Author Archives: Raymond Yung

Last week I attended a conference in Paris and one of presentations was on ageing world population by Dr. Joe Coughlin of AgeLab at MIT in the U.S. It is not a big surprise that with the advance of medicine and technology we have redefined longevity. It is estimated that an average baby-bloomer will live […]

The book Flow ends with an introduction of the idea of having life theme in one’s life. “The life theme, like a game that prescribes the rules and actions one must follow to experience flow, identifies what will make existence enjoyable. With a life theme, everything that happens will have a meaning – not necessarily […]

As we are drawing close to the end of the book Flow, here is a quick summary to cultivate and foster flow in oneself: 1)      Setting goals: To be able to experience flow, one must have clear goals to strive for. (p.209) 2)      Becoming immersed in the activity: After choosing a system of action, a […]

Today I went to a workshop on how to give constructive and effective feedback. The trainer recommended a good framework called SCARF to assess the emotional “buttons” of the recipient. It can be used to avoid sending the recipient down the downward emotional spiral if we know what is important to him/her. S = Status […]

This advice by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly on how to transform a seemingly hopeless situation into a new flow activity came in handy as I was experiencing some “down moment” lately. There are three main steps: 1) Unselfconcious self-assurance (p.203-4) “This attitude occurs when a person no longer sees himself in opposition to the environment, as an […]

Two good insights from the chapter “Enjoying Solitude and Other People” from the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly. 1) We as human beings are made to live in community and have relationships with others such as family, friends and marriage. Our lives can be enriched through these relationships. 2) We also need to know how to handle […]

Here are the answers: 1) “Lose your bottle” – If someone loses their bottle, they lose the courage to do something. 2) “Sound as a pound” – If something is as sound as a pound, it is very good or reliable. 3) “Talking the hind legs off a donkey” – Talk too much 4) “Throw […]

It is time for the second round of British expressions. 1) “Lose your bottle” 2) “Sound as a pound” 3) “Talking the hind legs off a donkey” 4) “Throw a cat among the pigeons” 5) “Back to Blighty” 6) “As snug as a bug (in a rug)” 7) “Cat’s pyjamas” 8) “Donkey’s years” Answers will arrive […]

Instead of quoting from the book Flow, I have decided to use a different source on the topic of work. “[Work] should be looked upon, not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money, but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper […]

The best description is based on Plato’s quote in Philebus: “The young man who has drunk for the first time from that spring is as happy as if he had found a treasure of wisdom; he is positively enraptured. He will pick up any discourse, draw all its ideas together to make them into one, […]