English is not my mother tongue, but I deeply enjoy writing and poetry. Often, the words come to me as if they are being channeled through me, flowing onto the page, and I play with them. However, afterward, I wonder—am I expressing this in the right way in English? Therefore, I turn to ChatGPT to refine my expression, comparing different versions to see which one … Continue reading Through the Needle’s Eye
This past weekend, my five-year-old son and I were looking at the Guiness Book of World Records. It’d been about 6 weeks since we’d last picked it up. When we came to the woman with the world’s longest fingernails, he giggled and said, “How does she wipe her bum?” Which is the joke I made the last time we were thumbing through the book. Then … Continue reading Words to Remember
How do young people in Nepal see their own culture? Are they content with tradition, or do they seek change? In this conversation, a 23-year-old Nepali shares his thoughts on his country, daily life, marriage, and the future. Through his eyes, we get a personal glimpse into the balance between tradition and modernity in Nepal. Continue reading A Young Man’s Perspective on Nepalese Culture
The other day I pushed my double running stroller up the hill near our house and it spoke to me. The stroller, that is, not the hill. Although with the steep inclines in Seattle, they’ve spoken to me in other ways. I was taking the empty stroller to the second-hand shop in our neighborhood so this was our last walk together. With my hands on … Continue reading Oh the Stories You’ll Tell
«Have you ever lived in an ashram?” people used to ask me. My answer was, no. But here I am, two months into it, and I can say that ashram life is more than just yoga. Life in an ashram in Rishikesh is a journey of self-discovery—one that challenges you to push beyond what you thought was possible. It demands commitment, acceptance, practice, patience—and then, … Continue reading YOGA AND ASHRAM LIFE
I recently came across a thought-provoking LinkedIn post discussing the “enemies of creativity.” It got me thinking about my creative journey and the times I’ve felt stifled or blocked. The post highlighted some common creativity killers: fear of failure, self-doubt, and a lack of inspiration. These resonated with me, as they do with many other people too. Fear can be paralyzing, preventing us from taking … Continue reading The Enemies of Creativity
You know what is celebrating its 70th anniversary? The Guiness Book of World Records. What an interesting book franchise. I read it as a kid – and my kids love it too. More than that, they came to it without any input from me. It was some combination of YouTube Kids and a book fair at the school library. Whatever the source, getting the 2025 … Continue reading The Unique and Amazing You
It has been a really long time since I published anything on Wise and Shine. I realized that it’s a new year, and what better time to start fresh? First of all, I want to wish all you loyal followers of Wise and Shine a Happy New Year. I hope 2025 makes us wiser and lights a clear path ahead, guiding our thoughts, emotions, choices, … Continue reading Happy Blessed 2025
When I recently saw Moana 2, there was one line that jumped off the screen and screamed to me. “For some things we never feel ready.” My nine-year-old daughter was sitting next to me and asked why I was writing that down. Funny because she was one of the things I wasn’t quite ready for. I’d chosen to become a single mom at age 46, … Continue reading We Never Feel Ready
As the year draws to a close and a new one approaches, we find ourselves at a unique crossroads: reflecting on what has passed and envisioning what lies ahead. It’s a time of transition, rich with the promise of fresh starts and untapped potential. For many, this season inspires resolutions and goal-setting, but there’s another, more visual way to capture our dreams and aspirations: the … Continue reading Vision Board: A Roadmap to Your Dreams
There’s a bold statement I recently came across: “The most fulfilled people I know tend to have two traits. They’re insatiably curious—about new ideas, experiences, information, and people. And they seem to exist in perpetual, self-inflicted unhappiness.” At first glance, it seems almost paradoxical. How can curiosity, which leads to profound fulfillment, coexist with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction? Curiosity and the Endless Hunger for … Continue reading Why the Most Curious Minds Feel They’re Never Enough
Can you believe it has already been a year since I published my first post here on Wise & Shine? As we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada today, I’m counting my blessings. One of the things I’m grateful for is the opportunity to start my week and yours by having my thoughts appear in your inbox on Monday mornings. In today’s post, I thought it would … Continue reading Highlights of My First Year on Wise & Shine
I was reading the book “1Q84” by Haruki Murakami and this sentence raised my focus “But once the ego is born into this world, it has to shoulder morality” as I think it touched on profound philosophical and existential themes. Let’s break it down: In summary, this quote encapsulates the idea that moral awareness and responsibility are inextricably linked to the emergence of the ego. … Continue reading Ego and Moral Burden
When I was graduating from college with my electrical engineering degree, the last class I had to take was a technical writing course. I was taking it as a correspondence course because I thought that would be more convenient. This was back in the day when you had to literally mail it in. Unfortunately, I learned more than just how to present technical information. Because … Continue reading Sequence Matters
My one-year-old puppy-in-a-big-dog-body, Cooper, likes to steal stuff. Shoes and socks mostly, but he’s not above nabbing a pair of underwear or a blanket. It’s his invitation to play. He grabs the contraband, backs up a foot or two so he can maintain eye contact but also have enough of a head start and then dares you to pursue him. Of course, I tell my … Continue reading An Invitation to Play
I was listening to a podcast in which a journalist was talking about how they pitched a project to National Geographic. And it struck me – what if we had to have an elevator pitch for all the ways we are spending our time. Would it help us see our every day lives in a different light? Could we pitch our lives as best sellers? … Continue reading Practicing The Pitch
On Saturday night, I saw Keith Urban in concert. One of my favourites of his songs is Wasted Time. It’s a song that reminisces about the lost days of youth and days spent just hanging out with friends. When I hear that song, I’m taken back to my teenage days. I have vivid memories of lazy days by the pool, at the beach, or just … Continue reading In Praise of Wasted Time
Somedays, I am Like this Other days like that Once in a while, I am everything in between And suddenly, I realise that nothing makes sense Then, I drift into the Ocean of doubts That is when I hear my fragmented parts Screaming from all their hearts “We are all part of you In this mysterious boat of life,Like us all, or we’ll tear you apart “ So with trust I swim with them allTo … Continue reading A Remote Island
In 300 words, here are my recent favorite witticisms from my children. #5: Where do we keep the long-handled things? Last night, my four-year-old was looking for a hockey stick. I told him it was where we keep the brooms. When I saw him a few minutes later, I followed up. “Did you find it?“ “Yes,” he replied. “I found it in the broom room. … Continue reading I Found It In the Broom Room – Five Witticisms from Children
We often think about the future like it’s a far-away land we haven’t reached yet, right? Think again! The future isn’t just some distant dreamland; it’s being cooked up right here, right now, in the present moment. Yep, you heard that correctly! It’s all about what we’re thinking, feeling, and how we take on the big wide world around us and respond to it right … Continue reading Curiosity killed the cat
