Category: Life

  • Wandering Through: 2026

    Wandering Through: 2026

    Happy New Year! – if you are reading this on January.

    I was planning on writing a reflective post on 2025, but with all the festivities, plans, changes of routine, I couldn’t get my mind straight to write down a proper post. Instead, here we are, 2026 already, and I’m ready to yap about my New Year resolutions and their background.

    Being a kind, decent person

    Being a kind and decent person is my first and biggest resolution this year. It’s been a continuous work for years already, but I feel there’s still room for improvement here.

    Sometimes I get dragged down into these vicious spirals of selfishness, rudeness and apathy, just because I see it all around, and I don’t even notice how deep this gets to me until it’s been some time already. People in traffic being chaotic, rude and selfish, don’t letting you pass when they should; people skipping the line at the supermarket; people leaving shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot; or people pushing into elevators/trains/metro/gym before letting others get out.

    I might have just realized that I have several issues with people’s driving techniques and people parking things where they shouldn’t. Anyway.

    “We start defending ourselves from the wolves out there, and end up believing that everyone is a wolf“

    I recently saw a movie that said something like “We start defending ourselves from the wolves out there, and end up believing that everyone is a wolf”, and I thought “wow, that was deep”. And I totally agree with that quote, and that’s exactly what happens to me in these spirals.

    So, my first resolution for this year would be this, to be more kind, patient and don’t take life itself so seriously when these random events occur in my life. Just creating some space between these situations and myself, so there’s room for me to considerate what actually happened and if it’s really personal or not – which 99% of times isn’t.

    Being kind to myself

    Combining work, studies, sports, social life, housework and rest is never easy, and it has never been easy for me. I usually end up sacrificing the last element in the list: rest. This is not something I recommend at all, since this always leads me to being absolutely anxious, tired and feeling guilty of not managing to make as much progress as I think I could be doing.

    I always expect so much of myself, and a big part of that comes from what I think others are expecting from me. For example: “I should be done with this task at work today, otherwise, they will think I’m not capable of it”, “I should make this much progress with my thesis, otherwise, they will stop being comprehensive and they’ll kick me out and won’t let me finish my studies”, or “If I don’t workout today, I won’t be worthy” of I don’t know what exactly.

    Of course, there are points here like deadlines that should be met, meaning that if I have to deliver a certain project for my thesis at a specific date, I must do it, there’s no other way around it. But what I’m trying to explain here is more about the pressure I put on myself during the journey, which instead of helping me, creates more anxiety and noise in my mind, don’t letting me think straight and making me feel like my life is pure chaos and everything I do is wrong.

    So, for this year, I also want to be more kind to myself, allowing myself to rest, knowing that it is okay and that it’ll help me reach a better version of myself tomorrow when I’m energized and ready to seize the day.

    Eating healthier

    I consider myself to be a person that is healthy. A person that eats a balanced diet with its proteins, carbs, veggies and so on; and a person that practices a moderate amount of sports during the week. But there’s a habit I would love to change, and that is to reduce the amount of take out I order when I’m home alone.

    It’s so easy for me – and probably any of you – to just open Uber Eats, or any similar app, and just order my favorite take out. It’s like when I’m accompanied at home I don’t even think of ordering anything. Instead, I feel like cooking and making a good dinner plan. But when I’m home alone, it’s totally the opposite.

    This makes me think that I tend to be open to cook for others, but not for me. So I would like to change that and start being consistent when I’m alone, cooking healthy, yummy stuff for myself too. And to leave restaurants food for when I go out with friends or family, to make it even a more special event.

    And, in the end, this is something that would greatly benefit me, because when I eat healthy, functional food, I feel energized, I get a better quality rest and I’m even in a better mood.

    Your turn

    Thank you for making it this far into the post! Let me know if you share any of these new year’s resolutions and why! I would be really happy to read about them.

    More posts will be coming soon, about books, podcasts and stuff that make me learn new perspectives in life recently 🚀

  • Getting Real: Things That Hit Different

    Getting Real: Things That Hit Different

    There’s something funny about how life works: when everything flows and everything’s going well, I barely notice it. It’s like my brain refuses to acknowledge peace unless it sends me a calendar invite. And then — because life loves balance — I always end up having a couple of days where my mind is exhausted and I suddenly go “what the hell am I doing with my life?”

    Getting out of that headspace isn’t always easy. Sometimes it feels like trying to climb out of quicksand. But there are these small moments that help me breathe again — moments that give me a much bigger boost than I realize in the moment.

    So today I wanted to share a few of those little things that remind me that, no matter how lost I feel, it’s still worth keeping on. Whether it’s thanks to friends, random sparks of joy, or the unexpected ways nature and daily life show up for you.

    I’ve been trying to pay more attention to the tiny stuff that somehow keeps the chaos manageable. Not the big cinematic moments — the real ones.

    Like walking back from the gym in the early morning when the sky is just starting to change color. I know it sounds like something straight out of a cheesy “new chapter in my life” montage, but fuck it, I actually like it. There’s something grounding about being sweaty, half exhausted, and watching the sky turn pink like the universe is casually whispering, “Relax, you’re doing fine.”

