Picture from Lagos, Portugal
(6 min read) A couple of years back, an acquaintance and results coach I held deep respect for told me, “Jane, you have to be more unreasonable in what you want out of your life and dreams.” I couldn’t believe what I heard and felt an instant overwhelming sense of irritation. Did she just ask me be an unreasonable person? Needless to say, the emotional and quick-tempered me went into a direct conflict with her. I vehemently disagreed, retorting that the proposition was totally irresponsible and illogical. Doesn’t she know that the word “unreasonable” has a stinky reputation and how can anyone who cares want me to be that person?
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Picture from Comuna 13, Medellin, Colombia
(7 min read) I’m currently nestled in a café in Medellin, Colombia, still in awe at how much this city and country have fascinated me. It’s not just about the famous dance Salsa, or the warmth and hospitality of the Colombians. It’s also not just about the astoundingly aromatic coffee (yums), or the notorious drug ring. Heck, it’s not even about how much this country has progressed in the last 10 years, making her violent past almost impossible to fathom. The thing that deeply fascinates me about this country is the spirit and dedication of her people to happiness. The commitment to hope and optimism, the focus on the good things that are happening and will come. The reminder that we are all empowered with choices that dictate how we live our lives day after day. Picture from Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
(7 min read) In my journey of travelling and interacting with people (hello from Uyuni, Bolivia), I’ve realised that many times, the idea of “taking a break” from the normalities of our daily lives scares the majority of us. Why? Perhaps, we are doing something that is against our comfort zones, and that unpredictability and lack of security make us uncomfortable. Or perhaps, we feel guilty about leaving the responsibilities we have behind and feel that we cannot “afford” that break. But the most interesting reason I’ve come across is that taking a break is subconsciously deemed as a sign of weakness – that we are being counter-productive, that we are wasting time, that we aren’t doing something effective and value-adding with our lives. Because our lives seemingly come to a standstill, we feel embarrassed to take breaks that we feel are “too long”. First and foremost, as someone who has gone down this path and has gained an inordinate amount of learnings from it, I fully disagree with all that. And secondly, when did we become so critical and hard on ourselves? Picture from Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina
(7 min read) In 2014, I left my well-paying and comfortable job in Singapore and moved to South America. I was in search of a change and my ticket to freedom. While it seemed to everyone that my move was a dream come true, the truth is that the journey hadn’t always been a smooth-sailing one. Because of the decision I had made, I also had to let a lot of things go. Picture from Punta del Este, Uruguay
(4 min read) I wrote an article previously about envisioning dreams but have received feedback that it is really hard to envision how life will be in 5 years’ time; it’s too abstract and difficult to pin-point. I can empathise with that – how do I even get started envisioning something as massive as that?! I eventually shared that feedback with the same friend who told me to have those 5, 10 and 15-year visions, curious to hear what he had to say. His reply? “Then think how your perfect day will look like, 5 years from now.” Wow. That’s way easier. To make it even simpler, I have broken it down further into 5 specific questions regarding that perfect day to make this exercise enriching for you. |
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July 2017
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