Some people (who know me) often assume that I’m wise because I’ve read lots of books. But that’s not even close. When they ask me about politics or a particular mathematics formula (which I don’t have any idea), almost all the time I’d reply “I don’t know”. They don’t like it, for sure. But I’m … Continue Reading →

All these “live a good life” philosophies or self-improvement practices are not meant to make us perfect individuals. They aren’t meant to make our lives perfect every single day. They are just a target to aim for. If you’re feeling bad or beating yourself up because of failing to hit your mark, you miss the … Continue Reading →

Last Aug 2020, I turned 31. Yay! And again, it took me a year (or more) to distill and reflect the most important truths I’ve learned. I’m starting to accept that this is actually my process. So maybe I have to stop apologizing why it always take so long? You can check my previous entries … Continue Reading →

“Someday, I want to become that kind of person.” Sure. Why not? But don’t confuse it with happiness and success. Happiness Having a goal isn’t always a requirement to be happy. Happiness is a state, not a result. Which means, we can choose to be happy right now whatever our situation is. We only need … Continue Reading →

Most people I know never feel enough. And with social media, that feeling is even more amplified. We say to ourselves we should be doing better or living life differently or investing in cryptocurrencies because that’s what others are doing. Otherwise, we’re left behind. We’re being stupid for not taking advantage of the opportunities. You … Continue Reading →

If you’ve played some video games specifically a role-playing game (RPG), then you’ve experienced how being a hero works. But even if you haven’t played one, it’s still relatively easy to understand a hero’s life — thank you Marvel Studios! So here’s how it goes: You start by picking a character (the hero). Then you … Continue Reading →

Every time you say “I don’t have time I’m busy”, it’s not that you don’t really have time. It just means it’s not your priority right now. Imagine you’re being invited to a party — scheduled next Friday. If you’re hesitating, it’s likely you already have a plan next Friday. And it’s impossible to reschedule. … Continue Reading →

Silly question. Can you remember anything before you’re born? I couldn’t remember anything either. They told me I was born in 1989. But what happened to me before that? Where am I? What was the world look like that time? Even more frustrating, I couldn’t remember most of the things that happened to me when … Continue Reading →

No matter how disciplined or intelligent you think you are, you are still you — an imperfect human being. You can’t change that. Can’t escape that. You will make mistakes. You will make irrational decisions. You will make fun of others to feel good about yourself. And at some point you’d probably get tempted to … Continue Reading →

You didn’t wish to be born. Didn’t choose your parents. Didn’t choose your race. But here you are… With your own personality, preferences, ideas, and beliefs. Unique in your own way. But there’s one problem — you’re not proud of who you are. You are shy, afraid, and anxious to show others your true self. … Continue Reading →

Thanks to the Internet. We now have access to an endless stream of information. Sounds good? Yes and No. It’s good because we can easily find the right information we need to inform ourselves. But it becomes not good when we lose control of our consumption. The mind has only limited capacity. It is not … Continue Reading →

Becoming efficient at something means you’re flowing like water. You’re delivering what needs to be delivered. You’re nailing it. This requires an insane amount of focus and discipline. But efficiency isn’t all-encompassing. If you try to be efficient at one thing, you might become less efficient at other things. It’s the truth. When I became … Continue Reading →

Real superpower isn’t having an unimaginable strength or extraordinary fighting abilities. Those are just what the movies portray. There’s more to that in real life. Here are some of them: Not taking criticisms and negative feedbacks seriously. Staying calm amidst a stressful situation. Not getting envious of other people’s achievements. Not getting distracted by trivial … Continue Reading →

Most people I know confess there’s something they truly love to do. It’s their passion. It’s their purpose in life. Maybe they really love doing it. Maybe they’re honest. But when you ask them why they aren’t doing it, things get interesting. Lots of excuses. It’s because they have to do something first. They have … Continue Reading →

Now that I’m a parent I often find myself worrying about the future. But every time I’m doing this, it’s pulling my attention out from the present moment. For example, instead of enjoying my baby’s giggles or cuddling with him, I sometimes zone out and fantasize different things I should do to give him the … Continue Reading →

The things you believe in are mostly passed down to you. You may not remember it, but you didn’t have any beliefs back then. Nothing. Along the way though, you picked up stuff — not just beliefs, also ideals and preferences and dreams. You were unconsciously constructing your own sense of self. And planning for … Continue Reading →

It’s human nature to respond to a positive action with positive action. In social psychology, they call it reciprocity. This simply means we want to give back. We don’t want to feel indebted. Maybe not the case for everyone, but I always feel that way. The other day I asked my colleague for a favor. … Continue Reading →

Whenever you think you’re lazy to do something, it’s not actually laziness — you’re just afraid of something. Fear takes over. Imagine how many things you could have done if you muster enough courage to do them. Courage to tell someone about your feelings. Courage to propose a project with a like-minded individual. Courage to … Continue Reading →

Find people you trust or people who truly understand what you’re doing. Or people who are actually doing what you’re doing. Ask them for feedback. “What can you say about my work? How can I improve it? What should I avoid doing?” Then reassess. And Improve. Keep improving until you become confident with it. The … Continue Reading →

The things you only want to learn are the things you’re enthusiastic about. If you’re not enthusiastic about writing music or programming or baking cakes, then you’ll never learn it. Although sometimes you’re obliged to learn something because of your unique situation, you’re not actually learning in the most efficient way. You’re just following instructions so … Continue Reading →