“I am one of the world’s most self-conscious people. I really have to struggle.” — Marilyn Monroe

“I’m not shy!” I defended.

“You only talk when you’re spoken to,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean I’m shy. I just have nothing to say.”

“If you’re not shy about it, then why can’t I talk to them?”

“Because I don’t want them to know my private life!”

This is a recent argument. My boyfriend wants to “talk” to my students after I ranted about their misconduct. He happened to be friends with some of them.

But here’s the real issue. My boyfriend…

I once worked in phone customer service. I was employed in a worker-friendly company. My co-workers were welcoming, however fuming customers were not. I answer a minimum of 50 calls every day trying to resolve every customer’s concern. Day by day, I grew to hate every inch of my job.

“I want to quit,” I told my team leader. She was patient with me, but I was determined to resign. She had no choice but to send me to the manager, maybe, for further encouragement.

But I told myself, “nobody can convince me to stay anymore.”

The manager welcomed me…

One sign you’re an INFP –you’re reading this.

Obviously, I was guessing. But since you’re here, it’s imaginable that you’re either an INFP or someone closely related. How can I say that?

INFP means Introverted-iNtuitive-Feeling-Prospecting. It’s one of the rarest personality types according to Myers-Briggs. People with this personality type are seekers (and are drawn to these kinds of posts). They are always curious about people, emotions, and themselves.

I, myself, is an INFP. We are existentially conscious of how our personality associates with relationships, careers, and our everyday lives. However, these curiosities often lead to frustrations.

INFP is a…

“A year from now, you will wish you started today.”

— Karen Lamb

Procrastination —essentially, it’s harmless but collectively, it’s dangerous. On many days, procrastination feels satisfying. But, as we grow older, it’s becoming a prison we can barely get out of.

I was taking my second course back then, a degree in education. We were bombarded with paperwork, reports, and daily doses of anxiety—typical for thriving education students.

I admit that I do procrastinate and start everything at the last minute. I call it time-saving. Requirements were piling up but I pride myself on my speed. I never missed…

My journey as a writer wasn’t entirely long, but three years have been educational and reflective.

I’ve experienced writing both paid articles for clients and content for my own pages.

In comparison, writing paid articles wasn’t my favorite. It was more of a job than a passion. But I had to earn at the sides, so it’s still a good side hustle.

On the other hand, owning a blog was my long-time goal.

I remember how my eyes glistened when I discovered Medium. It was a eureka moment. Medium also paved my decision to eventually start a self-hosted blog.

But…

It’s been 2 years and counting… My best friend Abbie still can’t move on from her first love.

If one smack can wake her up from this toxic relationship, this story could have progressed long ago. Yet, at this very hour, she still pursues the same unhealthy, unlabelled relationship. She’s stuck.

The last time we talked, Abbie rants about the guy. It was an endless cycle between “I hate him, we’re over” and “we’re talking again”.

But one time, she decided to delete all their pictures. Wow, that’s a start. I’m proud of her. A few days later, she sent…

People calling themselves “a failure” has become pretty common. I was not an exception, either. Even the greatest man on earth probably slumped his shoulders and sulked at the corner, too. Everyone is equal in this category.

But recently, a thought surrounding failure popped into my mind. Most people react negatively to failure. So my question is, “is failure a negative word?” Like, misfortune is the opposite of luck?

Luck brings happiness. Misfortune brings sorrow. Success brings joy, but does failure bring nothing but grief? Is failure a negative word?

If I were in my earlier years, I’d say yes…

“Mom, I’m going to shift courses, okay?” I said gently.

My mom removed her eyes from the television. She gave me a piercing glare— typical strict Asian moms.

I was not happy with Architecture. I’ve had this talk countless times with my mom. It feels like a punch in the gut whenever I open up the topic. She never agreed. She thought I’m on my way to destroying my life.

“NO.” Her reply unbelievably echoed.

I took a deep breath. As much as I want to convince her with reason, I realized peace talks won’t do it. It turned into…