When Was the Last Time You Sat Quietly With Yourself?
We have been busy.
Busy building.
Busy proving.
Busy reacting.
And sometimes we use that busyness as an excuse —
not to sit quietly and ask the deeper questions:
What am I really living for?
What does this work truly mean?
If everything stopped today, what would remain?
Including me.
Recently, whenever I give myself a little presence —
not scrolling, not planning, not achieving —
these questions return.
I still do not have a perfect answer.
But something inside me is becoming clearer.
At least… this.
1. My Parents
I see the image of my parents more often now.
The hardship they endured.
The silent sacrifices.
The love that never demanded applause.
It makes me ask:
How do I express love while they are still here?
What does it mean to truly be a son — not just biologically, but spiritually?
Success feels empty if it does not return home.
2. Tu Thân — Self-Refinement
Through Cherry’s school, I have been taught about Đệ Tử Quy (Originally written during the Qing Dynasty by Li Yuxiu (李毓秀), the book is based on principles drawn from Confucian philosophy, especially the teachings found in The Analects of Confucius. This is a traditional East Asian guide to character development, teaching respect, responsibility, self-discipline, and ethical conduct in family and social life).
Its message is simple: before correcting the world, correct yourself.
Fixing habits is hard. Changing temperament is harder.
But whenever I refine even a small part of myself —
anger softens, impatience reduces, ego shrinks —
Life feels lighter.
At the very least, I hurt fewer people.
And that already feels meaningful.
3. Happiness Is Not Complicated
Through experience — not theory, I have learned something clear:
Happiness expands when we help others.
It does not come from accumulation.
It comes from contribution.
The feeling is unmistakable.
4. Time Is Short
When I think about how many years my parents may have left… how many years I may have left…
Time feels fragile.
We all share the same beginning — birth.
And the same destination — death.
What happens in between must matter.
Defining what truly matters is not a small task.
It requires courage.
And silence.
5. Youth, Mistakes, and Balance
My youth was intense.
Messy in parts.
Driven by ego and ambition.
I do not regret it.
But now I seek balance to move forward without abandoning responsibility for what I created in the past.
Growth should not erase history.
It should redeem it.
6. My Daughters
Every day, I watch Cherry and Mia.
Their laughter.
Their small hands reaching for mine.
They remind me that life is not a race.
They also remind me of responsibility.
If I want them to become kind,
I must become kinder.
If I want them to live meaningfully,
I must model it.
Children do not follow advice.
They follow example.
I still do not have a final answer to life’s biggest questions.
But I feel something becoming clearer:
Live in a way that honors those who raised me.
Refine myself daily.
Help where I can.
Protect what truly matters.
And love without delay.
Perhaps that is enough — for now.
Keep walking toward the sun — with a smile, every moment.
