What I Learned from Saying “No” (and Why It’s Powerful)

Calm moment

The Weight of a Small Word For most of my life, “no” was the hardest word to say. I grew up believing that being kind meant being agreeable. I wanted to be helpful, supportive, and available for everyone. Whenever someone asked for my time, my energy, or my attention, my instinctive answer was “yes.” Saying […]

Micro-Moments of Learning: What 10 Minutes of Reading Daily Can Do

Reading books

The quiet power of 10 minutes Every night, before I close my eyes, there is a ritual I never skip. After journaling, I pick up a book and spend just 10 minutes reading. Nothing fancy. No marathon chapters. Just a pocket of time for my mind to wander into another world. Lately, it has been […]

Finding Awe in Small Moments (and Why It Matters)

Calm moment

A quiet pause that changes everything It was just a normal evening. I was walking home after training, headphones in, the city buzzing around me. Then suddenly, I looked up. The sky was painted in soft shades of pink and purple, and for a moment, everything slowed down. I stopped in my tracks. No rush, […]

Lessons on Gratitude I Found Between the Pages

Reading

That night with the book on my desk It was one of those nights when my brain felt like a messy desk. I had assignments piling up, emails unanswered, and a mind that refused to switch off. Out of habit, I grabbed a book from the stack beside my bed. I told myself, “Just a […]

5 Journal Prompts That Changed My Life

Journaling

The Power of Pen and Paper I love writing. In an age of constant noise, swiping, and scrolling, journaling has become my way of pausing—of listening inwards instead of outwards. It’s a practice of returning to myself. Over the years, I’ve experimented with many types of journal prompts. Some were simple reflection questions, others were […]

Training, Transformation, and the Power of Pressure

Flowers

Woohoo! After a few weeks of rest and recharging, I’m officially back on the grind. It feels amazing to return to training mode—this time with my eyes set on the Tri-Factor Ho Chi Minh Championship, happening on August 17. With a little over two months to go, I’m ready to rebuild my base and work […]

Homecoming and the Joy of Tet

As dawn broke over Tan Son Nhat International Airport, a familiar yet long-missed figure emerged from the crowd. My little brother, now an independent young man, waved at me, dragging two suitcases behind him. It had been over a year since we last met, and the boy who once relied heavily on my guidance in […]

The Peaceful Practice of Meditation

Meditation has been a part of my life since 2018, transforming the way I navigate life’s ups and downs. Each morning, as the world around me slowly awakens, I sit quietly in meditation, immersing myself in the stillness and magic of the early hours. It’s a practice that brings me immense peace, clarity, and gratitude—a […]