High Quality Objects

🕑 3 minute read

The Principle

My guiding principle in life is inspired by the remarkable philosophy of Dieter Rams—a visionary German industrial designer.

Dieter Rams — German industrial designer

He advocated for "Less but Better," a concept I have adapted to "Less and Better."

This philosophy resonates deeply with me, and I intentionally incorporate it into every aspect of my life; Relationships, Information and Everyday Objects.

Relationships

I focus on fostering deeper, more meaningful connections rather than accumulating numerous surface-level ones. By prioritising quality over quantity, I spend my time and energy (my life) on fulfilling relationships.

Information

In today's information-rich society, I used to find myself indulging in intellectual overconsumption—‘Informational Masturbation’ if you will—without a clear intention for practical application or meaningful synthesis.

This tendency not only overwhelms me with an excess of data but also challenges my ability to distill and apply any knowledge effectively.

Now, I consciously choose content with the commitment to integrate and apply it.

"Integration Hour" is systematically scheduled on the calendar following content consumption

This practice allows me to slow down and intentionally engage with truly enriching and valuable information that enhances my ability to create a positive impact in my life, and those around me.

Everyday Objects

My lifestyle embraces minimalism, choosing items that are not only functional but also bring joy and simplicity. This mindful selection of objects reflects a commitment to quality and sustainability, avoiding the clutter of the unnecessary.

“As little design as possible” — Dieter Rams

By embracing "Less and Better," I strive to live a life that is both purposeful and fulfilling, guided by the principles of simplicity, quality, and intentionality.

The Objects

Recently, a friend and several members of my community asked me to share details about my phone case.

This request brought a smile to my face, especially since my partner—a devoted minimalist—had praised the exceptional quality of my phone cover, among other related items. He was so impressed that he convinced his entire work team to buy the same items that I had influenced him to appreciate.

Inspired by their interest, I've decided to craft this post to share these high-quality finds with you.

The Matte Glass Screen Protector

Last week, as I was biking to yoga, my phone slipped from my jacket onto a bustling Brooklyn street. I only realised it had fallen when my AirPod connection disconnected—my heart dropped with my phone.

I went back and found my phone, as expected, had suffered damage from the fall. Adding a touch of irony, I dropped it again while locking up my bike.

I had a spare screen on hand, and the image below ↓ shows my phone after I installed the new screen. Thanks to the dual protection of the screen and phone case—my phone looks as good as new.

TORRAS 360° Rotatable Magnetic Ring for iPhone 15 Pro Max Case

The 360° Rotatable Ring Holder—integrated into the case—serves as an excellent flexible kickstand, although I personally find it challenging to hold so I got myself a MagSafe PopSocket. A game-changer!

The MagSafe PopSocket effortlessly snaps on or off— facilitating easy attachment to a tripod I use below ↓

Its compact design, compatible with MagSafe, simplifies the process of quickly attaching my TORRAS phone case.

My partner, a tech enthusiast, invests considerable effort into finding top-quality gadgets.

He owns wireless microphones worth $300—and I was thrilled to discover one for less than $30 that matches his in quality (we tested them). Will it last as long? That, I don’t have the answer to, yet.

Simple and sturdy—I use this for storing all my tech essentials as well as my toys ;)

I trust these items will bring you the same joy they have brought to me.

I choose myself

🕑 4 minute read

Conversation → Clarity is a series of coaching conversation insights I had with my inspiring clients.

Context:

My former client, L, sent me a text.

I wrote back and shared with her a brilliant article by Seth Godin, along with 2 questions for her to answer.

Her response is what inspired me to create and share this writing with you. I love being inspired by my clients.

Enjoy!

Conversation:

The article:

Project resistance

In Steven Pressfield’s classic The War of Art, he introduces the idea of Resistance. It’s the internal force that keeps us from doing our most important creative work.

If an instinct, a habit or a feeling gets in the way of the work, it’s Pressfield’s Resistance. Things we would never choose to add to the flow of our days, but there they are.

It’s easy to imagine that Resistance is for screenwriters or novelists. Writer’s block and procrastination. But anyone leading a project of any kind–a business, a non-profit, a campaign–confronts it as well.

We could do something, we might do something, but we don’t. And so the work doesn’t ship, or it doesn’t meet its potential.

I’m not alone in facing Resistance. It happens everywhere we look.

