This essay delves into a personal journey of understanding how cultural and familial influences shape our approach to diligent engagement and moments of pause, particularly through the lens of a business student reflecting on identity and societal norms. Set against the backdrop of my upbringing in a family-driven, achievement-oriented environment, it narrates a specific moment of realisation that challenged my ingrained perceptions of striving and resting. Aimed at graduate students in Speech, Language, and Hearing (SLH), this narrative explores how deeply rooted assumptions about constant productivity intersect with broader cultural forces, ultimately reframing my perspective. It hints at a shift in understanding—how the push for relentless pursuit may not always align with personal growth or well-being in diverse cultural contexts.
Setting the Scene: A Family Legacy of Endeavour
Growing up in a household of first-generation immigrants, the air was thick with an unspoken rule: consistent effort was the sole path to stability. My parents, having navigated systemic barriers to carve out a life in the UK, often recounted tales of long hours and tireless persistence in their early years. I vividly recall Saturday mornings as a teenager, sitting at the kitchen table with textbooks spread out, while my mother prepared meals nearby, her hands never idle. The rhythm of her actions mirrored the expectation placed upon me—to keep pushing, to fill every moment with purpose. This environment shaped a belief that pausing, even briefly, was a sign of weakness, a detour from the predetermined route to success.
A Moment of Clarity: The Weight of Constant Motion
The turning point came during my first year at university, during a particularly intense period of juggling assignments and part-time employment. One evening, exhausted and overwhelmed, I sat in my dorm room, staring at a blank laptop screen. My mind drifted to a memory of my younger cousin at a family gathering the previous summer. Unlike the rest of us, who were bustling with tasks or discussions of future plans, she sat quietly by the garden, sketching in a notebook, seemingly detached from the familial urgency. At the time, I had dismissed her stillness as mere disengagement, but in that dorm room moment, I saw it differently. Her quiet focus wasn’t avoidance; it was a choice to step back, to recharge in her own way. This image struck me with a force I hadn’t anticipated, prompting a reconsideration of my own relentless pace.
Reflecting on Past Perceptions
Before this moment, my view had been narrowly defined by the cultural script of my upbringing. To me, constant activity equated to progress, and any deviation felt like a personal failing. I recall feeling a pang of guilt whenever I took a break, as if I were betraying the sacrifices of my parents. This mindset, while motivating, often left me drained, unable to appreciate the value of stepping away. Seeing my cousin’s serene focus in a new light made me question whether the cultural narrative I had inherited was as universal—or as beneficial—as I had assumed. Indeed, it seemed to overlook the individual need for balance, a concept arguably as vital as the drive to achieve.
Broadening the Lens: Cultural Forces and New Insights
Reflecting further, I began to connect my personal experience with wider societal influences, including those highlighted by writers like Malesic, who suggest external pressures often dictate our pace rather than personal choice. In my family, the emphasis on unyielding effort was reinforced by a community narrative of overcoming adversity, a story common among diaspora groups in the UK. Yet, this moment of clarity with my cousin’s example hinted at an alternative—perhaps embracing periodic stillness could foster deeper focus and resilience. I started to see how cultural expectations might not always align with individual well-being, especially in a field like business, where burnout looms large. This shift in perspective encouraged me to experiment with intentional pauses, finding that they often enhanced my clarity and output in academic tasks.
Visual Artifact: A Snapshot of Serenity
Attached to this narrative is a mental image, captured in a family photograph from that summer gathering, of my cousin sketching in the garden. She sits cross-legged on the grass, surrounded by blooming flowers, her notebook open as her pencil moves deliberately across the page. The rest of the family buzzes in the background, yet she remains an island of calm. This image encapsulates the essence of my realisation—that stepping away from the collective rush can be a powerful act of self-preservation, challenging the notion that constant movement is the only marker of worth. It serves as a visual reminder of the need to redefine personal measures of achievement within cultural frameworks.
Conclusion: Implications for a Broader Understanding
In recounting this personal journey, from a childhood steeped in the ethos of ceaseless striving to a moment of reevaluation inspired by a family memory, this narrative underscores the complex interplay between cultural identity and individual pace. It suggests that the drive to keep moving forward, while rooted in valid historical and communal contexts, may benefit from reinterpretation to include space for renewal. For readers in fields like SLH, where empathy and understanding of diverse human experiences are paramount, there lies an opportunity to consider how ingrained societal scripts influence personal rhythms. This reflection invites a subtle shift—towards valuing both effort and ease as complementary forces in navigating professional and personal landscapes, potentially enriching interactions with clients and communities from varied backgrounds.
References
- Kamara, J. (2021) Normalising Radical Rest. Medium.
- Holloway, J. (2020) White People: Your Comfort Is Not Our Problem. Vogue.
