Live Love Life Leisure

Relax and unwind -  Photo by Viktoria Alipatova: https://www.pexels.com It’s finally raining again this morning. I turned my body away from my desk to face the door that I had opened, letting the cool, soothing breeze drift in. A wide smile stretched across my face as I whispered a heartfelt thank you to the rain for coming by to see us again. After the blazing heat of yesterday’s relentless sun, the rain felt like a balm for my soul, a welcome companion that seemed to wash away the lingering weight of all those jarring construction noises still replaying in my mind. I stared at my computer screen, a single sentence typed there, and then, without hesitation, I turned it off. Why would I let work keep me tethered indoors when such a rare and precious moment awaited outside? I felt a tinge of silliness at my earlier dedication but quickly let it go. This morning rain was a gift, an invitation to pause, to breathe, to simply be. In no time, I was in the kitchen, brewing myself a fresh...

  Pleasant surprise - Photo by Alena Darmel: https://www.pexels.com A couple of weeks ago, I was suddenly in the mood to watch Emily in Paris again. The last time I had watched it was during Season 2, and since then, I had taken a long break from subscribing to Netflix and HBO Asia. As I scrolled through my options, it hit me. I hadn’t watched any TV shows for a year and a half. That realization made me reflect on my journey with television: how it evolved, how I let it go, and how I eventually found my way back to it, but this time, with a different mindset. The Decision to Unsubscribe Around 1.5 years ago, I decided to cancel my subscriptions. At the time, my life was packed between work and personal commitments that made me barely have time to sit down and watch anything else on TV. And even if I had time, I’d rather watch my favorite game, badminton, when there were tournaments. So, I guess…paying for something I rarely used definitely felt like a waste of money. But years bef...

  Let It Rain -  Photo by Lisa Fotios: https://www.pexels.com It was one of those mornings, the kind where the world feels heavy, yet serene all at once. I pulled back the curtain and opened the window. A gentle rain was falling outside, tapping rhythmically against the leaves and softening the air. I love the rain. There’s something soothing, almost therapeutic, about the way it refreshes everything it touches. But that morning, my gratitude for the rain came with an extra layer of relief. It provided me with a perfectly acceptable excuse to skip my usual Sunday power walk, something I ordinarily enjoy, but not today. Instead, I let myself collapse back into the bed, pulling the soft, white duvet over me like a protective shield. The comfort of its familiar embrace felt grounding in a way I desperately needed. But without asking for permission, my thoughts took over, replaying the previous night’s events with an unkind persistence. That sinking feeling I’d tried to ignore sta...

  Perform Your Self-Care -  Photo by Madison Inouye: https://www.pexels.com Sometimes, the smallest shifts in our routine can lead to the biggest transformations. And yesterday, I experienced one of those magical moments that inspired me to share this story with you. The day started like any other, but I woke up with a surprising urge: I wanted to look polished. With nowhere to go and no plans to step outside, I slipped into a cute dress, added a touch of light makeup to brighten my face, tied my hair in a ponytail, and topped it off with a playful bow. Instantly, my mood soared, as if a little sprinkle of magic had touched my day. Isn't it amazing how looking good for ourselves can lift our spirits? Have you tried that? While I usually love the comfort of lounging at home in simple clothes and a messy bun, there’s something undeniably exciting about breaking that routine. Sure, my comfy loungewear has its charm, but dressing up (even just for me) felt like a celebration of se...

  A Healing Journey -  Photo by Oleksandr P: https://www.pexels.com I turned off my computer with a sense of finality. “Let’s call it a day,” I murmured to myself, stretching my body and sinking back gently into the chair. Leaning back, I took a few deep breaths, allowing myself a moment of stillness.  The hum of the air conditioner blended with the soft symphony of the night - the rhythmic chirping of crickets, the occasional croak of frogs, and the faint pattern of lingering raindrops. Weird, though… I didn’t feel it like noise to my ears. Instead, it was a melody of nature, a spontaneous harmony that wrapped around me like a soothing balm. Could that be nature’s brainwave? I wondered. Amidst this nocturnal orchestra, I felt a stirring within, a desire to invite something deeper, something that could complement and elevate the raw beauty of these sounds. So, I turned on my favorite Ho’oponopono music and let its healing vibrations mingle with the night’s ambiance. I cho...

  Heal Your Past -  Photo by Shiva Smyth: https://www.pexels.com As I sit here with a cup of tea, flipping through old journals, I’m struck by the sheer weight of emotions they hold. These journals are more than just pages filled with words; they’re fragments of a journey—my journey. The intention was simple when I picked them up: to review some important lessons, notes, and reflections, both from my own life and from what I had learned through others. But what I found in those pages was far more profound than I had anticipated. I saw a younger version of myself who was determined to make sense of life’s chaos. There were moments of raw vulnerability, pages soaked in self-reminders to stay strong, personal analysis of why things happened the way they did, and dreams so big they felt almost out of reach. As I read through them, I was overwhelmed with emotions—a strange cocktail of sorrow, pride, and gratitude. How much I had endured. How much I had grown. And how much I had re...

  Embrace Your Highly Sensitive Nature -  Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com For as long as I can remember, I’ve known I was a sensitive person (which then I learned that not only was I a sensitive person, but a highly sensitive person). Yet, I often tried to deny this part of myself. In a society where sensitivity is sometimes viewed as a weakness, I grew up associating it with being “not fun,” “overly emotional,” or even “soft.” So, I kept it hidden, trying to mold myself into someone society might find more acceptable. But life has a funny way of showing us who we really are. The turning point came when I began to embrace my sensitivity. Slowly, I realized it was more than just a quirk—it was a strength. My ability to deeply understand and empathize with others became a cornerstone of my work and personal relationships. I learned to listen not only to words but to unspoken feelings, and this enriched my life and my connections in ways I could never have anticipat...

  Slow Morning -  Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com Back then, I used to equate productivity with constant busyness. My days revolved around ticking items off an endless to-do list, multitasking my way through tasks to accomplish as much as possible in a short amount of time. Slow mornings? To me, those were synonymous with laziness, reserved only for weekends or luxurious holidays at a serene hotel. And even during those rare moments, I’d often feel restless, plagued by guilt for “wasting” time. The habit of staying perpetually busy had become second nature—an autopilot mode that left me feeling disconnected from the concept of unwinding. I tried, on occasion, to indulge in a slow morning, but my mind would always wander back to what I could be doing instead. Productivity had become my identity, and the thought of slowing down felt foreign, almost wrong. Then came the pandemic, and the whole world hit the brakes. Suddenly, my packed schedule was wiped clean. Work was...