Shower with me, spiritually: Recent Episodes
Bella
The shower is where I usually develop my thoughts. This podcast is where I keep track of my random thoughts. If you are curious about the mind of a Gen-Z or interested in topics like life, society and culture, should I say - welcome to the shower?
Having worked for a few months in a corporate setting, I notice some subtle struggles that women face every day in the workplace but are not talked about enough.
Suburb inhabitants face serious difficulties with car dependencies and walkability. How about city folks? It seems like living in the city allows people to enjoy a vibrant lifestyle with endless opportunities around the corner. To a certain extent, it's true. But it also comes with a whole bunch of issues - some more obvious and some less apparent.
My stress at work has got me thinking - how does the company culture affect the employee experience? Is it what drives the Great Resignation too? What are the chances of success for talented individuals coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic background? Career is a prevalent issue and concern amongst experts and academics that study the workplace behaviors and life choices of Millenials and Gen Z.
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Hong Kong is lagging behind in terms of the vaccination rate while many countries are speeding up with getting the majority of the population vaccinated. Why are people so scared of the side effects? Does culture play a role in this phenomenon?
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One of the matrices in MBTI is introversion/extroversion. While this concept seems the most straightforward, there are quite some misunderstandings and stereotypes surrounding it. In this episode, I will share with you my personal stories/character development and also the textbook approach to identifying whether you are an extrovert or introvert. But, perhaps there is a greater underlying principle guiding this classification...
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
Extroverts, Introverts, and Everything in Between: https://www.healthline.com/health/extrovert-vs-introvert#ambivert-signs
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Catch me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bellamaaak/ (@bellamaaak)
Most of us choose to be normal and ordinary, but why do we want to look the same, act similar to our peers? Starting with school uniforms, I discuss how this herd mentality and fear to be special penetrate into all aspects of our lives - and what's wrong with it? Can we break free from this mindset that is holding us back?
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
为什么有的人“不敢变好看”？陈一丁Dingslook: https://youtu.be/N-TcZSAudZM
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Freeganism is a lifestyle philosophy focused on adopting alternative means to modern capitalism for the satisfaction of material needs. Even though we are not freegans, their philosophy and lifestyle could still offer us an interesting perspective into how we can prevent ourselves from falling for the narrative of "rich=happy". I will also discuss how freeganism doesn't necessarily kill the capitalist economy.
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
窮奢極侈 - 物慾就不用工作，即可提早退休？不消費主義是怎麼一回事？Freeganism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsHD6X5du30&list=WL&index=4
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If someone says you are smart, except feeling flattered, what pops into your mind? Society has made us obsessed with intelligence/'book smart' but ignored other possibilities in being smart. Here, I'm going to analyse different aspects of smartness, including 'book smart', 'street smart', emotionally smart and life smart. Now do you consider yourself smart in any way? ;)
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Catch me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bellamaaak/ (@bellamaaak)
What should I do with my life? Is there a user's guide to leading a good life? What is life about? What am I doing on earth? If you are a teenager pondering over the mighty question of life or a newly-qualified adult who is confused and lost as you enter society, this episode is for you. I'm no expert here - but life is pretty much about these two things, purpose and pleasure.
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
When Breath Becomes Air - https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X
天才醫生的0.0012% ｜ 文森說書 - https://youtu.be/bRf2Idrv0nk
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Catch me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bellamaaak/ (@bellamaaak)
I've invited my good friend, Chloe, to the podcast to discuss MBTI/16 personalities! She is an INTJ while I'm an ENTJ. Our conversation touched on different aspects of these two personality types, from strengths & weaknesses, relationships to career preference. If you are interested in finding out which type you are, feel free to use any of the links below!
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
https://www.16personalities.com
http://www.michaelcaloz.com/personality/
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Catch me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bellamaaak/ (@bellamaaak)
Future self journaling is a type of journaling where you journal about where you'd like your life to be in the future. Join me for a quick chat to hear what my ideal day in a life is like!
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
Episode 149: Future Self Journaling - New Year, Future Us - AsianBossGirl - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Tj4n8rVLijnKaYxNVZFeb?si=d8c1035077fc45c8
Underground Stars by Loxbeats https://spoti.fi/34tPBBO
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/underground-stars
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/vpJDMD2EzkA
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Catch me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bellamaaak/ (@bellamaaak)
In this episode, I've referenced Ali Abdaal's annual review template for my personal reflection for 2021. Here's the list of thought-provoking questions:
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If you had to teach one thing you learnt this year (that would improve one’s quality of life) what would that be?
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What kept you up at night with excitement this year? Was it worth it? Would you want to do more of it?
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How did you have fun differently in 2021?
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How did you suffer differently in 2021?
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What things did you stop caring about in 2021?
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What new thing did you spend a lot of time on in 2021?
Things mentioned in this episode / Credits ↓
Ali Abdaal's Annual Review 2020 - https://aliabdaal.com/my-annual-review-2020/
Asian Boss Girl - https://www.asianbossgirl.com
Underground Stars by Loxbeats https://spoti.fi/34tPBBO
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/underground-stars
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/vpJDMD2EzkA
Let's be friends ↓
Catch me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bellamaaak/ (@bellamaaak)
We often compare ourselves to our peers and it makes us feel bad. Sometimes we can't stop thinking about the worst case scenarios based on a small mistake or failure we encounter. How can we change these habits that destroy our self-confidence and put us in a bad mood?
