Daily Thoughts – Page 2

The Joy Of Being At Home

The grey clouds blanketed the sky and I could feel the rain dripping on my head and the immense relief of arriving home. A flash of lightening filled the room and the thunder roared loudly outside. There’s a sense of security and comfort being at home. Home can mean so many different things to different people. There’s our physical home where we have shelter and warmth, the home within us where no matter where we are we feel a sense of peace and there’s the feeling of home that we might find in another person or place.

Physical home. Have you ever travelled somewhere and come back home and feel at ease with all the familiarity? There’s this warm feeling of being back home. Home is where you can put your legs up on the couch, have a cup of tea, watch a movie and be your complete self. It’s the space where you can relax, enjoy your hobbies, take a warm shower, sleep and rest, cook a delicious meal, sing and dance, watch the world go by outside and enjoy the small, simple moments.

Home within. No matter where you may be in the world, home is the inner peace within. It’s the feeling of being present within your body and soul, the feeling of being safe and connected and the feeling of being comfortable in your own skin. Feeling home within is living aligned to your values, being your true self in the world and seeing the hope, love and light within yourself and other people.

Feeling at home. We can feel home within another person or in a certain place. Home can be found in someone we love dearly or it can be found somewhere that holds a special place in our heart. Home can also be found in a song, a book, a smell or a meal we grew up eating. For example, in the film Ratatouille, Anton Ego eats a Ratatouille dish and has a flashback to his childhood of when he fell over on his bike. His mother made him a delicious Ratatouille dish to comfort him.

What does home mean to you?

Art by Yelena Bryksenkova

September 1, 2024

Daily Thoughts, Home
Improving Your Mother Tongue
It’s common for those who grew up in a different country to their parents to lose some or all of their mother tongue. It’s natural to want to speak the language that is largely spoken in your environment as it helps you communicate with the people you interact with. This is one of the struggles of maintaining your mother tongue when you grow up in an environment where you largely use one language in your daily settings.

Language allows us to connect with other people and have a deeper understanding of our culture. It allows us to tell stories, understand different perspectives and express what’s within. My parents were the only people I spoke Mandarin regularly with when I lived at home. The lack of learning the language and improving my grammar meant my Chinese level was like a primary school student. This was most clear once I left home and so the desire to improve began.

Surround yourself with the language. If you’re working, you can listen to podcasts and music in the background. At home, you can watch videos, TV shows and movies in the language. You can try to even think in the language. This can be tricky but it can force you to be more active in using the language.

Write down words that you don’t know. Learn new grammar by writing down words that you don’t know and practice them in your daily life. This can be a word from an article or video. You can practice using them during a conversation as it will help solidify them in your memory.

Read articles and books in the language. Find content you’re interested in yet is a little bit challenging to read. There’s so much content online with specific topics that you can read according to your personal interests. Reading allows you to slow down and helps you recognize more words.

Engage, use and speak the language. This is one of the most important tips. If you don’t use it, you lose it! Take any opportunity that you can to use the language. I’m still encouraging myself to do this as a big part of improving a language is having confidence. If you’re watching a video you can copy the native speaker and mimic their pronunciation and accent.
It’s important to remember that improvements take time and daily practice. I’ve found using a language app can help with speaking to other language learners. Practicing with cue cards on apps like Pleco can also help. Learning and improving a language is much like learning an instrument or practicing sports. It takes commitment, focus and daily practice. Remember, practicing a little a day can go a long way.

Art by Kate Pugsley
July 31, 2024

chinese, Culture, Daily Thoughts, language, mandarin, mother tongue
Living A Slow-Paced Life

There have been many moments where rushing feels like progress but the result ends up being less than satisfactory. Slowing down is when things are able to come into fruition in a natural way. Think of a small seed in the soil that weathers through the stormy nights and sunny days. It slowly grows and grows until one day it becomes a strong and sturdy tree.

When we slow down we have space to think. We have space to notice our breath and space to just be. The quiet moments allow us to reflect and understand ourselves better. Slowing down gives us a moment to day dream and let our imagination run wild. The story of the tortoise and the hare is a reminder of the wisdom in having patience and persistence.

The greatest joys in life come from the little things. Walking down the streets and listening to the sound of the birds chirping in the early hours of the morning. Enjoying the small things like reading at a cafe, feeling the gentle breeze on your face, writing in a journal and taking a warm shower. Take time to be grateful for the small things.

