12.26.2024 End of year

Reflection or some words/weight that I’d like to offload from my mind- finding them a home then I can revisit them one day –

  1. Empathy without boundaries is absolute self destruction.
  2. A man who loves/likes you doesn’t just double-tap your pictures. He tries hard to stay in the pictures.
  3. Never act like a clown in front of someone who’s obviously blind.
  4. Jealousy is jealousy. Love is love.
  5. Being clear is kind. Being unclear is unkind.
  6. We can’t change people. We can only love them.
  7. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.“
  8. Mercy, Grace, Forgivenuess
  9. Finding ways to say the hard things with gentleness
  10. Attention is the new currency, use it wisely.
  11. Your superpower can be making others feel heard & seen.
  12. “A lot of what I feel are big things are small and lots of what is small is extremely significant.”
  13. Matthew 13:44

Best,

Tiffany ❤

Twenty years in America

Twenty Years in America

Next month marks two decades since I arrived in the U.S. Witnessing the transformation of America, especially New York, has been remarkable. But the most profound change has been within myself. Assimilation has chipped away at some parts of who I was, yet unearthed unexpected facets I never knew existed. I hope this process of self-discovery continues, to keep finding new pieces of me in the years to come.

Lately, however, a gnawing sense of burnout has settled in. Emptiness lingers, and the search for lasting happiness feels elusive. It’s like filling an empty stomach – it solves one problem, but countless others remain.

Is this a mid-life crisis? Seeking answers, I reached out to friends and teachers. Their responses, filled with empathy, echoed a familiar refrain: “Overthinking, uncertainty, helplessness – that sounds about right.” “But what next? How do we cope?”

Their heartfelt advice hasn’t yet revealed the escape route from this abyss. It seems trial and error is the only path. Perhaps there’s solace in putting pen to paper, solidifying the swirling thoughts within. Each one externalized is a weight lifted from my mind.

To you, dear readers,

While I may not have solutions, I offer solace: you are not alone. These feelings are normal, human. And remember, this too shall pass. 

If I could, I’d hold your heart when it aches. Perhaps, someday, we can hold each other’s hearts, a beacon of shared experience in this journey of life.

(#Resonate)

Story Time 1. 4/18/2024

Deeply rooted & blossomed.

Yesterday, while I was taking pictures at Washington Park, NYC, someone approached me and said  that I was cute and beautiful. They then asked if we could exchange social media handles.

First of all, whenever strangers, especially men, smile at me or approach me, my first instinct is to think, “He’s going to kidnap me.”

Now, after getting that out of the way, I had a moment to myself. I thanked him for the compliments, but politely declined. He was a gentleman and didn’t pressure me further. We parted ways, and it was a polite encounter.

It was an interesting encounter for me because it made me reflect on myself and the journey I’ve been on. I appreciate people giving me compliments, and while they can still boost my ego sometimes, they don’t thrill me like they used to. I don’t crave outside attention and validation for my self-worth like I used to.  They say insecurity is loud and deep confidence is silent. The more we face challenges or learn from life’s experiences, sometimes the more quiet we become. Outside attention doesn’t make me thrive. It’s the self-acceptance, self-compassion, and radical honesty towards my emotions( both high and low) and my needs, that have deepened my roots as a human being instead of an imaginary/self-constructed inflated persona. 

In this day and age, when swiping, double tapping, or direct messaging is the norm, someone had the courage to approach and ask in person. Even when rejected, they remained composed, poised, and respectful. Such are refreshing and show that kindness and hope still exist.

Some might say to me, “you are naive and overly optimistic,” concluding from only one encounter. Well, that’s me, I still choose to believe in the good in others. Perhaps, that’s what makes the world a better place. A little optimism can go a long way. And We’ll see where it takes me. There’s always something to learn from every encounter.

Best,

Tiffany ❤

12.18.2013 – Presence.Thoughts&Quotes

  1. People tend to like expensive gifts. Honestly, so do I. I like expensive gifts too. The most expensive gifts, the most precious ones that one could ever offer are their presence, time&attentiveness. I want that. All of that.

