Left: Aubyn Hill. Right: Angel Hernandez plays with his son, Angel Hernandez Jr., in Lake Michigan in Chicago yesterday as temperatures climbed to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celcius). - Reuters
The days are long, and while we have been getting a few showers to keep the place green, the humidity is high and matches the temperature. Many people work very hard and, without scientific data at hand, one could safely guess that probably a majority of Jamaicans believe that we are the hardest working people in the world. In terms of economic results and productivity increases, we can be assured that people in New York, Chicago and other big cities in the United States, Dubai, Bangalore, Hong Kong and Tokyo work much harder than we do.
This article is not about helping us decide which people living in which cities work harder than us, but given that many of us do work hard right here in Jamaica - it is time to take a break. Many people are already on their vacations and over the next couple of weeks through September many others will be taking off and taking a break. Those who travel abroad during this period must fully expect that all airports, including ours over here, and theirs over there, will all be busy, crowded and full of security checks and sometimes clogged due to the sheer number of travellers.
TIME APART TO RECHARGE
During the mid-eighties in the Eastern United States, there used to be an advertisement for the Grape Growers Association of America that featured a funny little man extolling the virtues of eating grapes. The advertisement ended with his eyes looking skyward and with the punch line "whoever created grapes has to be a genius!" That same genius, so many believe, created the weekend - and in spite of what union leaders tell their members, he showed by example that after being with the multitudes for an extensive and intense period of engagement, it was necessary to take some time apart, privately, in order to recharge. Generally, when a battery is being recharged, it remains in the idling condition where the normal reason for its existence is suspended and its vital parts are cleaned or filled in order to get it ready again to power the engine.
We as working human beings need to also take time apart to relax, play games, commune with family members - with whom we generally spend too little time - and friends and do the kind of nothings that will, in the non-doing, serve to recharge us as human beings.
RENEW BODY, INTELLECT AND SPIRIT
From the time they could understand, I have always taught my two children (and adults at seminars and retreats that I have led) that we as human beings are made up of body, intellect and spirit. In the recharging exercise we tend to think mainly of recharging the body, hardly of recharging the spirit and sometimes of recharging the intellect. If you take a break this summer, consider recharging all three. The body can be recharged by walking, playing tennis, playing football or using the gym for at least an hour each day during your vacation. Mark it as part of your plan. The spirit will be renewed when you commune with your friends, by reading soul-uplifting material and if you so desire by participating in religious activities. The best way to recharge the intellect is to read those magazines that have been piling up and one or two books during the vacation. In the next couple of weeks I certainly intend to catch up on those articles in The Economist, Business Week and The Wall Street Journal.
READ SOME GOOD BOOKS
Here are some books I am recommending to my readers and which I will be either completing or seeking to complete during my vacation. The first is SHIFT - Inside Nissan's Historic Revival by Carlos Ghosn (his surname rhymes with phone) who is currently the CEO of both Nissan in Japan and Renault in France. He is also in discussions with General Motors of the United States to form an alliance with the view to Mr. Ghosn taking on the executive role to lead the change that is required at GM. My second recom-mendation is American Gospel by Jon Meacham who is the managing editor of Newsweek magazine. It is a fascinating history of the United States and the important role a private individual Christianity - as opposed to state religion - has played in the formation and development of that country. The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind tell the story of "the amazing rise and scandalous fall of Enron". The Art of Asset Allocation by David M. Darst is my other selection. Mr. Darst is a former professor at the Harvard Business School and is now the Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist for the individual investor businesses of Morgan Stanley, with responsibility for asset allocation and investment strategy. He was the founding president of the Morgan Stanley Investment Group. He is a popular speaker around the world and is often seen on business television stations such as MSNBC. My final recom-mendation is What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey. It is extremely well written and argued and is sure to stimulate your intellect while it recharges your spirit.
VISIT FAMILY AND THE ELDERLY
Plan a few days in your vacation to visit those family members whom you have not visited for a while and make sure you visit some elderly people in your community before you go back to work. Handled with grace and compassion, this part of your vacation can do a world of good to your spirit but also be a source of encourage-ment to those whom you visit. Our spirits will also be really enhanced if we share some of what we would normally spend on our vacation with less fortunate working people, or people in our social clubs or churches, who simply would not be able to afford a vacation. Make it a family effort; discuss it with the children and other adults who might be going on vacation and encourage everyone to put a part of their planned vacation spend in a little fund which will be shared with some needy family which cannot take a vacation this year. Enjoy the summer break; recharge - body, intellect and spirit.
This column will return in September because during August I, too, plan to take a break and recharge.
Aubyn Hill is the CEO of Corporate Strategies Ltd., a restructuring and financial advisory firm. Respond to: writerhill@gmail.com.
