Success begins with self-awareness: Yvette Tee shares how we can train our minds to transform our lives
“Your mind is a very powerful tool. It can cause you pain and suffering. But if you learn how to use it well, you can enjoy more love, joy and peace and use it to create and make your desires come true with the right focus and action.”
The latest conversation with Yvette Tee, a wellbeing expert and founder of Evolve with Yvette, anchors on the importance of understanding, evolving and training ourselves to be better equipped to handle life’s changes, uncertainty and challenges.
From a diplomat, to corporate to starting her own business, she shared her top three lessons: Be comfortable with discomfort; follow your heart; work hard.
However, her path to this realisation did not come easy – it began with childhood trauma and a divorce. Yvette had to change her perspectives and rebuild a new life when she returned to Singapore after working overseas. It was during this painful time that she discovered yoga in Thailand, which eventually became her calling.
In the past, Yvette used to measure success with financial achievements. Today, she views success as living a healthy, happy, and peaceful life. "Success starts with you," she stated, underscoring the importance of self-awareness and inner peace. She also shared her own vulnerability working on herself:
“I needed a lot of recognition. I was very insecure because I was in a family upbringing where praise was not given. I often felt that I was not good enough. What I realise now is I have to give myself my own acknowledgement because a lot of us seek external validation, but it's never enough. And if you dare to look inwards, you realise this is all self-created. And it's nice when you realise that your problems are self-created, your joy is self-created.”
Yvette recounted a touching story of a client, a lawyer from Dubai, who faced a daunting brain tumor diagnosis. Through guided meditation sessions with her, he visualised a peaceful life living in a farmhouse in England. A few years after a successful operation, he sent Yvette a picture of his farmhouse – a testimony to the power of the mind and a beautiful vision they had worked on together.
Looking ahead, Yvette aspires to touch more lives through her work, helping others manage stress and find happiness. Her dedication to personal growth and her passion for teaching are evident as she continues to inspire those around her.
In this special episode, Yvette also conducted a five-minute guided meditation session with Linda – It was a self-realisation moment for Linda too. While going through the meditation, Linda was thinking ahead about how to close the interview after the impromptu meditation session – instead of focusing on the present.
With her touch of grace and ease, Yvette’s parting conclusion was spot-on: “This is the start of self-realisation. It's realising that you are full of thoughts. Because a lot of us are over-thinking. Most of the time, these are unnecessary thoughts, which takes us away from the present.”
Her ways to restore, refresh and recharge during her pauses:
Restore… Heal and regulate body and mind again
- Sleep: Before going to bed, I enjoy taking a lukewarm shower. This helps to relieve any tension from the day and makes me feel refreshed yet relaxed. Before I fall asleep, I remind myself to drop everything, including my identity, the different roles that I play in life, and any challenges or anxiety. These actions help me to sleep more soundly and deeply
- Nutrition: I enjoy having 50% raw plant food during lunch time and 50% cooked food at dinner time. It makes me feel more energised (I no longer take afternoon naps), maintains a healthy weight and I feel great. On certain days, I only have one meal a day and this helps my stomach to rest and restore itself.
- Health: I love spending time outdoors and in nature. Whenever I visit the Singapore Botanical Gardens, I will make sure that I remove my shoes and walk barefooted on the grass. I love the feeling of nature under my feet, or simply sitting and watching the clouds pass by. I find this is a wonderful way to stay healthy and alive
Refresh: Gain new perspectives
- Learn new skills: This year, I took up a DISC program to learn and understand human behaviour better to enhance the way I communicate with others from different backgrounds. I also travel to India regularly to deepen my yoga and meditation practices and knowledge and also for my personal growth and development.
- Learn new hobbies: A few years ago I got reacquainted with the piano and I enjoy learning new pieces, especially Chopin's nocturnes
- Read: As I have a deep passion for inner wellbeing, personal growth and yoga - my book choices tend to be centred around these themes. Some of the books that I have read this year are from my yoga guru Sadhguru including Karma, Mystic Musings and Enlightenment. I am currently reading The Universe in a Single Atom by HH the Dalai Lama
Recharge! Bring new energy
- Exercise: Over the last 25 years, yoga and meditation has played a significant role in my life. The practises not only make me feel more energised and good, they have also helped me to maintain good health and enhanced the way I feel within myself. I really cannot imagine my life without yoga and meditation. In addition to this, I enjoy walking and it is a great way to spend quality time with my husband and dog. I also do cardio and weight training twice a week
- Travel: My favourite travels are to places that are away from the crowds and returning to nature. Some of my favourite destinations include trekking in Nepal, Bhutan, the Indian Himalayas, safaris in Africa, hiking in Chile and New Zealand and whale and penguin watching in the Antarctica
- Community: I am blessed to have a variety of friends whom I try to see regularly. I also enjoy my own company and am happy to spend time alone or with my family.
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