Fall Club Magazine_2022_J_a

ThePowerof

Introspection

“In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.” Thiswas acall tocontemplation put forth by entrepreneur, coach, and New York Times Bestselling Author, Dave Hollis, during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, when lives the world over have been thrown into a state of flux, and we were still sifting through the rubble to rebuild and redef ine what the new normal would be. Ever so often, we encounter events that engender signif icant disruptions to lives, systems, beliefs, and values. These jolts are disconcerting, but the changes that surface and the ways in which we may be forced to adapt are usually a long time coming, if we think about it. For far too long, we had been riding a wave of excess, impervious to the trajectory of eventual destruction the norms we had become accustomed to were pushing us towards. Our hectic lifestyles were unhealthy and debilitating, and the economy fuelled not by the creation of real value but inequality

and an inordinate focus on growth for growth's sake. The environment had also been bearing the brunt of unsustainable socio-economic practices. We were gradually losing the ability to truly connect with ourselves and each other - to f ree ourselves f rom the perfunctory and superf icial; to sit and be still, delve within and feel, step back and think, rest and heal, and look beyond the material for guidance and inspiration. Global developments threw a spanner in the works, and we were presented with a unique opportunity to reset and correct the imbalances we had perpetuated or at the very least grown to accept. We were made to slow down, take stock of our circumstances, and go with the flow of transformative shifts. What is Introspection Introspection. This process of going within to reflect upon and examine our thoughts and feelings, key to us making

sense of our circumstances, navigating unfamiliar territory, facing challenges more consciously, and rediscovering our place in the world. In evaluating our lives over the past few years, many of us came to a few epiphanies that, when acted upon, catalysed signif icant changes in society for the better. We realised that work should not consume our lives to the extent that it had, and that we needed to actively invest a lot more time and effort in nurturing relationships. We found that we could live more simply and didn’t actually require so many comforts, and that engaging in a broader range of interests and activities was crucial to stoking the embers of creativity and balanced life. introspection doesn’t only come to be in the aftermath of jarring events. We should regularly evaluate our experiences and emotions through the process of soul-searching. It helps us understand the way we are, allows us to better relate to the world around us, and That said,

21 THE AMERICAN CLUB SINGAPORE