As I was talking about how I learnt to express myself through making podcasts in the last episode, I want to have an in-depth discussion about my views and relationship with communication, as it has changed over time. Here I will cover the distinction between socialisation and communication, the reason why communication skills are so important, horoscope and my personal advice/realisation!
I'm back for season 2! After my summer vacation, I feel re-energised and super inspired to share my thoughts with y'all here again.
Modern people emphasise efficiency and productivity. However, when we've got genuinely nothing on our plate, do we know how to slow down? Perhaps to some, resting and chilling are just human nature, but to other, like me, they are not. That's why here I am trying to reflect on how I should spend my free time and enjoy some entertainment and relaxation.
As we graduate from university, we are often asked by our family, our peers and even our potential employer, "What is your life goal?" But this is a hard question, especially we were not given sufficient time to explore the available options and reflect on our beliefs and values. However, we all must make a choice on how we live every day. And I also believe that we should take responsibility for it. So, in this episode I share some methods to approach this issue.
I just had my birthday and I'm graduating soon - I was quite nervous about these life changes and the uncertainty that lies ahead. And now I'm learning to accept it. I'm ready to embark on this journey of 20s and embrace the beauty of it. This episode is mainly for self-journaling purpose but I hope some of you may also resonate with my feelings and thoughts.
Measure theory is about investing in the items that you would use frequently. Skincare, shoes and watches seem like reasonable investment. But what about kitchen bins and clocks? Will you splash the cash on these items?
Actually keep fit but not lose weight. I continued on the topic of how I managed to keep fit/lose weight without committing myself to any painstaking diets and routines. With just trivial small changes in life, everyone can achieve their ideal body shape and regain that self-confidence! In this episode, I shared several tips regarding my eating habit that can help you keep fit and stay healthy easily.
Losing weight, working out, keeping fit, staying healthy... I started my journey back in 2016 and in this recent year, my weight reduced from 50.5kg to 44.3kg (for your reference I'm 158cm)! I'm here to share how this all started and my experience in working out almost every single day. I still enjoy my workout routine very much, I do.
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Mentioned YouTube channels for workout:
Emi Wong, MYLEE DANCE
Having written 23,500 words this week, I have become more familiar/comfortable with academic writing in university. We often come across the word 'nuance' in marking schemes. But what does it really mean? How to be more nuanced when writing essays? Lastly, this podcast touches on the issue with ESL students. Again I'm just sharing my advice and opinions from my experience!
YouTube and Instagram rely on our daily consumption of content to generate revenue and reward content producers. But how many times have you clicked into a video just because the title looks attractive? Have you thought about the consequences and meaning of your clicks? You are more powerful on this online platform than you think.
Would you rather be smart or nice? Being nice is not about being an extrovert or being impolite. It's about being approachable, friendly and open to people, experience and ideas. I used to be not very nice, but now I understand it's actually a very important trait that everyone should develop.
The new rich can afford working only 4 hours per week whereas the deferrers (e.g. lawyers, bankers, etc.) have to work 60-70 hours per week. I'm sure everyone wants to be the new rich, but how? This book is a step-by-step guide to becoming the new rich - starting from how to discover (or rediscover) your goals in life.
N.B. read the book in full if you find my sharing interesting!
Regrets are taboos, or not even taboos, but just non-existent. We hate to admit it, but the longer we live, the more regrets we have. Towards the end of my university life, I will dissect my experience and pick out some of the biggest regrets I have about my time at the LSE. And you should know we don't have to look at regrets in a negative light.
"If you study law, you must become a lawyer. Law degrees are the most boring course ever. Being a lawyer is very fulfilling and interesting. Making big money in a legal career is every law student's goal." I'm going to spill the tea and debunk these commonly-held perceptions.
We are hardworking creatures. We are hard-wired by social influences to work hard even though we do not see any immediate rewards. However, that pat on the shoulder after we did a great job actually does a lot more than making us feel good. And we need to start giving ourselves this appreciation even if we are no longer little kids. Help yourself and treat yourself!
No one can work 24/7. Perhaps it feels natural and intrinsic to rest after you have a long day. But resting is slightly more complicated than that. Sometimes, I find it difficult to rest, genuinely. So, I want to explore, in this episode, what it means to 'rest' and how to take a break.
Reading is one of the first things introduced to us during childhood, but it usually doesn't stay with most of us. So, I wonder why - Why do we not feel like reading anymore? Why should we redevelop this reading habit? Why can't YouTube videos, podcasts, TV shows and blogs replace books?
Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of graduating and working soon, I reflect on the current work-life situation and think that four-day work week should be a thing! We must work smarter, not harder.
Let's talk about time management and productivity. Now more than ever, we have time under our control - but are we making good use of it? Is there a way to maximise our leisure time and minimise our work time? I'm here to do some reflection with you.
“Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it.” Jack London suggested that's what writers should do with their notebook. But now, we've got the choice of an app. Should we abandon the notebook and go with an app?
Opening up is a daunting thought, but ideas deserve a voice. I often find it difficult and scary to share my opinions because it makes me vulnerable to comments, dislikes and judgments. However, I decided that 2021 would be the year for me to conquer this fear. I want to be responsible for my thoughts and take credit/criticisms for them. For now, I can't promise you anything about this channel but that it will be authentic and raw. So, if you do not mind this rudimentary podcast, welcome to my shower time!