Saya lahir hanya beberapa meter dari rumah kumuh bantaran kali dan pasar becek. Sedekat itu saya dengan kemiskinan. Teman SD saya tinggal di gubuk pinggir kali. Teman main rumah saya anak tukang pulung. Mengingat itu, tentunya congkak sekali rasanya kalau saya tidak menganggap diri saya…
As I turn 25 tomorrow and reach the quarter-century mark, I can’t help but look back on…
I remember when I first learnt about the Earth’s ability to rotate on its own axis and revolve around an elliptical orbit. I guess I learnt this in the 4th standard, but even then when the teacher taught further that this rotation and revolution happens for 24…
Perhaps one of the men with the most gravitas in the last century was the comedian George Carlin. It’s probably fair to say that he has done more to impart critical thinking skills on the past few…
That’s the best advice, right there: care. Just caring about one’s partner & their needs is a big step forward for a lot of people. So many men are lousy in bed but don’t know it, or know why. I used to think men & women were getting closer to sexual equality & true partnership. I don’t think that anymore. Not in the age of Trump & his ilk.
You’re probably familiar with 怎么 (zěnme, how? / how come?), but as soon as you add 样 (yàng), the meanings multiply — and that can be confusing. For example, 怎么样 can be used to ask for an opinion, or in the negative form to state that something is not…
Devereaux Peters wrote a great Twitter thread explaining why she stopped accepting challenges…
I’m gonna get myself in trouble with this one.
When that title for a story jumped into my head, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be about business or life in…
The Webster dictionary says so, but is it really true?
“Chaos is inherent in…
“But your fulfillment in life will not come from how well you explore your freedom and keep your options open. […] Your…
It won’t be wrong to call the Generation Z or the so-called Millennials as the Social Media Generation. Every now and then a new social startup arrives to the market which offers something different than the other and out of enthusiasm we start exploring it and slowly…
Since we were kids or more precisely little girls, we were taught that physical scars are just another form of imperfections; imperfections that we…
Gustavo Razzetti, As it happens, I wrote an article with the exact opposite title, defending the claim that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Obviously, this is not a proposition that should be interpreted literally, because, as one of my readers pointed out, that would mean that it is…
I spend an inordinate amount of time wondering about what I’d do if there was a…
The past 4+ years have all been about change. Massive changes. Tiny changes. Entering this new era of me has been a…
About two months ago, I went through a few changes in my life. I left the NGO I invested so many hours…
“Sundar, why are you not trying this out” My mom asked me pointing to the Speech contest notification from my school.
Unpack yourself.
Across the table, sits my school Principal, Mrs. Sonali Sen. The most sublime, tranquil, and, most importantly, a heroic woman. On my visit as an Alumni to D.P.S. Newtown, she looked at me and told me, “You need not be in the dark room. And, you need not wait for the door to open. In fact, you need not…
168 bronze and glass chairs, arranged in 9 rows, stretched across the green field.
“Now transition from warrior 1 to warrior 2,” Kristina instructs, and as I shift my back foot into a more comfortable position and…
Dear Ex,
…, it’s just the wrong perception.
The thing about relationship is that the more poems or those relationship advices written by someone else you read somewhere, the…
Notes on my dark being.
Sometimes I can’t even get the motivation to get up and out of bed. I know I need it. I know I need interaction but the limiting belief inside my head says: ‘There’s no one out there for you.’ There’s no one in this world that can lift this heaviness from my chest.
I haven’t done a whole lot with Believe Fit lately, that isn’t a bad thing at all however. It is a…
“A man who can’t bear to share his habits is a man who needs to quit them.” (Stephen King)
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties…
They say a Mother just knows. And we do.
It’s the Summer in the late ’80s, my cousins, siblings and I are packed in my Aunt's basement. My Aunt was the “family sitter” in black families that’s the person who has watched every generation. Her house was always packed with the latest toys, movies…
The internet was out, but I felt like I needed to get back in the habit of writing a…
Hi Horst. Thank you for taking the time to read my piece, as well as for providing a response. I do appreciate the feedback, whether we agree or not.
While the title is a bit provocative, the core message I hoped to get across was that you should try to filter your critiques — real or assumed — when it comes to taking a…
I lay on the couch most of the day yesterday, my lower back in agony, my right arm in agony.
The other day someone asked me what my goals were. I told her the truth…
I told her that I never have any goals. Just like I never make plans.
Having goals and making plans takes away your flexibility. And many other things.
In yesterday’s post, I argued that there’s nothing worthwhile in the domain of known. You…
Look who’s looking
A word about money; it has since long been associated with a lot of negative things. Things like, it is the root of all evil, and people…
An interesting episode of my life just happened and it’s like a repeat of history but, is not.
