168.5.2.1 | 2023_WK19 On Saying YES to Life

168 hours have passed. Our lives are 168 hours shorter, what have we done, changed, or achieved? In what way did we grow? Stronger? Happier? Or Wiser?

Decluttering and cleaning is a kind of letting go of the past. This will help us notice and embrace the present moment knowing that it is all we actually have. The future will always be the future, every minute, every move of the clock's second hand, it leaves us in the present. The future you wish for has turned into now, and before you know it, it's now in the past. What am I waiting for? Wasting life in waiting for the moment that will eventually turn out to be now? So why not now? All you ever have is now. Find the love and peace, here and now.
Do you say yes to life? Do you embrace the things that give you joy and let go of the things that no longer serve a purpose? Or do you shrink back in fear within the comfort zone of the old thought pattern that keeps you small and scared?

5 themes I immersed in this week.

1. The future of AI. Right. We can't get enough of this possible AI threat in the media. The more we read the more it gets terrifying. But the idea of an intimate relationship with a bot never stops fascinating me, and to be honest, it is one of the greatest love stories ever told. Read more about it here
2. Momentum is so hard to gain, especially with keeping up with motivation to work (if you work from home, and alone) and exercise. Any prolonged suspense would take double or even triple the amount of time to swing you right back to where you were. This is why it's so precious. Read more about it here
3. Not only did the pandemic bring us economic recession, but in my opinion, it also cast a shadow on us when it comes to friendship and what it means to us. Ever since the age of globalization (what seems like a gazillion years ago), the impact of COVID-19 and its 'new normal' and social distance has brought us a kind of friendship recession. Read more about it here
4. Here in Japan, masks are finally off our faces and summer is coming, and I love the reunion of colors on my face. Honestly, what could be better than a barefaced with natural dewy smooth skin, peachy color on the cheeks, and shiny lips that reflect the bright summer sun? If makeup empowers you to feel energetic and upbeat, be unapologetically beautiful! Here are some of my current favorites for spring and summer, so good I have to share.

• NARS LIGHT REFLECTING™ ADVANCED SKINCARE FOUNDATION. Super light and natural, long wear, easy to apply with fingers like a face lotion. My skin but better!
• NARS AIR MATTE BLUSH in Rush. A mousse texture that is effortlessly blendable with your finger to create natural, weightless, velvety sun-kissed cheeks.
• DIOR ADDICT HYDRATING SHINE LIPSTICK in 636 Ultra Dior. Just one swipe glides like magic for the natural, my lips but better look. Perfect dark coral tint for a vibrant summer look.
• CHANEL ROUGE COCO GLOSS In 804 Rose Naif. Pair it with a lip pencil of your choice, or on top of any lipstick for a tinted shiny look, it's even great on itself. Not sticky the way most lip glosses feel, I promise.
• MISS DIOR EAU DE PARFUM. Heavenly summer floral divine!

5. I've been checking in with myself if I say enough 'yes' to life. Do I embrace the things that bring me joy and let go of the things that no longer serve a purpose? Or do I shrink back in fear within the comfort zone of the old thought pattern that keeps me small and scared?

No.

I show up, and I choose growth.

2 of this week's theme quotes.

"Other people actions are the result of their own pain and not the result of any intention to hurt you. A wrong perception can be the cause a lot of suffering." Thich Nhat Hanh.

It indeed had been a challenging few weeks, but that's all behind us now we're moving on to the next chapter. This outdated baggage is no longer useful to me, I am grateful for the experience but I am going to part ways with it now.

"The aim of individuation is nothing less than to divest the self of the false wrappings of the persona on the one hand and the suggestive power of primordial images on the other." Carl Jung.

Jung believed that individuals have an innate drive towards self-realization and that this can only be achieved by making conscious choices and taking responsibility for one's life. Therefore, the demanding requirement of individuation is to return to one's nature, to one's true being-- to who you really are. Striving to reconnect with your original Source is our major work, and it will continue throughout the remaining of our lifetime.

1 self-reminder.

You are a total sum of your own decisions. Choose.

Who you are now, who do you want to be, and where do you want to be in life? Choose, and then take massive actions. Would you be willing to say NO to the old thought patterns or beliefs that keep you small and scared?

Choose.

Hope you all have a great week.

168.2.1 was my first attempt to send out a weekly newsletter. It lasted eleven weeks. It was hard, too ambitious a goal, but it taught me to love myself through missteps and the adversity of perseverance.