7 Truisms - Once lame, now frighteningly true.

Lately I have been struck by how cliches, or truisms, ring quite true as I reflect upon life.  I found them pretty amusing as I have always thought of them as kind of lame. 

Here are some thoughts.

1. Health is Wealth.

As a kid, health was the last thing on my mind. I vaguely knew I had to eat from the various food groups, and eat less candy and junk food, but that was more to avoid putting on more weight. Nowadays as an adult, I am more conscious of the health aspects in life thanks to having to confront our mortality in hospital/clinic visits, body pains, loved ones being sick, and of course, medical bills that we have to foot. 

It doesn't help that my body also takes much longer to heal from illness or even simple wounds like cuts and bruises as compared to my youth. (Even a late night hurts the body like never before!!! Words from a reformed night owl.)

Eating fruits diligently each day...

I guess it's not a bad thing to finally recognise the advice coming from this often cited truism and take things into your own hands - like getting enough exercise, sleep, and essential nutrients. Probably the best and only way to go. So cliché but true?! 

2. The more you know, the less you know. 

I feel this one very acutely. A hobby or interest always seems like a whole lot of fun at first. You dive excitedly into the subject and enjoy learning all about it, and try to apply your new found skills in earnest. When you finally reach a point of understanding of the subject, you will then 'plateau' and realise that the more you learn, the less you actually know... meaning you realise that there's just so much more knowledge and skills you have to learn in order to truly master the subject. 

Take music, coffee making, or cooking for instance. It can be as simple as you want it to be, but when you dive in deep enough, the sheer knowledge of knowing what you do not know/master can be quite mentally inhibitive. And that's where we quit~ (joking. or not.) (Depends on your personality. If you can get past this mental barrier, more props to you, and you are more likely to be successful in your pursuit.)

3. There is beauty in imperfection.

I'm sure you have heard of this one before. This is often used in situations where a mistake occurred. To lend some comfort, this platitude is offered. 

In recent years, especially in this AI era, the raw human touch seems to hold a perennial appeal due to the authenticity and sincerity it may offer. AI tools may brush up things and make things 'perfect', 'smooth' or 'flawless', but I do feel that everyone has a 'flavour' or 'style' that can be mimicked but not entirely 'created' from scratch. I mean, as a human I would certainly like to believe so, even if it is just a thought to comfort myself. 

For instance, I thought about old YouTube videos where people sang into the camera with their instrument, in comparison to the polished productions people post nowadays. Not saying either is better, but that the former does have a certain appeal that simply feels more authentic. Some remark that they feel more warmth and connection from such videos, instead of watching newer, high production visual spectacles that 'home' videos have evolved into. 

I think about this because I feel that busking, where you can't 'edit' yourself into perfection while performing live, may still hold some appeal in this digital era of filters and voice changers. Long live live music!

(Also: Isn't it so funny that (lower resolution) digital cameras are now in trend again? I should really keep my old stuff... fashion/life is truly more cyclical than we expect) In other words: we're now not trying to capture 'perfection' - we're trying to catch a vibe.

4. Education broadens horizons.

Back when I was a student, I remember seeing this phrase a lot. It was used in speeches and essays, but I did not fully grasp its meaning. (By 'education', I am not referring to formal education but basically any kind of learning.)

Stairway to...? (A photo I took on a trip!)

As I grew up, I encountered different types of people with their various unique world views. Sometimes people think in a narrow sort of way, because they were not taught that there were other options. They may not do things a certain way because that was all they know, and it is hard for them to accept that there are other ways to do something (not necessarily good or bad, just different). 

What I'm trying to say is that the more knowledge and viewpoints you encounter and learn about, the more you realise that there are truly 100 (and more!) different ways to approach life. It's a very freeing (and perhaps frightening) thought!

Here I would like to share this song by Crowd Lu 卢广仲, called 100 Ways of Living 100种生活. 

5. Be yourself. 

Very, very cheesy but there is truly no one better to be than yourself.  Maybe you once tried to be something else to fit into someone else's expectations. And when the shoe doesn't fit, you may have tried to squeeze yourself into it, until you end up bruised or feeling empty. That is the time to question yourself - is it worth it? To lose your true self, the one thing that is sacred and truly unique? And to what length? 

It might take a while to find yourself - by all means go experiment, run, fumble, fall, pick yourself up. I hope there will be a point in time where you discover yourself and fully embrace YOU! (Tip: This truism rings better with age.)

6. Feed your soul.

This is an extension of number 5. Yes, we all have to fulfil obligations and responsibilities. But we should still make time to feed our souls - to fully experience and enjoy life! I believe that is what we were put on earth for. Not to be a zombie, but to really engage with life. Even if that looks like just 1 hour or the weekend, feed your soul and really do what makes you light up from within. 

For me, I feel alive when I busk and connect with others, read a fantastic book, or share a fun moment with others. Coffee also helps a lot, lol. What makes you feel alive? 

Feeding your soul is a form of self care too! Sorry, I screen shot this from IG in one of those roulette type reels and can't remember who the artist is to credit him/her :(

7. 'Less sweet' is truly superior.

Okay, the last one is a very Asian 'truism', pertaining to dessert in particular :P

I had a major sweet tooth when I was younger. As a child, there were these jumbo sized bags of Hershey kisses and gummy bears and I pretty much gorged myself on them. 

Tiny but extremely addictive.

I loved everything sweet - ice cream, white chocolate, candy, cookies and cake. I also drank bubble tea at 100% sweetness. I used to be very baffled at why the adults didn't seem to enjoy sweet things.

My pencil case then read: "Hand me the chocolates and nobody gets hurt". 

And today? My pencil case is still a chocolate themed one, but the flavour reads 70% Dark Chocolate. 

Overly sweet desserts tend to taste very artificial, one dimensional and overwhelming nowadays. The brighter the packaging, the more horrifying kind of sweet it would taste like. 

Nowadays I prefer dark chocolate (mostly due to the influence from my healthy spouse). I don't drink bubble tea often and I can now also take coffees black. Yikes? Is being an adult...just boring? Or just more comfortable with who you are? XD

Did you relate to any of these truisms? Share your thoughts with me! Also, what are some other truisms that you agree with? 

Love,

Skye