    Beautiful sunset in New York City. Lovely, innit?

    And then there’s New York. I was walking around the lake in Central Park with my wife — just talking, laughing, taking a break from the city noise. At one point we stopped to take a photo, and for some reason that pause made everything around me hit differently. I noticed the runners passing by, the friends playing tennis nearby, the constant stream of helicopters and planes cutting across the sky. It reminded me that life doesn’t stop. It keeps moving, relentlessly, beautifully, relentlessly again. And if life is bold enough to keep going like that, maybe we should be too — looking it in the eye, taking our chances, grabbing the tiny opportunities it throws our way.

    “If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere” – Frank Sinatra

    Then there’s the everyday stuff: my cats deciding to sit close enough to acknowledge my existence, or that beer with a friend you almost cancelled on but ends up fixing your entire brain after three sips. Those tiny moments do more for me than any grand revelation ever has.

    None of this is huge. None of this will show up anywhere important. But these small, stupid, wonderful pieces of life? They make everything feel a little less ridiculous and a lot more worth being part of.

    And honestly? That’s more than fucking enough.

  • Reflecting On: The Beauty Of Stillness

    Reflecting On: The Beauty Of Stillness

    There’s a certain comfort in the moments when life becomes quiet.
    Not silent — just warm and gentle in a way that makes you breathe a little deeper.

    Some time ago, I found myself wrapped in my scarf on a cold morning, sitting on a wooden bench by the water.
    The air smelled like roasted coffee drifting from a nearby café, and the light had that soft Nordic morning glow that makes everything feel calm and familiar.

    I didn’t have anywhere I needed to be.
    I didn’t have a plan.
    Well, I did have one. Buying one of those coffees and a cinnamon bun.
    But it felt like it was just me, the crisp air, and the slow rhythm of the city around me.

    And in that tender quiet, something inside me softened.

    A Quiet That Feels Like Home

    There’s a kind of stillness that doesn’t feel empty —
    it feels full.
    Full of warmth, of presence, of the simple beauty of just being.

    I watched a few people pass by:
    someone walking their dog wrapped in a knitted sweater,
    an older couple sharing a thermos of something steaming,
    a cyclist who rang their bell not to rush anyone,
    but simply as a friendly hello.

    Everything felt… right.
    Peaceful in a way that made me feel safe —
    the same way a soft blanket feels when you pull it up to your chin on a chilly evening.

    The Kind of Stillness That Stays With You

    There’s a softness in moments like these —
    a quiet that invites you to notice things you usually overlook:
    the way the light dances on the water,
    the sound of distant footsteps on wooden planks,
    the comforting smell of cinnamon coming from a bakery you can’t see but somehow feel.

    Stillness becomes less about pausing,
    and more about returning.
    Returning to yourself,
    to your senses,
    to the gentle truth that presence is its own kind of warmth.

    A Small, Cozy Realization

    When I finally stood up,
    I carried something with me —
    a peacefulness that lingered,
    like the last sip of a warm drink on a winter afternoon.

    Maybe that’s the beauty of stillness:
    it doesn’t demand anything from you.
    It simply reminds you of what’s already there.

    A Warm Reminder

    Now that I’m writing about that quiet morning in Stockholm,
    another kind of moment comes to mind —
    one that couldn’t be more different,
    yet carries the same emotional warmth.

    Those summer evenings at a beach bar with friends,
    beer in hand,
    the smell of espetos drifting through the air,
    the sound of the grill crackling,
    and that golden light that makes everything feel suspended in time.

    Moments where you don’t have to try.
    Where you don’t have to think about being present —
    you just are.
    Moments that feel like home,
    no matter where you are or who you were five minutes ago.

    It’s funny how stillness can look so different.
    Sometimes it’s a cold morning wrapped in a scarf,
    sometimes it’s a warm sunset with salt in the air —
    but the feeling is the same.
    A gentle sense of belonging.
    A quiet warmth that settles somewhere inside your chest
    and reminds you that life is full of small pockets of peace,
    if you let yourself fall into them.

  • Reflecting On: Redefining Success

    Reflecting On: Redefining Success

    It was a cold morning in Stockholm.
    I wasn’t in a rush — no alarms, no meetings, no unread emails waiting. Just that rare kind of morning when life feels spacious.

    I was walking by the water, watching the city breathe slowly.
    A couple of cyclists passed by, a family fed the ducks near the pier, and the air smelled like coffee, buns and calm.
    It’s funny how a place you only visit on vacation can feel more like home than the one where you spend most of your days.

    Somewhere between that quiet rhythm and the contrast with my usually busy routine, the thought appeared:

    What does success really mean to me now?

    The Picture of Success

    For years, success had a very clear shape — a checklist of milestones: promotions, projects, recognition, a stable life.
    Things that looked great on paper.
    But lately, it feels like that definition doesn’t quite fit anymore.
    Like a shirt that used to be your size, but suddenly feels tight around the shoulders.

    When I was younger, I thought success was about doing more — faster, louder, better.
    Like those American movies where everyone’s rushing somewhere with a coffee in one hand, a briefcase in the other, and a watch that keeps reminding them they’re late for something.
    I used to think that was the picture of success — constant motion, constant purpose.