It began with my quest for a new job in June of this year, 2018. I was searching for a very simple, high-paying and stress-free part-time job. Kind of unrealistic, I…
What Would You Do If You Had A Million Dollars?
On July 22, 2018 | 0 Comments
I stayed up until 3 am because I was so pissed that my heart was beating hard and I wasn’t the slightest bit tired, which totally…
Life sometimes seems like chaos and things happen that we cannot understand. Things happen that it seems as if it were…
You want to know why I started this series?
It’s been two decades since my mother got me onto this earth. It’s been at least a decade since I became a part of the world’s systems and it’s thought processes. Or, might be more than a decade, for I had a zilch of a childhood. And perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I keep searching for the child…
I can’t even begin to explain how well this resonates. From distant relationships to opening up to strangers. The story of my life and you gave me this “ah-ha!” moment after 33 years. Thank you!
Despite the fact I knew it was poor judgement to ride my bike wearing flip flops, I did it anyway….
Do you know how it feels when the whole world detiroates and crumbles around you? When all that you love and cherish just become history lost in the sands of time. That's when you start shudder and shiver at the sight of everything that remotely even reminds you of the things you used to have and…
In many conversations, around the world, I have had well-wishers who have always remarked that children who grow up in adversity have more resilience, so they are likely to do well in life. I have always cringed at this naïve correlation between adversity and resilience. I agree, some…
Noticing
At the end of last month our beloved priest and his family moved to the Midwest. Why is it when people physically leave that you appreciate them…
One of my best friends came out to me the evening I asked him to be the Best Man at my wedding. This was 1984. I am sure he was out to others, but he had been away at school for a while and we hadn’t spoken. I asked him to join me for dinner a few months before my wedding, and he agreed. When I asked him to be my Best Man, he said, “You know I am gay…
Leaving behind your self-doubt can have a greater impact on your life than you…
Book Review: The Tech-Wise Family
I remember succinctly that evening when we were sitting by the river. Your understanding of the Bible was angelic. It was like…
This is the kicker though, isn’t it? What if nothing done was apology-worthy, and yet the person to whom the apology ostensibly ought to be given, or who is expecting that it be given, is not reasonably asking for it? We’ve all been expected, or felt the “ought”, to apologize, and have uttered the phrase, to ourselves and out loud, at least sometimes…
“Remember we all get what we tolerate. So stop tolerating excuses within yourself, limiting beliefs of…
Weeknote episode 1 w/c 16th July 2018
So after reading a friends first couple of medium posts I though I would give it a go. My weeks seem to fly by currently so some type of process of recording the hecticness seems a good idea.
To set the scene
I’m an academic, a job (a status?) which I only acquired quite late in life. (I remember meeting a grad student, when I was in the last year of my bachelor’s degree, and thinking dear God, who would want to live like that? It was a Real Job in the Real World for me! But hey.)
I am a constant victim of my nose running faster than a waterfall. What blows my mind further is that it seems so hell-bent to keep me up all night. So I thought to myself what better way to celebrate its victory than to write a list of methods to eliminate the running…
I’ve decided that you could be my diary so no offense to the people reading but this particular ‘piece’ is more or less a letter from myself to myself.
If feel like a full-blown angsty teen saying that but here we go :
Just completed your 12th class or done with your graduation ,congratulation and welcome to the world of “Optical…
Job 38:8 (KJV)Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
A lot of us are drained by putting our awareness on other people’s view of us. A simple example is when a friend ignores your message, you start to wonder all the reasons why. “Not caring about other’s opinion” is realistically impossible, and absolutely easier said than done.
An Unforgettable 18th Birthday Gift
I decided to do something just for myself and created an unforgettable memory in the most beautiful age, 18 years old…
If you want to be creative, you’ll have to hold on to your inner kid self.
I’ve officially hit the two week mark. I think the emotions are catching up to me now. That’s the thing about starting over, y’know? You start completely over, and the most interesting thing I’ve learned over the last two weeks are people’s names.
Why being “cool” is wack.
September 6, 2015: The day before my first day of middle school. The day before I wouldn’t be an elementary kid anymore. The most exciting and nerve wrecking day for any 11 year old. I would be seen as a “big kid”, an “adolescent”, but none of that…
Hey blessed one, read sincerely and digest it properly, this are things that when I got to know them, they really changed my life and i thought; why should I keep it to myself when there are others like you who it might also help? let’s get started……..
Leaping, all in Time to beginEmbark, second half of 2018 Do what I say, saying what I mean Show up and be seen Essentialism way SAVERS…
Boundaries and barriers are not synonymous.Boundaries leave room for growth, adjusting, shifting, and learning. Barriers prevent, keep out, insinuate indestructibility, and aren’t…
Congratulations! Your thoughts lifted from your writing with feeling! As I have come to understand, Living a Life of Sobriety, it is always about Choice.
