t-30: take time to reflect and re-calibrate every once in a while

t-29: silence can be powerful

t-28: the easiest way to get in a good mood is simply to put on a soft tune, walk slower, and smile at the world :)
t-27: true friends care about your well-being. need to be a good friend and call when my friends need support  
t-26: i am lucky to have friends who care :)
t-25: emotional rebound is inevitable.. but not impossible to get over.  just need the right types of distraction
t-24: need more broadway (shows) in my life
t-23: planning ahead = #winning :D
t-22: trust my own instinct/judgement and be the master of my own life. don't let "protocols/systems" to tell me what to do. (re: working from home on polar vortex days)
t-21: alcohol can really impede one's decision making ability... o_O  drink less, regardless of the situation!
t-20: treat myself to a massage.  life is so much better after one. :)
t-19: more museum days needed.  great to get some culture on
t-18: be sincere, but sometimes, 装傻 is the best attitude
t-17: patience (not passiveness) is a virtue - good things come to those who wait.  

oops, catch up post...

so... clearly i'm not good at sticking to a schedule.  trying to review my week back and reflect on everything that had happened..  here it goes!

t-30: take time to reflect and re-calibrate every once in a while

t-29: silence can be powerful

t-28: the easiest way to get in a good mood is simply to put on a soft tune, walk slower, and smile at the world :)
t-27: true friends care about your well-being. need to be a good friend and call when my friends need support  
t-26: i am lucky to have friends who care :)
t-25: emotional rebound is inevitable.. but not impossible to get over.  just need the right types of distraction
t-24: need more broadway (shows) in my life
t-23: planning ahead = #winning :D
t-22: trust my own instinct/judgement and be the master of my own life. don't let "protocols/systems" to tell me what to do. (re: working from home on polar vortex days)
t-21: alcohol can really impede one's decision making ability... o_O  drink less, regardless of the situation!
t-20: treat myself to a massage.  life is so much better after one. :)
t-19: more museum days needed.  great to get some culture on
t-18: be sincere, but sometimes, 装傻 is the best attitude

phew....

bring yourself to a smile

t-30: take time to reflect and re-calibrate every once in a while

t-29: silence can be powerful

t-28: the easiest way to get in a good mood is simply to put on a soft tune, walk slower, and smile at the world :)

29 days to go

t-30: take time to reflect and re-calibrate every once in a while
t-29: silence can be powerful

silence tends to make people feel awkward.  many end up feeling compelled to say something.  as a result, they open up more or give up more information that you can use to your advantage.

30 days to 30!

can't believe i'm turning 30 in 30 days!  time sure flies.  thought this would be a good time to take a moment, reflect, and re-calibrate.  (...and also procrastinating from work a little, snow day teehee)

so...

29 has been a good year - i completed my last year of business school, and officially wrapped up my academic life.  i made some amazing friends from business school and i know these are the friendships that will last a life time.  i started a new job, which i envision to be the (re)starting point of my career path and where i will stay for at least the next 3-5 years, and have just launched my very first digital campaign for chinese new year (a first for the brand!), despite all the sweat, blood and tears associated with the production process.  feeling accomplished. :)

29 has also been a tragic year - in november 2013, i lost my dearest grandmother.  this is the first time i lost someone who is so close to me.  my heart still breaks whenever i think of her.  i was so lucky to have had such a wonderful, kind, caring, and selfless figure in my life.  no one in this world can ever replace her, and she will always be with me.  randomly came across this song, RAMelia, which i have dedicated to grandma.  you will always be in my heart, grandma.

29 has been a crazy year - i traveled to 11 countries and 22 cities in this year alone, from israel to brazil to korea.  i moved back to new york and officially kicked-off the next chapter of my life.  after 3 cross-state/borough moves, 6 months of settling in and readjustment, 2 weeks of international business travel, and multiple trials of yoga studios, it finally starts to feel like life is back "together".  feeling like a grown up.

but, life is about looking forward and making continuous progress.  there are still a ton i want to achieve.  i'm surprised at how much i have accomplished in the last 29 years, yet at the same time, i don't feel like i'm close to where i thought i'd be at the age of 30.  am i freaked out?  surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) no.  do i feel ready?  certainly not.  but aye, thus is life.  

claire suggested that i write down one thought per day starting today.  guess that's a fun exercise to do.  so here goes today's...

t-30: take time to reflect and re-calibrate every once in a while

and while i'm doing that, might as well share my...

