Author Archives: Raymond Yung

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, […]

Today marks the beginning of the second half of my 12-month period since my book publication in Sep-14. I thought it may be a good time to take stock. a) Copies of book sold = 257 (12-month target of 1,000 with 6 more months to go. It is going to be a tough one.) b) Countries where […]

Today I went to a friend’s 30’s birthday lunch party. Not to “steal her thunder” (which I admit I do have a tendency of doing that to other people :>), I kept the promotion of my book to the very bare minimum. I only gave an “elevator” pitch of my book to everyone at the […]

On the subject of how our body experiences flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihaly suggested (p.97, Flow): “Even the simplest physical act becomes enjoyable when it is transformed so as to produce flow. The essentials steps in this process are: (a) to set an overall goal, and as many subgoals as are realistically feasible; (b) to find ways to […]

To paraphrase the optimal family situations for more “flow-inclined” children (p.89 & 93, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly), it is a family that facilitates and encourages the following elements. 1) Clarity of goals 2) Providing feedback 3) Feeling of control 4) Concentration and focus 5) Intrinsic motivation 6) Challenges However, to conclude, Milhay added “Some people […]

I went to a café last week with my French colleague and the staff asked him if he is French and added he could tell by his accent. My colleague was furious and thought the staff was rude picking on his accent. I told him not to get upset for 2 reasons: First, I had […]