    Now, I wonder if success could mean doing less, but doing it with meaning.
    Less noise, more peace.
    Less pressure, more presence.
    Maybe real success is the ability to wake up without dreading the day ahead.

    Lagom

    In Stockholm, everything seems to move at its own rhythm — calm, unpretentious, intentional.
    There’s something fascinating about how people here embrace lagom, the Swedish idea of “just enough.”
    Not too much, not too little. Just right.

    It makes you think that maybe the secret to success isn’t reaching higher, but finding that enough point for yourself.

    What Really Matters

    I used to chase goals because I thought they defined me.
    Now I see that how I live says more about me than what I achieve.
    I don’t want to live to impress. I want to live to feel — connected, grounded, fulfilled.

    Maybe success isn’t about adding more to our lives, but about removing what doesn’t belong anymore.

    Coming Home

    As I left the city that day, I realized something simple:

    Success isn’t a destination we arrive at. It’s a state we return to.

    Every time we feel proud of who we are becoming, even if no one else notices.

    So, here’s to redefining success.
    To finding it not in noise or applause, but in calm mornings, meaningful work, shared laughter, and the quiet certainty that you’re walking your own path — one peaceful step at a time.

  • Reflecting on: The Little Things

    Reflecting on: The Little Things

    Realization

    It was the third time the alarm clock was going off. “I just want another five minutes” he said while turning his back on the clock. “But I need to wake up or else I’ll be late to my morning meetings” he thought to himself. He woke up, took a shower, pet their cats, had coffee with a toast and turned on his work laptop.

    After his nine to five, Derek attended his boxing class, which he loved by the way, but he was feeling a bit off today. He finished class, took a shower and went for a walk by the beach with his wife at sunset. After that, they enjoyed a good dinner at home and went to sleep.

    Next morning, Derek woke up and he felt really sad. He didn’t know what was going on, but he felt off. He attended work, hit the gym again and spent some time reading and chatting with friends. But still, he didn’t feel good.

    “It’s like nothing I do makes me feel fulfilled. I need to change my life. I feel empty.” he thought one day after several days feeling the same.

    Breakthrough

    He had been working at the same company for five years now. He knew all processes around and was one of the top employees, everyone would ask him for guidance, and was seen as a legend by all juniors joining the company. And yet, he didn’t feel satisfied with his job. To be honest, he didn’t like his job at all, but he studied hard for it at college at a time when he didn’t know who he was, and it paid well. So why would he leave? He even had a family now – a wife and two beautiful cats.

    Derek had dreamed of his current life for years when he was a young adult studying, and yet he couldn’t understand what was wrong about it. Everyday felt the same: wake up, work, lunch, gym, dinner, sleep and repeat five times a week. The guy was good looking too and a lot of people looked up to him. He was an achiever.

    “I don’t know what can be wrong. I don’t understand it. I have all I once dreamed of” he was telling his wife one night during dinner. “I think it’s simple, honey. You are not enjoying the important aspects of it: the little things” she said.

    That left him thinking for a moment. “How so?” Derek replied. “I think you focus too much on achievements and less on enjoying what you already have. Sometimes you just need to slow down and look at life from another perspective”.

    Progress

    Three months later, Derek was the same good looking fella, with the same old job and the same life he had three months ago. But something was different in him: his day-to-day attitude.

    Instead of snoozing the alarm three times, he would try to wake up at the first rang – I said try. He would find himself trying to enjoy slow mornings, with a good coffee, a good toast and the looks of his cats trying to steal some of that good bread for them.

    At work, he would feel more fulfilled, having realized that he had great colleagues – which he already knew, but didn’t value as much. He would make more time for coffee breaks now instead of focusing all day on work.

    Those boxing sessions? He was crushing it all the time now and even made some friends in the class. And those sunset walks by the beach? He was already enjoying them, but always worrying about the future or tomorrow’s work.

    But, okay, how can this change of attitude have such a great impact?

    Reflections

    Derek did some great findings those three months. He started being grateful for all the people, things and love he had in his life, enjoying ten times more every smile, laugh and empathy gesture shared with his loved ones.

    In those three months, he came across the eternal question: Why are we here? What is our purpose? The answer is easy: no one knows. And another fact is that in 200 years from now, no one that you know or that will ever know you, will be alive, so we might as well try to enjoy our time alive and find joy in it.

    With this realization, Derek thought “It’s about time that I start learning more about airplanes”, since he always enjoyed flying and was completely fascinated by it – “and even learn more about Physics!”. The guy had been always fascinated by all the megastructures the human species had built over the years and he wanted to know how they were even possible. Have you seen the Burj Khalifa or the International Space Station? Those things are Engineering wonders if you ask me.

    On a personal note, I’ll try to be more like the new Derek and find joy in my day to day, because in the end we are not as f*cked as we think we are. There’s always something to complain about and there will always be. Once you solve a problem, another one will come. That’s life.

    Be thankful for what you have and try not to lose yourself in this fast-paced mediatic world. And if you do, don’t worry, we all are lost in this life, we just think we know what we are doing. The only thing keeping us sane is the love we see around us.