Tag: lesson from life

What I Learned From Leaving Things Unresolved

clear hour glass on brown wooden table

Last week, I wrote about overthinking an unresolved situation and using one question to stop the loop: “Do I have new information?” You can read that post here A few days later, I finally did get new information. Nothing dramatic. Just a small sign that things were moving again. I felt relieved. But I was not particularly excited. That reaction taught me more than I expected. When communication changes, it is easy to treat the silence itself as an answer. […]

I did almost nothing today.

person lying on sofa chair face covered with notebook

Or at least, that was how it felt. I stayed in bed rolling around with one of my cats until noon. I went out for lunch. I vacuumed. I played with my new vacuum, because yes, a new vacuum deserves playtime when you bought it at a good deal. I mopped the floor sometime around 4 or 5pm. I had plans. I wanted to prepare some content for the coming weeks. I thought about bringing one of the cats out […]

Do You Want Honest Feedback or a General Reaction?

letters on wooden cubes

Here is an uncomfortable fact. Sometimes people ask, “What do you think?” when they are not prepared for an honest answer. Recently, a friend sent three videos to our group chat and asked for our thoughts. I watched the first video and felt nothing. Since I did not understand what the video was trying to achieve, I asked about its purpose. Was it meant to introduce the person? Educate viewers? Promote a product? She explained the videos were meant for […]

Maybe Silence Is Just Silence

grayscale photo of woman touching her lips

I realised something slightly uncomfortable recently. When I don’t reply to someone, I know exactly why. But when someone doesn’t reply to me, suddenly my brain wants an investigation. There is one topic a friend keeps bringing up in our group chat that I simply don’t enjoy engaging with. I still reply to her about other things. I’m not angry with her. I don’t dislike her. I simply stopped replying whenever the conversation goes back to that topic. Then I […]

Most of the time, I’m not fighting reality. I’m fighting the story I made up.

symbolic art expression of thoughts and ideas

One thing I’ve been noticing recently is this. Whenever something keeps replaying in my head, it’s rarely because of what happened. It’s because of the story I wrote about what happened. A comment on social media. An interaction at work. A disagreement. Feedback from a cat show judge. They all have one thing in common. The actual event usually takes less than a minute. The replay in my head lasts much longer. For example, I recently found myself getting irritated […]

Conan Was Never Meant to Be a Show Cat

A thought has been sitting with me over the past few days. Conan was sold as a companion pet. Not because he wasn’t a good cat, but because he wasn’t considered a show prospect. Yet somehow, he earned his Premier title. That made me look at his journey differently. Maybe he’s a companion pet… plus plus. Not a top show cat. Not the obvious choice for the ring. But good enough to stand alongside purpose-bred show cats and earn points. […]

Accountability, Guilt, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

blue sticky note with facts or fears text

A recent cat show made me realize something about myself. My friend, who was supposed to join me, couldn’t make it again due to work. It wasn’t the first time. I felt disappointed. At the same time, I found myself questioning whether I should continue showing Conan. Part of me wondered if I was being selfish. Conan is not the strongest show cat in the ring. He may eventually achieve his Grand title, but the journey will likely be long. […]

Part 1: Am I Lost, Or Am I Just Looking For A Different Kind Of Growth?

close up of small green plant on soil

A conversation with a friend recently made me realise something. The work I do today spans a surprisingly wide range of responsibilities. Product thinking, project management, eCommerce operations, process improvement, analytics, content, systems, stakeholder management, and occasionally getting hands-on when needed. It made me wonder: “Am I becoming a full-stack product manager?” Then another question followed shortly after. “Or am I actually lost?” Looking Back At A Previous Chapter When I reflected on periods of my career where I felt […]