“A man must love his father and yet be free of his father’s expectations and criticisms in order to be a free man.”
— David Deida
Your Biggest Influence
As a first-generation immigrant, I'm highly influenced by my parents. Growing up in a rural village in China with a small rice field with no running water, I experienced poverty.
Although my family didn’t...
“Happiness comes from within. It is not dependent on external things or on other people. You become vulnerable and can be easily hurt when your feelings of security and happiness depend on the behavior and actions of other people. Never give your power to anyone else.”
― Brian L. Weiss
Definition of Happiness
Happiness is the joy you feel as you’re growing...
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
Expand Your Comfort Zone
Back in February for my birthday, I went on a spontaneous trip to Kauai Island in Hawaii simply because I have never been there before. After watching a video on the top ten most beautiful hikes in the U.S., I discovered one of them is in Kauai.
Without...
“Consistent action creates consistent results.”
― Christine Kane
Define Your Success
Consistent action is my recipe for success.
Contrary to society's definition of success, my interpretation of it is not based on external things such as how much money is in my bank account, how big my house is, how fancy my car is, or how beautiful my woman is.
Rather, it is based...
“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.”
– Japanese Proverb
Fear Is A Survival Mechanism
Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger.
I’m experiencing fear now as I write this article. And that fear is the fear of rejection - not being “good enough” for acceptance.
This fear is the cause of the fear of public speaking which is...
“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”
― May Sarton
As I celebrated my 30th birthday in February, I reflected back on the valuable lessons I learned in my 20s.
Here are my biggest takeaways.
1. Be 100% Unapologetic
Being myself was difficult as I did everything I was supposed to according to society’s expectations.
To make...
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first...
“Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”
― Steven Pressfield
Resistance
How many times have you experienced resistance?
That time when you wanted to do something but you procrastinated thinking that you will have time later to do it?
You chose...
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
― Neale Donald Walsch
In February of 2016, I had my biggest breakthrough as I learned to challenge my assumptions and beliefs. It was also one of my most fun weeks to date.
Committed to personal development, I invested in a coaching program that targeted men in improving success at home and in...
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
― Epicurus
When I visited my parents for Christmas and New Year in 2016, I reconnected with someone whom I haven’t seen since high school.
It was early afternoon and I decided to go...