Brienne writes

#6: Rich people admire other rich & successful people. Poor people resent rich & successful people. Practice the Huna philosophy “bless that which you want.” Drive around or buy magazines, look at beautiful homes, gorgeous cars, and read about successful businesses. Whatever you see that you like, bless it, and bless the owners or the people involved Write and send a mutter or e-mail to someone you know of (not necessarily personally) who is highly successful in any arena, telling them how much you admire and honor them for their achievements #10: Rich people are excellent receivers. Poor people are poor receivers.  Practice being an excellent receiver. Each time someone gives you a compliment of any sort, simply say, “Thank you.” Do not return a compliment to that person at the same time. This allows you to fully receive and own the compliment instead of “deflecting” it, as most people do. This also allows the giver of the compliment the joy of giving the gift wi...

You cannot have the good if you don't experience the bad.  Why?  You don't know how nice sunshine feels on the skin when you constantly feel it.  It's too warm. I'm so sweaty. My skin is burning. But when it rains... I can't go out, everything is muddy and wet, such mood dampener. I wish it'll be sunny. How lucky we are with technology.  Recently, a friend gave me a pot of plants. We don't get enough sun here at my place.  So my husband bought a plant light to make for the lack of light. There's fertilisers, plant boosters, all sorts of magic you can purchase to make your plant grow better. Funny thing is, we chose this place because we didn't want the sun shining in so brightly and making it so warm in the afternoons. Like mine and his old place. If I could choose, now I'll choose a place with plenty of sunshine. ;p

The study of Prevalence-induced concept change by David E. Levari as told by Michael Easter in the Huberman Lab Podcast.  A group of people were asked to look at 800 faces in a row. The participants had to deem whether these faces were threatening or non-threatening.  At the 200th face, the participants were shown fewer threatening faces.  For the second study, they had a similar set up but research proposals were used instead. Participants had to deem whether the research proposals were ethical or unethical.  About midway through, the participants were shown significantly fewer unethical proposals.  Both studies seem simple. Either the faces were threatening or non-threatening and the research proposals were either ethical or unethical based on a persons' moral grounds.  However, after the participants were shown fewer threatening faces, they started judging faces that were on the borderline as threatening. Participants said threatening just as many times ...

Universe, show me how good it can get S talked about what I was thinking in my head the moment I thought it.  Then he mentioned a show that my yoga teacher talked about this morning. The show was aired in 1998 and it's almost impossible for him to talk about it as he's only 12.  The Truman show, in case you're wondering.  --- This morning, my yoga teacher wanted to give me a lift as he was sending another student to the MRT.  I did not want to trouble him.  He insisted and I hopped in the car.  I'll drop you at _ Mall okay? I have a dress I sent to the laundry there and was wondering when to get it as it was so out of the way. ---

It's a privilege to be out running errands, to feel tired, to have never ending tasks on my to-do list.  Because that means I have errands to run, my body is able to tell me it's tired, I will never run out of things to do.  Life is so fun and wonderful and enjoyable.  There's joy to be felt and challenges to overcome.  Like sleep. Sleep eludes me. That's my challenge. I'll write and push my sleep back.  Why?  Why will I not choose sleep over everything else when it's the most important thing we need? 

I find it hard to throw away my post it notes. Those which notes I've taken note of and tasks I've done.  My table is in a perpetual mess. I pack them up and it'll get messy again.  I take up many hobbies, bouldering (which I miss so much), photography, writing, calligraphy. I wish I could split myself into many and do all of them.  I love having new experiences. Tell me something I know nothing about. Tell me about what lights you up and make you happy.  I am emotional. I cry watching romcoms, when I hear a touching story, when I share my story and I feel heard.  I love life and I wish everybody feels the same way I feel.  I am constantly learning, improving and a work in progress. At the same time, I am whole.  Hi, it's me. 

