Category: mindfulness

It’s that simple.

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
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I can start with the biggest lie I’ve ever been told.

“It’s not that simple.”

I believed it. Whenever I told my peers I wanted to start something new – do better in class, start writing poetry, pick up boxing, start learning guitar – the one phrase that always cut through was:

“It’s not that simple.”

But today, I want to tell you something different.

The best piece of advice I have ever received is this:

It’s always that simple.

I love to overcomplicate things. I bet you do, too. We create mental barriers as excuses to validate our inability to accomplish our goals. We tell ourselves that it’s complicated, our timing’s off, or we’re not ready. But in reality, they’re excuses disguised as logic. Sometimes, we even adapt to our inability to adapt, and in doing so, we stay stuck in places we don’t want to be.

But being stuck is not a failure. It’s a starting point. And you can choose where you want to go from there.

Because it really is that simple.

Yes, doing things you’re not used to is scary. Heck, it scares me, and it probably scares everyone.

The consistent discipline it takes to accomplish your greatest desires, to ascend, to have the authority to dream big – that’s difficult. But when it comes down to knowing what needs to be done, your brain will always know.

The first step, the next step, the final step – it’s all one, and it’s always within you.

You don’t need a hundred tutorials. You don’t need motivational videos on loop. You don’t need anyone to give you permission.

Everything you need is already there.

Yes, it’s going to be hard, and you’ll have to give more than you’ve ever given before.

But just remember:

It’s still that simple.

And that’s what makes it possible.

unapologetically

therealmasonlai1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite word?
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College applications are everywhere right now – on my screen, in my thoughts, and on every advice blog screaming ‘be yourself’.

I’ll avoid sounding cliche, as I might when I try to describe the various elements associated with words like these. Overused phrases can dilute the weight of what I actually want to say, and if there’s anything I want to avoid, it’s echoing the ideas of others.

So let’s start from the foundation. Unapologetic. Not a good trait in most cases. I don’t think anyone would want to meet an unapologetic person. (Unless you’re into that sort of arrogant entitled type of thing.)

But take unapologetic and add ‘-ally’. Now, we approach the core identity of what I love about it. Unapologetically. This carries intention and a refusal to bend without good reason to.

In the midst of college applications, the internet has plenty of advice on what good college essays look like. “Be genuine!” “Be unique!” “Tell a story only you can tell.” But these phrases have been repeated so often that they’ve lost their shape.

So instead? I remember to be unapologetically myself.

Maybe this first post is a promise. To you, and to me. I will write unapologetically. I won’t tailor my thoughts to fit an imaginary audience, or force clarity where confusion deserves to exist. To me, this journey through applications is a lesson to remain grounded in my sense of self. And that it’s okay not to know what that necessarily means.

This platform is a chance for me to flesh out my ideas and take refuge from my short-form-media-infested life. Here, I won’t be cut off after 60 seconds or get drowned out by algorithm-driven noise. Here, I can just think. Breathe. Write.

And for now, maybe that’s enough.

To begin, unapologetically.