negatively affected their work and 12 percent reported getting less sleep. Writes Gary Waterworth Owen

“I have to question however whether this survey was even necessary to uncover just how stressful daily life is in the over developed world. All one has to do, is embark on the daily subway commute at Times Square in NYC or fight for a place on the Northern Line Tube in London to find proof of “commuter pain”.

“Stress is a constant theme in our lives. In the UK it is the second biggest cause of time off work and is estimated to cost the country £13bn a year.”

“A number of factors causing this exponential rise in stress at work, include: poor working conditions, long working hours, relationships with colleagues, lack of job security, difficult journeys to and from work, the way the company is managed, mismatch between the requirements of the job and one’s own capabilities and needs, inflexible working hours, too much or too little responsibility and probably the greatest cause of all – a complete lack of direction, meaning and purpose.”

“I propose a solution to this problem.” Says Gary: “Take a radical sabbatical called: Lengthen Your Stride.”

“The concept of a sabbatical has its’ source in several places. In biblical times there was a commandment to desist from working the fields every seven years. For the next year there was no cultivation, people rested and recuperated and fields were revitalised. Just imagine if this wisdom had spread throughout the world since it was first written and had been perpetuated for the last few millennia. Would we be confronted with the environmental and social crises we now face? Some ancient ways need to be reinstated for modern days.”

“In the strict sense, a sabbatical lasts a year. However, in recent times, a sabbatical has come to mean any extended absence in the career of an individual. In the modern sense, one takes a sabbatical typically to take a break from work in order to pursue a passion and align personal roles and goals. Many universities and other institutional employers of scientists, physicians, and/or academics offer paid sabbatical leave as an employee benefit. Some companies offer an unpaid sabbatical for people wanting to take career breaks – this is a growing trend in the UK, with 20% of companies having a career break policy, and 10% considering introducing one.”

“Sabbaticals have proven to be extremely beneficial. They provide people the opportunity to jump off the hamster wheel, catch their breath and live outside the false and very often debilitating belief – that all they are is their job designation.

The liberty a Lengthen Your Stride radical sabbatical provides is the challenge and chance to explore the greatest wilderness yet to be discovered – the wilderness between their ears. Breaking free of the chains of daily routines is essential if we hope to inspire creativity and maintain innovative breakthroughs. We all need to connect with ourselves and think deeply in order to navigate, align and chart our ‘Values, Visions and Victories’ for responsible growth and a sustainable future.”

Lengthen Your Stride is a unique series of personal and corporate transformation journeys conducted in Egypt’s Sinai desert and Red Sea territory. Traversing the Sinai desert – an ancient land explored by prophets, pilgrims and warriors – is demanding, inspiring and rewarding. Walking in silence, sleeping beneath billion star-lit skies, breathing clean air, eating healthy food and drinking a recommended eight pints of clean water a day, speaks for itself.

Putting trust into the hands of another culture, being totally self reliant on provisions carried by camels and participating in meaningful fireside discussion is a life changing experience that enhances observation, teamwork and communication skills. The daily challenges faced in the desert helps to uncover and expose paths to clarity, focus and alignment with the things that matter most. This desert experience also hones and tones personal and professional skills critical for responsible management and leadership in the 21st century.

All three of the West’s great religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, respect Sinai as sacred land. Many of the most memorable ‘leaders’ have journeyed through Sinai as well – Alexander the Great crossed as the head of a great army, as did Ramses II, Napoleon Bonaparte, and (in the opposite direction) Salah el-Din. And nothing has captured and romanticised Egypt’s desert wilderness of Sinai better than David Lean’s great desert epic film – Lawrence of Arabia.

After time spent in the desert making the popular BBC series – Pole to Pole, Michael Pallin said: “No wonder so many religions were born in the desert, the exterior is so barren it forces one to go inside and think deeply.” For many stressed and burnt out mid-career professionals; to go inside and think deeply is just what the doctor is ordering.

“Join the Responsibility Revolution” says Gary “Take home more than a tan and excess weight from your next holiday.”

More at: responsibilityalliance.com

Valere Tjolle