Category: Reflection

Each day we are constantly battling with distractions. Whether it be our phone, advertisements, an event in our life, the news among many others. It takes deliberate focus to be present for the task at hand. 

From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, there are thousands of thoughts we experience. If you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, those thoughts of stress and anger get reflected through out your day. 

Our thoughts are powerful and by just taking 5 minutes or more to meditate after waking up on the wrong side of the bed or another stressful situation can yield great benefits. 

I have first hand experience with calming down and have been developing my mindfulness skills slowly. For example I wake up cranky, I immediately realize I need to be in check of my thoughts. I take 5 minutes to calm down, watch my thoughts, and accept the situation. 

By taking time to acknowledging my thoughts and being present, I don’t carry my negative emotional state through out the day. These 5 minutes bursts have really improved my life in a meaningful way. 

Finally, following my mindfulness practice with thoughts of gratitude have lifted my emotional states, made me more present, and has brought a calm vibe to my presence. 

There are many ways of looking at a situation. Through our various cultural differences and experiences, filters are created on how we see things.

Then there are different altitudes of observing. Whether it be a 30,000 feet view or a 3000 feet view. Also you have to consider the time aspect of how will it affect the short and long term.

I am always fascinated at how you can be aware your perspectives to understand your biases. This makes it easier to understand other views and you can get a better idea of the situation from multiple areas.

Having the ability to calmly gain different perspectives is a great asset. Future situations can be handled with ease and everyone’s agenda is understood by you.

This is the secret sauce of life. 

Most often times the circumstances are never 100% in your favor. There are always unforseen variables that arise. It’s in dealing with those situations that helps build courage. 

In today’s fast paced modern life in the first world there are less chances of facing physical insecurity. Around the world we are living in one of the most peaceful times ever. The uncertainty I am talking about then is internal. 

The peaceful times and modern conveniences are creating many opportunities for us to stay in our comfort zone. This is the chance to be bold and elevate yourself in all areas of life. 

Being innovative, exploring new places, making the most of new opportunities, reading, growing, and evolving into embracing change is the pivotal key to being empowered. 

The magic of life is in the present moment. 

I enjoy the calmness of appreciating the right now and flowing from one moment to the next. 

Too often it is easy to get distracted by the busyness of life; the ads, notifications on your phone, the traffic, and the city pulsing along. 

Then there is another set of distractions which is internal. These are your anxieties, worries about the past or future, stresses to complete a task at hand, and uncertainties about the future. 

Distractions are part of life. It is accepting them and planning for them that allows us to be present in the moment. The feeling of calm and having a zen vibe is worth it and allows us to enjoy life. 

By planning ahead you can do your best to set yourself up to enjoy mindful present moments each day. 

I remember being stressed and worried. Lately after planning and doing all I can, I feel relieved and thankful. I feel light and take time to observe simple things and watch my thoughts flow. I am enjoying today. 

There are so many tasks to get done each day. Simple ones such as picking out your clothes to making important decisions in meetings.

Each task presents a unique opportunity to see how you complete it. How do you anything is how you do everything.

By being present and engaged in the task at hand, I am able to be mindful and often times finish the task quicker.

As you engage more with the most mundane tasks you are able to reflect and appreciate the tasks you do enjoy.

This can also be an opportunity to optimise your tasks since now you are aware if they truly bring value to your life.

Each day truly is an opportunity to become more.

With rapid changes across different industries, it reminds me nothing is ever permanent.

I feel excited to dream big precisely because of all this change. As you never know what technology or revolution could make your vision a reality.

It is also important to be content with yourself and your current situation. You have to appreciate what you have now while being optimistic about the possibilities of  tomorrow. That is the magic of life.

HOW IT GOT STARTED:

Every day I get up in the morning, I think today is an opportunity to learn something new and I jump out of bed with an enthusiastic smile. My daily routine of reflecting on my past day, setting daily goals, coming up with ideas, and envisioning my aspirations really motivate me to go and make the most of my day.

After jumping out of bed I also start listing out things I am grateful for in my life and start to read an impactful nonfiction book. Then I follow by listening to a feel good song and to wrap up my get out of bed routine, I do push ups to get going.

I learned that the first hour of the day is the most important and it really sets the course for the rest of the day. By already having such an empowering first few minutes, my whole day feels bright and vibrant. My morning routine is always subject to tweaks and refinement as my schedule changes. This sparked my interest in 1% growth every day.

INSPIRATION:

– Kaizen

I have always been fascinated by the idea of constant improvement and optimization. The Kaizen mindset is exactly that. Finding how to streamline the process and then continually improve to make it better.

– Software development

Windows is always updating! Bugs are found and patches are released. I like this idea a lot, get lots of feedback and try to improve what I am doing.

– Engine improvements

Every new car is built to uphold new environmental and safety regulations. Each year creative solutions must be made to add value to the customer and at the same time keep the price the same or lower. Similarly, I want to continually come up with new ideas and solutions with the existing resources at hand.

THOUGHTS GOING FORWARD:

Reading daily, getting exposed to fresh ideas, and new ways of thinking all allow me to grow at an exceptional pace with a compounding nature. Gaining insight and wisdom from many people’s life experiences helps me maximize my time and build awareness. This will allow me to make smarter decisions and how to give/create value in a meaningful way with lots of impacts.