Clean Slate
It’s a brand new year, and with it comes hope for new beginnings. After the year we’ve had, we’re hopeful that things will be better this time around. To start, we’ve invited acclaimed feng shui specialists Lillian Too and her daughter Jennifer Too to share their forecasts for the Year of the Metal Ox to give us a peek into what’s in store for each Chinese zodiac sign. They will touch on two things that people are most likely to be concerned with—their wealth and their health. But most importantly, knowing what the year holds will hopefully give you the confidence to move forward and look for hidden opportunities.
As this is meant to be a year of transformation, we examine how we can refocus and refresh our perspectives and shift to a mindset of productivity and purpose through a series of topics with wellness gurus. In an interview with a Shaolin warrior monk, we learned about the power of self-mastery and mindfulness. You know how you can get consumed by wandering thoughts? This monk urges us to observe these thoughts rather than engage with them, so as to allow us to sift through the clutter instead of letting it weigh us down. Meanwhile, a hypnotherapist talks about the life-changing potential of healing on a subconscious level. A yoga practitioner reminds us to be aware of negative self-talk and how to turn it into one that is positive and uplifting. And as the saying goes, a hot bowl of soup and a good night’s sleep can cure any ills, and we may just be able to help you with the latter with recommendations of all-natural sleeping aids.
To start 2021 off on the right note is our cover star this month, first-time Olympian Farah Ann Abdul Hadi. Energised by the upbeat ABBA songs playing in the background, she held us spellbound as she leapt into the air, a picture of beauty, strength and grace. In her interview, she talks about the perception of perfection, her frustrations with mental block, and Barbie dolls. Yes, you heard that right.
Although she made her routines look so effortless, she has sheepishly admitted that she’s actually quite clumsy for a gymnast. “My friends would move the glass away from the edge of the table as I would always knock it down,” she laughingly told me.
Nevertheless, being an athlete is a test of not only the physical but also mental strength, as Farah Ann can readily affirm. Thinking on this, I can’t help but recall these memorable lines from a favourite movie of mine, A League of Their Own—on what Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks) said about playing baseball: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great.”