Unfiltered

I've recently been struggling with the question of whether or not everything happens for a reason, and I think this ties to a broader debate surrounding spirituality and religion. On today's episode, I present both sides and discuss the benefits and pitfalls of each. While believing "yes" makes life more interesting, highlights major turning points, and functions as a driving force in life, it can also become a disempowering crutch, reinforce our self-centeredness, and dismiss the grieving process when devastating events happen. I hope this episode sparks some questions in you, because asking questions is one of the most important things in life.

I’ve noticed this trend where people try to play it cool and act mysterious and unbothered. Mystery is definitely intriguing, but I think it could also be weaponized. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing, but I have a lot of thoughts and questions. Is "playing it cool" a defense mechanism? Do we do it to attract attention? Why do we glamorize poor communication skills? How has "playing it cool" created a toxic modern culture of dating? And is it better to share too much or share nothing at all...?

As a kid, I came to dislike a lot of my characteristically Asian features because I was in an environment that saw white and Eurocentric features as the beauty standard, and I was teased a lot for the shape of my eyes, face, etc. I also had a complicated relationship with my body image, one that influenced my journey with health and fitness. Nowadays, I've definitely healed and grown stronger through these experiences, but I still find myself grappling with major insecurities over my physical appearance from time to time. On today's episode, listen as I share my many half-formed thoughts about beauty standards, body image, pretty privilege, etc.

Recently, my life has been filled with peaceful and simple moments of joy, such as reconnecting with old friends, experiencing random acts of kindness, and witnessing beautiful moments between strangers. I don't know where they came from, and I don't know why I had the urge to write them all down, but I'm cherishing and relishing in these moments as they come.

We naturally seek and gain approval from external sources. Whether it's the size of our friend group, the prestigiousness of an internship, or the amount of romantic interest we receive, we can't help but feel validated by these factors and invalidated by the lack thereof. Beginning in middle school, I always felt the need to excel in school, have a ton of friends, and mold my physical appearance for the male gaze. On today's episode, I analyze how these experiences affected who I am today, and I discuss my growing desire to break free from these sources of validation.

I've always been really fascinated by the topics of healing a broken heart and making the decision to put oneself first. Because...what does this truly mean? What does taking back one's life entail? I think it looks different for everyone, but in my experiences, healing and and achieving wholeness only happen once its done from the inside out. And so, after a few months of taking a break from the mic, I am so excited to announce and launch my new series on all things heartbreak, self-love, and healing.

Almost everyone I've met has experienced some sort of unhealthy relationship with a person, situation, behavior, or object. When we don't feel whole or complete in ourselves, we tend to develop attachments to things even if we know that that they aren't good for us. On today's episode, I am going to be talking about what it means to detach, let go, and move on, because life is too short to waste our time and energy on people or circumstances that are ultimately negatively impacting us. For me, detachment means removing things from pedestals, reframing connections, and proactively setting up boundaries in a way that allows us to put ourselves first. But this is a process I know we are all still figuring out, so I hope this episode inspires some of you.

In light of heavy emotions and stress, I always find refuge in the gym, yoga studio, or cycle class. But about two months ago, I sustained my first ever injury...and in the blink of an eye, my life went from one full of activity to one in which I was extremely limited in movement and forced to rest. I could not release my emotions and energy into exercise, and I felt uneasy and frustrated with my lack of control. Now that I'm finally recovered, I can reflect on all that this injury has taught me: how to seek help, how to be patient and resilient, how to transform my goals with health and fitness, and how to listen to my body.