Words that caught us: Stillness and inflection points

 


Many good things

Follow inverted-U curve to the dot.

Money is good...up to a certain point.

Your career will grow...up to a certain point.

Patience is a virtue...up to certain point.

Being kind and considerate of others is nice…

Up to a certain point.

 

‘The logic of the inverted-U curve

Is that

The same strategies that work really well at first,

Stop working past a certain point.’

 

That point is the inflection point,

When things start to move

In the opposite direction.

 

The way to handle the inverted-U curve

Is to anticipate, and catch the inflection point,

Before it happens or, immediately thereafter.

 

For example…

To know what constitutes financial security

So as to avoid you being captive

Of the never-ending pursuit for more;

To know when your interest and joy

In your work is changing or sagging,

So that you can start learning or looking for something else;

To know when patience has run its course,

And should be replaced by firm and responsible action;

To know when kindness and consideration for others

Is hurting you, or unhelpful,

And build firm boundaries against its abuse.

 

How do we anticipate, or know the inflection point?

Mostly, by developing our self-awareness

 

How do we do that?

Mostly, by taking time to reflect on

How we are showing up in the world –

Our actions, mistakes, lessons and impact.

 

We'll never miss to notice an inflection point

In our life or work,

If we regularly turn in, and listen to ourselves.

 

But we're sure to miss it,

If all we do is push and pull, relentlessly,

And neglect the wisdom that comes

With being still.

 

And here lies our biggest challenge.

We struggle to be still.

We are uncomfortable with stillness.

And we live in a culture

That looks down on being still...

Which explains why

Most of our inflection points in life and work,

Go un-noticed…until we hit crisis mode.

 

Think about it.

What are are you doing 

To cultivate stillness in your life?

What has helped you most

In identifying critical inflection points in your life?


Pick any aspect of your life or work

And plot it mentally.

Where are you

On the inverted-U curve?

Are you approaching the inflection point?

At the inflection point?

Or, after the inflection point?


Chances are that, for you to do this exercise,

You had to stop, focus and think.

That's the point.

The insight comes only when you stop and focus.

It comes only when you are still and calm. 

 

*Quote by Malcom Gladwell in David and Goliath

Comments

Archive

Contact Form

Send