Videos I've recently watched while learning about dealing with anger/ rage.  A simple Practice to deal with Anger | Buddhism In English Dr. Gabor Maté on How to Process Anger and Rage | The Tim Ferriss Show Healthy Expressions of Anger | With Dr. Gabor Maté

Today C shared about how whenever he doesn't feel like doing something that he needs to get done, he asks himself if he's tired. If the answer is yes, he takes a rest and does the task later. Such a simple question but we often don't ask ourselves if we are tired. And give ourselves the rest we deserve.

The roots of the plant are like the heart of our body. If you are not feeling good inside, your outside won't look good too.  Wise words from C today.  How do you pot a plant:  First cut up a mesh big enough to cover the bottom of the pot.  Put clay balls or coconut beat for edibles. Mix soil with perlite, lava rock pebbles until they are not so wet to the touch. When you clump it hard in your hands and throw it, it should be able to break apart easily.  Put the mixed soil into the pot. Fill it up until the height you want your plant to be.  Put your plant in and fill up your pot with more of the mixed soil. Put lava rocks on the top layer so that bacteria will not come out of the soil.  Do a water test by pouring water into the pot.  If water flows out quickly, the soil is loose and the roots of the plant will have plenty of space to grow. --- Now to getting a pot and a plant to start my project.  Who's a gardener here? Are my instructions c...

I wake up, do my best for the day. If it's a day I can only give my 47%, I push and try to give my fullest 47%. I go to bed happy. Wake up and repeat.  There are days I am not satisfied with myself. I think many will go to bed unhappy and wake up unhappy. So be it isn't it?  Every time I wake up, I know it's a new day. A chance to make it a great day.  I honestly don't know where I'm going with this. It's late and I want to post something.  I guess it's a 23% for writing today. 

We are not worthy of how our bodies treat us. Yesterday I had body aches, felt a fever coming, felt really sick, spammed ginger honey, ninjiomppg, septilin so that I can well and about today. I did all that and still pushed myself to sleep past 1 because I had loads to do before bed. ;/ Today, I'm feeling a bit unwell only at 11.45pm and I just remembered what I've put my body through. I probably haven't recovered fully but I've pushed my body so hard by getting up early, prepping for class, having class, heading out, coming home, attempting to cook my sago balls fully for green bean soup tomorrow. And doom scrolling. :/ I crashed when I came home from the expo. And I wondered why I was so tired.  We truly don't know what's good until it's gone. Why are humans like that? Only when we get injured do we appreciate walking, jogging, hiking freely. Yep me, a few years ago where I had a hairline fracture in my foot.  Only when someone passes away do we wish we di...

Yesterday after having written my blogpost, I realised while adding the labels that I've mentioned Daniel's book -  When before. I had to read what I wrote. I navigated to that entry and found out my website has been offline since my credit card expired. ;/ Why. has. no. one. told. me. *cries I spent the last hour trying to put my website back on the web.  I remembered a point in time I felt naked putting my words for everyone to read.  And I stopped writing. But now, I'm feeling weird, a bit sad to be honest.  Right when I'm starting my writing habit again, I hit a wall.  I think yesterday was a good post. But nobody can tell me now. People say you learn most when you're deep in the trenches. I have to learn fast and troubleshoot to get my website on again.  Makes me shift my perspective a little bit. What creative endeavours do I want to start? Do I want to sell something? I should just go ahead and launch and learn along the way.  No one's going to ...

If you noticed, my first post back was second June, I've also started my Homework for Life and Daily Reflection on the first of June. As second June is a Monday and the start of the week for most people, it makes it ideal to start a habit.  Daniel H. Pink in his book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing talks about finding the perfect time to do anything, like starting a habit. Knowing the science to make it easier, to increase your chances of succeeding. The first day of the week, month or year are good times.  It was my favourite book. I gave it away to a stranger for a book exchange project.  Since the start of the month, other habits I'm building are meditating daily using the daily meditation tracks provided by Insight Timer and checking in daily on a self-care app called Finch. It's been a lot of fun using these two apps to help me build habits I want to keep.  If you do download them, send me a message so we can keep each other accountable. Studies h...

