While vulnerability can be frightening, extraordinary love takes extraordinary vulnerability, because vulnerability deepens intimacy and intimacy unites souls at the frequency of Love.

When we meet someone who is very different from us, we can be quick to dismiss them because how they think and believe doesn't make sense to us. Sometimes, the differences are so fundamental that there can be no reconciliation or compromise.

Is it still possible to love those people?

What I’ve discovered is that most people in any given community are there for the same reasons I am, to feel a sense of belonging. They’re hoping to find genuine connections, to share knowledge and interests, and create lasting friendships.

This journey can also pose many challenges and dilemmas, such as how authentic is too authentic? Should I always tell the truth about how I feel? Is the world around me ready to hear my truths?

Releasing each piece of your truth is like dropping a brick you’ve been carrying in your chest. Except you didn’t know you were carrying it until it was dropped and you all of a sudden felt lighter in the heart.

The International Labor Organization released a report that found working long hours, defined as more than 55 hours a week, was responsible for 745,000 deaths from stroke and heart disease in 2016 — a 29% increase since 2000.

In the intervening two-plus decades, I have experienced countless emotions, thoughts, reflections, regrets and losses, as well as victories, successes, lessons and blessings.

Many people who talk about empowering others to become more motivated and fulfill their potential, yet when they meet a truly empowered individual, they hold back their support or are even quick to tear them down.

Emotional abandonment is leaving our emotional needs unattended, often without acknowledging or addressing it with a response. That can leave us feeling confused, unsettled and unloved for a long time.

That was when I came across the powerful idea of choosing happiness, as a decision. I realized then happiness is a commitment — it is a practice I would have to adhere to in order for it to last and expand.

If everything in life seems to work against you, or you are experiencing a difficult loss in your life and nothing is going right at the moment, taking a big breath and a big step back to regain your stability might be just what you need.

Throughout history, different religions, philosophers, and governments refined and rewrote a list of fundamental virtues to fit their constitutions and purpose at the time. Yet, in 1726, young Benjamin Franklin, at the age of 20, created a list of virtues for himself, to help him develop into the person he wanted to become.

Cutting off bad ties signifies that we are no longer willing to stay in relationships or situations that make us unhappy, no matter what challenges we may face in the future. It is a testament to the determination of wanting more for ourselves.

Experiencing triggered emotions is simply human. We each have our own specific pain points that others may not be aware of or understand. The speed and intensity of those reactions vary from person to person.

Perfection also instills fear in us—fear of failure and fear of our personal imperfections. This fear leads us down a dark path where we tend to avoid challenging situations or competitions because failure seems unbearable.

In order to allow love to enter, our heart will have to be open to it. The wider it is open to receive, the greater the love will enter. The chance of heartbreak and disappointment will always be there… Our mind cannot separate us from love, it can only create fear.

As someone who grew up in Hong Kong during the 80’s and 90’s and has been living in Australia for nearly three decades, I often ponder questions regarding my identity: Who am I? Chinese, British overseas citizen, or Australian?

Another year. Another Valentine’s Day. Everywhere I look reminds me of my always single status in my 40-plus years of life. And sometimes the thought of it hurts.

As much as I believe in the existence of soulmates, what I know for sure is the staying power of a solid and steady connection built over time, which can also happen with a soulmate.

As human beings, we are frequently presented with scenarios that test our values, principles, and how disciplined we are in following through on being the kind of person we want to be.