Would this make you see things differently? — On the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in the Fethiye district, sheltered between opposing walls of rock, you can find Butterfly Valley, named after its diverse species of butterflies. This was one of the few locations I visited on my solo trip to Turkey, back in 2020. At the top of…

What would you say to them twenty years later? — I bumped into an old teacher of mine recently. She taught me and my two brothers back in primary school at various stages. I must have been just 6 years old. And there she was, waiting in line at the same restaurant just meters away from me. She was with…

And why I wanted to fail. — You may have noticed that I’ve not written a single newsletter in the last few months. I shattered a 131-week sending streak since I started, so what exactly happened? A Broken Promise. Publishing an original newsletter every week was one of my proudest accomplishments. Not because it gained readers or replies, but because…

And why “it is not the critic who counts”. — Everyone loves a good quote. Quotes are polished summaries of concepts, opinions or lessons that have proven themselves over time. You can’t simply quote something and hope that it propagates with time, the best quotes naturally evolve from consistent referencing. They hold some element of universal truth that most of…

And why money can’t always buy it. — Time and time again, I rediscover what it means to be wealthy. Like most, my first thoughts were based on the central notion of financial wealth. Everything was about working harder in order to earn more and maybe even ‘retire’ early, but that belief didn’t last long. My definition of…

And how I plan to deal with it. — When my motivation for a project peaks, it doesn’t last long. And I think I’ve found the cause. Shiny Object Syndrome Just like a child might become fixated on one toy to another, adults do the same, but in a more ‘adult’ way. When a child sees a ‘shiny object’, they become fascinated…

And why you should go down the rabbit hole with me. — “Isn’t that for children?” I keep getting asked. Yes. And no. Two weeks ago, I visited Portobello Road market for the first time. I stumbled across a book stall just as they were closing up. A small, presentable book caught my eye: ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. “There’s lots more of…

And why you need to understand people, first. — There’s something that just fascinates me about compelling stories. And the more I dissect my favourite ones, the closer I get to the essence of their magic. When we’re lost in a movie, we forget about our difficult day at work and instead, let our emotions be driven by the…