Someone shared this perspective with me today. An elderly lady over 70 plus has to do an urgent surgery. She had to pay close to 40k for surgery at a private hospital. Insurance premiums for older folks are more expensive, they may cost close to 10k per year for private hospitals.  Even if you pay close to 10k per year, it's still worth it as you get a sense of confidence and security from knowing your loved ones will get to see the doctor as quickly as possible and be given the best treatment possible.  --- It got me thinking. Best to take care of yourself right now. Wherever you are, however you are. So you do not need to be in the hospital taking the time of someone else who may need the doctor's time more. 

Found this when I opened up Notion.  George Mack says, If you do a task daily rather than weekly, you achieve 7 years of output in 1 year. If you apply a 1% compound interest rate each time, you achieve 54 years of output in 1 year. So I'm back here. And I find that I need to make this a habit. Clock the bad writing. Write to put thoughts on page, be better at writing, be a writer, write everyday.  So I'm back. And I hope everyday. Say hi if you're here.  Have a beautiful day you lovely human.  

My friend, Gerard will tell you I'm usually with two hard boiled eggs when we meet for work in the mornings.  My ex colleagues will also tell you my breakfast is two tea leaf eggs.  It wasn't always this way.  But after eating eggs for quite a long while (consistently for more than half a year), I realised something - On days I don't eat my eggs, I drag my sluggish body around until lunch time.  So why would I put food in my body I know is not going to fuel me? Also, I realised today. What's helpful is to have whole food nearby.  A banana is such an awesome snack. Sweet, gives you energy and said to be a mood booster.  It helps I always have a bunch of bananas at home.  --- This post is inspired by my dining table packed with CNY goodies. :P

I get to fall sick and recover before Chinese New Year  I get to give out red packets this year I get to wake up and go to a job I love I get to experience a healthy body that works for me so well I only experienced the second most painful stomachache yesterday I get to choose to write I get to celebrate life everyday I get to go to the gym I get to be creative at my work I get to choose what I want to do everyday How lucky am I

003 Tech-fail Yesterday I met an ex-colleague turned friend. We lost touch as he left for another school. I texted him last Chinese New Year and the text did not get through. I thought he changed his number.  Then I had to pass him some information through Whatsapp. It did not go through again. He did not change his number or block me. Weird. I could not call him too. Finally, he added my number again before my WhatsApp text could go through.  It got me thinking. How many more of my friends have I missed through this issue? 

002 Introductions For introductions: we need a communication framework: NSFAM Name + Business name Same: What is it that I'm same as you that you already understand. When you first meet someone new, people will be able to recall who you are better if you put yourself into a simple category they already understand. Example: teacher, software engineer, life coach etc Fame: What makes you interesting/ fascinating? What big brands have you worked with? What interesting projects have you landed? Think big numbers/ awards/ big awards etc Aim: What are you working on in the next 90 days?  Game: What is the bigger vision you want to achieve in the next 3-6 years?  From The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett : The Money Making Expert (NEW): The 7, 11, 4 Hack that turns $1 into $10k per month with Daniel Priestley  

Starting a new writing segment titled the Daily Read. Of stuff I've curated from the web or books, or podcasts I've listened to. Think of it like getting a peek into Brienne's (second) brain, a place where I house all the stuff I've learnt throughout the day or week. Welcome to my second brain.  001 Walk more For the readers: An afternoon stroll can improve mood and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Walking, especially at brief pace is thought to trigger the release of pain-relieving endorphins and curb the release of stress hormones, cortisol.  While it may seem simple, walking requires the coordination and effort of many muscles in your legs, torso and back.  To keep up with the increase in energy demand, the vessels around these muscles are remodelled to deliver more oxygen. At the same time, your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood.  In a few months, these changes can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke....