Let us share a small observation that carries a surprisingly big lesson.
In the early 1960s, both Malaysia and Singapore stepped out of the British Empire. Roughly the same time. Same region. Similar culture. In many ways, Malaysia held the stronger hand. More land. More resources. More people.
Yet over the decades, one of the two nations surged ahead with remarkable speed.
Singapore.
Monica and I have visited several times, and like many who go there, we were struck by how well things work. Naturally, curiosity followed.
What made the difference?
One detail stood out.
Immediately after independence, Singapore installed air conditioning in all government offices. And not casually. There was an unwritten standard imposed by the first president of Singapore. 18°C. No more. No less.
At first glance, it feels trivial. A technical decision. A comfort upgrade.
But have you ever been to a humid climate at 30°C? We’ve stayed in the Dominican Republic, in Bali, in Thailand and we experienced this first hand. Maybe you did too.
In a hot, humid climate, at 30°C it’s almost impossible to do focused thinking for hours. You will feel it immediately. Your body slows. Your patience shortens. Your thinking dulls.
Now reverse that.
A consistently cool environment does something subtle but powerful. It lets your mind think. It improves thinking.
And over time, better thinking compounds.
We believe this small, almost invisible factor played a meaningful role in Singapore’s rise.
Not the only reason. But a quiet advantage working every day.
Which brings us to the real point:
Cool minds think better.
And this goes far beyond temperature.
Because the real heat we struggle with is emotional.
When the mind is overheated with frustration, excitement, fear, or urgency, clarity disappears. Decisions become reactive. Judgment narrows.
But when the mind is cool, something changes.
You begin to see the full picture.
You weigh trade-offs more clearly.
You respond, rather than react.
In a way, Singapore’s air-conditioned offices offer a simple metaphor: create conditions where clear thinking is the default.
And since we cannot always control the external environment, we can do something even more powerful.
We can balance our perceptions.
We can ask ourselves the right questions until we see both the positive and the negative sides of any event. All the way through, until we see that they are equal.
That is how you keep a cool mind.
And a cool mind, over time, makes better decisions.
Consistently.
Love and Wisdom,
Monica and Stefan
More from Monica, Stefan and the Inspired Life Circle team.
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August 26th - Dissolve Impostor Syndrome in 5 Steps
For coaches, therapists, healers, and psychologists who know they are good at what they do—but still question themselves.
