Happy Mother Day to all the wonderful moms, and especially to the working mothers out there! To those of us who are working mothers, the struggles are real. So often, we feel guilty for missing our kids’ school event or maybe even their birthday because of a work obligation. So often, we feel guilty for rushing…
Change is hard. Is it?
“Change is hard,” or is it? Whenever someone said “change is hard,” they always made me think. To give you some context, I want to tell you a little about myself. As a young girl, I came to the US without my family, with no money and spoke no English. Within a month, I was abused by…
The overflowing teacup
A long time ago, there was a famous Zen master. People from all over the country came to visit him, hoping to learn from him and ask him for advice. One time, a prominent military leader came to visit the Zen master. With great authority, he told the Zen master: “I came here to discuss life philosophy with…
Feel Well, Be Well
In time when there’s a lot of negativity going around, we have to step up our positive habits and self-care to feel well and be well.
The Benjamin’s Way
Many years ago, when I read Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, I became very impressed with a certain passage of the book that I wrote it down. Today, my son shared with me the same passage, and I am again awestruck by the wonderful lesson it contains that I must share with others.
What is mindfulness?
“Mindfulness” is simply a practice of stopping and of looking deeply into what is happening in the present moment. One of the Zen stories told about a person who was riding a horse really fast through town. A few town people became concerned, so they mounted their horses and caught up with him. They asked: “Where are…
One Word.
Several years ago, I learned this from my mentor, John C. Maxwell. Every year, he would pick one word. That word becomes his focus for the year. It serves as a quick reminder of something he wants to work on, of something he needs to focus on when he encounters the challenges of everyday life. The one word is…
It’s okay to cry!
I recently went through some changes that are dear to my heart, and as a result, I cried a great deal. This period reminded me of many conflicting advises that I have heard about whether it’s okay to cry in public or to cry at all. “Don’t cry, Thanh. As a mom, you need to…
Are you building a cathedral?
An old story: A man came across three men working side by side laying bricks. He asked them what they are doing. The first man said: “I’m laying bricks”. The second man said: “I’m constructing a wall”. The third man cheerfully said: “I’m building a cathedral. When this is done, it will be one of…
Never Stop Dreaming
Next week, our family will be visiting Disneyland, the land of dream 😊 so to speak. It reminds me of the story of failure during the early career of Walt Disney. Earlier in his career, he was fired from a newspaper for not being creative enough; and yet, that same newspaper ended up filing for bankruptcy while…