Hello friend,
It’s been a good long while since this newsletter has shown up in your inbox. And while some of that is because I’ve been occupied with other good things, the fact is that much of it is because I’ve not found any of the drafts I’ve written to be “good enough” for publication.
Do you struggle with the paralysis of perfectionism too?
When my perfectionism takes over, it tells me that nothing less than perfect is acceptable. And as a result, nothing ends up happening. I get stuck.
And isn’t that the opposite of growth?
Instead of making progress and allowing myself the opportunity to learn from mistakes, I end up remaining stagnant where I am.
A growth mindset requires the ability to be okay with being less than perfect. As Dr Becky of Good Inside put it in her recent viral lesson - the frustration that exists between the “not knowing” and “knowing” is precisely the “learning space”.
What are you currently learning that’s requiring you to tolerate the discomfort and frustration of crossing from the unknown to the known?
Motherhood is something full of unknowns; I’m barely 5 years in and every day is a step into uncharted waters as I mother a 5year+Xdays old child for the very first time. The discomfort that comes with it can be so destabilising, yet through time as I’ve become more familiar with the feeling of unfamiliarity, I find myself more able to tolerate it in other areas as well.
Motherhood is sanctifying indeed.
And so... I’m on the MRT train. My AirPods are barely blocking off the loud whirring of the train and 三轮车 (local folk song) jingle that plays at the station. So many thoughts, but perhaps not all for this one. I’m rebranding this newsletter "Mundane Musings" so I won't feel that only big things are worth talking about. It is, after all, in the mundane moments that most of life is lived.
Till the next,
P.S. Membership to The Ordinary Matters is re-opening very soon. If you’d like to be on the waitlist, just reply to this email to let me know! I’m happy to answer any questions you have about membership too.
P.P.S. If you’re looking for ideas of things to do with your family that are low-cost and low-rush (it’s free if you’re in the membership!)
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25 Free or Cheap Activities for Families in Singapore (for a slow and less hurried life)
Modern day life in busy Singapore is always a rush!
Here's a list of free or cheap things you can do with your family,... Read more |
From my commonplace
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“It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterward were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
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