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
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