External vs Internal reflection

I want to shift my focus this week to the multifaceted nature of human beings. Sometimes, a minor setback in life can paralyze us to unexpected depths. My goal today is to bring some positive perspective in general.

How often do we sit with our thoughts alone? After 10 minutes of worldly thoughts spinning around our minds, our internal thoughts arise, which our mind whispers to us. Many of us are terrified to stay alone with our thoughts. Some of us may not know how to sit with them and look for constant distractions. But these are the moments when we detach from the external world, recenter, and recalibrate ourselves. Journaling may be one of the outlets when our thoughts are crowded and may prove therapeutic.

Have you felt that when we sit with our thoughts, we discover ourselves more? We may recollect some skills, hobbies, or talents that we had, and all of a sudden, that feeling of self-awareness arises within us. At other times, we may question ourselves about a new project or area that we have always wanted to explore but never really given much thought to.

If we think of ourselves as a complete, whole being, we come to realize that we possess many qualities within us. We may be validated by the external world in a particular discipline through the completion of a degree or certification, or hold a position or a role, which accounts for only 25% of what we possess. The remaining 75% is full of richness, potential, and superpower that each one of us possesses uniquely. We are divine beings with morals, ethics, principles, and values. We have intuition, emotional intelligence, and a loving and caring nature. We may possess inborn talents in specific crafts, such as managing and organizing, as well as building and constructing, or rearing and nurturing. And if we have known ourselves only by our title or what we do for a living, then we haven’t given thought to understanding ourselves completely. The external world knows 25% of us; the remaining 75% may be known only to our family and friends. Sometimes, family and friends who spend every day with us may not know our entire 75%. And I think even if we say that we know ourselves well enough, that 100% is never met in its entirety because we are constantly growing, changing, and evolving. Isn’t that interesting?

Think about water and its different forms. Water can be a river, a serene lake, a mighty waterfall, rain, mist, dewdrops, a fountain, or vapor in hot springs. Regardless of the form we encounter water in, we are still aware of its multifaceted nature. We know it has so much more to offer than just a drink in a cup. If we see water only for its practical purpose, we would be missing 75% of its richness.

In professional life, we are entitled to play a role. The annual evaluation or performance scorecard may not reflect who we truly are and all the qualities that we have to offer. We are limited to specific job responsibilities, which may prevent us from excelling fully. Some individuals have more than one interest and passion. One thing I have noticed is that, in our career ladder, we may not be able to do different things simultaneously. Still, when we pivot, we can always carry along the knowledge and skills we have and utilize them in a different way in the new role. We can leverage our diverse areas of expertise to their fullest potential. We should always be open to being beginners and lean towards self-growth and evolution.

I see professionals who are very focused on their careers and are giving their all towards the next goal. However, the truly great ones are those who can integrate both the creative and logical sides. We need not restrict ourselves to expanding on one side and contracting on the other. We can equally expand both sides of our brains.

We can be logical and creative at the same time.

We can be strategic and imaginative at the same time.

We can choose to be anything we want, and we are limitless.

With this, I will leave my readers to imagine and make their interpretations of how they see themselves as multifaceted, and what does your 75% consist of? What hidden richness do we have? And don’t let that 25% define you.

I would love to hear different perspectives.