If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree. 🌲

For me, this quote is deep-rooted (no pun intended) in my life motto.

At 15, I wasn’t performing well academically and didn’t like the school where I was at, so I asked my parents to move me to another school – in Australia. That shook things up and I had no choice but trying my hardest to study English and a whole new system.

Last year, I was part of a volunteering team where I was disrespected and humiliated in front of many people by my supervisor. We were meant to work together as a team. I left the next day after telling them how I felt.

My brother and I went to see a movie where the people behind us were talking loudly. We’d politely asked them to keep the noise down and they continued to talk to each other. So we moved to the front where it was quiet – after checking to make sure that the seats were available.

At times it feels like we have no choice but staying in the same job that we don’t enjoy for many years, being in the same living condition that is uncomfortable, having the same circle of friends that we’ve grown out of, speaking up for ourselves and others etc. We are afraid of leaving as we fear of the unknown or people might judge us.

But we always have a choice – a choice to be happy in doing what we want in life!

Definitely not a tree!

Bình

Be water

What is water?

Soft & flexible yet strong & powerful.

The driving force of all nature.

Takes the shape of its container.

Cuts through rocks because of its persistence.

Comes in various forms liquid, solid & gas.

You – are made up of water.

Take all the time that you need to think about that. 💧💙

Bình

Flowers 💐

You can buy yourself flowers. And enjoy them too!

How often do you bring flowers to others to show your love and appreciation.

What about yourself?

You too deserve all the love and appreciation that you give to others.

Go on, buy yourself some flowers, today.

Bình

Listen to the rain

It’s raining in Sydney this morning.

My options: 1. wishing the weather was better 2. listen to the rain.

I choose the second.

In life, there are things that we can control e.g., how we feel about the situation & things that we cannot control e.g., the weather.

Fussing over things that we can’t control brings on frustration.

Learning to breathe and manage how we feel about the circumstances puts us in charge.

Last week, it also rained. A child turned up to my clinic for his speech lesson in his rain boots. “I’m ready to jump in some puddles after this.” he said.

The joy! ☔️

Be like that kid! 😃

Have an awesome day!

Bình

No labels

You wake up one day and realize that everything has a label – made up by humans.

Your name.

Your nationality.

Your gender.

Your job title.

Your evaluation of self and others (tall, short, talkative, quiet, shy…)

Even your pet has a name 🐶 ❤️

What if things are the way they are.

No name, no label, no preconception.

How free would life be?

❤️

Bình

Whatever it takes!

After graduating from speech pathology, I was jobless for 6 months.

I worked as a waiter to pay for food and transportation. I slept on my friend’s couch.

Spent most of my savings on driving and flying to interviews in another state.

In the end, I got a job in Sydney at a minimum wage – as a speech pathologist.

I was super thankful. Had to start somewhere somehow.

With a few books and some clothes, I drove through the night from Brisbane to Sydney. Slept in my car for almost a week before finding a home.

You become stronger through hardship!

Chase that dream. Make it happen. Whatever it takes!

🎯 🔥

Bình

Where can a “hello” take you?

How often do we travel to another country and would ask a local “Can you speak English?”

Say ‘hi’ or ‘thank you’ in the local language can open up a new dialogue or opportunity.

Learn the basics such as saying “hi” and “thank you” can be beneficial.

Try the following – with the biggest smile on your face 😃

Bonjour

Xin chào

Ciao

Konichiwa 

Ni hao

Hola

Chúc một ngày tốt lành (Have a wonderful day in Vietnamese) 😘

Bình

Just breathe

Hi there

Wanna learn a strategy to help you stay calm and relaxed throughout the day?

Here it is:

Find a place to sit (or stand still)

Eyes can be open (or closed)

Focus on the breath

Inhale slowly

Pause

Exhale slowly

Pause

Continue with the cycle 5-10 times

Now open your eyes.

Hope that was good 😌

❤️

Bình

20 Life Lessons Learned During Covid-19

Covid life has been tough. Here are 20 life lessons that I’ve learnt since the start of the pandemic:

1. Appreciate every little thing (eg, toilet paper 🧻)

2. Traveling is a privilege. ✈️

3. The value of a warm hug or a handshake. 🫂

4. Self-care is a priority. 💕

5. Enjoy the present moment as the future can be uncertain. 🎁

6. Everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Be kind. Always! 🥰

7. Laugh and cry. It’s ok to cry. That’s how we came into this world. 🥲

8. Eating out is a joy. ☕️

9. Having time-out is good for the mind and body. 💃

10. Stay positive. 🎉

11. Slow down and breathe. 🧘‍♂️

12. Be creative. Being shut indoors for months has reignited some old hobbies that I haven’t had time to practice such as learning Japanese and painting. 🎨

13. Never stop learning. Having the extra time means more time for learning a new skill. 📚

14. Be flexible with work. Most of my speech pathology lessons are now delivered online. 👨‍💻

15. Stay close to nature. It’s healing and good for our well-being. 🌿

16. Support yourself first, so that you can support others. ❤️

17. Make plans but stay flexible when circumstances change. 🗓

18. Adapt to the new “normal” – regular hand washing and checking in at venues 🧼

19. Love your friends and family. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

20. Finally, masks can come in different colours and styles – pick your favorite and roll with it 😷

Much love and here’s for a better future.
🥰🥂🎉

Binh

20 Life Lessons Learned in 2020

2020 has been a tough year. Here are 20 life lessons that this year has taught me so far:

1. Appreciate every little thing (eg, toilet paper 🧻)

2. Traveling is a privilege. ✈️

3. The value of a warm hug or a handshake. 🫂

4. Self-care is a priority. 💕

5. Enjoy the present moment as the future can be uncertain. 🎁

6. Everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Be kind. Always! 🥰

7. Laugh and cry. It’s ok to cry. That’s how we came into this world. 🥲

8. Eating out is a joy. ☕️

9. Having time-out is good for the mind and body. 💃

10. Stay positive. 🎉

11. Slow down and breathe. 🧘‍♂️

12. Be creative. Being shut indoors for months has reignited some old hobbies that I haven’t had time to practice such as learning Japanese and painting. 🎨

13. Never stop learning. Having the extra time means more time for learning a new skill. 📚

14. Be flexible with work. Most of my speech pathology lessons are now delivered online. 👨‍💻

15. Stay close to nature. It’s healing and good for our well-being. 🌿

16. Support yourself first, so that you can support others. ❤️

17. Make plans but stay flexible when circumstances change. 🗓

18. Adapt to the new “normal” – regular hand washing and checking in at venues 🧼

19. Love your friends and family. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

20. Finally, masks can come in different colours and styles – pick your favorite and roll with it 😷

Much love and here’s for a better year 2021!
🥰🥂🎉

Binh