beyond introspection

One of the common coaching inquiries concerns burnout, stress, and the assumption that they diminish our effectiveness, which easily migrates into a conversation about the relativity of freedom. We are never completely unobliged to do anything anytime we want, but our job may take appearances of a duty and a vocation. Then there is leisure, which again may feel like a burden to someone every so often. What differentiates calling, recreation, and obligation is a state of mind focused on individual perceptions.

Depending on how individuals self-interpret their experiences, almost anything could be considered meaningful and satisfactory. In our brave world of ambiguity, malleability is the new constancy. Qualities such as emotional intelligence, empathy, clear communication, and mindful collaboration become essential for success in business, creative, and social environments. These strengths and the “work-life” alignment before can only be obtained through automatic and self-initiated process¹, sometimes called “autotelic.”

Many of us have heard the stories of how a breakthrough came to a renowned scientist in a sudden, unexpected manner, lacking density of focus and detached from the discursive process. Intuition is described as an immediate presence, an expanded awareness of the moment that liberates our intellect and reawakens our sensorial and emotional dimensions. It transports the intuitor from a state of confusion and obscurity to a state of abundance and certitude, endowed with coherence. There is no set way to get intuition at will. However, it is possible to take aim at self-determination, developing the skill of self-collecting to attain the disposition receptive to spontaneous events and the intuitive state.

A trained mind is capable of neglecting facts in favour of inception, helping us through the process of unlearning that breaks our old ways of looking at things and lets the imagination spring forth. We need to think of spontaneity as being in the same category as insight. A spontaneous act is driven by an inner purpose that is projected towards the future. Awareness takes the form of highly attuned sensing, where we feel whole and coherent with our environment. From one moment to another, from what at first may seem chaotic. The experiences created by intuition and spontaneity emerge into form and structure.

The unconcealment of the imagination teaches us new vocabulary that better describes the psychological states. We advance our thinking through expansion of the mental lexicon, provisioning awareness of the emotionally arduous dynamics of the unconscious. Which is a necessity when someone enters the search for one's ultimate nature and meaning of life. Most people are capable of enhancing their autotelic experience. To summon the self-involvement, encouraging the familiar and the untested to discern them as they shape themselves. Then do something for its own sake with a sense of control, interacting the proceedings with the social world.

linked mentions for "beyond introspection":

1. what is introspection?

   Embracing spontaneity and inner genius, we can reshape notions and know ourselves intimately. This self-knowledge lets us create our lives rather than follow others' expectations. Introspection through mindful inquiry illuminates our inner world. It helps us examine our beliefs, find our voice, and integrate our notions with outer reality. We can understand our roles and personalities, and the difference between our self-perception and others' views.