ThunderStorm

1. Why This Matters Unpack Your Values: What core values underlie your position? Is it fairness, safety, or efficiency? Childhood Connections: Did a specific event or experience shape how you view this issue? 2. Your Feelings How strongly do you feel about this? Are you passionate or simply concerned? 3. The Ideal Outcome Imagine a perfect world. How would this issue be resolved? 4. Your Purpose Is there a deeper reason you care? Does this connect to a larger goal you have for yourself or society? By answering these questions, you can gain a clearer understanding of your position and the driving force behind it.

Lately, I've been hearing the term DINK (Dual Income, No Kids) among my peers. It sounds pretty vulgar, in my opinion. Instead, I would like to propose the acronym MBS (Married But Single) as an alternative. Similar to the Marina Bay Sands, it represents a lifestyle of luxury and freedom that such couples enjoy. How about that?

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch Learning: Ignited by Mentorship, Fueled by Experience Plutarch's quote beautifully captures the essence of true education. It's not about passive knowledge absorption, but about active engagement with knowledge. The rising emphasis of mentoring and coaching - the modern interpretation of apprenticeship - in education is a positive step towards this ideal. I have long been a proponent of apprenticeships and the benefits of shadowing a master/expert in the subject field, so this paradigm shift is a step in the right direction. Shadowing experts in their field provides invaluable hands-on experience, crucial for technical and creative disciplines. While books offer wisdom and insight through theoretical knowledge, they can't replicate the experiential learning gained through apprenticeships. This is especially true for subjects beyond math and science, where cultural and historical context p...

(Generated by Google Bard) The world of ongoing longitudinal health studies is vast and fascinating! Here are just a few examples across different areas, showcasing the diversity of research happening: **Aging and Chronic Diseases:** * **The Framingham Heart Study:** Launched in 1948, this landmark study continues to follow the descendants of its original cohort, studying cardiovascular health and risk factors like cholesterol and blood pressure across generations. * **The Nurses' Health Study:** Begun in 1976, this study follows female nurses, investigating the links between lifestyle factors, diet, and chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia. * **The Whitehall II Study:** Established in 1985, this study examines the relationship between socioeconomic position, stress, and health outcomes in British civil servants. **Child Development and Mental Health:** * **The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study:** This New Zealand study tracks nearly 1,000 ...

 Building strong families and supporting them across life stages is a multifaceted endeavour with no one-size-fits-all solution. However, here are some key principles and strategies we can prioritise: Foster Communication and Connection:  Regular quality time: Dedicate time for family meals, activities, and conversations without distractions. This allows for emotional connection, sharing experiences, and building trust.  Active listening: Truly listen to each other's thoughts and feelings without judgment. Validate emotions and offer support .  Open communication: Encourage open and honest communication about all aspects of life, including challenges and disagreements. Create a safe space for vulnerable expression. Strengthen Positive Relationships:  Nurture individual bonds: Make time for one-on-one interactions with each family member to understand their needs and build unique relationships.  Practice empathy and compassion: Put yourself in others' s...

  Important (Keep) Optimisation Writing/Producing content Information processing Strategising and execution Not important (Reduce/Eliminate) Starting on a new optimisation system Obsessing over perfection Watching videos about productivity and project management without limit As suggested by Ali Abdaal, the productivity wizard I am following, here is my energy ledger . Takeaways: The same tasks I enjoy can become energy drainers when indulged in excess. I can sometimes fall into the optimisation procrastination trap when I try too hard to over-optimise that I end up wasting much of my free time doing overtime work when I should be resting.

“Where the senses fail us, reason must step in.” - Galileo “Where reason fails us, our intuitions must step in.” - Gordon Pennycook, Big Think Ultimately, the supposed battle between head and heart is overblown. Instead, we require a synthesis of both to make good decisions and live happy lives. Source:  System 1 vs. System 2: Why it isn’t strategic to always be rational

"Habit 5 : Seek first to understand, then to be understood" - The 7 habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey "Tell me more" is such an understated prompt that can level up your active listening skills. It demonstrates curiosity and a desire to learn. It disarms a hostile threat without bloodshed.

Leadership and Compassion - Empathy and Compassion in Society 2013 Strategies to become more emotional intelligent | WOBI 2017

The Formula: A Book on Raising Successful Children The Formula is a book by Ron Ferguson, a faculty member at Harvard Kennedy School, and journalist Tatsha Robertson. The book aims to answer the question of whether there is a recipe for youthful success. After interviewing families of successful young adults, Ferguson and Robertson found that good parenting is the common origin of these individual successes. The Story Behind the Book Tatsha Robertson started interviewing successful people in 2005 to understand how they got that way. She found that parenting might have something to do with it. Meanwhile, Ron Ferguson was working on a project called the "How I Was Parented" Project, in which Harvard students interviewed fellow students to discuss how parenting had gotten them where they were. The two connected, and their discussion eventually led to the research and writing of The Formula. The Eight Parental Roles 🧩 Early Learning Partner: engaging with the...