Art by Virginia Frances Sterrett

October 27, 2023

Daily Thoughts, slow paced, slowing down
The Joy Of Missing Out

The ability to embrace the art of doing nothing allows us to appreciate periods of solitude. Social media has contributed to the rise of consumer culture and social pressures. These pressures can cause stress and a distraction from what is important in our lives. The concept of missing out is often labeled as a negative aspect, and it can often be perceived as antisocial.

There is great beauty in taking quiet moments during the day to just be in your own presence. There is great love in giving yourself permission to take time to rest, reflect and reconnect with yourself. The joy of missing out is taking time to enjoy the quiet moments and to embrace being who you are.

The art of slow. Our lives can be filled with endless things one after the other, or a never-ending to-do list. We live in a society that praises a busy and productive lifestyle by labeling these aspects as the definition of success. But the truth is that we are really only able to experience true satisfaction in life in the moments where we feel a sense of flow. Those moments are appreciated when we aren’t rushing through the world.

Finding balance. We practice moderation through how much we consume. These include food, exercise, or technology. We can focus much more deeply when we take time to switch off, practice being mindful of our actions and become aware of where we are placing our attention and time. The joy of missing out on what is always happening in the world can also be beneficial for one’s mental health. Taking a break from technology can allow oneself to focus on being in the present.

Simplifying one’s life. When we let go of the need to chase excitement or fill our lives with things, we have more time to do all the things that make us truly happy. There is a false belief that we must always buy the latest thing, stay on top of trends or achieve something great to be happy. It’s truly the small and simple things in life that can give us the greatest joy. It can be the smallest things that can trigger a sad or happy memory.

Staying authentic to yourself. The joy of missing out means that we can spend more time doing things we enjoy. The time we spend alone is precious, as those moments are where we face our thoughts, feelings, memories and experiences. We have space to reflect and think about life. We can focus on change and growth and we can spend time in our favourite hobbies. When we stay true to ourselves, we feel the greatest sense of freedom. It takes effort and energy to not be who you truly are.

Deeper connections. We only have so much time and the time we spend with people is the connections we are investing in. By surrounding yourself with people who truly care about you, you nurture a deeper connection. It takes time to really get to know someone, and it takes energy to be there for others. When we miss out on other things, we can spend time with the one’s we love. Relationships are beautiful things. The people we surround ourselves with and spend time with the most have a greater impact on us than we may consciously be aware of.

The path we’re meant to be on. Many things in life are a blessing in disguise. In the moment we might not understand why it happened or we might feel that it was unfair. There are aspects that may be a perception of failure but we are yet to realise that the best is yet to come. Sometimes we think something is a setback when it’s really pushing us forward to where we need to be. The joy of missing out on an opportunity can be the greatest blessing to discovering where you’re meant to be.

Art by Alja Horvat

September 8, 2023

Daily Thoughts, jomo, joy, joy of missing out
Spending Less Time On Your Phone

A century ago, it would’ve seemed strange to picture photos and artwork with people holding a phone in their hand with their heads bowed down. Today, it’s a norm to walk down the street messaging someone. I miss the days when phones weren’t such a massive part of our lives. I remember talking to strangers more and making friends through the same silence and simply breaking it. However, now it’s easy for people to avoid silence by using their devices. We spend so much time staring at screens now.

One of the things I’ve always had a hard relationship with is the mobile device. I remember using a flip phone for as long as possible until it broke. I was nineteen when I purchased my first touch phone and I always felt it unnatural to use it all the time. I felt an overreliance on it yet a convenience. I’m grateful that it helps us connect in many ways with our family and friends who may not be close by, but I see that it is also making us more disconnected in other ways.

One way to limit phone use is to remove apps that you don’t often use or that you’re mindlessly clicking into. You can switch off notifications or put your phone on silent. One of the ways I’ve found helpful in using my phone less during the day is consciously setting it aside somewhere or putting it on silence. It makes you feel more present and feel more engaged in your day-to-day moments, without the distraction of a phone.

