Captivations is a monthly feature with links, stories, and news that captivated me.
Wanting too much
The following quote from this post made me stop and think: “The problem isn’t that we have too little time — we all get the same amount of time each day and each week. It’s the exact right amount of time because it’s all there is. It’s possible that we have too many things to do. But actually, the real problem is that we want to do too much in the time we have.”
We have limited time. Do you know how some of the most successful people get things done? They have help from assistants, nannies, and even full teams. I know it’s sometimes hard for me to be realistic about what I can accomplish in a certain amount of time. That creates unrealistic expectations, stress, and disappointment!
Simone’s Robots
I found Simone’s YouTube channel this month and I am so entertained by her videos and personality.
This Month is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
In celebration, here are 10 books by Asian authors. The Best We Could Do was one of my favorite (and heart-breaking) reads this year so far. I haven’t read Free Food for Millionaires but Min Jin Lee’s newer book Pachinko was also a favorite. I will note, I tried to read Sour Heart and didn’t like it.
Crazy Rich Asians
Speaking of Asians, I’m so excited about the movie Crazy Rich Asians coming out in August! Why? It’s an all-Asian cast and the movie has nothing to do with martial arts! A Hollywood movie that features people who look like me and the traditions and culture that I know!
This romantic comedy-drama is based on the best-selling book of the same name. An American girl goes with her boyfriend (they’re both university professors in the U.S.) to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. She has no clue his family, while humble and low-key, is one of the richest families in Asia, so in addition to meeting his family, she is in awe and baffled by the show of wealth by his family and friends. Of course, there’s drama with a disapproving mother, family members doing anything they can to gain more wealth (or at least look the part), and all the complicated parts of a rich boy meets not-so-rich girl love story.
Mr. Rogers’ Thoughts on Drawing
Give this a quick look.
This is America
Childish Gambino released a new music video everyone is talking about. It contains possible triggers so don’t watch if you’re sensitive to gun violence. There are so many things to talk about from the video and Luvvie does a good job in this post.
Related to guns, this article from The Atlantic was a sad read. The evidence is clear. Studies show “Americans are no more emotionally troubled than people in Europe and Canada, the stark difference is guns.” Gun access is an issue. The bulk of the article focuses on how school shootings can be prevented and the difficulty in providing for those with mental health issues. Parents have to take the time and money to figure out the mental health issue to treat it and there aren’t enough resources for this. All of this effort is on top of the stigma.
Secret Millionaire Donates Fortune After Death
The NY Times did a story about Sylvia Bloom, who died at 96 and donated $6.24 million (of the $9 million she left) to a non-profit. The noteworthiness of this story is that she was a secretary for the same law firm for 67 years, lived a “simple” life, and no friends or family knew about her fortune. She started her wealth by following her boss’ stock purchases with her own smaller purchases. I’m amazed that she worked for so long, and I hope she took some really awesome vacations.
Happy Mother’s Day
Being a mom is a big deal, even bigger than I can imagine since I’m not one. This post is a clear example of why it’s such an important, hard, and beautiful role. I hope all you moms had a sweet Mother’s Day!
RSVP
Here’s an editorial about why one woman will now always RSVP yes to weddings. It will get you thinking about the relationships in your life and how you perceive them.
Wrongfully Jailed
Can you imagine being wrongfully jailed for murder at age 14 and spending 17 years in jail? John Bunn’s story is incredibly heart-breaking. He founded an organization to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Now Watching
Have you all watched the show Humans? It’s a British show on AMC (and available on Amazon) about life-like humanoids gaining consciousness. Seasons one and two are available and season three is currently on British TV. Watch the trailer below. We also started the quirky Netflix show Love. The third and final season was released recently. Is it a good or bad thing when you know a show you’re watching has an end?
U.S. Fertility at Record Low
The statistics are showing the effects of woman postponing or deciding not to have babies but births by teenagers are also down. I’d love to see the stats of people who are trying to have babies to see if it’s a matter of getting pregnant.
What About Russia?
My friend Yulia wrote about Russia’s Victory Day and the sacrifices Russia made in World War II. (You should read it!) I really enjoyed reading about the traditions and history, and the post made me think about biases and perceptions. She questions why people around the world don’t know about the 26 million Russians that died in WWII. As an American, I blame my ignorance from being a bad student, the patriotic bias in teaching materials and movies, and general patriotism that makes everything outside of the U.S. not as important. Also, there’s so much world history, I probably can’t recall exact American history facts either. What do you think?
Thoughtful and Healthy Conversations
Do you have healthy conversations? My parents were not and are not good communicators, and it’s been eye-opening in the last few years to learn how to communicate better. I think how you communicate says things about your feelings and confidence, so knowing how is a good thing! Here’s a quick article to help.
What’s got you captivated?
P.S. Did you see my recent ax-throwing party at Urban Axes?
The party never ends. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.
You might also like