I have come to understand, redemption comes upon us when we take ownership of all our choices in Life, to bring us to the moment we feel right now! It is just that simple, but it takes a lifetime of understanding! Enjoy!
Once you start seeing you’ll never be able to unsee again…
It’s a blessing…
and a curse…
Originally published at yanngirard.typepad.com.
Thank you for sharing your experiences of meditation. There are many variations and I still do mine with the mantra I was given when I started Transcendental Meditation almost 3 decades ago. (Though I no longer follow the TM movement. I also practiced the kriya yoga meditation introduced to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda almost a century ago.
Customers not knowing what they want are the most dangerous customers of all.
The thing with freelancing is that I’m essentially selling my time for money — the very thing I’m…
My youngest son and I tried wake surfing for the first time last week. Despite all the helpful advice I kept shouting at him from the…
I am not a number on a scale. I am not the clothes I wear or the things I buy. I am a caring human being who deserves to be happy, loved and respected. I am passionate. And, my heart and feelings run deep. They are not to be played with, like a toy.I do not need the approval of others, to be a good person, because my soul, heart and actions towards…
I am so, so honored thank you Annie Littlewolf for this feedback. I love your name I can picture it on many book covers- write write write!!!
Grateful that you shared this all with me, Im so happy to hear that my message reached someone. It’s very affirming and of course thank you for the claps as well!
I agree, Alexandra.
I think self-knowledge is one of the most important and underestimated issues in life.
If you’re interested, I write about why that is here, and here.
After weeks of soul searching, my few days off last week to reflect and give myself time to think have paid off and my bag for the morning is packed with my resignation letter in it. Eek!
Sometimes there is no reason,Sometimes life is just cruel,And when you try to find some sense,You just look like a fool.
I stand stripped bare before you. Exposed for all to see.I will give you all I have to give.I will give you me. My pain you crave,You feed off my fears.And despite your web of lies.The truth has become evidently clear.But now our times run short, and as you turn to leave. I see that all along there…
They say trying something new is like jumping off a diving board
Just hold that image in your head while reading this.
Your mental and physical powers will only slip out of your hands if you do not nurture them.
Have you ever tried embracing the philosophy of non-expectation! That will empower you. Act or do without attention to the outcome. Enjoy the process and see what happens (without, of course, expecting something to happen!).
Through my growing process, one thing that I know I have learned is that the way you give out love says much more about who you are than it does the people you are giving it to. There are so many times especially as Black women, we tend to exert this tremendous…
For new readers, the following is a post from Michelle of Operation Husband Rescue. We are pleased she has had joined our team as a contributor.
Book Review: A Promise Stitched in Time
A Promise Stitched in Time
When I saw your title I immediately thought you were referring to the WHO video on depression, called “I had a black dog and his name was depression.”
But you literally have a black dog — a great companion and inspiration to keep you anchored.
To be the most productive and effective you can be, it is absolutely essential to learn how to manage your time, energy and…
I wonder how many minutes it would takeFor me to sit right hereFor you to take as many stepsIt may be forever I fear.For I am simply me…
The saying that what you put out is what you get back; well I know i’m not going to get a very good balance. But it also depends on how you take it, and a lot of people take it the wrong way; and get you to take it the same way. My man is gonna read this and wonder why it is still on my brain; how would you feel…
So this past week I haven’t written much because last week I worked 65 hours! It’s the most I’ve done since about late May, and even then was just 2 days of 11–12 hours or so. I worked a volleyball camp that was 16 hours for 3 days in a row, the other two weren’t as bad but WOW. It…
Humans have evolved in many different ways over the years though we are diminishing in things that make us humans. As we age…
We were in the Holy Land, in a group of about 13 of us from our parish, including our Pastor. I hadn’t brought any deacon stuff along, no stole, no alb, not even any black pants or shoes… I was on vacation. If I was asked to assist at a mass, I was sure I could borrow something; and I did a couple of times. We were in the small chapel remembering one…
The price of awesome
You were born alone and you’ll die alone. This may not be true of everyone, but it seems to be the theme of my life. Forever wandering from one place to the next with no kindred soul to greet or farewell me. At times I wonder why this is. Why I could be so cursed. But as I sit and watch another movie…
If you find yourself thinking that maybe you’re not smart enough, just remember that, of course, this is true.
How could it not be? The mind is a peacock-tower of precarious grey matter, built begrudgingly during the last billion laps by the frugal watchmaker of selection — it…
I am sure I am behind the times. I only heard about this term in the last few days when a person I know, a fifty something, said she did not want to “adult” anymore.
