Ubiquitous Assimilation!

Aviation and lifestyle, blog, inspiration, life, Life experiences, Mental health, motivation, parenting, selfhelp, Travel, Uncategorized, youth 3 Minutes

I thought of changing the name of the topic. It may be that many do not know what it means and not read further and others may be curious to know more and read on. I decided to take that chance.

The words, Ubiquitous Assimilation, sound very fancy. A vocabulary bomb, actually! I was bombed too when I first came across it, I did not know the meaning or the concept. Let me give you a little context.

I saw it in a film called Detachment ( I highly recommend it but with a strong word of caution – it is not an easy watch ) where the teacher played by Adrien Brody is trying to motivate a bunch of delinquent, socially oppressed teenagers from in his class. So taken aback I was by the idea that it became embedded within me.

I adopted my own hybrid version of this concept into various versions of my own life. More about that later.

The dictionary meaning of Ubiquitous is omnipresent or everywhere. Assimilation means to absorb, take in. Together, it means to absorb, everything, everywhere. Our senses receive inputs from all around us all the time. Sounds, sights, smells, words are the obvious and discernible ones. Behaviors and attitudes like love, respect, gratitude, kindness maybe latent and inadvertent absorption. The opposite of these are assimilated too.

We come across all aspects human behaviors, real and virtual, in our daily lives. We might be visibly inspired by some and terribly repulsed by others. Every act or event, billboard or meme, news clip or article, comment or gesture, good and bad, is logged and registered by our unconscious mind and has a lasting impact on us.

Every idea adds value, every insight adds lucidity and every negative experience adds depth. These may end up shaping our thought process and belief systems. We may not even be aware of their level of influence on our minds most of the time.

“We receive more stimuli in a week than our ancestors experienced in their entire lifetime.”

Unknown Psychologist

My friend who is a conscious eater is mischievously called ‘Body Temple‘ by other friends. I want a ‘Mind Temple‘ along with that body. No junk in the body and no junk in the mind! Cheat meals allowed. 😉 Just like how it might take a newbie a while to understand nutrition desired by the body, it might take us a little practice to sift through healthy and unhealthy inputs into our mind too.

Once I understood the concept of Ubiquitous Assimilation, I became a conscious consumer of influence. For example whom I chose to meet and what I chose to read or watch became more voluntary than to just fill a void or occupy time.

Only we can determine who or what deserves our time and attention. I was no longer interested in people’s virtual lives and experienced little or no validation for my own virtual self. I became more interested in getting to know the real me. What it took to make me, me.

We all might agree that the education we receive in school is only worth it when applied in real life. We commonly question ‘When will we use this?’ The hybrid version of this concept that I referred to earlier is along the same thought.

To make optimal use of my personal assimilation over the years and make it worth it. Figuring out what is stored inside and sorting through the good and not-so-good bits. I came to realize that I had innumerable experiences that help carve my persona. The exposure to people, cultures, places, practices were observed and lapped up by me.

I applied the problem solving hacks I used as a Captain to everyday real-life situations. The soft skills I learnt from my interactions with family and friends helped me find balance and boundaries with co-workers and vice-versa. Lessons in respect and equal treatment of juniors on the job came in use while dealing with kids and staff at home.

Standing up for myself and being appropriately assertive with seniors at work and elders in the family, I learnt from my children. The mixed use of various faculties and skills across different roles helped bring together my personal and professional journeys. It was a very satisfying feeling. Almost like when we use a Math formula in real life!! 😉

When we allow ourselves to truly embody our experiences, we add another dimension to our being. We begin to realize that we may be bound by yet can rise above our lineage, genes, culture and background. You are who you CHOOSE to become!

Let’s choose wisely!

Until next Sunday, over and out! @thethinkingcaptain

Below is a clip from the film ‘Detachment’ for your reference!

Published by Geetanjali Khadria

A passionate aviator for over two decades, I have had the privilege to travel, see and experience the world and it's people in all forms and situation. This exposure has helped shape my world view in a unique way. The deep desire to explore oneself has been the highlight of recent years. New challenges seem more challenging and more rewarding too. I want to share slices of life. My taste buds like sweet and sour, bitter and sweet, hot and tangy. Just like life itself!

Published

37 thoughts on “Ubiquitous Assimilation!”

  1. Geetanjali is a living example of Ubiquitous Assimilation. Taking in everything, everywhere, all the time. Then she explains it in a light, conversational style

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  3. You have grown as a writer ….as you have been putting down your thoughts …you seem to write better every time I read your thoughts about a topic I can picture and imagine with u ……great going dear ….all the best

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  8. Fabulous read Gee! Totally loved it! I have moved away eons ago from wanting validation and so could relate well to this article.

    Loved the link to Brody’s movie!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. The thought after reading the blog takes you to into a journey of self awareness/Discovery.
    Crazy as it sounds but it’s real!!
    Fantastic!!

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  15. This is fantastic.. I have learnt a new term Ubiquitous Assimilation and need to learn more, understand it and seep into it. I am eagerly waiting to watch Detachment. A new lease of life!

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  17. Khaddy – I always knew you had a strong voice, well articulated. It’s always great to leave your readers with something to mull on and you have given them more than that. Keep writing and sharing your insights – they make a great read !!

    Liked by 1 person

  18. It’s so true that every experience in one’s life never goes waste. It helps you to evolve or maybe the other way . All depends on what we choose to be.
    So well written. Pls continue to as i simply love it

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Rashmi di, I wish I could tell how happy it makes me to hear from you and on so many levels. For you to recognize and make the effort to show appreciation is very generous. As an avid reader and writer yourself, you pay an ultimate compliment to me. The fact that it reached you organically is a sign that whoever is resonating with the writing is sharing ahead.
    Cheers to thinkers!!

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