“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.” – John Lennon
Going back to the year 2020—it was lockdown + death anxiety for me. I was tired of being stuck indoors, tired of the voices in my head telling me I was going to die soon. So when a friend invited me to some church, I tagged along, hoping for a change of scene.
We got there, and the prophetess or whatever title she preferred, looked at me and said she saw a vision: I’d die in 2023.
Many people believe they need others’ approval to feel good about themselves, but real confidence isn’t something others can give you; it’s something you cultivate from within.
In this post, we’ll explore why external validation is harmful and 7 useful strategies to build unquestionably strong confidence.
putting your imperfect authentic self into the world invites the necessary feedback that helps you build a less imperfect authentic self.
The paradox is this: because being wrong publicly sucks, you become right faster by being wrong publicly.
Just as truly educated people go beyond what is taught in the University to be knowledgeable, so too we must go beyond religion to be good humans.
I used to introduce myself at networking events with “I’m a marketer” and leave it at that. But one day, a client came to me totally frustrated with their marketing results. Instead of jumping straight into campaign strategies, I spent time helping them get clear on their bigger mission. Two hours later, they had tears … Read more
Here is the thing, deep down we know we are not perfect. It is impossible to be perfect. No one has looks, finances, relationships, and all nailed to the T (at least, not all the time). And even those who manage to score high in seemingly all domains of their lives, do so at a great cost – they are under constant pressure; and in some cases, might even feel a sort of second-hand embarrassment from those around them who think this whole charade of perfection is absolute madness and want to just be themselves.
Our world has often divided itself into two major archetypes: leaders and followers.
The leaders come up with ideas, take charge, and guide others. And the followers stand behind them, supporting their ideas, sometimes building a cult-like allegiance, so strongly that they’ll do whatever it takes to spread and defend their cherished beliefs.
They have always tried to reveal themselves to me in fragments, but my own expectations have often warped my interpretation of their intentions. I’ve seen them as malevolent at times, and indifferent at others. But this year, I guess I was able to see that it was all beyond good and bad, and about shaping me into someone better.
You see, every word we speak is laden with meaning. It is the stories of people captured in syllables. It’s events that have happened over and over again. And the experiences of my friends, no matter how unique they might seem (to them or even me), are ubiquitous to humanity. This is also true for my experiences, your experiences, or the experiences of anyone really…
I’m a beginner photographer, albeit obsessed. At the time of writing, I don’t yet own a camera, but that hasn’t stopped me from copiously ingesting photography content and consistently regurgitating them on my WhatsApp status. I probably spend more time sharing striking photographs and photography memes than I do taking actual pictures, which sometimes makes … Read more