2014 new year's resolution

(let's see how many of these i can achieve...)

1. Personal

• health: yoga (3x+ per week) and restart hip hop in the summer
• health: get more sleep, wake up earlier
• health: take better care of my skin
• pick up a new hobby. Cooking? Tennis?
• manage finances better
• enjoy every weekend, whether going out or staying in

2. Career

• digital marketing: take classes to acquire more technical knowledge
• leadership & management: become better at managing people, be more proactive
• industry knowledge: read more news to become expert in Chinese consumer behavior and travel retail industry

3. Social

• stay in touch with friends, old and new, more regularly
• get back in touch w former business contacts
• fb cleanse

4. Relationships

• family: call home more regularly and more often
• family: monthly get together w angel and jason
• dating life: find that someone who truly makes me happy

travel log for my year of 29

spring break 2013:

1. istanbul, turkey

2. tel aviv, israel

3. eilat, israel

4. dead sea/masada, israel

5. jerusalem, israel

6. bethlehem, palestine

april 2013:

7. vegas, usa

may 2013:

8. miami, usa

june 2013:

9. buenos aires, argentina

10. colonia, uraguay

11. iguacu falls, argentina

12. iguacu falls, brazil

13. sao paulo, brazil

14. paraty, brazil

15. trancoso, brazil

16. salvador, brazil

17. rio, brazil

nov 2013:

18. tokyo, japan

19. seoul, korea

20. hong kong, china

21. toronto, canada

dec, 2013:

22. miami, usa

WOW!

becoming a better conversationalist

5 stages of a successful small talk conversation:

1. getting started

- you signal your desire to talk with a simple opening line based on something both of you are observing or experiencing in your shared surroundings

- "hot enough for you?"

2. personal introduction

- mention something about yourself, state your name if appropriate and provide hints for topics to talk about

- "it seems like the whole city is on vacation this week"

3. pre-topical exploration: 

- you and your conversation partner are looking for common ground

- this is a good time to ask questions, and to refer back to and build upon things said earlier

- "did you get a chance to get away this summer?" 

- when the other person introduces a topic, you should respond, or quickly offer an alternative

4. post-topical elaboration: 

- your job is to keep the conversation going. good conversation is topic-building, so you should make links between subjects

- "i took a 'staycation' and saw some excellent movies"

5. wrap-up: 

- signal that the end is near and show appreciation 

- demonstrate that you were listening by summarizing highlights of the conversation

- have a line ready for when you want the conversation to end

- "nice chatting with you." "thanks for those movie recommendations."

- "as much as I've enjoyed our conversation, i'll let you continue with your evening." 

- look for a way to stay in touch, offer a business card or ask if the person is on facebook

keep in mind:

- be careful not to talk too much. this means you should avoid your favorite topic, whether it is yoga or your kid's soccer tournament

- don't let the other person hog all the airtime, either. if this starts to happen, mention something about yourself when he or she takes a breath. bad small-talkers are too self-critical, so they shut themselves down

- ask a lot of questions. people love to talk about themselves and often will think you are a great conversationalist if you talk about them and not yourself

- don't let the conversation stall after the person has answered—be ready with follow-up questions or build on the topic. for example: ask people what they do for fun

- avoid obvious inquiries

- listening is crucial. Dan has learned to summarize what the other person says. ("so you think that…" or "so what you're saying is…") a conversation can go on indefinitely if you do this

35 things learned by 35

came across this article randomly and can totally relate.  wanted to document here as a reminder for myself while i (slowly, thank god) approach 35.

some highlights:

4. Take time to discover your purpose. A life without purpose is a life of despair. Purpose is different than ambition. Ambition may bring in the big bucks, but something will still be missing. A purpose driven life creates an abundance of meaning and  fulfillment.

6. Lead with your heart, not your mind. Your heart won’t lead you astray.

9. Friends change. Celebrate the good times and let go. Letting go makes space for new people who are in a present time alignment to enter your life.

20. Every relationship is a mirror. Whatever judgments you have about others are reflecting that which exists inside you. Use your resistances as a map to direct you where you need to heal.

24. Real happiness only exists in the present moment. If you are anxious or fearful, you are in the future. If you are resentful or sad, you are stuck in the past.

31. Don’t look for an amazing person to come into your life. Be an amazing person.

Full list: 35 things i'm happy i learned by age 35