My phone can sometimes give me slight anxiety and urgency, take away precious time, and the less I use it, the more present I feel and the more focused I am. I found after removing several social media platforms in the last few years, it’s helped me feel less anxious about staying up to-date with everything. I find it helps to take moments to just read a book, write in a journal, or play the piano. Everything is more enjoyable in the long run when it’s in moderation. There are endless things to enjoy without the presence of our phones.

Art by Monica Barengo

March 3, 2023

Daily Thoughts, phone
We Don’t Need A Lot To Be Happy

When we come into the world we have nothing but ourselves. When we leave this planet we have nothing but ourselves. We already have everything that we need within our body, mind, heart, and soul from the moment we enter the world. We are already enough. The trees don’t ask for so much more than sun and rain, the birds enjoy singing in the early morning hours, and the moon shines happily in the sky at night.

Much of the unease in life is from feeling that there is a cup to fill within ourselves. The belief stems from what we’re told in the world about not being enough. The idea is that we can only be enough if we are accepted by others. The true joy that comes in this life can only come from within. This is why some people spend a lifetime chasing happiness rather than finding joy within. The more we run away from our fears and problems, the more they continue to appear in our lives.

After reading “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay, it really touched me and I loved how she talks about the importance of gratitude and how we talk to ourselves. We become our thoughts and we choose our thoughts. Life is what you make of it, and although you may not be able to control all events that may happen, you are in control of how you respond to it and how you choose to see it.

We don’t need a lot in life to be happy. To have one true friend is a blessing. To have water to drink and food to eat is a blessing not everyone has. To have a roof over one’s head and to be here is a blessing. To breathe with ease is a blessing. The small things can often bring the greatest joy. The feeling of lightness in one’s heart without the weight of worrying or being afraid. You are deserving of happiness. It’s already within you from the day you’re born. You are enough.

What makes you truly happy?

Art by Otto Kim

November 21, 2022

Daily Thoughts, happiness, Happy, joy
Being Soft-spoken and Assertive

Has there been a time when you’ve felt unheard or ignored? Has there been an instance where you try to chime in only to have someone interrupt you or ignore what you had said altogether? It is frustrating and it can make us feel as though nobody cares about our opinions. Most often people are too wrapped up in their own thoughts that they don’t notice someone else trying to add to the conversation. I found that there have been moments someone simply hasn’t heard my voice. It’s taken time to learn that it isn’t personal.

Being soft-spoken and assertive can seem like two opposing forces not destined to fit together. Assertiveness was often associated with aggressiveness in my mind. I felt that if I’m being assertive, I’m asking too much. I’ve learned over the years that it’s a healthy way of setting boundaries and communicating your needs. Being assertive is one of the most important interpersonal skills. Assertive ties in with respecting yourself and others, and having a level of self-assurance.

Being assertive means being kind and honest. It can cut misunderstandings and show that you care about the person, situation or topic you’re talking about. It’s important to set boundaries and learn to say no. There’s no need to overexplain or over justify yourself. Saying no in a polite and assertive manner is having a level of sensitivity and care. Becoming more assertive takes practice much like learning a language and gaining fluency. It may feel unnatural and uncomfortable at first, but it’s one of the best ways you can take care of yourself.

Art by Sun Jun

October 17, 2022

assertive, Daily Thoughts, soft spoken, softspoken
What Is Essential Is Invisible To The Eye

No matter where we are in the world, it’s the state of mind that you’re in that determines the life you want to live. When you’re filled with gratitude and love, you appreciate what you already have. Whereas, if you’re filled with fear, you can feel a sense of lack and worry. The experiences you have, the people you surround yourself with, the places you travel to, the books you read, the food you eat, the music you listen to, the thoughts you feed yourself and the lessons you learn. Life is unpredictable. It reminds us that living in the present is all we truly have, and that the past and the future can often rob us of enjoying, embracing and accepting the moment.

“People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand roses in one garden… yet they don’t find what they’re looking for…”

“They don’t find it,” I answered.

“And yet what they’re looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water…”

“Of course,” I answered.

And the little prince added, “But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.”

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

The title is an excerpt from the book, The Little Prince: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” This reminds us of the importance of seeing beneath the surface. We can never really know anyone, not many people, so deeply that we can understand the experiences and layers they have experienced. We live in a deeply visual world and images have so much power and influence. However, the things that truly matter in our lives, are things that can’t be seen but are felt. They are the experiences we have, not the materials. They are the relationships we have, not the status.

