“Like anything worth doing in life, happiness takes time and patience and consistency.” – Mark Manson
We perceive other countries as the proverbial promised lands: clean, safe and functional. Even the internet doesn't fail to remind us each day of Tokyo's cherry blossoms, Paris’ romantic cafes, and the Caribbean beaches, where the sand kisses your feet and the breeze wraps around bare skin.
And so, we dream. We wish. We plan to leave.
I saw the movie Straw last month. And I was so angry at the critics that I started to fear for myself: How could a message so clear, loud, and urgent be so completely missed?
Straw is a very simple movie. It wasn't like a Christopher Nolan film with layers of twists and hidden meanings. It was a straightforward Tyler Perry movie that depicted the unfolding of a horrible day in a woman's life.
And even if it is mostly fiction, it's important to remember that nothing in this movie is impossible, or hasn't in some way happened to a very real person somewhere.
I love movies that begin with the protagonist exploring the question, "Who am I?”, “What is my purpose?”, or "Do I even have a superpower?". Especially when they have been singled out as special but don't know why, yet. Think Neo from the Matrix, Po from Kung Fu Panda, or Harry Potter from, well, Harry Potter.
most of what we think we've learned, we haven't really learned at all – as it lies in the volatile short-term memory – creating what I call the "illusion of learning."
To overcome this problem and ensure information reaches permanent memory, you need to understand the mechanism behind remembering and forgetting.
Many years ago, I took the bold step of moving out of my parents’ house to live alone. Why? Because I wanted to find my path as a person, make my own decisions, and suffer the consequences myself. I believed…
Yesterday, on my way from work, I passed a boutique and instinctively started looking for something my wife would love. Next to it was another boutique that sold menswear; interestingly, I walked past without even glancing. Then it hit me: almost everything I buy these days is for her, not me. Not because she asks. Not because I have to. But because I want to. That's what love does: it redirects your focus without effort. That's why I believe: if love feels like effort, something is wrong.
Laziness keeps many people stuck at a particular level in their lives. Not because they lack the ability to move forward, but because they postpone action when it matters most.
But here's the hard truth: staying stuck and doing nothing because of laziness has a cost: It will keep you in the same place, day after day, while life quietly passes by.
We often imagine life as a straight line. Do X, get Y, or go from point A to point B. But most of us already know, life doesn't always work out like that.
In our treacherous yet beautiful reality, the path looks more like what mathematicians call a “random walk with drift.”. It is a messy, unpredictable journey influenced by detours: chaos, choices, failures, and fortunes.
As children, people told us our 20s would be our prime: full of beauty, clarity, and everything falling into place. Some even advised us against overindulging – enjoying it so much that we make mistakes. But for many of us, our 20s seem to be the most confusing and painful time of our lives.
We often begin our personal development journeys because we feel we need more or lack something. Often, it is the pain of where and how we are that drives us to seek growth.
But what many of us fail to realise is that personal development is not the same as acquiring more, or even success.
