As winter arrives, the whole world slows down, as if nature itself is holding its breath. Snow gently covers the ground, silencing the external chaos all around the world. Trees stand naked, revealing their true essence. Above everything, the sky stretches itself like a blank canvas- giving us an opportunity to imagine something fresh again.
For the majority, winter feels like a pause, where we have to take a hold and wait for the bright and pleasant days to arrive. With each passing day, we crave for more momentum. But what if there is a flaw in our perspective? What if winter isn’t a season of sorrow, while a span of time to pause, reflect and realign?
In a world, which has always been enticed by speed, comes winter which strengthens us with a new perspective for the future.
The lllusion of Progress:-
You may be a fan of winter, but definitely not of the restlessness it brings every year. It’s the kind of silence that everyone tries to avoid all year long, but it has always been present in the back of your mind.
In this current era, we are so much driven by movement, which has increased drastically with the advent of social media. Those endless scrolls, continuously hitting our mind with dopamine. Though, winter doesn’t care for any of that, it just arrives and unfolds the season. It narrows down everything, and make us see the world without any extra layers of distraction.
Life without any distraction, to face the reality do seems daunting, doesn’t it? It forces you to pause and ask yourself:
- What am I doing exactly?
- Where do I stand?
- Am I busy because of progress or just because of movement?
Have your ever wondered, that these questions might not be there to haunt us, but to guide us towards the correct direction, giving us a chance to realign ourselves to the correct path.
A phrase more than a mere trend!
There is a trend, which gets viral every year, during the winter season on social media : Winter Arc. So what is winter arc? It seems to be tailored specifically for social media. Although, in my opinion, the trend might be new, its essence may not be. Winter arc is all about self-improvement, those behind-the-scenes long work hours, where there is no one to support or admire your hard work. It’s just you competing your own self every day, trying to become the best version possible.
In fictional stories, winter arc might be one of those chapters, where the main character goes away from all kind of distractions, growing as well as rebuilding himself each day with discipline and determination.
“Winter arc is the cumulative result of each and every step we take consciously, to build ourselves from within, that radiates vibrantly outward over time”.
The Bliss of Winter Season:
In my early childhood, just like every other child, I used to like summer a lot because of vacation. And used to think of winter as some kind of punishment to the whole human species.
To me, winters were always dead. There was snow everywhere, stealing nature of its beauty. The trees were bare, the sky always seems to be heavy and gray. Some kind of sorrow surrounds the whole environment.
Only after a few years, when I grew older, I realized how important winter is, in preparing nature to showcase the beauty we witness every summer.
It’s a reminder to us also, that all foundational changes, takes place within us, during those quiet hours, which almost seems insignificant. Maybe those things can’t be measured quantitively, still they play a key role in shaping our character.
The mindless obsession with noise:-
As human beings, noise automatically captures our attention. Because, we believe it might be significant. Down the layer, this thing also helps to keep us distracted. And we humans do love that.
If you don’t believe me, check it out yourself. Don’t you also go through that constant urge to scroll through some reels, while waiting for your bus or to quickly get all the dopamine hit with the pending notifications, in that 5 minute break between your work deadlines?
Yes, we all do that!
In chasing this dopamine kicks, we forget to make an ideal balance, because of which we hardly have any control left on our own self.
Is Winter Arc a sweet dream or a nightmare?
You must be thinking of ‘Winter Arc” as some kind of nightmare by now, which is impossible to achieve.
Well, let me tell you, that winter arc isn’t about achieving perfection or to rebuild yourself overnight. It’s about checking the current level where you stand, and to deliberately take small, inglorious steps which are important in achieving your goal or to lead you to your destination, by cutting out what’s not essential.
Think of it like an obese body, where the final goal is to build muscles and to stay fit. While in that process of working out, you are eliminating those fat molecules, which your body doesn’t require.
In the same way, winter arc is a way to create room for those things that helps you grow in life quietly and steadily.
What’s your winter arc?
So, what does it mean to find our winter arc? Think of it as a goal or a resolution, which was always there in your subconscious mind, but the outer distractions always stole the time to make them into reality.
Moreover, you don’t have to wait for 1st January, to commence it. With proper planning you can start it from today.
It can be anything, reading “x” number of books in one year, learning a new activity which always fascinated you or to start that side business you were always interested in.
Plan and embrace your Winter Arc today!
For me, Winter Arc isn’t just a trend, it’s a movement, that gives you a chance to grow and become the best version possible.
As the snowy season continues, I wonder what aim are you setting for yourself this winter? Do tell me in the comments below!