Wise words from the peace activist and Zen Buddhist — If you have been contemplating war and destruction more than usual, as I have, you would eventually come to a conclusion to make peace with the inevitable chaos that is unfolding. Mine can be summarized in a quote by Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. We have an ice-cold manipulative…

Three powerful insights when I discovered a personal style — The week before March lockdown, I bought a green cocktail dress from Zara. I had been invited as a speaker at a charity dinner. All night, the slip under the dress kept riding up to my waist. By the time I got home at 2am, cold and wet in winter…

When you can’t let it go — Have you heard a way to stop negative thoughts is to wear a rubber band around your wrist? Snap it when you overthink. Well, I found a less painful way to remind yourself to let go of the past. You may know the famous Zen story about the monk carrying…

Rediscovering joy in old passions — On a bright summer day, surrounded by splashing and children’s laughter, I wondered: Could I experience this pool in a new way? Ever since I was a kid, swimming was like breathing to me. I have these vivid memories of waking up at 5 am, the sunrise painted in the…

How to master life’s quiet chaos — So, I was in the library. And I was told off by a woman for answering my phone in the quiet zone. I know. Not the place to talk on the phone. But it was less than 30 seconds. My mobile phone flashed my landlord’s name. …

Make sure they are the best people for you As writers, we’re always chasing something better, something more. We steal glances sideways at those scribbling beside us in the exam hall of life, trying to snatch a piece of their magic. But sometimes, we can get too caught up in…

You asked for less nihilism? Here’s 3 minutes of reading time to cheer you up. (Maybe.) — You don’t need to tell me it’s been quite a year. When people tell me to be positive, I say, “I am your pinch of salt.” (With the emphasis on the pinch.) Yeah, I can get a little salty sometimes. So let’s get it straight: Nothing wrong with balanced doom-scrolling. …

This ingenious tool shows you how plastic travels the world — When a freak storm overturned a cargo ship, one of the 62 containers contained 5 million pieces of Lego. Twenty-five years later, locals collect the Lego washing up on the beach — every day: Lego plastic flippers, Lego scuba gear, Lego spears, and tiny Lego lifejackets. …

Lessons for climate change drawn from Peter Pomerantsev’s fascinating book, ‘This is Not Propaganda” — Lenin said there are decades where nothing happens and weeks where decades happen. The latest IPCC report notes disinformation is slowing climate action in North America. In the same week, Putin shut media, jailed protesters and attacked Ukraine. You may also be feeling all the information flying around. It’s a…