A short journey of self-discovery in Munich's Westpark

Balance act between career and social life

Linda is on the verge of the job promotion she so longed for. She hasn't had a holiday for months, hardly cultivated her social contacts, let alone spent time with her daughter, who lives with her father. Linda is a workhorse, there is rarely a day when she goes home before 9 pm. Everything for the job. Living to work. For the upcoming weekend Linda decided to visit her 9 year old daughter and invite her for ice cream. But when her daughter disinterestedly refused, Linda began to realize what had fallen by the wayside. Her daughter had already planned something else for this weekend – and the following weekend as well. So Linda was alone.

Since nobody else around her had time either, she was probably left alone. Spending time alone with herself? That sounded pretty frustrating to Linda. On Saturday morning, however, she decided to take a little walk through the nearby park to at least take advantage of the good weather and switch off. She had always wanted to see the park anyway. Now she had the time after her family and friends had turned away.

Walk through the Westpark

When Linda arrived in the park, the sun was shining with a bright blue sky and a pleasant 21°. She could feel how the sun charged her up with positive energy. Then Linda noticed that she hadn't been outdoors for ages. Probably for the first time this year, she thought. The fresh smell of all the flowers and plants in the air made her forget her problems for a moment. She passed a path where a Thai pavilion stood on a platform in the water. In the pavilion she saw a Buddha statue. Linda stopped and marvelled at the colourful decorations and the gilded roof glittering in the sun. The statue radiated a peacefulness as if there was nothing negative in this world. It was crazy, but it seemed as if the sight of the temple put Linda into a kind of trance.

The flair of East Asia

A few meters further on she discovered another pavilion. It was carved from a dark wood and had a lot of fine carving details. On a blackboard she read that it took 300 workers to carve this Nepalese pagoda for seven months. This attention to detail was remarkable – a true work of art. 

Time for reflection

Linda kept walking until she came to a garden She walked down the stone steps and looked through the opening of a wall. She discovered a stage on the surface of a pond. Linda followed a short path framed by the stone wall and a hedge. She walked further along the pond's footbridges, where wooden lanterns were placed. At the sight of the garden she felt transported back to another era. It was peaceful and quiet, no roaring city noise, only the gentle chirping of birds.

She came to a pavilion and sat down on a bench. She looked at the pond and admired the variation of exotic plants. Linda listened to the harmonious sound of the waterfall. She thought of her daughter and of the fact that, if she is honest with herself, she had indeed taken little time for her child in recent years. It was difficult to do justice to everything and not to lose sight of her own career aspirations. Were these only supposed wishes for self-realization?

Suddenly her cell phone ringtone rang out and ripped her out of her thoughts. Linda's supervisor called. She probably would have had to step in again at short notice if she had answered her cell phone. She switched it to silent and continued walking.

The healing power of nature

She came to a wall where she saw an inscription in Chinese characters and through a gate she saw several pavilions surrounded by a pond. It looked like a fairy tale. Lanterns along the way, many flowering trees and other plants that captivated Linda. This was "the garden of fragrance and splendor". Similar to the Japanese garden before, but quite different. Linda forgot for a moment that she was actually in Munich. The many details of the Chinese architecture and landscape were overwhelming and seemed so harmoniously peaceful. Linda paused – she knew she had to change something about the current situation. The family is the most precious asset. She had to devote more time to her daughter. She finally wanted to be there for her and start making up for what she missed and to involve her friends more in her life again, even if it meant cutting back on her job. What good is success in our careers if we don't have any reference persons around us with whom we can enjoy success?

Linda now knows that she wants to give everything to win back her daughter. Who knows, maybe Linda will be able to inspire her daughter to take a holiday together?