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Writing style
I once read a piece of advice about writing the same way one talks. Essentially, the simplicity of spoken language not only feels more natural and genuine, but also appears to be more effective in reaching a broad audience. I understand the appeal of this advice, because I occasionally can only tolerate simple writing that…
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Recuperation
I have taken some time off from being active online and engaging in digital correspondence with friends for a few weeks now. Somehow, it has felt both like a condensation and an expansion of time. During this period, I have stopped some activities I used to spend much more time doing (reading books, writing this…
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Owning stuff
I was a teenager who would eat up all the contents about minimalism and decluttering. Over ten years ago, when I was barely out of middle school, I made it a point to only possess a certain number of items, to eliminate the “inessentials” from my life, and to not buy things I didn’t need…
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To write is to thrive
I recently read the Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath and her private reflections sparked some thoughts about the writing process. I’ve always sort of known that talented and established writers still “struggle” with the craft of writing. It’s an eternal challenge to feel fully immersed in and/or capable at whichever profession you are in, no…
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Pretense and façade
Have you ever thought about how much time and energy humans exerted on the act of pretending? Perhaps if we seriously ask and study this question, we may arrive at a shocking answer that discreetly turns our existence into that of miserable fraudsters rather than decent, gratified human beings. My estimate is that most of…
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Don’t let the good life pass you by
The first time I listened to the song Don’t Let the Good Life Pass You By by Cass Elliot (Mama Cass!), I audibly cheered to the lyrics. This feel-good folksy tune sends a remarkably simple message: life can be wonderful and we shall cherish the little pleasures of it while we can. It sounds cheesy…
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Spontaneous decisions
On a spectrum of very-spontaneous-borderline-reckless to steady-and-calculated-like-clockwork, where do you fall? I guess for most people the answer is dependent on the circumstances. There are some decisions we make that barely take any time to deliberate, but some other choices seem to put us at a crossroad for infinite time. The decisions we ought to…
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Another way to look at your “bad” habits
I don’t know who originated this theory, but I remember reading somewhere that our “bad” habits are often built upon at least one unfulfilled emotional need. I use “bad” in quotation marks here also to allow for a multiplicity of interpretations when it comes to the habits that we deem unfavorable and undesirable. For me,…
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Some corners of the Internet that I love
When I was writing the blog post on Internet nostalgia and what I miss about the bygone eras of the web, I began to also reflect on what I get to appreciate about the present landscape of the online world. There are still so many treasures or hidden gems that I can celebrate today about…