”Thich Nhat Hanh: Because you are fully there, you recognize the presence of your beloved as something very precious. You embrace your beloved with mindfulness. And he or she will bloom like a flower. To be loved means to be recognized as existing…”


2. It doesn’t matter when I like, where I like, who I like, how I like, what I like, but why I like- sometimes, it can be described through words, but captured in an image.

3. “Be good or be good at it.”

4. Nowadays everyone is a philosopher. Some were born one. Some were made into one. And some pretending to be one
 

5.”But why should I be original? Why can’t I be non-original?” …. why can’t I be special that way? Andy Warhol

6.What’s in the mind that prevents us from getting hurt also distant us from getting closer to love. 

7. 最近一直沉淪在想著一個人,思考一段往事,造成現時煩惱。我是那種哲學家,偵探家,想看透人心理的人的思維。(而我最留意的就是自己的,先看透自己,才可以看透別人。)不想相信或停留在事件的表面。 一直在思考,一直在回想,其他人的話我都會聼不進去,唯有到了自己真正找到那答案才會停止。到最后原來,問題就在於那問題。不停的思考,就因爲我不願意讓自己的思緒去有一刻的休止。仿佛就是一個惡性循環,思考問題,問題沒有答案,繼續回到思考。到最後,我終于記得那一句, 

When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

當你看進深淵時,深淵同時也在看透了你。
有時對於情緒困擾,停留在表面就是最好的辦法。停止吧。去做一做其它的東西,感覺就會好多了。(以上建議只提供於一般壓力所帶來的情緒問題,如果感覺生活上各活動都無法進行。不要考慮,去找心理治療師,會有用的。)

8.人生,最貼切的形容詞是”無常。”

9. Many days in life like today, you realize you have a lot of thoughts and doubts on your mind. Each of them has a voice and wants to be the winner of this ”debate” occurs in your tiny brain. You want to ignore them…but the harder you try the louder they get. You start to panic. Remember all you have to do is to let them all out, let them get tired and they will rest on their own… the moment of peace will come… …surrender.

10. In a materialistic culture, you are conditioned to react, to acquire from your surroundings when you feel that you lack certain things in your life. That often fails us. Instead you should look inward. Search within and you should find.

If a person keeps looking for love and attention from the outside, does that mean this person has not loved/paid enough attention to herself/himself?  

Many years later answering my own question – I don’t think that this person hasn’t loved herself enough. Getting love/like/attention from the outside is easy, and easy comes easy goes. -2020

11. Every day, every second, people update you on their emotional “wellbeing” verbally, visually, so easily… and it’s like the emotion becomes the air, taking up as much space as they can, you are encapsulated by these “micro-emotion.” Sometimes, I am just so tired….. I really want to breathe… a breath of fresh air. Be conscious and be that breath of fresh air for someone, today.

12. Physical pain has an negative effect on your mental health and vice versa. 

13. “过去已过去。未来 ,才是值得一谈的事。” 

2020—–>

14. Suffering is like an ocean. If you stay calm, you would stay afloat and feel the greatest feeling ever felt on earth, being gravity free. If you panic, you will sink and get devoured by it.

15. Love is Love. Avoidance is avoidance. If anyone tells you they don’t want to hurt you and starts avoiding you, that’s not love. That’s the opposite of love, absence of love. When one loves you, they will be there and do whatever it takes to protect you. Walk away, set them free, set yourself free.

16. Even with meditations, I want to overdoes on it, that’s how much I want to speed up the healing process; how much I want to be normal and loving again. Girl, slow down, it’s mediation, not medication. #loss&grief

17. I am seeing patterns. How was I so blind and got dragged into the same vortex. Karma, I blame and I need to break it even with tremendous pain.

18. Recently, someone asked me a question, when was the last time I had “such” be honest. Although I knew it was general question, somehow I felt that my characters were being questioned/attacked. I can’t help but felt upset. I really shouldn’t feel that way, I know me, you don’t.

19. I feel a sense of heaviness. For me, I always want to communicate my perspective/feelings and have a desire to understand the other person’s point of view. The heaviness comes when the other person is not willing/unable to share their side; that I try to so hard to “dig,” to look for the clue, the truth. However, the truth/reality is present, right in front of me, I don’t accept it/surrender to the moment. Maybe that’s the actual heaviness, my inability to just accept what’s in front of me and let it be, let it go.