“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.” - Confucius  当局者迷，旁观者清 The involved parties tend to be caught up in the details and emotions to make good decisions. Outsiders/onlookers may have a broader and more objective perspective. The 4Is of a great leader - one who keeps people: Informed Involved Interested Inspired Suzy Welch's rule of 10/10/10 Ask yourself: would this action matter in 10 min, 10 months, 10 years? https://www.oprah.com/spirit/suzy-welchs-rule-of-10-10-10-decision-making-guide/all&ved=2ahUKEwix_s_dge_2AhVnUGwGHZXfAk0QFnoECDMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3lgDnCSbI14vjaLw7BbTN6 Understanding Your People Skill-will matrix by Max Landsberg Life lessons as shared by a retiree During a typical taxi ride, I encountered an interesting taxi driver who had a vast...

Image source:  Medium Image source:  businesswire

  Gone are the days when couples are separated for long periods of time and write snail mail to stay in touch. Nowadays, with the smartphone and the demand for instant gratification, many are put off by long-distance relationships as the odds of their partners straying are not in their favour. After all, if both parties spend so little time together, can it really be considered a relationship? It even sounds tragic, if you ask me. Anyway, congratulations to the above couple who has managed to make an LDR work! :)

Source:  Sometimes I Hate My Husband, But That Doesn't Mean Our Marriage Is Doomed (msn.com) An interesting exploration of the complexities of relationships. Since no two persons are completely alike, there are bound to be habits and quirks of the other that can charm and/or irk us. You can love some parts of a person, hate some parts of the same person, and that's perfectly alright.

<< Warning: For ages 13+ >> The following content discusses topics of a sensitive nature and are unsuitable for children. Read at your own risk. Man Abused 4 of his Daughters and Assaulted His Son I have been coming across plenty of news articles about paedophiles and incest lately and am distraught by the fact that such incidents are even happening in my country. Firstly, what frustrates me is the lack of parental guidance and supervision in some instances e.g. parents being unaware that their spouse is abusing the child and/or they have not built a strong foundation of trust with their child such that their child ends up in a secretive and exploitative relationship. Secondly, it is the audacity and means with which one would use to satisfy their own curiosity and urges. Thirdly, there are the keyboard warriors who blame the education system for this mess really grind my gears. To the children and youths, I am sorry to say that you live in a globalised world where you are ...

Here are some key takeaways after attending a Resilience and Your Success Workshop with Paula Eddy and Becky. Related articles: Women's Health: How to Destress Resilience is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure You can't give from an empty cup. To build resilience, recovery needs to take place in your mind, body and soul , so that you can refill your cup. Recovery is the key to boosting your positivity, energy levels and morale/confidence. Reflect: - Which aspect of you (mind, body and/or soul) is needing nourishment? - How can you prepare yourself/fill your tank? - Change one thing at a time, and slowly build up this habit - Tell an accountability partner - Keep practising Ways to relax your mind: Breathe Meditate Eat/drink Listen to calming music Taking a walk Take a shower/go for a therapeutic massage Journalling/drawing Reframe your perspective Adopt a growth mindset Ways to strengthen your body: sufficient exercise proper nutrition sufficient sleep Ways to nourish yo...

Friendship is the foundation of a strong relationship. This is a wonderful book filled with wisdom and insight on how to cultivate strong relationships, building on friendship as a firm foundation. Every chapter has been insightful and full of relevant anecdotes and applications, which will give you much to ponder on each day. Here is an excerpt from the book: You should definitely check it out.

Image by Pixabay Dating is tougher now compared to in the past because it is hard to stand out in a bigger pool of options. The globalised dating scene also offers multiple opportunities and possibilities. Before proceeding, make sure that getting married and settled down is what you want before dating. If that is not your end goal, then don't date. It will save you and the involved party the heartbreak and time. To avoid being overwhelmed by the paradox of choice, one should firstly mind your own lane. Stop comparing yourself to others or getting pressured into doing activities you are uncomfortable with to build a certain attractive persona. There are charming and deceitful people out there who will go all out to achieve their selfish gains. Some may even lie about their beliefs to develop their reputation and gain your trust. Keep your eyes wide open and observe if what they do matches what they say. Lies do not build trust. 1. Be comfortable with yourself. Work on embracing sin...