What’s On Your Mind (Most Days of the Week)?

I’ve just had a pretty relaxed holiday starting last Thursday. It was Labor Day here in China—five days in a row. I completely cut off from work, slept for two days at home without talking to anyone, cooked for myself every day, watched a show, and enjoyed some watermelon fresh from the fridge with sleepy eyes.

Then on Saturday, I went hiking with my hash group, went go-karting on Sunday, and spent the last day of my holiday cleaning the house and making plans for the new week.

People chose to travel with the crowds—I chose to go back to my “three trinities” of living a better life: constantly and in solitude.

Books, Miles, and Matters of the Heart

As you may remember, my three trinities for a happier life are:

1. Books: A Reading Habit That Stays With Me

I did a fair bit of reading during the holiday. I’m now on the second book of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust—a very famous French novelist. I have the full seven-volume collection as a gift from a friend.

I’m also reading Noise by Daniel Kahneman. Reading every day, everywhere, has been a habit I’ve been growing since 2018. And now I can proudly say: I’m a reader.

I also added some learning into my “books” category. I started a few online lessons, but haven’t made much progress yet.

First of all, it takes forever to find a course that suits me.
Second, I often lose interest after a few sessions. I tried Financial Theory by Oxford University, but I couldn’t really keep up with the statistics and math. So I plan to give that up.

Now I’m thinking about taking a course on marketing, which would help with my work—or psychology or philosophy which I’m interested in. But I’m telling myself: don’t rush. This is a new experiment with life. I’ll take some time to figure out a rhythm that works best for me and one I can stick to.

2. Miles: Training My Body and Lifting My Mood

I’m doing great with this one. It’s the second week of my August marathon training. I’m trying to push myself a bit harder each time, aiming for a better pace. I’ve been lifting weights regularly, and I planned daily movement into my schedule.

I also decided to make Sundays my rest day. I got myself a bathtub too—so now I’m enjoying hot baths about twice a week.

No complaints at all when it comes to my “miles” goal. Being active keeps me positive, and I feel like I’m spreading good vibes to people around me. That makes me really happy, and I hope I can keep it going.

3. Matters of the Heart: Emotions, Dreams, and Daily Peace

I’ve been journaling every morning since I started waking up at 5:30 AM on April 7. I love how I can cluster my emotions early in the day and try to live without carrying any crosses.

Business has been tough lately—maybe because of the taxes the U.S. put on Chinese goods, or for some other reason. But as changes happen, I’ve been reminded of my long-time dream: to live by creating content.

To be a writer has always been my passion. I need to have more faith in myself and walk toward that path.

Right now, this part of my trinity feels a bit “crowded.” I need to work on organizing it better. First and foremost, I need to:

• Keep improving my website
• Edit my old book projects at a regular pace and publish them somewhere
• Focus on training my hobbies (drumming and ukulele), which always bring me joy

These creative outlets are helping me become a better, happier version of myself.

Work to Support the Dream

Last but not least, I know I need to put more energy into my business so I can support my dreams. That means spending a regular amount of time each workday making small changes and improvements.

Holidays are for rest. Workdays are for walking toward the life I dream of living.

I hope you’re having a good day—every day.

P.S. I’m glad I set up a home workspace for myself. It really helps me concentrate and get into flow.