Why I Prefer to Be Still

All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

—Blaise Pascal

In September 2019, my co-founder and I just concluded our journey in a startup generator program in Singapore. The investment committee of the said startup program decided not to invest in our fintech startup, Jungle.

After this heartbreaking experience, we’ve decided to give ourselves one month to raise capital from angel investors based in Singapore.

With one week left in October 2019, we still had nothing. We’ve met a lot of angel investors and early-stage VCs but we still haven’t closed any investment deals at the time. Our time, money, and patience were running out.

At one point, my co-founder asked me why I looked so calm, that it seems like I wasn’t fazed by the fact that our startup might not get the funding we need.

I simply responded, “I am nervous and worried, but I am also calm.”

I was calm because I know being in a state of panic and letting fear lead the way won’t do us any good. I was calm, not because I’m a person who can master his emotions, but because I chose to be still that hellish month of October.

However, there were some high-pressure and high-stake moments where I lost my cool and my ability to be still that caused me to either prolong or completely miss an opportunity. I’m not perfect after all.

In the past few weeks, my desire to be in a state of stillness intensified that pushed me to search for more wisdom about the subject.

And then I stumbled upon Ryan Holiday’s book “Stillness is the Key”.

After reading Holiday’s book, I realized all of the flaws and the reasons why I lost my stillness in some of the important moments in my career as a startup founder and executive.

I also learned that being still isn’t just applicable in the fast-moving world of technology startups, but also in life in general.

I learned that in order to find stillness in our lives and careers, we should:

• Focus on the three domains, the holy trinity of stillness which is our mind, spirit, and body.
• Always be in the present.
• Limit our inputs, empty our minds, slow down our thinking, and cultivate silence in our lives.
• Find confidence and avoid ego at all costs.
• Know the importance of journaling and finding a hobby.

This book is an easy read. Holiday explained all of the lessons he’s trying to share with his readers using simple, easy-to-understand words, concepts, and stories.

And like in every book that I’ve read before, “Stillness is the Key” also challenged some of my existing beliefs particularly when Holiday discussed the importance of believing in a higher power to be able to achieve stillness.

I suspect that once you’ve finished reading this book, you’ll be able to appreciate how stillness is essential in someone’s life and career.

So, is it really possible for a person to be and remain still in today’s modern world that seems to be always on the move?

Yes, it is possible and we should all be still.