Some of the symptoms of Resistance seem contradictory, but if we go back to the definition, that makes sense. Here are a few:

  • Procrastinating

  • Ignoring or avoiding the useful metrics

  • Focusing on vivid but non-useful metrics

  • Not shipping the project

  • Shipping junk

  • Asserting that it’s not Resistance

  • Being too busy to get to the hard part

  • Aiming too high

  • Aiming too low

  • Refusing to set a budget or deadlines

  • The tension of “this might not work” ends up feeling like stress instead

  • Not actively managing the project, letting the project manage us instead

  • Embracing sunk costs

  • Not asking useful questions

  • Refusing to find and use leverage or tools, focusing on the known fussy tasks instead

  • Blaming the system for our obstacles

  • Ignoring the system and acting as if we’re the first ones here

  • Being obsessed with new technology and opportunities, waiting for the next big thing

  • Refusing to learn about new tech or opportunities

  • Reacting instead of responding, responding instead of leading

  • Focusing on the urgent instead of the important

  • Obsessively documenting everything

  • Ennui

  • Irrational exuberance

  • Failing to delegate appropriate tasks

  • Taking too much credit

  • Ignoring useful feedback

  • Being reckless and assuming a net will appear

  • Looking for the shortcuts even when we know the long way is the only way

  • Sloppily leaving out details

  • Asking too many questions before making assertions

  • Our actual calendar of time spent doesn’t match the agenda for the work to be done

  • Making big promises we can’t keep

  • Refusing to make useful promises for fear of not keeping them

  • Taking it personally

  • Keeping our fears to ourselves

  • Using deadlines as fuel

  • Spending too much time focusing on our fear

  • Insisting on authenticity instead of consistency

  • Showing up late

  • Going over budget

  • Becoming a perfectionist

It’s tempting to imagine that Resistance is a moral failing, but it’s more like stubbing your toe or burning the toast. We don’t have to blame ourselves for where we are, but if we can see it and name it, we can learn to dance with it.

These behaviors may seem as though they happen to us, but ultimately, they’re a choice. A skill we can learn, a habit we can unlearn. We can be kind to ourselves, focus on the goal and get back to the project.

There are two confusions and one fear:

The first confusion is that we might not realize that these are choices.

The second confusion is that we might not have learned better tactics, tools and choices, but we can.

And the fear? It’s of change. The change of it might not work, or the chance that it will.

When Resistance arises, and it always does, we can see it, name it, and gently move on.

Her response:

L: “It was important for me to read this article because I was able to open my eyes and witness the truth that resistance can take so many forms, and it can happen to all of us, and—sorry, not happen—and that’s the answer for the second point because what is the most important thing I took from it is that resistance doesn’t happen to me. I choose resistance. It takes so many forms, but I choose. And if I’m able to choose it, I am able to choose something else.”

Clarity:

Questions:

1. Why is it important for YOU to read this exchange?

2. What is the most important thing YOU took away from this exchange?

3. What is ONE inspired action you are going to take with that insight?

How to reprogram your mind

🕑 4 minute read

In 2021, I started my transition from being REACTIVE → CREATIVE.

This transition demanded continuous conscious effort—and it still does—and it has proven to be the most valuable practice I've ever embraced.

By operating from a place of consciousness, I've discovered an agency I never knew I had.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Consciousness

According to the Map of Consciousness—developed by Dr. David R. Hawkins—I spent most of my time unconsciously operating below ‘Courage’ (200).

While there is no right or wrong place to be on the scale of consciousness, I did spend an exorbitant amount of time and attention in frustration, desire, fear, guilt, and shame.

I genuinely thought that that was just how life is—I was so unaware that I had a choice. That I have an agency in creating my reality.

The impact of being unconscious

I used to be a social chameleon—frequently altering my behaviour and responses to match those around me.

This adaptability stemmed from a desire for acceptance and avoidance of conflict.

However, it often meant suppressing my true self and not honouring and expressing my authentic thoughts and feelings.

Being the creator of my life

The pivotal moment of realising I had a choice came when I made a significant investment in myself that I couldn’t afford– $25,000 for 10 sessions with my coach, Devon Bandison.

While not everyone needs to spend as much as I did—for both myself and many of my clients, this financial commitment served as a POWERFUL motivator.

It compelled me to wholeheartedly commit to my self understanding journey, because I had a tangible stake in the game. To me, that investment was my commitment to buying back my time, my freedom, and ultimately my life.

The results have been so remarkable that I would have genuinely paid ten times the investment. No sum of money can measure up to the inner peace I now have.

Today, I am operating above ‘Courage’ (200)—what feels like 95% of the time—and the world has transformed into an expansive playground.

Living and consistently, consciously creating from a foundation of love, joy, and play has been the most liberating and profoundly enriching experience of my life.

So much so that I continue to invest in myself with my coach as his apprentice—$85,000 for 70 Hours together—because I know I am only scratching the surface of what is possible in this life time, and I’m committed to turning my ceiling into my floor, again.

Worth noting

This is coming from someone who:

  • Used to spend HOURS scouring the internet in search of discount codes to save just $4.99 on shipping fees (2020)

  • Couldn't engage in a conversation about financial matters with her partner for more than 5 minutes without trembling with fear and eventually breaking down in tears (2021)

  • Watched her parents put in relentless effort, only to experience bankruptcy and the loss of our home (2006)

  • Spent over a decade in Khlong Toey คลองเตย—the largest and oldest slum of Bangkok—a story for another post (1995)

How to start in 3 simple steps

(01) Awareness

(02) Understanding

(03) Choosing

Awareness

(01)

The fundamental first step in reprogramming your mind is recognising your capacity to make choices.

