Throwback: "A State of Yarak"
A blast from the past with a Philosobites post from the original blog from 2022
9. A State of Yarak
(Let’s do this again, shall we? Back to regularly scheduled programming next week!)
In falconry, there is a well-known, optimized state into which birds of prey may enter, where the animal is hungry, encouraging effective hunting, but is not weakened by said hunger, so as not to negatively affect its faculties.
As I’ve discussed in previous posts, there is much to be gained from learning from our surroundings, especially from places that one may not normally turn to for teachings.
Even something as simple as a hunting trick intended for eagles and falcons can be a great reminder of our human ability to cater the experiences of our lives to better optimize for a desired outcome.
The state of yarak is something that can be applied to our own personal lives in a multitude of ways. I would argue that the literal application of starving oneself to cook a better meal for dinner likely isn’t the most useful application, but it is certainly an option.
In the search for self-betterment, there is a seemingly never-ending supply of methods one may choose from when determining an approach to improving one’s own life.
Yarak seems to resemble a sort of stoic approach to betterment, where a difficulty is faced head-on and is both modified and embraced in the name of improving one’s response both to the difficulty in question, and to life in general.
One could also argue that the best way to interpret Yarak in terms of self-betterment is to limit one’s comfort for the sake of continuing to exist in a state of searching for something better.
It has been said before in an innumerable number of ways that comfort is the enemy of achievement and growth.
By catering one’s experience in life to evade too deep a sense of comfort, one always subsists within this modified state of enhanced searching for the more sensible, efficient, or effective way of living.
This doesn’t imply that one must work harder than is necessary.
It is entirely possible to avoid paralyzing comfort while still working smarter, rather than working harder. This could look like a variety of approaches, such as changing a single element of one’s routine, or completely overhauling a current system in favour of another.
Discomfort pushes one outside of one’s comfort zone where effective learning is often promoted and retained. While the status quo of habit exists for a reason, norms exist to be challenged.
However Yarak is interpreted, it should be apparent that one’s experience can be catered and modified in whatever way is appealing in the name of self-betterment and improving life.
Like the falconer, treat your mind and spirit as if they were beings of their own, priming them in such a way as to give them the best chance to hunt, learn effectively, and experience new things.
I’ll leave you here with a few journaling prompts for those who want to do a bit of guided thinking around this topic:
Explore different ways you can apply the idea of “yarak” to your personal life. How can you modify and embrace difficulties to improve your responses to challenges and enhance your overall well-being?
Reflect on the role of comfort in your life. Do you find yourself seeking comfort, or do you actively challenge yourself to avoid becoming too comfortable? How does this mindset affect your growth and achievements?
Consider the concept of challenging norms in your life. Are there any habits or beliefs you hold that you could benefit from questioning or modifying?
As always, the comments and replies are open. Type away!
For now, have a great rest of the week. Talk soon.