You’re still you when everything changes

Sometimes, life presses pause on the things we thought defined us. Maybe it’s a job that ends, a role that shifts, or a routine that disappears. Suddenly, the labels we’ve worn—worker, manager, creator—don’t fit quite the same way. It’s easy to wonder: what’s

The inheritance we can't give

I recently learned that fireflies may become extinct in the coming years. I then realised that future generations might never have the chance to witness the awe of hundreds of glowing insects flying in the dark of night. There's something haunting about being part of the last generation

You haven’t seen the best version of yourself

Trigger warning, this post will address some aspects of suicide/self harm. Have you ever wondered about your impact on this world? I sometimes find myself asking these questions: If I die, who would be sad? Who would care? Who would cry? However, I have recently been contemplating two distinct

The quiet liberation of being unimportant

For the longest time, I felt like I was digging in the dark. There was no light, no end in sight—just the constant, scraping effort against an unseen wall. My hands were raw, my muscles ached, and my only thought was to keep digging. If I stopped, what would

Why do people need so much money?

Lately, I find it difficult to sleep, not due to a health problem, but because my conscience can no longer bear it. How world leaders, superstars, and influencers remain silent about genocide. How the Indonesian government seems to think it's acceptable to destroy Raja Ampat—one of the

There's no avoiding sadness

There's no avoiding sadness. So you should embrace it. At least, don't make it worse. So... Hang out with your friends while being sad. Take care of your health while being sad. Work hard while being sad. Do everything while being sad. Because... There's

The world is so busy, and then there's me

The world is always moving. Everyone has something on their plate—work, family, dreams, worries, and deadlines that chase them through the week. And then there's me, standing still for a moment, watching it all go by like a river that never stops flowing. I scroll through my

We might be too obsessed with metrics

For a long time, I thought I needed to become "someone special" to matter in this world. I was always waiting—waiting to feel good enough and waiting to start really living. But the truth is simple: I am already someone. I am me, right now. In 2022,

We need to talk more about our pain

I've been thinking a lot about silence lately—not the peaceful kind that brings tranquillity and zen, but the heavy kind that isolates. The kind where words get stuck in your throat because you're afraid of being judged or, worse, being a burden. We live in

Keeping the fire in you

There’s a quiet magic in how a single candle can light up a dark room. That tiny flame stands firm against the shadows, much like our motivation and determination can guide us through life’s most challenging moments. But when problems keep piling up and progress feels slow, it’

The lonely road to the life we want

There’s a truth we don’t talk about enough: chasing your dreams is often a lonely place. When you decide to move closer to your goals, things start to change. Some people drift away. Some mock you. Others try to pull you back down, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes

Why do you go in life?

I often find myself standing still at a crossroads. To the left, there is a road that promises ease and comfort. To the right, a path that looks uncertain and challenging. As cliché as it may sound, the choice feels pivotal: the left might lead to a life of quiet

The forms of love

There’s something ironic about the beautiful things in life. When we see breathtaking scenery, we often say, “It looks like a painting” or “This feels like a scene from a movie.” And such is love. I used to think that gestures of love should always be grand and significant—

The ROI of happiness

I can’t remember when I first started thinking about the return on investment (ROI) of my actions—or even how I learned about the concept. Before I knew it, I was calculating everything, measuring its ROIs against my future goals. What would I gain from this? What would be

Sometimes nobody can understand

There's a strange comfort in knowing that across the world, countless others are sitting in their own quiet rooms, feeling exactly what you feel right now.

Loneliness is solitude in progress

I've spent most of my life running from loneliness. My elder brother moved overseas when I was a teenager, so I lived my teenage years as an only child. Suddenly, the house felt emptier. My parents' world was too different from mine—we were born in different

Awkward spaces and empty seats

On public transportation across the world, an unspoken rule exists: when possible, leave an empty seat between yourself and the next passenger. People will stand uncomfortably by doors, bags pressing into their sides, rather than take an open spot next to a stranger. They'll pretend to be deeply

You don't need a plan, you need vision

I've been thinking about how we approach our futures lately. Most of us start with planning—detailed schedules, specific goals, rigid frameworks. We believe structure will lead us to success. But I've realized something important: Plans without vision are just empty tasks. What if we flipped

Where we're supposed to be

Have you ever found yourself staring out the window of your office, watching the world go by, and wondering how you ended up here?

50%

Life often feels like we're running on a treadmill set too fast. We push ourselves to keep up, stumble, fall, and sometimes even get sick trying to maintain an unsustainable pace. Like a machine pushed beyond its limits, we break down when we least expect it. We live

The dance between your heart and mind

The eternal battle between heart and mind isn't really a battle at all. It's more like a dance - sometimes graceful, sometimes awkward, but always necessary. We often find ourselves torn between what feels right and what makes sense, between the passionate whispers of our hearts

The discomfort of every beginning

When you first start learning something new, there's this weird feeling that creeps in. It's like you're an actor on a stage, pretending to be someone you're not. You're going through the motions, mimicking what you think a "real&

They were all reactions to our actions

When I was younger, I thought life would somehow figure itself out. But that's not how it works, right? But one day, it just clicked for me. I realized something so simple yet powerful: if I keep doing the same things, I'll keep getting the same

Some friendships aren’t meant to last a lifetime

I've been thinking about friendship lately—not the kind we post on social media, but the real ones—the ones that happen in small moments, in coffee shops, and late-night conversations. You know how it goes. We meet someone, maybe at work or through friends. We click. We

The things you learn when you lose someone

Life has a peculiar way of teaching us about loss. When my grandpa passed away, I didn't know how to feel. He had already forgotten names and faces, so I felt like I didn't really know him. For me, life kept going like nothing changed. But