Below is one of my favourite videos by Dr. Bruce Lipton on After Skool that has transformed the way I see the world. This is an excellent starting point to help cultivate new awareness around consciousness.

Understanding

(02)

Knowing that reprogramming one's mind is an ongoing journey that requires conscious and consistent effort.

It's a practice that's akin to maintaining your "abs" once you've developed them; it necessitates continuous dedication and attention to keep the positive changes in place.

Choosing

(03)

Neuroscience shows that you are what you give your attention to. Get clear on what’s on your mind—then choose a new choice.

Here are 3 simple steps:

  1. When this happens (identify trigger)

  2. Instead of (identify old habit)

  3. I will (clarify a new 60-second habit)

 

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Viktor E. Frankl

 



Alternatively

Join my workshop

I run an online experience called Being° Together—designed for those who are ready to STOP being stuck and START creating a new internal operating system.

You will leave the experience with simple and effective tools to reprogram your mind. You will be Clear → Inspired → In Action

Wherever you go, there you are

🕑 1 minute read

Conversation → Clarity is a series of coaching conversation insights I had with my inspiring clients.

Context:

My client (let’s call her A) quit her job and moved from NYC back to Athens to prioritise what’s important to her—her family.

Conversation:

A:

“You know, NYC is really magical for me—and I am committed to making Athens more magical.

I don’t believe it, yet, and I’m working on it.”

Me:

“If two chefs cooked you a dish each, and they both are beyond delicious!

And I told you that one chef had a Premium Japanese A5 Wagyu Beef to work with, while the other had a local liver and kidney—which chef would you be impressed with?”

A:

“The one with the liver.

Funny you said liver, my brother cooked at an open fire the other day and it was goat liver with just olive oil and salt. It was amazing.

I guess love was another ingredient, too.”

Clarity:

Of course, judging the skill of a chef based solely on the ingredients they have to work with would be an oversimplification.

AND a great cook can create culinary magic regardless of the ingredients at their disposal.

BE that chef in your own life, and it won’t matter whether you’re in NYC or Athens.

The power to create magic resides within you. So, nurture your skills, cultivate a growth mindset, and let your creativity flourish.

Create space for self-improvement, and watch as your life transforms into a canvas where you paint your own masterpiece of magic and fulfillment.

Wherever you go, there you are.

So I "failed"

🕑 4 minute read

Storytime:

Back in January, I was looking for ways to be a better thinker.

My partner—who happens to be a best-selling author and an incredible thinker—said to me:

“If you want to think more clearly, write.”

Being the spontaneous multi-passionate creative force that I am, I—with little delay—committed to a 30-day challenge called ‘30 days of writing’ (a derivative from my previous ‘30 days of being’ project).

I announced this to my community on IG to create accountability for myself, and off I go being in action.

I never finished the challenge.

I stopped writing at day 9—and below are the insights I gained from the experience.

What I noticed:

  • Being in action—without overthinking—allowed me to quickly find that writing 30 short-form pieces doesn’t provide me the desired support.

  • I noticed that the brevity of the format led me to spend more time contemplating what to write, than actually writing.

  • Additionally, sharing my work with the community on Instagram created unnecessary pressure and effort in the process.

  • The focus on meeting the daily writing challenge became a distraction from the goal of consistently showing up and writing.

  • To establish a daily writing routine, the process in which I create must be simple and easy.

  • Most significantly, I realised I wanted to think more critically rather than solely expressing my thoughts clearly. This realisation created a shift in my writing approach and goals.

Did I know most of these insights prior to this experience?

Yes.

And knowledge is only a rumor until it is in the muscle.

The quality of my ‘knowing’ before this experience is not the same as the one I, now, have in my being.

What I did instead:

  • Instead of persisting with the 30-day challenge, I called it off and focused on writing about the insights I gained.

  • I dedicated 10 minutes to private writing for 30 days. This allowed me to focus on my thoughts without the pressure of sharing them immediately.

  • I said YES to podcast interviews to stimulate my critical thinking in a different format.

  • I actively engaged in rich dialogues with highly intelligent people to broaden my perspectives.

These alternative actions reflect a shift in my approach, prioritising personal growth, deeper reflections, and meaningful interactions over the previous writing challenge format.

So did I fail?

My previous self would have nodded aggressively and said:

“Yes, this is failure.”

My current self, though, would smile and say:

“This is feedback!”

I, now, know the importance of viewing setbacks and mistakes as valuable opportunities for learning and growth.

Instead of perceiving a situation as a failure, seeing it as feedback allows me to extract valuable lessons, make adjustments, and move forward with improved understanding and insight.

This perspective encourages me to embody resilience, adaptability, and a positive attitude towards challenges—fostering my personal and professional development.

My biggest takeaway:

Action creates clarity that goes beyond mere information—and encompasses a deeper understanding of the world and oneself.