Reading for me these days is the same as watching with subtitles.

It's the kind of book that 12-year-old kids and below should be reading. But still, I'm going to read it again to find out new perspectives in life now that I'm pushing 40. I'm about to read some classics that I read as a kid, including YA books. It's amazing how our perspectives can change over time, and reading those classics again might bring new insights and nostalgia. 

 I need an audiobook to read along. Using audiobooks to read along is a great strategy, especially if it helps you focus better. Whether it's an ADHD thing or just a personal preference, what matters is that it works for you.

5th book I have read this year

Probably an ADHD thing. Or just me. 🤷‍♀️

I noticed I need to do this to gain focus, especially with the refresher and bar review last year.

So far, I think it's working, I have finished 5 books. January is not over. Let's keep this up and enjoy our reading journey. 📚✨

Are there any specific books you're excited to revisit?

Galatea

This was just a concise story so I read it after reading The Song of Achilles. I'm justsad for Galatea. She was so perfect but her husband was really insecure. Very small dick energy of him.

I'm glad she got out and away. Imagine being committed in an asylum and just visited ONLY by your husband, to have sex with you?

Sick! Why isn't the husband being committed?

 

Reading is like Breathing

One of my goals before I turn 40 is to get in the habit of reading again.

After graduating from Law School and reading tons of legal-related books, I hated reading for a while. But reading is like breathing. Once you learn how to read a word, you can never stop. It enhances your vocabulary, grammar, and especially, your world views.

I thought I stopped. I didn't. 

 

 

If you're like me, it's wonderful that you're setting a goal to get back into the habit of reading! Reading truly is a powerful tool that can enrich our lives in so many ways. It's like a journey that never really ends, always offering new perspectives and insights.

What kind of books are you thinking of starting with? Maybe I can help you find some recommendations that align with your interests and goals.

I will talk about the books I am reading along the way.

Ikigai

When the new year entered, I wanted to have a change of perspective. Ikigai was always mentioned in the podcasts that I always listen to and from motivational speakers. Ikigai is one of the books I wanted to read within my lifetime.

I will not attempt to discuss this book. There are a lot of websites that discuss it to make profitable sales. But what I wanted to share with you is this chapter

FIND FLOW IN EVERYTHING YOU DO

We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

—Aristotle

The Seven Conditions for Achieving Flow

According to researcher Owen Schaffer of DePaul University, the

requirements for achieving flow are:

1. Knowing what to do

2. Knowing how to do it

3. Knowing how well you are doing

4. Knowing where to go (where navigation is involved)

5. Perceiving significant challenges

6. Perceiving significant skills

7. Being free from distractions

Have you read this book?

What I Wish I Knew About Social Media Marketing 10 Years Ago

"My biggest regret from the previous recession – or perhaps simply lesson learned –  was not focusing enough on social media marketing."

I saw this on a blog post today and it resonated immediately. 

Some years ago, almost 11 years ago, I graduated with a degree in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. At that time, my plan was to take an MBA while working as a marketing intern at Sparks Asia (they have just started) and then enter Law School and become a lawyer. BUT THEN my father offered to pay for my Law School. So young and naive as I was, I immediately agreed.

I attended Law School and wasted 12 years of my life trying to become a lawyer and another 4 years more figuring out what I really wanted to do and trying to see if my legal knowledge would help me have a decent life.

Although the legal knowledge was helping me have a decent life, I wanted more from it. In 2018, I had my first real heartbreak. It was so bad for me that I lost weight, was sleep-deprived, had body dysmorphia, doubted myself, lost self-confidence and basically hated seeing myself. I remember avoiding mirrors and people's eyes so I couldn't see myself. I was self-loathing. But I also know I cannot go there because that would send me really deep that it would take me years to see myself again. Watching Amy TV and Taking Back Your Power really helped me bounce back quickly and not fall down that rabbit hole. In short, I was able to put my life back on track but I was not sure yet of what I wanted to do.

I know I am good at writing. At coming up with creative ideas. But didn't know how to start again after setting that part of me to sleep for a while, while I try to become a lawyer. I did not know if I still had it in me. Even now, as I write this, I still don't know. With the pandemic, it is very hard to have inspiration for writing.

Fast forward to now, I figured out that I really liked being alone and working from home or anywhere, just not in an actual office with bosses and co-workers. That is when and where my creativity flows.

Ten years ago, it was relatively easy to build an audience. When you followed someone they were very likely to follow you back – regardless of platform – and the whole social media scene operated without the restrictions and limitations that are prevalent today. This meant that amassing thousands of followers was a relatively easy task and didn’t take a great amount of work or any special skills. Facebook still showed your posts to all of your friends, and business pages didn’t bug you constantly to pay for ads and reach… 

essentially, life was simple.