What is the root cause of my frugality and displeasure with possessing stuff? I realized that every time I question my personality and primary traits, I have to look past the surface symptoms and dig deeper to my roots, to my early days, to understand why I am the way I am.
Read MoreWhenever I walk pass his sushi counter, despite his intent focus at preparing the next fresh roll of sushi, he’d always look up, greet me and ask about my day. He is always cheerful; I’ve never once saw him without a smile. He thinks I’m a student because I’m always carrying a backpack.
Read MoreI can tell he’s doing his best to do what is right by the different that he’s juggling, though sometimes things are beyond his control. Sometimes he’s fazed by changes and unrealistic expectations. Through it all he’s solid like a rock, unlike the broken pieces of concrete he is scooping and disposing out of the window.
Read MoreI told him he has a nice look about him. He immediately blushed, and looked down as he did in this picture. The first thing he told me after I complimented him on his look? That he was 58 years old. I told him you look as young and fit as ever! He smiled and blushed even more.
Read MoreHe was sitting next to me, eyes closed and totally immersed in the music playing over the speakers in Starbucks. I love watching him so much I couldn't help but to preserve the moment, in this still image of course. By capturing this moment, whenever I look at it, I'd be as immersed as he was as we both enjoy the things we love - him, music; me, photography.
Read MoreInstead of envying, be. Be the best that you can be each day and every day. Live life fully and abundantly. Mastery is practice build over time.
Read MoreTiming is everything. You never know if you’re getting someone at the right time. No now doesn’t mean no forever. It just means not right now. Somebody else’s timing is outside of our control - we don’t know the circumstances surrounding that person’s life that is dictating their decision to do or not do something.
Read MorePerfection kills flow. It is more important to encourage flow than perfection or art. It is easier to trim down than to add on. My first draft for Crazy Cycling Chick was a chaotic mix of thoughts, reflections, observations, ideas and points. I dumped them all in one document. It was messy to read when I was done with my first draft. There were more scribbles and doodles than there were structured and meaningful sentence. It wasn’t a ready book. Lesson learnt: Open two documents - one to write in, one to journal in.
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I’ve always had an unease with people hanging out by themselves. My memories of childhood were those of me returning home from school to an empty home.
I smiled and waved to her to join us at our table. She smiled, shrugged as if to say, ‘Alright, what’s the harm?’ and brought her cake and tea over to our table.
Read MoreIt’s not enough merely to communicate your needs and wants. What if your communication is a one-way street? What if it’s just you communicating what you want and need to be done, and your partner merely obeys of fulfills your verbalized wishes?
Read MoreI’m not American and I couldn’t vote. I’m an immigrant in this country and while my voice is small and insignificant, these are my views:
The true character of a person is demonstrated in difficult times. Don’t add negativity to negativity. Don't add darkness to darkness. Let your good light shine.
Don’t ever think you can’t make a difference. Every little thing matters. Counter negative with positive. That’s how you trump.
Read MoreStepping out to launch my first published book came with a lot of uncertainty. While I didn’t sell a lot of books (and I knew I probably wouldn’t, because realistically, most first time authors sell averagely 200 books on the first attempt), I made a huge profit in terms of old bonds rekindled and new friendships made.
Read MoreI’ve always believed that money is and never should be a problem. I don’t know where this belief came from, but I’ve always believed that there is money in the world and we just need to find it. I don’t mean to say that money comes easy for me; in fact, it doesn’t, but my internal belief help me to have a mindset concerning money that encourages me to take steps forward and formulate strategies to raise money.
Read MoreBe a person of your word. Your credibility lies in what you say you will do and if you actually fulfill them. Especially in the current fast changing world that we live in, busy lives and constant distractions have us scampering from activity to activity, place to place, face to face. Anything and everything is demanding our time and we don’t know what is truly important anymore. Keeping your word is a virtue lost in this rapidly developing world. Unfortunately for me, keeping my word was something I never quite learnt as a young child till adulthood.
Read MoreCycle across a continent! Wow, cool! Yes, in theory it sounds cool, and don't get me wrong, it sure is an experience of a lifetime; one I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world (except to cycle around the world), but with its grandeur also comes a lot of discomfort and inconveniences.
Read MoreIt all begins in the mind. This morning I woke up to dark, threatening clouds and I thought, let’s go cycling! This is unusual, trust me, because the usual me would wanna bundle up, stay indoors, keep warm, and not get uncomfortable. But not this morning - I was excited and roaring to hit the road with my bike. Why? What changed? Here’s what… and it’s a huge announcement...
Read MoreI discovered this at the finish line of the race: it’s not about finding joy upon reaching the destination; it really is about enjoying every step of the journey so that when you get to the destination, it merely concludes the journey, and then it’s time to move on to the next journey. Reaching the destination is an indication that it is time to transit to the next level, journey or adventure. Understanding this is important so you don’t feel lost or stuck after arriving - there is something greater to look forward to.
Read MoreIn reading When Breath Becomes Air, a memoir by a Stanford neurosurgeon, Dr Paul Kalanithi, who died too young from cancer in 2015, I consider the depth of love that we humans are capable of giving, and the inexplicable amount of strength we display in the face of adversity and tremendous pain. I wondered, often and frequent, while reading, if I had that capacity to love and face my battles if placed in a similar situation as Paul did.
Read MoreIt’s more important to produce than to consume. For me as a writer, it’s more important for me to write than to merely read. Reading alone, without any other activity in between (like taking notes, researching on what’s mentioned, say a personality, a film, a place; or being inspired to fire a Tweet or Facebook post or Instagram picture), puts me to sleep anyway.
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