Category: Contemplations
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The Surfer’s Mentality: What It Teaches Us And Why It Matters to You
I recently came across the ‘surfer’s mentality’ and it shifted something in me. When a surfer gets up on a wave, they’re not thinking about how long it will last. They enjoy the present moment, despite knowing it will eventually end, and might even crash down on them. They ride it anyway, because they know…
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When Your Mind Feels Like a Cage—And How to Set Yourself Free
A prisoner of my own mind Franz Kafka once wrote: “I am constantly trying to communicate something incommunicable, to explain something inexplicable, to tell about something only I feel in my bones and only be experienced in those bones.” Lately, I’ve been feeling this deeply. Recently, while lost in the quiet awe of nature, I…
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Reclaim victory over your creative monsters
A few months ago, a friend recommended The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I haven’t finished it yet (still chipping away at it), but the first few chapters were enough to help me overcome a creative block. One idea that really stood out was Cameron’s invitation to name your creative monsters. “What on earth is…
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The quiet art of cultivating hygge
In the relentless hum of a big city, it’s easy to get swept away by the noise — the deadlines, the crowded trains, the sense that life is always outpacing you. But lately, I’ve been thinking about how, even in the chaos, there are always glimmers — tiny, shining moments that invite you to slow…
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A Living Memoir: Launching My YouTube Channel
A Dream Delayed Embracing City Life While Holding on to My Countryside Dreams My dream is to one day live in the quiet stillness of the countryside—somewhere like Wanaka, where the mountains kiss the sky and my days are spent with my hands in the soil or wandering glorious alpine trails. But for now, I…
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I’m Struggling with the Paradox of Being Human
Over the past few months, I’ve been feeling disconnected and unsettled. Nothing appears to be wrong — at least not on the surface. Work is stressful at times, but manageable. After the beautiful disruption of two wonder-filled weeks exploring Japan, I’ve finally eased back into a steady rhythm of adequate rest and regular exercise. I’ve…
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Between Two Cultures: Navigating My Identity as a Chinese-Australian
Between two cultures A few weeks ago, we celebrated Lunar New Year—a time filled with love, joy, and cherished moments with family and friends. Yet, beneath the festivities, an unresolved tension resurfaced—a quiet struggle with my Chinese heritage that lingers year after year. Although I was born and raised in Australia, Cantonese was always the…
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Letters to You: Florian, thank you for changing my life.
Dear Florian, Have you been well? It’s been a year since we met in the hostel lobby in Christchurch. I still remember that morning so vividly—sitting by the window, scrolling through my phone in search of a cosy café where I could pass the time journaling before heading to the airport. That’s when you struck…
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From Survival to Revival: Reflections from 2024
In 2024, I meditated on the mantra: “2023 was about survival, 2024 is about revival.” Without question, revival became a core theme that shaped almost every decision, effort, and moment of growth throughout the year.
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Bridging Inner and Outer Worlds: A Journey of Self-Expression
An Internal Conflict of Expression Lately, I’ve been wrestling with a deep, unnameable sense of frustration. Then, last week, I stumbled across a quote: “Cursed are those who feel oceans but can express just a drop.” It was as if someone had peered right into my soul, and in that moment, all the tension melted…