Category: Reflection

Each day we learn and grow. I often find it amazing to learn about different perspectives. As I expand my horizons I am learning about seeing things from a value perspective. Too often I see things just at the surface level or take it for granted.

Recently I was debating about switching mobile providers. I thought to myself this time to look beyond the price and do some research on the company structure, network analysis, customer service, and a few other parameters. I was astonished to see the difference in approach and felt confident in making the switch.

I believe too often we need not look too far beyond the surface to find the deeper meaning. Value means so much more than money and in terms of value for value exchange, we have to do our due diligence.

There is a lot of background work that is never shown or taken for granted in many things that are part of our daily lives. The thing is that whether we realize it or not the work has been done. It is up to us to see the significance and decipher the meaning. From everything such as water pipe, road, ships, planes, the software we interact with, government institutions, it is time to be thankful and appreciate the value.

Lately, I have been taking the time to think and research about how to continually shift my perspective to look at the deeper meaning from the simplest decisions such as which coffee to drink to big decisions such as where one should live.

I get fascinated by the concept of how ships, planes, and spaceships get to their destinations. If we zoom out we can see how the vehicle took a certain path, however, when zooming in we can see there were so many minor corrections along the way to keep track of the destination.

Often times we need to have the bigger picture view of our life on a decade by decade basis to understand where we want to be in our life. Otherwise how will we know what course corrections to make if we do not know where we are going.

Recently in these last few months, there has been so much uncertainty and volatility in the financial markets. The hardest thing is sticking to the financial plan that you made earlier for the longer term. There are certainly opportunities to pivot and optimize in the short term but the overarching plan should be congruent with your goals in the long term.

We all know the saying, “This too shall pass”. I know that in good times and bad times nothing lasts forever. Every time an event or circumstance appears, there are lessons to be learned to grow as an individual. This helps us make the choices we do and to ensure we are thinking about the long term perspective as well.

Here we are in 2020!

The last decade has been a phenomenal growth phase for me, from graduating high school to university, travelling the world, and working. One thing that is for sure to remain throughout my life is constant change.

Through challenging times is where I grew the most. I welcome all experiences in the new year and new decade as that is the path to growth. From reading my self-improvement books to writing the first article on this website, it has been a good ride. The best part is we are all just getting started perpetually.

This new decade I will continue to build upon my ability to discern different opinions about events and can hear my inner voice louder.  To see things through different lenses and look at things from micro to macro perspectives. Understand others more as I can relate to more life experiences, build my compassion for others, and live in the present more.

I am excited to share my enthusiasm and optimism for this new year with you as it allows me to give more to the world as I better myself. There is so much dynamism in the world today and so many things to be looking forward to, from breakthrough technologies, global poverty and disease reduction, and general quality of life improvements.

Often I hear about being in the flow or just go with the flow. It seems like some generic line from a movie and I always wondered can there be such a sensation. Well, I am happy to report after extensive research both in knowledge and by the first-hand experience of visiting oceans, mountains, and serene places, yes you can be in the flow.
Let me break down the concept of what I think is Free Flow, the feeling of being in the know, letting go, and trusting the process.

Being in the know:

This comes from accepting responsibility in your life and by practicing excellent self-management.

Letting go:

This is a combination of ideas from stoicism and zen.

Trusting the process:

One might think that letting go and trusting the process are the same thing. Not quite as here I am referring to the concepts of universal good and submitting to a higher power.

After going through the three stages I have experienced the euphoric sensation of free flow more often than I thought. Life throws curve balls at you and after facing challenges head-on and reflecting on the lessons, I can again go through the stages and work towards being in the “Flow”.

As I progress through life, my views change and naturally evolve. These last few weeks, they have primarily involved a renewed interest in stoicism as well as my primary life purpose of serving others.

I remember before I had these profound moments of being in the moment and realizing the vastness of it all. These moments were far and few in between and occurred when in nature. After practicing meditation, journaling, and general mindfulness I experience these moments more often.

Stoicism has always inspired me and calmed me at the same time with a central theme of focusing on only what is under my control. Understanding the concepts and the fact that over 2000 years ago people were grappling with the same issues as today is comforting. I have a deeper understanding of some concepts and as I gain knowledge it just makes me happier.

I feel as if in my mind I am thinking in terms of a giant 3D mind map of different life concepts. I zoom in and out on what knowledge I need and on what perspective each scenario requires. Then I take quiet time to just be in the moment and watch my thoughts go by. Each life concept gets worked on and new concepts are added or removed that no longer serve me.

My current understanding of my purpose is to learn lessons throughout my life and to give and receive love. Serving others and being useful to others is another key purpose. Providing value to others while at the same time striking a balance in my own life of self-worth and growth.

Every day is an opportunity for growth and development. As I go through the day to day challenges in life, before I often wondered are we just moving from one challenge to the next, however now I feel encouraged and looking forward to new challenges.

I realize now that means I am ready for more responsibility and to be of more service to others. The next opportunity signifies that I have learned my lessons from the current circumstance and am ready to move on. I feel a serene satisfaction knowing that these obstacles in my life are something to work on myself for my benefit and to be keenly aware of the lesson.

When doing a self to self-comparison, I can see the difference over the past years in myself in terms of self-awareness and handling of emotions. I incorporate the attributes from others which are lacking within me. As new challenges arise I can see how my responses to them are different now becoming wiser and gaining life experience.

