The Rhythm of Daily Life: Finding Beauty in Simple Loops
Accepting the rhythm of daily life turns simple loops into a source of ease. Repetition is not a trap; it is how we find presence and beauty in the everyday.
Lao Tzu and Long-Termism: Living in the Present Builds the Future
Why focusing on today’s single step is the key to living in the present and building a meaningful future. Discover how Lao Tzu’s wisdom in the Tao Te Ching connects with modern long-termism.
good Luck and bad luck are always tied together
There’s an old Eastern idea in Tao Te Ching that good and bad luck are always tied together. Good and bad aren’t fixed; they shift and change all the time.
Between Flow and Pause: Finding Presence in Street Photography
Stopping isn’t a lack of progress. In street photography and in life. Presence is found in the rhythm of moving forward, pausing, and moving again.
The Last Stop: Finding Presence in the Spaces Between
A late-night reflection at a final metro station on life’s middle moments, finding presence in transitions, and knowing daybreak is on its way.
Going Home: Walking Through Ruins, Carrying What Matters
Walking through neighborhood ruins, a reflection on Nomadland and what truly makes a home. Home isn’t a fixed location—it’s the people we love.
Nothing Was Built to Last—and That’s Okay
Facing the myth of permanence through Nomadland and personal grief, true dignity lies in dropping control and living with complete daily presence.
Looking Back to Move Forward: Finding the Clues We Left Behind
A reflection on retracing past steps, recovering missed answers, and piecing together a true, authentic self when the path ahead turns dark.
The Illusion of the Golden Buzzer: Releasing Our Grip in an Unpredictable World
A reflection on grief, discipline, and the myth of control. Learn to drop the golden buzzer illusion, embrace fragility, and return to daily presence.
Living with the Crack: Wabi-Sabi and My Longest Regret
Before I turned forty, the heaviest thing I carried was not a failed project or a missed opportunity. It was the memory of my mother’s final years. When she was diagnosed with cancer in her early fifties, my father and I refused to accept reality. Even after a top specialist told us in the second…
Are You Living in Suspension? Why I’m Trying to Slow Down and Find “Ikigai”
Feeling exhausted by constant hustle? Inspired by sociologist Xiang Biao’s concept of “suspension,” this essay explores how dropping endless self-optimization and rediscovering the true, quiet spirit of Ikigai helps us release burnout and land back in the present moment.
Stopping the Chase: Why the Answers Were Always in our Past
Modern life forces us into endless self-optimization and constant chasing. By reflecting on Chapter 48 of the Tao Te Ching and the power of subtraction, this essay explores how dropping fear and false ambition helps us reclaim our inner calm.
A Moon in the Ordinary: Finding Depth Beyond the Need for Perfection
A reflection on the Japanese film A Moon in the Ordinary, Wabi-Sabi, and Lao Tzu’s concept of Da Cheng Ruo Que. Through a withered rose in photograph NO.41, we explore how releasing the pressure to be flawless lets us inhabit the genuine strength already within us.
Loosening My Grip: On Loss, Growth, and Self-Acceptance
Driven by a constant need to control everything, we often exhaust ourselves fighting life’s natural flow. By releasing the urge to optimize every outcome, we can embrace self-acceptance, honor natural rhythms, and find peace in simply being present.
The Mind That Won’t Unwind: What My Dog Taught Me About Self-Acceptance
Caught in constant overthinking and self-optimization, we often forget how to simply exist. By observing the unhurried curiosity and quiet ease of our dogs, we can loosen our grip on daily checklists, step back from endless metrics, and reconnect with natural rhythms to find true self-acceptance.
Living Outside the Script: Why Choosing Your Own Pace Is the Ultimate Act of Self-Acceptance
Drawing inspiration from the “living alone” and Taoist wisdom, explore how to break free from “performative living” and achieve self-acceptance.
Starting Over in Spider-Man: Brand New Day: Why Pushing Against Your Natural Rhythm Only Brings Exhaustion
Exhausted by the constant pressure to prove yourself? Drawing from Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the ancient Tao Te Ching, this reflection explores why resisting your current reality only accelerates burnout. Discover how releasing artificial perfectionism and aligning with life’s natural flow restores mental clarity and inner peace.
Tired of Endless Self-Optimization? The Antidote I Found in the Ancient Tao Te Ching
Exhausted by productivity apps, habit trackers, and the constant pressure to upgrade yourself? Drawing from the ancient wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, this essay explores how stepping away from endless self-optimization and anti-perfectionism restores inner calm-offering a gentle reminder that you are not a project to be fixed, but already whole as you are.