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How do you decide what’s worth reading?
Travel brings about a great opportunity: to visit local bookstores. On a trip to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai, my family and I had the privilege of visiting these bookstores: Daikanyama T-Site (my favorite in the world and default recommendation to anyone visiting Tokyo), Ginza Tsutaya, Foreign Language Bookstore in Shanghai, Duoyun Bookstore, Shanghai Book…
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Pausing remains powerful
My friend’s dad had a great saying: to “assume” makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” For example, if you misspoke to another person and they assume they know your intentions, you look like an ass to them because they think you are being mean—and they will have made an ass of themselves to…
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Mutual understanding
Take responsibility for understanding other people. Don’t expect people to understand you the first time. They may not want to let you know they don’t understand—and they may not want to hurt your feelings—so it’s your job to make them feel safe enough to speak up. Better yet, reward people for asking good clarifying questions.…
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Define it
Ambiguity makes language wonderful. The same sentence, or even word, could mean something entirely different to another person. A writer may have a specific intention for their words, and yet there could be as many different interpretations as there are readers. This also means that it takes time for people to come together and agree…
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Kowloon Walled City
A couple of years ago, I visited a beautiful park where the Kowloon Walled City used to stand. It was my first time hearing about it. This article breaks down its history. There is also some great information in this infographic. Here was what the Kowloon Walled City looked like before the government tore it…
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Creative unattachment
It’s best to attach the value of your work based on something that’s within your control. This could mean a way of doing things, a philosophy, or a set of values—or all three. Championship NFL coach Bill Walsh would call this a Standard of Performance. Here are some things you don’t control: How other people…
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My 2015 interview with MC Jin
In 2002, Jin Auyeung took over hip-hop by winning a weekly freestyle competition for seven consecutive weeks on 106 & Park. His debut song, “Learn Chinese,” was on regular rotation in my elementary school, and my friends would holler out the Cantonese ad-libs. It was a moment that felt similar to Linsanity, Jeremy Lin’s two-week…
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Turner’s practice
When you look at one of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s paintings, you might notice his work with color. Yes—while it is a landscape painting, and landscapes were seen as a relatively low form of art at the time, that Turner took on any way for better commercial prospects—it’s also much more than what even a…
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Be the first
If you really want to make a difference in somebody’s life, be the first person to make a contribution. This could mean being their first customer, their first donor, or the first person to leave a comment or share the work. It will make a powerful impression, give them energy, and help them start a…