The top definition in the Urban Dictionary[1](I can’t believe I had to look this word up) is, as of July 2018, “Adulting…
Smart guy and I’m glad you wrote this for the masses. Life has started to be a vague experience because everyone wants to be fulfilled right now. All the other stuff is hard work and very difficult if you have spent most of your life in front of a computer and not out in the world. New college courses should be offered for this and a lot of younger…
Its been 4 long years since I stopped blogging for some weird reason(nothing weird just lazy). I had a wordpress handle which…
Once in a blue moon, life gave you a lemon or an apple. An old saying when life give you lemon, you gotta make them as lemonade. But no one tell us what to do when life give you an apple instead.
I just finished Ursula Le Guin’s book “No Time to Spare.” In this collection of essays, Le Guin reflects on the value of time, when simply…
Signs that you are doing a good job with your life
I wonder silently in confusion
No matter how mindful you are, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The point is how you balance…
Taiye Selasi’s TED Talk is one that gives the listener a lot to think about. I personally have been thinking about it a lot. When watching it, I loved her speech and all the points she made about something most people don’t give a second thought. Selasi’s speech really goes beyond just…
You are absolutely right. The world is very angry at themselves for creating the monstrous effects of poison they cannot undo.
It is going to take 12 years to bring it back to its rightful condition. I am the key. The sacrifices that are meant to be created, will take some serious humility and grace to plunge myself into…
This is a great piece. Sometimes I get stuck thinking about what I need to do for me, so a reminder to help others first is really useful.
呢d咪「成功需x幹」lor
I think as a whole we put too much focus on money. Kids graduating college nowadays under the impression they’ll find a gig for 80K a year. I hear my daughter’s friends say it. One was offered a position for $14 an hour and declined because he needs to make more money than that. I have an entirely different mentality. The way i see it, it’s $14 an…
There is always hope in the midst of chaos. It’s what we do when we find it that matters. It’s a feeling, a moment, a realization but it’s always there.
Nostalgia. That word takes you back, months, years to a different century. Sepia toned and fuzzy at the edges. A wonderland filled with memories and the joys associated with those memories.The sounds of childhood summers and rain drenched afternoons. Road Trips with friends and school trips to the zoo. The…
Hi Brenda! My beloved died 16 months ago. We were watching a favorite show on tv. Something strange happened to his body, and then it seemed like maybe he was having a heart attack. It took 20 minutes for the paramedics to arrive, and he was gone before they got there. Heartbreaking. But many gifts have arrived since…mostly the experience that if I…
1. Authenticity — being our true selves. Living our truth and refusing to compromise how we want to feel for the comfort of others allows us to become a beacon of hope for others when they feel they “have to” do something.
“What touches the heart is engraved in the memory” — Voltaire
“Being someone is all very well for smart parties where everyone is telling their…
Hatem Kaya-
So true that sometimes we forget that the experience of our emotions is one of the most important educations we get in life. The choices we make, actions we take and words we speak often are driven by our reactions to the experience we are having of an emotion.
“Never give up the ganja.”
Those are the words Morgan Freeman famously said in a 2003 interview with The Guardian. That was the moment when the world learned that one of Hollywood’s most notable…
My mind is completely blown by this penny math. I didn’t believe it until I looked up a post where someone had written out the math showing that a penny that doubles in value every day for a month equals over $10 million. Great metaphor for life — and a great riddle to stump my nephew!
Life Lessons from the Football world Cup 2018
Its been a week, since France lifted the world cup 2018, an enthralling tournament. It was a tournament of underdogs, personified by finalists Croatia, a country with 4 million population that got independence in 1991. Pundits are calling it the best world cup in terms of…
Savour every moment. You don’t know how much time you have with the loved ones around you. Could be days, could be years. You just don’t know. You could be the one who leaves, or they could be.
Science seems to step over the line just because it can…not because it is necessarily good…
Hi Brenda: I do not succeed at celebrating every moment, but noticing the little things and taking time out to be grateful and celebrate adds richness and joy to my life. So often we focus on the past or the future, and then the aroma of the coffee in the morning, or the chili cooking on the stove is lost. The gentle tickle of the breeze as it glides…
My internet isn’t working on the train this morning, so I’m writing.
Writing is something I’d like to consistently do everyday. Why? It helps me process the…
Now that’s an opening grabber! :-)) Well done!
Robert — you have started the long road of self-improvement by beginning to take a hard look at yourself, your life and your surroundings. The only way to make changes is to identify what you don’t like, what isn’t working. As someone who was briefly in your life, I know you to be a good and kind man. Continue to grow and evolve.
Kristin, thank you for so many great insights. I too have learned a lot from Tom Kuegler.
He has a willingness to be vulnerable and throw his thoughts out there. It’s a powerful and creative way to gain clarity in life.
When some people go funny and flaky on you, please don’t cry. God’s giving you a sign that maybe you’ve ignored for too long. Some people that you’ve had in your life haven’t been good to you, nor good for you. It’s time to make some changes!
Right on, Dan Pedersen. Been pondering for myself how we reflect our success in other people’s mirrors. Always gonna be a fractured vision.
