Dreams and Mirrors

Written to the prompt Friday Writings #233: “set another goal … dream a new dream”

C.S. Lewis reminds us that we are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream. Yet age offers a companion that youth seldom values: discernment. A dream is not judged by its size alone, but by its fit. Wisdom lies not merely in dreaming, but in knowing which dreams deserve a place in our waking hours. A dreamer dreaming a dream must dream a dream that can become reality.

Dream, for dreams are worth the dream,

Yet dream the dream that fits the dream,

Not every dream is yours to dream.

Aim, but after knowing the archer well,

Target, only what is worth the target,

Not every arrow will find its mark.

Love, but weigh the love you love,

Want, but test the want you want,

Desire alone should not guide.

Spend, if spending serves the plan,

Invest, but learn before you invest,

Gold has buried many a dream.

Dream, for dreams renew the soul,

Yet dream with prudence at your side,

Dream those dreams that are part of soul.

A Mere 2,000 Readers a Month

 This is in response to Friday Writings #232: A Few of Her Favorite Things

I have put myself on a path to realizing a long-held dream: writing a book on a topic close to my heart—designing a hotel from everyone's perspective. To keep myself motivated, I have been sharing the journey as a book-in-progress on my other blog, A Slice of Art and Design.

Like most dreams worth pursuing, this one is not happening easily. I am fighting tooth and nail to make it happen.

Perhaps because I am immersed in the subject, I have started believing that everyone—including you—is secretly curious about how a hotel is designed and is a potential reader of my book.

As the manuscript slowly blooms, a different emotion has begun to surface—anxiety.

Not many people seem to be reading my work.

On some days, I become sad and grumpy. A mere 2,000 readers visit the blog each month. I find myself wondering whether the effort is worth it. Who am I writing for? Does anybody really care?

Then, on better days, I look at the same number differently.

Two thousand people.

I am incredibly fortunate that two thousand individuals choose to spend a few minutes reading something that originated as a thought in my mind.

Before the internet, those thoughts would probably have remained trapped in a diary. After I departed this planet, the diary itself might have been discarded by someone clearing a shelf-I hammer this idea into my own head.

Instead, those thoughts now travel farther than I ever imagined. Some may be forgotten. A few may be remembered. One or two might even inspire someone.

And perhaps that is reason enough to continue.

The book will arrive when it is ready. Until then, I will keep writing, keep sharing, and keep believing that everyone in this world is a little curious about hotel design.

If you happen to be one of them, I would be grateful if you became the bee on the bud of this book, carrying its link from flower to flower and helping it bloom.

There Comes a Time to Stop Blaming Your Past

I wonder at times if there comes a point in life when we need to stop blaming our past for our present circumstances.

Not because the past is unimportant.

Our upbringing, environment, education, opportunities, relationships, and experiences all leave their mark on us. Understanding them is always essential. Reflection helps us make sense of who we are, why we think the way we do, and how we arrived where we are today.

The problem is not looking back.

The problem begins when we continue to blame the past for today's results.

There is a subtle but important difference between saying:

"This happened to me."

and

"This is why I cannot move forward."

The first is an explanation. The second is an excuse.

At some point, our current situation belongs less to our past circumstances and more to our present choices. As adults, we gradually gain control over our decisions, habits, attitudes, relationships, and actions.

The responsibility slowly shifts.

Our past may explain where we started, but it cannot forever be held responsible for where we remain.

The Rear-View Mirror

"Life, like driving, requires a rear-view mirror."

A good driver checks it regularly. It provides awareness, context, and information. It reminds us that a difficult stretch of road is behind us and alerts us to what may still be following us.

The same is true in life.

Looking back helps us learn from mistakes, understand our motivations, and recognize patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The rear-view mirror is not the problem.

"But imagine blaming the rear-view mirror because you are not reaching your destination."

That would be absurd.

The mirror did not choose your direction. It merely showed you where you had been.

The same principle applies to our past.

There comes a time when constantly blaming our upbringing, environment, parents, education, luck, or past failures becomes less about understanding and more about avoiding responsibility.

The past may have influenced today's reality, but it does not get to make tomorrow's decisions.

Only we have that power.

Think About It

Many people spend years searching their past for answers. Sometimes they find them.

But answers alone do not change anything.

At some point, the more important question becomes:

"What am I going to do now?"

That is where responsibility begins, because the future is still waiting to be shaped.

The past is a reference point, not a place to live.

Visit it when you need perspective. Learn from it when it has something to teach.

