Wayfarer
Some reflections I have about miscellaneous topics that strike my fancy.
Positivity is like the childhood best friend that we all take for granted: always there to catch us, always overlooked. It is interesting that most people easily extol the virtues of staying optimistic and upbeat, yet so much of social media is dominated by complaints and negativity. A recent article published in the MIT Technology … Continue reading 3 reasons to be more positive on social media
An amusing exchange happened in one of my lessons the other day and it made me think about communication, sincerity, and how to go about creating and maintaining relationships with others. You see, I had spent most of the lesson reviewing my student’s external correspondences and was somewhat horrified that the correspondences, while well-crafted and … Continue reading Empathy first, empathy always.
The key lesson in Chapter 2 is one that I learned some time back -- the impact of appreciation and gratitude. Carnegie includes several anecdotes about instances where being appreciative resulted in positive outcomes for the appreciator, but is insistent that his recommendation is not to flatter. He juxtaposes flattery with appreciation and points out … Continue reading Carnegie Chronicles: What are we doing to spread positivity?
I’d never thought of reading Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People even though I knew of it back in my college days. Recently, I found out that this book is part of Buffer’s hiring criteria -- and I have so much respect for Buffer, their values, and their team -- so it … Continue reading Mining wisdom from Dale Carnegie
As Singapore becomes increasingly cosmopolitan by all outward measures, Singaporeans seem torn between their old-world, gritty, down-to-earth cultural narrative and an urbanity that reflects their economic status in the world. We both covet and abhor anything that seems foreign. Singaporeans are always at the threshold of the traditional and the modern, the familiar and the … Continue reading Lions, peacocks, and lessons in listening
I am told that I almost didn't get my job because I am a woman. I'm not sure if it is true, but the idea that this is even possible guts me when I think about it. No one should have to face the possibility of not doing what they love simply because they were … Continue reading If not now, when?
"In the flush of love's light, we dare be brave. And suddenly we see that love costs all we are, and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free." Maya Angelou #25daysofmaya
“The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough.” "Women should be tough, tender, laugh as much as possible, and live long lives." Maya Angelou #25daysofmaya
“When I am writing, I am trying to find out who I am, who we are, what we're capable of, how we feel, how we lose and stand up, and go on from darkness into darkness. I'm trying for that. But I'm also trying for the language. I'm trying to see how it can really … Continue reading
Anecdotes about teaching are a dime a dozen. From stories about grading papers, to inspiring kids, to huge, dramatic blow-outs in class, to rants about the amount of administration that needs to be done, to accounts of awful parents... you would think that teachers have given you the whole picture. I thought so. I was … Continue reading “And we wept that one so lovely should have a life so brief;”
