Unpacking lessons learnt in decision making, leadership, relationships, health, community building and more
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Why I write?
Who am I and why did I start this blog? I am Demi, grew up in a remote tier 5 city in China with a simple upbringing. I thought I was born extraordinary when I was 8. In fact, I was so sure of it, that I wrote in my diary then (seems that I…
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How to find our sense of agency?
One important thing I learnt from 18 years of education in China, is the importance of “free will”. Now, I for one, do not believe in the absolute concept of it, i.e. being completely free in the way we think. After all, there are a sufficient number of credible scholars who’d be eager to point…
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How to prevent midlife crisis?
>10 years ago, when I was invited to birthday parties of those my age today, I’d think quietly to myself, God they are old. And I used to imagine it must be awful at a point when you’d qualify a midlife crisis. Having celebrated turning an “old-enough-to-start-a-midlife-crisis” age recently myself, I decided to reflect on…
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What do resilient people have in common?
Everyone may have different definitions of resilience. And I draw the line where someone not only keeps going in the face of adversity but moves forward in their own unyielding, authentic and compassionate ways. Keep going is not inherently difficult. Because as long as we breathe, we never stop living (though one can also debate…
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What would Lt. Nate Fick do?
They say when we get sick, we tend to desire what feels innately the most comfortable to us. Be it food for our body or our brain. I attest that is true. When I fell sick to some peculiar combo of virus and bacteria double whammy infection earlier this year, all I wanted was binging…
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Not all those who wander are lost
I was lucky enough to have recently taken an extended dive trip in the Maldives. There were so many fond memories, inspiring discussions with friends I love, and interesting souls I adored and connected with. One moment though that I will carry with me forever is this particular dive we did in the open Indian…
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How timely is it to talk about time?
Warning: This piece is a very personal reflection on the concept of time and highly likely makes no sense whatsoever to you – my dearest readers. Therefore, I cannot caution you enough to think at least twice before committing five to ten minutes of your time going through my jubrish. It’s that time of the…
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One simple rule of leadership I struggle with
For the decade of learning how to lead, one simplest thing I have struggled with is to keep my mouth shut in group discussions. Or at least knowing how to keep my points of view to myself before everyone else speaks. Why does it even matter? As a social animal, we inherit evolutionary instincts that…
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One simple rule I learnt about communication
You can never overcommunicate. Never have I ever heard managers or teammates or boyfriends or girlfriends or parents ever complained about their teams, managers, partners or children overcommunicate. Think when was the last time you heard from anyone – “You know what I wish my manager does less? Communicate.” – though of course, one can…
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My journey (Part I)
Even though I didn’t get to be a US President and solve world peace, I did manage to live through some of my earlier dreams. Moving to Hong Kong for university was a defining dream came true and my very first pandora’s box open that unfolded some of the wildest ones later. Spending one’s most…