Ordering Your Private World by Gordon Macdonald I grew up thinking that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. When I was a kid, I wanted to be good at soccer, so I practiced everyday and made the high school varsity team. In college, I wanted to learn about the stock market, so I applied to the business program and got accepted. After college, I wanted to become a programmer, so I learned how to code and pivoted my career.
Life Without Instagram
It’s been almost 10 months since I deactivated Instagram. I stopped mainly because I did not like how much time I spent watching Reels. It was a huge time sink that did not benefit me in any way. I was inspired at the time by a friend who was able to keep an active, social life without Instagram so I decided to give it a try myself. I want to take this time to reflect on my life sans Instagram.
Book: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami This was a book recommended by my good friend Jessie. I started running in the beginning of last year as a way to build up my stamina so I can get better at soccer. Running quickly grew on me and became a big part of my life. Over the summer, I trained with the Runners Shop and completed a half marathon in October.
Book: The Course of Love
The Course of Love by Alain de Botton I was recommended this book in the summer of 2018 by a friend who I met in New York. Telling me that it is her favorite book, she lent me her copy while she was away for a couple of weeks. I started but never finished the book that summer. It didn’t resonate with me for some reason. Maybe I was too preoccupied with the job hunt.
Movie: Metropolitan
Metropolitan by Whit Stillman 06:30 PM, 12/14/2023 TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 3 Toronto, ON The movie starts off with upper class young adults in their early 20s sharing thoughts about philosophy, life, love and other worldly things. Then enters Tom who by chance gets invited to this rich kids’ hangout. He declares he is a socialist and is unfettered by the pretentious snobby atmosphere of the group. With a little back and forth, Nick is intrigued by Tom and takes him under his wing.
Deactivating Instagram
A couple weeks ago, I decided to deactivate Instagram because I found myself wasting too much time watching short-form videos (a.k.a. Reels) everyday. I never open Instagram with the intention of watching those videos, but I always find myself scrolling through them mindlessly. It’s like a digital black hole where time melts away before I know it’s too late. These little bits of time add up and amount to a couple of hours every week.