It’s a question many of us carry quietly. Sometimes we hide it, sometimes we laugh it off with sarcasm, but we feel it deeply—that longing for a finish line, for a moment where life finally breathes with us instead of against us. We’ve heard comforting sayings like “sau cơn mưa trời lại nắng”  (after rain comes sunshine) or “sau cơn mưa mới thấy cầu vồng”  (after every storm, there is a rainbow). But life doesn’t always follow those clear cycles. Life doesn’t promise. The tre

Who among us hasn’t wondered this? It’s natural to want simplicity. To want straight lines instead of spirals, soft lessons instead of hard ones.  But life isn’t complicated to punish us.  It’s complex because we are complex—layered beings with layered emotions and layered evolution. If everything were simple, we’d never stretch, deepen, or grow into who we’re becoming. And the truth is, the chapters that shaped us were never the simple ones. They were the ones that asked us

In Vietnamese, we have a proverb “Uống nước nhớ nguồn,” which means “When drinking water, remember its source.” Simple words, but they carry generations of wisdom. It’s a gentle reminder to never forget where what sustains us comes from. And somehow… in some miraculous way, I find myself returning to this ancient truth, with lots to reflect on lately and more to share in the days ahead. In a world that moves fast and glorifies what’s new, it’s easy to take the “water” in our

I used to wait for signs… for someone to reassure me, for conditions to feel perfect, for some kind of confirmation that I wasn’t about to make a mistake. But waiting for external validation is its own kind of trap, you know? Because then your life is never really yours. You’re not here to take a passive role. You’re here to evolve. People will always have opinions, and circumstances will always keep changing. Even the most “perfect” condition has its own imperfections. And e

Perhaps not once, but you’ve asked yourself this question more times than you can count. Spoiler alert: it’s not because you’re cursed (of course). But it’s also not only because you’re being tested to see what you’re made of. It’s true—no one builds strength in seasons of comfort. You don’t realize how resilient you are until life stops being gentle on you. Remember back then? The very things that felt unbearable at the time are the same things that formed you. Not by accide

The older I get, the more clearly I feel my root as a Vietnamese woman and the indelible imprint it leaves on me. Our homeland’s history is the work of making and keeping a country, and through every chapter, women have held the line. Beyond the heroines who fought on battlefields were the women at home who did it all—stocking the front with food and medicine, holding families together, raising children alone, cooking, mending, nursing. If something needed doing, they did it.

My birthday always arrives around the same time as two markers of history I grew up with: Vietnam’s Independence Day and Labor Day in the...

I hear you. You’ve tried so hard. You’ve done everything you thought you could. And still… nothing. Trust me, I know. In every cell of my...

I hope you know that you’re not alone in this journey. The confidence you see in others isn’t proof that you lack it. It’s a reflection...

No one expects you to win. No one expects you to rise. No one expects you to even make it past the starting line. But what if that’s...

Helplessness can feel like being caught in a wave we can’t control, can’t it? Sometimes, it feels even heavier than any burden we’ve ever...

I completed 500 yoga classes last week. I’ve never really kept track of how many hours I’ve spent practicing yoga on my own. I know 500...

Emotional mastery isn’t about never feeling the waves. It’s about learning how to surf them without letting them drown your spirit. You...

Your soul is never caged. It might feel like it sometimes, but that feeling is an illusion—it’s the beliefs you’ve been holding onto that...

I wasn’t scared.  Not because it wasn’t scary, but because I didn’t yet know what to fear. When I was a child, I didn’t realize how...

Dear Class of 2025, Who would’ve thought a girl who failed math and ranked second to last in her high school class in Vietnam would one...

Not everyone will celebrate your light. Some may try to dim it—not because of who you are, but because of what your presence reflects...

Our core values are not defined by some nice words that sell ourselves to the world—they are our spine , internal compass , even...

Your energy isn’t limited. It’s sacred. It doesn’t run out because you’re weak or not enough. It runs low when you’re surrounded by...

Life has a way of placing mirrors in front of us—sometimes in the form of discomfort, sometimes in the form of pain. The things that...

Today marks the five-year anniversary of Bloom in Crisis, and I’ve got to admit: after all this time, I’m still working on understanding...

I hear you. Close your eyes. Project yourself onto your mind screen. Take a deep breath. Tune in. Observe yourself, and listen to your...

I used to fear ballads, for they stirred emotions too deep in me. I used to fear dramas, for I had no reign over my tears. You know,...

Thank you for all the unexpected lessons and invaluable guidance. For being tough yet incredibly patient. For giving me opportunities to step out of my comfort zone. For awakening parts of myself I didn’t know existed and expanding my consciousness in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Thank you for cheering me on as I transformed my relationship with myself. For bringing out the courage in me through your gentle nudges. For not stopping me from giving but teaching me how to give