Being more in tune with oneness and living more in the present moment, I have come to trust my intuition and acknowledge there is no right and wrong answer but rather to simply trust the process and practice love, understanding, and forgiveness.

This is an idea I have been pondering for a while. The idea of knowing how far you have come all while realizing how far you have to go. Knowing that as you pass through the stages of mastery you eventually become a beginner again.

I really like the idea of flowing water where it remains flexible and takes the shape of the container it is in. Whether we like it or not, we have to be flexible. Instead of fighting resistance, what if we could actively be in the learner mindset.

The inspiration for this post came from reading about business articles that the X industry is poised for growth this year. I thought doesn’t that apply to our individual lives. Imagine having a conversation, “Hey Friend, next year my fitness levels are poised for growth”. No one talks like that but shouldn’t we? Isn’t our most important job to live life well?

I find it fascinating that you can plan out different areas of our lives and work on them. This allows you to develop a holistic approach to our multi-faceted lives. I know I am poised for growth in appreciating life for all its magnificence.

Slowly but surely my quality of life improves. It’s not just from one thing that makes a big difference but rather a combination of different things coming together that add to our lives.

I have noticed and benefited from this first hand over the last few years and am continually improving my life. Take a look at your life in the last 10 years, there has been a lot of change. Infrastructure in your local community, city, and country has been upgrading, but has your personal infrastructure improved?

These are material things such as technological items such as your smart phone, TV, computer, and car. This also means physical things such as your bed, desk, sheets, pillow, and housing in general. Then your inner infrastructure such as your diet and thoughts. Are you keeping up with the trends or becoming stagnant?

It’s all a momentum based snowball working forwards or backwards by starting small. Having a good night’s sleep means you are alert and present, having a good working car or public transportation means you are on time and productive. Having good internet and well-programmed software means you can actually do what matters and not waste time. Then it progresses you forward, now you have more time to invest in yourself by having access to good food allowing you to have more energy.

It’s always best to take a holistic view of yourself and make sure you are keeping pace with all the changes. Being strategic in your purchases and thoughts can add greatly to your quality of life. Countries that continually invest in great infrastructure are the ones prospering. People who invest continually in their own personal infrastructure are setting themselves up for success.

Every new year is an excellent opportunity to reflect and learn more about yourself.

I am often astonished at how much one can change every year. To truly notice these changes I use a set of goals and track my progress throughout the year.

Setting the goals

I start off with big yearly goals in my finances, health, relationships, career, spirituality, and personal growth. I break these down over the months and every so often I check in on them and see if I’m on track.

Learning through school and work I enjoy applying project management skills to my life. Getting an honest holistic picture of where I am and want to go gives me a sense of satisfaction. In turn, this organization helps me achieve life management and allows me to take calculated risks.

Checking in every few months

Every few months I reflect on my life and think about how I have changed for the better. I have a few metrics that I track such as health, emotional, mental, financial, character, spiritual, career, and habits. As I make these self-to-self comparisons I realize that oftentimes you progress more in one area and others take a back seat. Over the course of the year, I try to balance all of the areas to reach overall yearly goals.

Reflecting on the year

As I get more confident about myself and in my understanding of the world, I can tackle bigger challenges and work towards my vision of my life. This yearly reflection also allows me to think deeply about whether where I am going is really where I need to be or should I take a different approach.

I embrace new challenges and disruption in my life. Usually, a set of circumstances arise that may totally alter the current trajectory and I have to use a solutions-based mindset to either get back on track or forge a new path that is still in alignment with my goals. Making the most of these circumstances and viewing them as opportunities for growth is the magic of life. This really excites me as it forces you to be creative and look for opportunities that you never thought possible.

Recently, in the last few years, I have developed my core self-concept. I aspire to live by a code of ethics and values. As I know myself more and live to a higher standard, I can also use this as a framework to make decisions in achieving my goals.

I get excited more about life each day. I learn to appreciate how interconnected we all are and how beautiful this planet is. The more knowledge and wisdom I gain about myself and the world allows me to work on my thoughts and live a fuller life.

Love the journey of life. Make peace with life and yourself. By firstly making peace with yourself you can then focus on serving others in a meaningful way. Then by making peace with life and understanding the big picture, you can contribute to society at large through unconditional love, peace, and forgiveness.

Every day I am realizing just how great life is in simple moments. It’s those special moments you have often that put on a smile and give a deep sense of knowing.

I enjoy being in nature and going to parks. It helps me to be present in the moment. Breathing in fresh air, surrounded by nature, and staring at the body of water if present evokes a sense of calmness.

It’s those other moments too, a warm hug, a nod by a stranger in the street, a courteous driver, the first sip of a warm drink, and the feeling of satisfaction after a good meal shared. It’s these moments that cheer you up.

It’s so easy to get lost in different trains of thought, from building to-do lists to shopping lists, bill payment reminders, and general day-to-day worries. I yearn for those moments that center me.

Reconnecting with nature

Spending time in nature is one of my favourite activities. The fresh air, the greenery, walking, hiking, and the feeling you get is amazing.

Reconnecting with nature is a serene experience. Nature visits should be scheduled as part of a weekly or monthly routine. I find I am much more content, rejuvenated, and optimistic when out there.

I like feeling the pulse of the city too but being in nature is just something else. Every vacation I get, I try to visit a new park.

Taking a moment to observe the trees swaying in the wind, letting our 5 senses feel, and centring ourselves in the moment, and just appreciating it all feels good.