This week's exercise from a handbook for new Stoics focuses on comforting ourselves by achieving equanimity through a shift in perspective regarding our own troubles. At the core of this practice is the distinction between sympathy and empathy. The Stoics put forward the idea that we should lean …
"Babygirl" presents an intriguing premise, featuring a high-powered CEO engaging in a controversial sub-dom romance with her younger intern. However, the film struggles to deliver a cohesive and engaging narrative, as the power dynamics between the characters are ambiguously portrayed. The story is …
This week, the exercise focuses on the concept of aversion, which can be seen as a type of desire, as in the desire to avoid misfortune. People have very different reactions to similar misfortunes, and the reason is that some people are better at redirecting the aversion away from things that they …
“Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.” Memoir of a Snail is a beautiful way to honor Søren Kierkegaard’s philosophy. Particularly in the opening scene where we wouldn’t understand the significance of things on the floor until we later learned about their history. …
I purchased A Handbook for New Stoics by Massimo Pigliucci about four years ago, alongside The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. Start my day with The Daily Stoic, then end my day with A Handbook for New Stoics For the past four years, I have read The Daily Stoic every morning. It has grounded me each …
Who would have thought that a game as simple as Tetris could have such a wild and complicated origin story involving business deals and politics? I do think it could’ve leaned into the gaming elements a bit more—maybe with some visuals or nods to the actual gameplay—but it was still super …
The film is visually appealing, but it misses the mark by failing to capitalize on the atmosphere of intense hunting, instead relying on generic chase scenes. It’s also puzzling how they cut scenes to avoid gruesome content, despite being an R-rated movie. There’s an interesting moral dilemma at …
We want our lives to matter, but when we are among billions of billions of people, it’s challenging to feel like our existence truly matters. I mean, whatever we think, do, or say would be just a speck of dust in the grand scheme of the universe, and even just an unrecognizable blip in the entire …
Weather is something we can never be absolutely certain about until we actually experience it. We can guess, predict, and forecast, but weather always moves to its own rhythm, whether we like it or not. Even our most accurate forecasts can't always pinpoint how the weather will unfold or …
I’ve been wanting to write about my most used apps for so long but didn’t have enough motivation to do so, until I came across this directory of apps people commonly use. Inspired by this, I’ve decided to compile a list of my default apps. Prioritize Native Apps, then Fantastic Updates for New OS …
I’ve realized that I never fully trust myself. It’s a feeling I’ve carried since childhood. I often find myself uncertain and indecisive, thinking too much and doubting my choices even more. As a result, I tend to hold back and take very little action. I constantly worry that I’ll mess everything up …
I appreciate how this prequel reveals the depth of its characters, particularly the relationship between Mufasa and Taka. This adds complexity to the overall story and allows for greater empathy towards each character. While Mufasa is portrayed as a great leader, I found myself more drawn to Taka’s …
Why do we enjoy eating so much? I think it’s because it’s one of the few pleasures derived from engaging our senses in a way that requires intention. It’s the sensory that needs to be sought after. While we see, hear, smell, and touch things involuntarily throughout the day, tasting is an experience …
When I'm lost in the abyss of life’s complexities, is it possible to use my own words as a vehicle for insight and write my way out on my own? Or, even better, can I harness my thoughts through writing to illuminate my path toward wisdom? How can one write to light up their whole world? I …
Writing is a journey of discovery, you won’t know what will emerge on the page until you put the words down. Writing is like digging into your mind; you only see what’s truly inside once you start to excavate and examine it for yourself. No one—not even you—knows exactly how your current writing …
Knowledge Flow Consulting Pratik reached out to discuss creating a logo for his new business, Knowledge Flow Consulting, which focuses on research consulting services for educational sectors and non-profits. This project presents a series of intriguing challenges for me. Given that it's a …
It’s incredible how quickly Aaron is launching new product lines for Strathmere Leather! Enter The Galileo—the premium passport case. What’s great about The Galileo is that it can hold not only a passport but also a pocket notebook and an international driving license, all in one case! …
The Jefferson logo I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Aaron on the logo designs. His entire brand identity resonates with me, and I loved it so much that I began drafting ideas as soon as I saw his new projects, even before he requested them! This time, I've worked on the commissioned …
After the stress of designing business logos, I finally had the opportunity to create a fun lettering style, thanks to Lou Plummer who writes a blog specifically for app reviews! The task was straightforward: a website header for his other blog linkage.lol. I drafted several lettering styles and …
My grandmother lived for 94 years, experiencing wars and four reigns of Thailand. Year after year, our entire family—over a dozen of us—gathered at Grandma's house to share meals during ceremonies, holidays, and birthdays. It was certainly more than a hundred gatherings that she graced us with. …
Once again commissioned by Aaron, I was tasked with designing a logo to serve as a website header for his brand, "Strathmere Leather." This time, the goal was to create a logo that embodies the entire brand identity, moving beyond the product-specific design of the previous Ocean Front …
Technically, it’s not a commission since I was the one who saw Aaron's post about his latest product line, "Ocean Front," and loved the name so much that I couldn't resist designing a lettering for it. When I saw the words "Ocean Front," the image of waves immediately came to mind. The name should …
I've offered this as a free wallpaper for iPhone, iPad, and PC. However, donating a little would mean a lot to me as I am saving up for a new iPad as my birthday present this month. In a world where we are often taught to seek validation from others, most people believe they need someone to …
Vincent tried to help me get a new iPad (and you can help too!), so he gave me a tip that made me feel over the moon when I saw the amount. I wanted to show my gratitude with some lettering, but he didn’t give me any brief, so I had to wing it myself! Then, I remembered he mentioned liking red …
The song "Oblivion" by Bastille has always held a special place in my heart since its release. When you fall asleep with your head upon my shoulder When you're in my arms but you've gone somewhere deeper Are you going to age with grace? Are you going to age without mistakes? Are you going …