12.14.2013

有时就很想问自己
什么是对
什么是错
究竟现在自己在做什么
很想每样事情都有一个清清楚楚地答案
但世界每样事情都可能有一个答案  不是一个唯一的答案 
你有权选择去相信 你有权去选择怀疑
但就发觉相信与否却是看自己都这事紧张的程度
或者自己太紧张这一切
得与失
看得太重 
害怕失去现在拥有的
害怕改变 
害怕被骗
是否年纪大了都这样
害怕一切都要重新开始
害怕这个 
害怕那个
一切一切
看到的只有恐惧
自己变得寸步难行
自己变了杞人忧天的又一受害者

黑与白 
人生或者是在中间 有点灰 有点不清楚 但有时放手放下恐惧 再抓紧去相信自己 相信你所相信的会带你去你想去的地方

So refreshing to see how my younger self had such deep insight. Over the years, not sure what or how, got myself so numb or blind. Maybe interruptions of life are good. When a crack takes place, light can come in again and let me see the things I cannot see anymore.

Be happy be free,

Tiffanie 11.07.2020  

06.27.2013 Random thoughts Chn

2013-6-27 09:39:47

 久违的中文字 久违的博客

好久都没有用文字去记载自己的思想

有时我想为什么就不写在自己的日记本子内 然后我发觉原来对电脑打字上了瘾

喜欢手指在键盘上敲打的声音 喜欢在打错字时可以用回车键然后将错的字不留痕迹的改去

喜欢将那曾有的疯狂想法彻底否决 然后删除 再忘记

我在想我写在本子上和博客上又会有什么不同

日记对于我来说是很私人的东西

所有不安 情感的烦恼 怨恨 我都会记上去

我觉得日记是我的一个很大的足球场 在那我 可以很自由地奔跑 可以做自己想做的 无局无促

但见到现在很多人在博客或其他地方都可以表达出自己最深层的感受时候

我才发觉我自己是个很内捻的人

又或者我不想连那最后的自由 自己的感情坦荡荡 都被将事物过分曝光的网络扼杀了

但到最后 他人的日记又有几成是真 几成是假的?

真真假假 假假真真

对外人 有时不太重要 但对自己 记得要在本子上的和你网上打的要一样 和你心里的一样

对自己坦诚才是最重要

自己都不能面对真实自己的人 在他人面前还会有多真?

网络的世界 繁忙的生活 人吃人的社会

做自己的却很艰难

不过不要放弃

你不一定会多人喜欢 但你是人 不是神

即使你是神也会有恨你的人

神不是完美 我也不是完美

那就是世界 一个不完美的世界 有着你我的存在 有着一个所谓自己有改变世界的能力的心态

活着自我  就是一种奇迹 就是精彩

最近 我和我姐说 我很累

她问我是什么令我变得那么沮丧和悲观

我回答人生就很累 你有很多东西想做 但每件事 每件大事 结婚生子 买车买楼

甚至死亡丧礼 都要慢慢的 一步一步 时间去成就 都要有准备

当我们付出了很多 回报却迟迟未来的时候 真的很累 累到想放弃 一走了之

但走去哪里 哪里才不用付出努力 就可以即刻收取回报

等待 两个字的长度 却是可以使那么漫长 无止境

姐说我想太多 我想也是 所以我买了瓶红酒 自己喝

一醉 不可以解千愁 但可以短暂让我睡一觉 头脑清醒了一下

我刚刚说要喝酒去清醒脑袋 我笑了

其实红酒不错啊 帮助血液循环 抗氧化

第二天日觉得肚子都空了 朋友还说可以减肥

小赌怡情 或者 小醉令世界瞬间更美妙

我也终于明白为何古时的诗人大文豪都要有酒相伴

或者他们的感情实在太丰富 对事事都有多多感概

只可用酒释怀 舒畅舒畅

暂时有个忘我的境界

There are thoughts best be expressed in Chinese.

Be happy be free,

Tiffanie

11.07.2020