Category: Reflection

These are uncertain times.

I have not seen such disruptive events in my life. I remember watching shows/movies that focus on such scenarios but never thought it is happening here and now.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all and hope for a resolution soon. Watching the news, hearing people’s stories, and positive actions show we are all working together and doing what we can to help out.

Reading my past posts and reflecting on this situation reminds me of the importance of remaining calm, practicing mindfulness, and embracing gratitude.

In reading about past world-altering events, I realize that we will overcome this. We may not know when but we will come through. This will cause all of us to think about how we make this world continually better.

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 breakdown 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 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.

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 takes. 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 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 a 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 your self 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.

I start off with big yearly goals in my finances, health, relationships, career, spiritually, 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.

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 where I am going 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.

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 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.