‘I’m Covid-19 positive and those who are my close contacts, as well as have met me in the last two weeks, please undergo a swab test’
THT hockey player Faizal Saari on social media
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THE SIGNS OF COMPLACENCY
Q
Does complacency mean
‘being satisfied’? If so, what is wrong with taking things coolly rather than rushing through life and getting stressed? Is it not better to take things easy? If this is all wrong, how do we know when taking it easy is actually a bad thing?
A
Taking it too easy can become a negative thing when complacency sets in. This can mean two things: nothing to strive for in life, or leaving everything to divine intervention. Complacent people will find all sorts of reasons to permanently stay in this state of stagnation.
POWERFUL QUESTIONS
Check to know how well you fit into this description of a complacent person:
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Do you have a false sense of self-satisfaction?
Do you feel helpless or pretend that everything is all right? Do you have a short span of interest and drive?
Is there something that you are trying to portray that is not you?
TUNE IN TO A HARMONIOUS STATE OF LIFE
Q
I feel that more people are unhappy with their lives as a result of poor relationships, work or family stress, poor health, and fading personal effectiveness, etc. There seem to be many of them in this pandemic.
I am also beginning to feel such similar strains too. I like to know what causes people to become like this. What is a better way for people to manage their lives to avoid getting into a rut?
A
These unhappy outcomes happen when we do not balance the various parts of our life well. When we allow for too much compromise into our lives until events overwhelm us, we get into real trouble. One example is when we concentrate only on one or two areas of our lives, such as career and money, and forget the rest, hoping something or someone else will take care of them. We get trapped in a comfort zone and start to lose focus and eventually, things fall apart over time.
One way to manage and balance our life is to act like a conductor of an orchestra. A conductor is always mindful of attaining ‘harmony’ with all the musical instruments for the best symphony to be produced.
For instance, the percussion section needs to harmonise (and is not in conflict) with the wind instruments. Together they give us good music!
Our life is the same. All parts must complement each other, such as our lifestyle, self-development, spiritual growth, career, family, and relationships, etc. As we work on one part, the other parts must not be neglected. In togetherness, fulfilling results start to show.
However, at different stages in our lives, there will be some areas of our life which are more important than others. A good conductor is always aware of this and will work towards putting order for harmony to be sustained.
POWERFUL QUESTIONS
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Which areas of your life do you want to focus on today? What other areas of your life do you need to pay attention to while you focus on the more important ones?
What can help you to stay on course?
What challenges do you need to always be mindful of?