But do not give it permanent authority over your future.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding your past is valuable; blaming it indefinitely is not.
• Reflection creates awareness, but responsibility creates change.
• Your upbringing and environment influence you, but they do not have to define your future.
• The rear-view mirror is useful for context, not direction.
• The question eventually changes from “Why did this happen?” to “What am I going to do about it?”

The HAIL Method: How to Use Julian Treasure’s Mantra for Authentic Interactions

Are you walking into rooms wondering why the vibe feels off—or why you aren’t being accepted warmly?

It’s a heavy feeling. You see a friend or peer welcomed with open arms, while your own entrance feels flat. In those moments, it is easy to blame the universe, office politics, or personal biases. But before you conclude that the world is being unfair, I want to share a gift with you that helped me navigate this very crossroads.

At the beginning, I carried an unspoken assumption—that it was my birthright to be accepted and greeted warmly in any company. Perhaps that came from growing up in a close circle of friends and familiar faces.

But in a new place, when I was no longer at the center, I felt invisible. I found myself wanting to quietly melt away into the background.

It took me time to realise that presence is not assumed—it is shaped by how we show up.

Years ago, I received this advice from a TED talk. It wasn't just a lesson; Julian Treasure delivered it like a mantra transferred from a guru to his disciple. It came down to one simple question I now ask myself:

Did I HAIL?

The response you receive from others is often a mirror of the energy you bring to the interaction. When we lead with sincerity, we create the space for warmth to return to us.

I’m not saying the other person is always right—they are not. I’ve experienced those moments many times where a handshake felt mechanical, as if it were just a box to tick. There are times when people ask how you are, yet their tone reveals a lack of sincerity.

But even then, this mantra reminds me: I can’t control how others show up—but I can choose how I do.

To change how people respond to you, I invite you to lead with these four pillars:

• H – Honesty: Are you being clear and straightforward?

• A – Authenticity: Are you showing up as yourself, or a version you think they want?

• I – Integrity: Are you someone who can be trusted from the first handshake?

• L – Love: Are you genuinely wishing them well?

When you lead with honesty and goodwill, the atmosphere shifts. Not always immediately, but enough to know the effort is never wasted. Because in the end, the question is not just how others receive us—it is how we choose to be, every single time we meet the world.

The Challenge:

In your next three interactions today—whether it’s at the supermarket, the park, a kitty party, or with your boss—consciously apply the HAIL method. Notice if the "warmth" in the room changes.

I’ve passed this mantra to you as it was once received by me. Which of these four pillars do you need to lean into most today?

Inappropriate Laughter

This is in response to the prompt Friday Writings #226: Inappropriate Laughter

In the school assembly line, 

as the message of the day was read,

she remembered something funny.

In the silent classroom,

while the lesson moved on,

a dog chased its tail in her mind.

When friends grieved a defeat,

old jokes somehow returned.

They made her giggle in place of tears.

At a candlelit dinner,

her partner shared his troubles,

an awkward kiss brought a smile.

That mind no longer wanders.

Somewhere along the long road,

strange things happen to us all.

My Bookshelf’s DNA

Written in response to Friday Writings #225: If These Bookshelves Could Talk (or Write)

Sunday, 8 p.m.
The international book fair—one yearly ritual I don’t miss if I’m in town. Not so much for buying, but for the smell of new paper, the hum of people, the nostalgia that lingers.

Today was one of those days.

At the Oxford University Press stall, I found a book on DNA—chromosomes, inheritance, the quiet code of life. Not dense or technical, but accessible… almost reflective in places.

I was too tired to start. Left it on my desk.

Monday, 9 p.m.
As I was about to leave, I remembered in time to put the new book in my bag and took it along.

Read through it during the commute. It held my attention in a way few things have lately—patterns, repetitions, something quietly persistent beneath everything.

By night, I placed it neatly on my bookshelf. For a moment, I thought I saw a faint light there.

I said “nothing” to myself and went to sleep.

Tuesday, 6 a.m.
Didn’t sleep too well.

There were images—threads folding into themselves, splitting, rejoining. Faces, known and unknown, held in some precise, unseen structure. Not emotion, not memory—just a state of things being endlessly arranged and rearranged.

Somewhere between sleep and waking, a faint unease lingered.

Once again, in the dream, I saw a white page.

A few words, typed unevenly:

I never thought this would happen.
The book… the shelf… we were the same tree.

Piece by piece we will become a library.....

Dessert Arrives

Written in response to the prompt: Friday Writing #224: Just Desserts

Defeated. Haggard. He stayed. Dessert arrived.

Note:

Inspired by the brevity of Ernest Hemingway—where meaning lies beneath what is said—this is a small attempt at a 6-word nano tale.