I feel terrible that I didn’t feel grateful or show gratitude when friends generously offered their advice, time, and presence.

I have a gratitude journal, I wrote it, yet gratitude didn’t come.

What I have learned, is that during burnout or grief, gratitude is not available because the emotional sensing tool is not working.

But it is okay to express appreciation, without feeling grateful.

There’s no need to blame myself.

Thank you for the reminder, Jeane.

The room bright

Penning words in my journal

Figuring my thoughts

Desire

The subconscious

Where would it lead me? I don’t know

I do it in hopes that I can thrive

I hope

It’s been a while since I last posted.

I hope you all been well.

In times of uncertainty, it is possible to envision and strive for a different situation.

This, in fact, is how everything around us is created.

As we encounter new challenges, we learn, brainstorm, make adjustments, and reach a new milestone. It is an energizing, upward cycle.

But when, if we don’t hit those milestones, this energy can run out. It is not something that can be easily restored through exercise, diet and sleep.

At such times, it may be necessary to take a retreat or an extended vacation.

Hope requires energy.

There is magic for magicians. And magic for the public.

What may appear as a simple trick to an outsider can be awe-inspiring for a magician deep in the craft.

The challenge arises when trying to please everyone and potentially missing the magic for someone.

Perhaps the key is to decide what is your magic for someone, rather than trying to please everyone.

PS Eric Chien performance is something special.

Every few years, a new supermarket surprises us. First, it was Trader Joe’s, then Whole Foods, and now Erewhon.

Each of these supermarkets has found its people and is thriving.

In Singapore, we have Little Farms, Sheng Siong, and before that, NTUC.

Just when we thought we had enough pastry options after Tiong Bahru Bakery, Le Martin and Cheryl Tart, a new generation of bakeries, emerged.

But wasn’t it enough before? Yes.

However, there is always room. To delight, to impress, and to make things better.

When you aim to serve people at the top, there is always room.

A new snack, a new kind of bag, or even washing machine.

The invisible work of empathizing, confronting fear, and bringing positivity is often overlooked.

When we fail to recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate this work, we are left wondering why our best people leave.

I hope that one day, this work will be explicitly recognized and valued in jobs.

Jerzy Gregorek has proven that eating healthy is neither time-consuming, expensive nor difficult.

For the price of a meal out, we can buy enough organic broccoli for an entire week.

Once we eliminate the excuses, we discover what the challenging part truly is.

I was surprised when someone heard that Bridgewater and Levels Health records all their meetings, it sparked huge reactions.

The argument for recording is that it creates searchable information for the entire team, prevents gossip and allows the revisiting of how past decisions are made.

“But what if we say something we don’t mean?”

It’s understandable that it trips us up.

Would our honest sharing be used against us?

Again, it comes back to trust and intention.