76 days to go...

I left Hanoi this morning and flew back home through Hong Kong. I didn’t watch any movies today in the plane, but read and relaxed.

One of the stories I read was about the phone of the future, in the Economist Technology Quarterly. Phones will probably get more diversified rather than less. Look at cars and watches. They express more and more what the owner wants to project. They are no longer boxes with wheels, and simple time pieces. They have become a fashion statement. A long time has passed since Henry Ford said that any color for his cars was good, as long as it was black. And watches don’t look boring anymore. I bought three Swatches today as gifts, and they all make a statement.

Cell phones are already developing in a similar direction these days. They have come a long way from the Motorola grey boxy phones of 10 years ago. According to the Economist, in the future they may also serve as keys to unlock doors, shoot video, pay in shops, and listen to music.

I spent some time reflecting on life too. This comes easy to me when traveling. One of my favorite places is the Long Bar in Cathay Pacific’s lounge in Hong Kong. For the first time there, I also used my notebook, and had a glass of nice red Bordeaux, some peanuts, and dark chocolate. I chatted online with a good friend, which I enjoyed very much. It turned out that there wasn’t so much time at all to reflect. But it was a quality moment nonetheless.

I realized today that one of my challenges on my journey of 83 days is to figure out who I really am. How can I start the next phase of life at 50 if I don’t know the answer to this question clearly? It’s more difficult than it seems at first. Mike George’s description of the 6th Aha! is spot on. The trick is, he advises, to first figure out what I am not. What is not me. My job, my birthplace, my family, my possessions, my thoughts, my beliefs, my likes and dislikes, my friends. None of these are me.

Mike goes on to explain that “to know oneself is to be aware of one’s true identity (spirit), true nature (peace), and true purpose (creating, giving, and receiving).” He goes on so urge us to “ask the question who and what am I, and why I am here? Then give yourself the gift of patience, listen to your intuition again, and al will become clear.” I know that he is right. But I haven’t answered the question yet.

So I take this on as my next challenge on this journey. One that is doable. I believe Mike when he says it is. But it’s like sitting in the restaurant. Reading the menu is not enough. I have to eat the food. So I will do that tomorrow. Mike calls this exercise the Treasure Hunt. So that’s going to be my theme for tomorrow, and as long as I need to answer the question.

Photograph: the Long Bar, Cathay Pacific Wing Lounge, Hong Kong airport.