"It's not about the change itself, but about who we become in the process." In any kind of change, be it: 🔸 Career transitions 🔸 Technology adoption 🔸 Business growth or scaling 🔸 Relationships, including parenting We often measure success by outcomes, such as: 🔸 Landing the desired job 🔸 Meeting business targets 🔸 Fulfilling roles in relationships 🔸 Implementing new technologies This is all important and this is how change looks from the outside.  But 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 '𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿' 𝗮𝗻𝗱 '𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀' 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲.  To understand this better, look back at a situation when a major change happened in your life - 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺, 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵?  or  𝘈𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥?  The answer to this will help determine where your focus was during the change.  To fully embrace change and POWER UP in this New Year, prioritize inner transformation:  🔸 Define who you aspire to be 🔸 Clarify your core values 🔸 Exercise patience 🔸 Trust the journey What are your thoughts on change? 🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸 Image: At a shrine in Kawagoe, near Tokyo 2 days ago. The change you see is not just me in a Kimono, but deep gratitude for a family holiday that materialised after years, and against many odds. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲- 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘁😉🙏.  𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘋𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘪, 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 😊.

The rain seems to have gotten my creative juices flowing again! It is a really wet, cold and dark Monday evening in Singapore, and I find myself enjoying the rain sprays carried into our patio by the cool breeze, breathing deeply to let my words flow. Words that formed as thoughts and feelings in the last few months, but disappeared into unknown spaces within. I have been searching! Searching for my words, depth, meaning, connection and myself . In recent months, I have been busy, but aloof! Truth be told, initially, I was put off by the media frenzy around the second wave of COVID 19 that gripped India in the last few months. I was taken aback by the misuse of freedom of speech especially on #socialmedia for political gains. I found it all quite toxic and started to withdraw. In the quietness, I realized how nonsensical the world of social media has become! Where any Tom, Dick and Harry can become an influencer, politician or leader overnight! All it takes is a #viral post, where the virality isn't decided by any particular logic. I observed insecurity, fear of missing out (#FOMO), desperation to monetise one's influence etc, which even the wisest were falling prey to! Are we headed in the right direction? I don't get the feeling we are! Especially when the world has begun to value lives in terms of Followers, Likes and Views? When one is so present in the virtual space but absent from the physical space! When one is learning to make connections in the digital space while lacking a connection in the mental space!! I was struck by the superficiality all around! While social media has its benefits such as building networks, growing businesses and improving one's visibility, it is important to use it mindfully and wisely. A 2018 study by the University Of Pennsylvania showed that limiting social media use led to a significant reduction in loneliness and depression. Additionally, the study suggests that limiting social media use to approximately 30 minutes per day may lead to significant improvement in well-being. My personal experience is that the more I disconnected from the virtual space, the more I connected with myself and my inner circle. I realised that my absence from social media made no difference to my virtual connections, but it did make a difference to the people physically around me, especially my kids, with whom I naturally became more present. At the beginning of 2020, I had given a workshop to scientists at my workplace on 'How to use #LinkedIN to make you and your science visible'. I reckon the most relevant and useful part of my talk was the first question I asked the participants: " What's the reason why you wish to use LinkedIn more"? Most people answered, "because everyone is using it" while some people said "to find jobs' and to "grow their network". I urge you to reflect on what makes you want to use social media. Whatever your reasons are, it may be helpful to use social media keeping in mind these three points: Use social media mindfully and wisely. Ensure you are not consuming biased, toxic content or any content that doesn't serve you through mindless scrolling. Avoid sharing information impulsively. Instead share information that is true, verified, new and useful for people reading it. We need to move away from superficiality towards depth, to find true meaning, connection and growth in life. Sharing below a poem I wrote a few years back on the same: #TheCyberBlackhole by @drlakshmispeaks. Dr. Lakshmi Ramachandran, PhD is a scientist turned coach and motivational speaker. She has 20+ years of experience in science as an academic and industry researcher, communicator and administrator. Her own broad career journey deepened her understanding of human potential, and fuelled a passion to support the self-development of others. Her expertise is within Science Careers and Self-Management (Productive Life, Enoughness, Emotional Intelligence). She is an ICF, and Belbin certified coach and is listed on the Keynote Women Speaker’s Directory. Her other professional highlights include 1) 2006 Roswell Park Cancer Institute Deans award for outstanding dissertation research, 2) 2016 Publishing Next, India, best digital book runner-up award for her book Roomies/Foodies , 3) Co-Chairing the Gender Summit 2019, Singapore. To learn more, please visit https://www.drlakshmispeaks.com/

Today we were able to experience a lovely tradition called Hatsumode in Tokyo, offering first prayers at the Meiji -Jingu Shrine.   While doing it, I realised how clear my mind had become in the last week, when digitally disconnected.   A clear mental space is so precious in today's age and day of information bombardment and social media.   If it's possible to keep the mind space clear, even treat it as sacred, we all can achieve, be happy and peaceful.   As I will be stepping into a packed year, I want to lean in on 3 things to manage my mental space: 1)   Self awarenes s To become aware of thoughts and emotions, have the discerning power to know what thoughts serve us and what does not. 2) Self-control and   discipline : This is most important, but toughest to do. It's tough to get over the dopamine high tailored into smart phones and social media. Self-awareness combined with discipline is the only way.   3)   Service  and compassion: It's so easy to get caught up with goals and personal matters. A little service mentality goes a long way in bringing fulfilment. It needn't be big, something as small as kind words, appreciation and encouragement can make another person's day/life.   To Power Up in 2025, I wish you all great health at all levels.   What would you add to power up with a clear mind space?   2025 Wishes - Dr Lakshmi Ramachandran