Soft Light, originally uploaded by Thorsten Becker.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)

tran·quil·li·ty – quality or state of being tranquil; calmness; peacefulness; quiet; serenity.

In our day to day life we rarely come across the words “tranquil” or “tranquillity” anymore. Quite the opposite is the case. We’re encouraged to eat fast, shop fast, drive fast, walk fast, build fast, think fast. The quicker something is done the better. Besides clever marketing schemes the general consent behind this push to be fast and quick is to be productive and get things done. The question is though, can we really be productive when we get everything done quick(er) and fast(er)? Or are we actually more productive when we slow down, calm down, relax, collect ourselves, are serene? And where to find tranquillity?

The adjective tranquil can refer to a physical place as well as an inner feeling (Dictionary.com):

1. free from commotion or tumult; peaceful; quiet; calm: a tranquil country place.
2. free from or unaffected by disturbing emotions; unagitated; serene; placid: a tranquil life.

Tranquillity can therefore be a physical commodity found in nature, i.e. the tranquil countryside or a tranquil lake. People often actively seek these places to find calmness and relaxation. Unfortunately not many find it. On one side we battle with shrinking resources that offer tranquility – using, abusing and destroying them to fuel our busy lives. On the other side we’re not mentally prepared to enjoy and utilize any found tranquillity in a productive way. As we’re more and more fixated on instant gratification we expect to instantly be relaxed and soothed once we arrive at our destination. At that point we’re already missing the purpose of tranquillity and are unable to find it even if it would be around us in abundance. We also may find ourselves surrounded by others desperately seeking tranquillity, spoiling the experience for everyone else. Finding tranquillity therefore requires a certain mental attitude, an infant like mental disposition. How is that? Consider the German word for tranquillity: Stille. Stille (often translated as silence rather than tranquillity) is the root word for “stillen”: to nurse a baby. A crying, agitated baby instantly becomes calm and serene when nursing. It is neither the nutrients being received nor any form of mental decision on the baby’s part that causes this calmness; it is the connection to the mother and absence of any worries. It is an instant reaction. No thinking, no reasoning.

Therefore, to truly benefit from tranquillity one must allow themselves to simply take in without further reasoning, being willing to let go of any worries or mental disposition that would spoil the experience. We may also want to look for tranquil places close to us, absent of any negative disturbance. We may not even have to leave our house. We often already feel an inner calm when being home. It would be a good idea to expand on this feeling, adding further calming, soothing elements. I personally find tranqillity in simply opening the window (even in winter time), drinking a hot cup of tea and listening to some of my favorite music. Though more often I enjoy taking a leisurely walk through the forest in early morning or late afternoon, focusing on just the nature and nothing but the nature.

Coming back to the initial question – are we more productive when getting things done fast or when being calm – the answer lies within our own perception. If we truly seek tranqillity then we value quality. If we value quality we have to slow down and be deliberate in our actions. We have to allow ourselves to let go of the world around us. And being deliberate, thoughtful in our actions will prevent us from being overwhelmed as well as lured in and overtaken by things we cannot control, enabling us to live our own life and not that of a homogenized mass.

See also Tranquillity at Wikipedia.com