The life we experience is ultimately the one we feel within. It makes me think of how a person can be externally happy, but they could be going through an incredibly tough time. It makes me think of how a person can seem serious and may not always smile, but they can also have the biggest heart and kindness through their actions. It’s important to not judge a book by its cover. Nobody is perfect, no matter what it seems, and no matter what it looks like from the outside. It doesn’t matter how much you earn, what clothes you wear or how big your house is. It matters how you treat others, your sense of character and values. Those parts of you, whether that be your intelligence, compassion, wisdom, humour, or enthusiasm, are what make you you.

There are many lessons in The Little Prince. One of the lessons that stand out to me, is the topic of love. What is truly important can only be felt and seen with the heart. This world needs love. We can do many things and never be joyful, but perhaps our happiness could be found in one simple thing (“in a single rose”). Our eyes may indulge in temporary beauty and what lies on the surface. The temporary satisfaction won’t give us a sense of long term contentment. The true beauty of a person comes from their heart. Whatever you do today, remember to look with the heart.

Art by Monica Barengo

May 21, 2022

Daily Thoughts, the little prince
Do You Eat The Same Breakfast Everyday?

Drinking a cup of strong black coffee on an empty stomach is a common morning routine for many people. The consumption of caffeine can have weird effects on some people. I find having caffeine can make me shaky and energetic in the short term but it can impact my sleep. A baby coffee such as a mochaccino can feel psychologically less strong than an espresso. Some people may opt for a coffee as they aren’t hungry or they might feel a bit nauseous having breakfast in the morning. However, the lack of breakfast can make me feel like a grumpy cat.

Why is it that we often have the same breakfast every day? A big part of it may be from habit or convenience. When making a trip to the supermarket I automatically go to the cereal aisle. There are some days when I add a bit of variety, such as adding fruits like bananas, frozen berries, or pears or drizzling some honey. It’s my favourite meal of the day because there’s something comforting and familiar about the ritual of making your breakfast. A lack of breakfast can cause me to feel lethargic and tired. However, after having breakfast it sets you up for the day ahead by refueling your tank.

What breakfast do you have each morning?

Art by Fumi Koike

May 2, 2022

breakfast, Daily Thoughts, Food
The Importance Of Doing Nothing

In a heavily switched-on world, it can feel like there’s no pause button. Our phones have become an extension of us most noticeably since the pandemic. The nature of unpredictability has become increasingly more transparent. We live in a society that values busyness and judges the idea of rest by perceiving it as lazy. In the article How to rest well by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, he states that “The world tells us: Work is important; we need to reply: Rest is important too.“

Time for reflecting. Sitting down to clear your mind and think about things and write thoughts down can give you space to reflect. What are the lessons you’ve learned? What are the parts of you that have grown? What challenges have you faced? What are the gains you’ve experienced? How would you like to change? There have been an immense amount of lessons learned in the past year, and taking time to reflect on them can help you think about how you’d like to implement them into your life.

Switching off. The amount of time spent using my phone has heavily increased. I’ve been especially grateful that we are able to connect with our loved ones but I find reading the news can be overwhelming as it can be filled with negativity. Taking time to switch off can help clear our minds and give us some quiet from all the noise while enjoying the present moment.

Reconnecting with your soul. Rest gives you time to be alone in your mind and body. When you can rest you allow yourself to sit with your own thoughts. When we’re always interacting in the world, it’s easy to go along with what everyone else is doing. In the past year, I’ve felt burnt out at times, and only recently I have accepted how important it is to truly rest and do nothing. Time alone gives us space to be creative, curious, mindful, and aware of our surroundings.

Space to heal. The world feels like it’s becoming an increasingly divided place, but my greatest prayer is that we find deeper connections and openness through our collective struggles. When we spend time without a full calendar and we take time to care for ourselves, we give ourselves space to reflect, rest, connect and heal. The absence of distractions can make us look at ourselves inside and out.

What we value. What is most important to you in your life? What makes you truly happy? What do you enjoy doing? What are your personal values? Every person’s values can be different and living by our values can make us feel more grounded and connected to ourselves. Our values can be impacted by the experiences we’ve had in our lives, our personalities, and how we experience the world.

How do you spend your time doing nothing?

Art by Kate Pugsley

January 9, 2022

Daily Thoughts, nothing