When we get excited about our goals, we tend to broadcast them to our family or friends. That’s because we are social beings hardwired to engage and connect. The problem? We exaggerate things. We pretend we’re already doing it, because maybe, we want to earn praise and respect. Although it feels good to be adored, … Continue Reading →

Your mind is wandering, thinking about something. Now it’s your turn to speak. But you miss the point of the person you’re talking with — conversation’s getting nowhere. It happens to most people. We often think about something else while having a conversation. We think it’s fine, but it’s not. It’s being unfair to the person … Continue Reading →

This poem speaks a lot of things I want to express — optimism, moving on, self-growth, love, composure, taking actions, and being strong and true to yourself. I have nothing to say other than to agree that words, when woven to uplift a spirit, can be powerful and moving. Please read it slowly: Promise Yourself … Continue Reading →

We are hardwired to be righteous — do good things, help others, say sorry, respect elders, follow the rules, forgive, and so on. But even though being right is the thing, some people do wrong things. They break the rules. They don’t follow social norms. They shout at others. They don’t show respect. What else? Sorry, … Continue Reading →

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish,” is the closing remark of Apple founder Steve Jobs during his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University on June 2005 — one of the most inspiring speeches I’ve heard. In his speech, he talks about three important stories of his life: Connect the dots, Love and Loss, and Death. Here’s … Continue Reading →

Your neighbor is sick. Make a homemade soup for them. Make them smile. Your coworker is crying. Ask why. Lift their spirit. Your boss or employee is unhappy. Open up. Listen and engage. Offer solutions. Perhaps they need help, too. Your friend is brokenhearted. Comfort them. Share a funny or inspiring story. Remind them that the pain … Continue Reading →

We’re unhappy because we want things to be perfect: We only see the bad things in our country. We only see the flaws of our fellowmen. We don’t appreciate the great things in life. We only see problems, instead of solutions. We’re unhappy because we chase money: We sacrifice our freedom because of our high-paying … Continue Reading →

Inspired by the Paradox of our Age, I contemplated and wrote my observation on the present society — although negative, somehow true. I realized that exploring the negative side gave me a new perspective to deal with challenges and better my understanding about life, about how things work. Here’s my observation: The present society is, we … Continue Reading →

We used to believe that having more friends can make us happy. So we go out, meet new people and build relationships. But that isn’t always the case though. Often we end up connecting with the wrong person. It’s a common struggle. Think about it. Do we really need more friends? What we need are … Continue Reading →

If you were raised in an impoverished and closed-minded culture, chances are, you’ve probably adapted the usual life pattern: Get a degree → find a real job → earn money → help unfortunate relatives → buy a house and car → earn more → buy stuff → impress others → get married and have kids … Continue Reading →

The day I read about mindfulness and self-awareness, I realized I was misled for years. I was following a life pattern tailored with false promises, consumerism, rat race, and competition. I don’t know how it changed my life. But that was my starting point to learn more about who I am and how to become … Continue Reading →

If there’s one thing I should have known when I was a kid, it should be the truth that chasing money is not the ultimate goal. I used to think if I have more money, everything would be perfect, everything would be okay, and everyone — my family and friends — would be happy. But … Continue Reading →

We used to think we can achieve change if we have more money, time, and opportunities, or new stuff or leaders. Maybe yes. What we haven’t realized, however, is that change is hard — changing our situation is hard and changing our old ways is hard. That’s the reason we rarely achieve change. And the reason … Continue Reading →

Adversities are inevitable. But why do some people live as if untouched by adversities? These people, too, had misfortunes. But what sets them apart is how they treat adversities. They treat adversities as an opportunity to grow. I know it’s hard. Because when adversities strike, our default reaction is to shrink. We don’t know what … Continue Reading →

You work hard to pay the bills, to buy that cool stuff, to obtain that dream car, to impress others, and so on. You may get what you want, but sooner or later, you’ll realize that those things won’t make you happy. You’ll feel empty as if a parasite’s poisoning your soul: “What’s wrong? What … Continue Reading →