Author: Jhon David

I didn’t learn about the 4 C’s Mentalizing Stance in a textbook first. I learned it in the middle of a conversation that spiraled faster than either person intended. One moment we were talking, the next we were reacting — not to each other, but to old feelings. That moment taught me something important: staying present is a skill, not a default setting. The 4 C’s Mentalizing Stance gives us a way to stay connected when emotions are loud. 1. Calm: The Pause Before the Response Calm doesn’t mean we feel peaceful. Sometimes calm feels shaky. Sometimes it feels like…

Let’s be real for a second: most of us don’t think about our heating or cooling system unless it’s acting up. If the house is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, that feels like success. Why fix anything that seems to be working fine? This is exactly how most HVAC problems start — quietly. It’s kind of like how you don’t notice your car tires wearing unevenly until the steering starts pulling. Things change slowly until they suddenly don’t. And HVAC systems, even though they’re tucked away in basements, closets, or attics, are working every day. They…

There’s a friend I used to call nearly every day. Not on purpose — it was just the way my life moved. Something funny happened? I’d call. Something stressful happened? I’d call. Some days we didn’t even talk about anything real; we just existed next to each other’s voices. And I genuinely believed we’d be doing that forever. Then, slowly, we weren’t. There was no fight. No betrayal. No dramatic fall-out scene. Just… distance. Silence that grew like fog. And that’s the first time I learned why ending a friendship can hurt more than ending a relationship. Friendships sink deeper…

You’ve probably heard someone say, “It takes 21 days to change your life.” I’ve heard it everywhere — gym posters, motivational talks, little productivity quotes people share around New Year’s, that it takes 21 days to change a habit. It’s one of those ideas that sounds neat enough to believe. Three weeks feels short enough to try, but long enough to seem “serious,” so the mind goes, Yeah… that seems right. But the real story behind that number is much less perfect, and a lot more human. Where the 21-Day Number Came From (It Was Never a Rule) Back in…

There are certain questions that seem too obvious to think about. We just sort of accept them, like they’re part of the wallpaper of life. Time moves, the calendar flips, birthdays come and go, and we move along with it. But sometimes a very simple question can open up something much bigger. One of those questions is this one — how many minutes are in a year (1). At first glance, it looks like it should be nothing more than a schoolbook multiplication problem. You know, one of those things you were sure you’d never need in adulthood. And, sure,…

I used to think change meant fireworks — a big event, a turning point, some dramatic before-and-after story people could clap for. But lately, I’ve realized something quieter: most real growth looks like tiny, boring choices you make when nobody’s paying attention. And that’s how confidence works, too. It’s not loud. It doesn’t arrive in a single moment. It builds slowly, one small action at a time. Let’s do a little math (don’t worry, the easy kind).If you improve yourself by just 1% each day, that adds up to over 365% in a year. The same goes for how you…

The first time I baked alone, I was certain nothing could go wrong. I had a mixing bowl the size of a planet, a wooden spoon that felt like a magic wand, and a recipe card smudged with vanilla and hope. Then I hit a line that stopped me: how many tablespoons in 1/4 cup? I stared at the drawer full of measuring spoons, then at the empty spot where my quarter-cup measure should’ve been, and realized I was about to guess. (For the record, guessing is a perfectly fine life skill, but it can be brutal to cookies.) That…

I still remember the first time I looked into solar. It was a hot afternoon, the kind where your AC runs nonstop and you start counting the hours until the next electric bill. I googled “solar panels cost,” and within minutes I was lost in a sea of numbers, ads, and opinions. One thing became clear: everyone has a different story about solar — and most of them are wrong. Let’s unpack the myths that keep good people from saving money. Because in 2025, hanging onto the wrong ideas about solar isn’t harmless — it’s expensive. ☀️ Myth #1: “Solar…

When you think about a “real job,” what picture comes to mind?For most people, it’s the classic image — a desk, a coffee mug, maybe a clock ticking toward 5:00 PM. For decades, that rhythm defined success, security, and normalcy. But if you’ve ever stared at that clock wondering why your best ideas show up at 9 PM instead of 9 AM, you’ve already felt why the 9-to-5 might be outdated. The Old Model Was Built for a Different Time Back in the 1920s, Henry Ford wasn’t trying to invent modern freedom; he was trying to keep factory workers consistent.…

The first time I messed up abroad wasn’t anything dramatic. No police, no fines. Just… a very quiet train in Tokyo and me, absolutely clueless, chewing a sandwich like it was my last meal. People weren’t angry, just politely uncomfortable. I felt it in the silence. That moment — silly as it was — was my first real lesson in cultural etiquette tips. Back then, I thought travel was about maps, flights, and packing the right socks. Nobody told me it’s also about reading the room. And sometimes, the “room” is a whole country. I learned quickly. The hard way.…