the case for inner work

on inner work In my mind inner work is what’s necessary to develop a deeper connection with ourselves and those around us. Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and virtues like kindness are all part of it. In a capitalistic society, it’s so easy to focus on outer work — the pursuit of status and money — because they are considered successful and safe based on social norm. We hear news about the world’s richest person but not the world kindest person (this statement itself is already playing the status game of “the most something” person in the world).

Inner work is not supposed to replace outer work, nor does it diminish the value of outer work. At the end of the day, unless you are a monk, you are still participating in society in some way. It’s still necessary to be practical and put in effort on outer work as well. Inner work, at least for me, helps ground me and find peace as I strive towards ambitious pursuits.

Everyone has their own version of “inner work.” You could call it mental health, core values, or life operating system. Like going to the gym and eating healthy to take care of your physical body, it’s also necessary to look inward and work on your inner self as you go about interact with the external world.

the meaning What’s the point of this? Why bother? Some may say.

Emotionally, the quality of life would just be more enjoyable. The quality of your mind determines the quality of your life. You’d be more at ease in your body, you’d be happy exactly where you are, and you’d be able to show up to life with more vivid colors. It doesn’t mean life’d be easier, but it’d make life richer and relationships deeper.

Logically, it’s also one of the best gifts we can give to our future kids. As we grow older and as life goes on, we pick up emotional baggages here and there. To be fully healed from our emotional wounds and be fully integrated with our shadows empower us to show up as our best selves for our kids. There are probably no perfect parents, but we can try to break any patterns we don’t want to pass down to our kids.

If we don’t deal with these baggages and process the emotions, they’d just get pent-up in us, influencing our wellbeing and emotional state inadvertently. Like the quote from the famous psychologist Carl Jung, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it Fate.”

Like building generational financial wealth allows your descendants to live more comfortably, building this mental wealth also trickles down towards your future generation. Emotionally healthy parents are more likely to raise emotionally healthy kids. Good values and family virtues get passed down. This is a way of making an impact to the world around us.

moving forward I’m by no means writing this to say I’ve come out of the other side. It’s a lifelong journey and this piece is also a note to self. Lmk if anything resonates and what you think! Any push-backs welcomed! :)

Parting question: what inner work do you think you are going to work on?