Hạ An

 This morning, a customer approached me, visibly upset. Her product—still under warranty—wasn’t working as expected, and she seemed ready for a confrontation. I stayed calm, inspected the item carefully, and found that the damage was quite severe—likely beyond what the warranty would cover. As I explained the situation and acknowledged her frustration, I could feel my own emotions start to shake. I raised my voice slightly—not out of anger, but to hold the space, to signal that I needed her to calm down so I could explain the process clearly. Both she and her husband seemed impatient and, at times, disrespectful. But I reminded myself to stay grounded. Then something shifted. The moment she felt heard and supported, her tone softened. The tension began to melt away. And in that quiet pause, I was reminded: People don’t just react to what happens. They react to what it means to them. Taking advantage of that moment of clarity, I paused and asked myself: Why does our body react...

 "Before deliveries, supermarkets, cars, buildings and all the privileged options we have nowadays, humans had to run for water, food, and shelter, as well as to explore and expand.  Yet the world we live in today, with all its advantages, has made us lazy. With a click of a button on my phone, I can order food, groceries, furniture, or any other service I demand.  I can stay on the couch twenty-four hours a day for seven days a week and have all my desires land on my lap through a device I carry in my hand.  It sounds convenient, but this has a tremendously negative effect on our wellbeing.  Becoming lazy leads to the body and mind having nothing to fight for, so they start fighting themselves.  The body begins creating diseases within, and the mind creates stress, anxiety, depression, and so on.  The latest studies in the last five years show that diabetes, cholesterol, depression, cancer, anxiety, obesity, and mental illnesses are on the rise a...

Oh ego, where are we going?! Many people believe that traveling broadens the mind, helps us judge less, and think more flexibly. And yes – it can,  if  it comes with self-reflection, a willingness to learn, and a humble heart. It’s true that being exposed to different cultures, people, and lifestyles can help us see the world in a more layered way. But traveling a lot doesn’t automatically mean we’re more open-minded. In fact, for some, the more they travel, the bigger their ego becomes. When we travel without openness, we might just reinforce our old biases: Some people meet a certain type of person in country A, and suddenly decide the whole country is “lazy,” “loud,” “rude,” heartless, kind – whatever fits their lens. They carry their personal judgments around the world. Your experience is valid – for  you  – but it’s not a universal truth. Still, if you stay open, it  can  bring you closer to seeing things from multiple angles. The more you experience, ...

  朋友总说我是个 独行侠 ，一个人就是 孤独 的吗？ Péngyǒu zǒng shuō wǒ shì gè dúxíngxiá, yī gè rén jiù shì gūdú de ma? 我习惯 独来独往 ，总觉得这样更 自由 ，也更 充实 ， Wǒ xíguàn dúlái dúwǎng, zǒng juéde zhèyàng gèng zìyóu, yě gèng chōngshí, 如果有感兴趣的电影，我就一个人去看， Rúguǒ yǒu gǎn xìngqù de diànyǐng, wǒ jiù yī gè rén qù kàn, 一个人旅行，可以 心血来潮 ， 说走就走 ， Yī gè rén lǚxíng, kěyǐ xīnxuèláicháo, shuō zǒu jiù zǒu, 去远方看海，去 山谷 听风， Qù yuǎnfāng kàn hǎi, qù shāngǔ tīng fēng, 也不用和别人商量 时间和目的地 ， Yě bù yòng hé biérén shāngliáng shíjiān hé mùdìdì, 更不用 考虑 别人的 喜好 ， Gèng bù yòng kǎo lǜ bié rén de xǐ hào 你知道吗？ nǐ zhīdào ma? 一个人在路上有很多 奇遇 ， Yī gè rén zài lù shàng yǒu hěn duō qíyù, 遇到 不同的人，听到不同的 精彩的故事 。 Yù dào bùtóng de rén, tīng dào bùtóng de jīngcǎi de gùshì. 现在我 独自 在 异地 工作， Xiànzài wǒ dúzì zài yìdì gōngzuò, 有朋友的关心，有同事的 照顾 ，也有家人的 问候 ， Yǒu péngyǒu de guānxīn, yǒu tóngshì de zhàogù, yě yǒu jiārén de wènhòu, 但是 我 还是 喜欢一个人， 孤独 对我来说不是 问题 。 Dànshì wǒ háishì xǐhuān yī gè rén, gūdú duì wǒ lái shuō bù shì wèntí. 朋友对我来说，也不是 一种依赖 ， Péngyǒu duì wǒ lái shuō, y...

  Source: Pinterest - Broccolini - embroidery Quá ấn tượng bởi tính chân thật của bức ảnh, hỏi chat GPT về kĩ thuật thêu và mình đã tìm được vài mũi thêu mới. Phần thân dưới có hiệu ứng phồng với kĩ thuật padding - thêu đệm bên dưới (mũi chain stitch, straight stitch ) sau đó thêu phủ lớp ngoài cùng bằng mũi long short stitch hoặc satin stitch.  Phần lá có thể dùng French knot, Colonial Knots  để tạo mảng hoa nhỏ li ti, tròn và hơi nổi. Một số đoạn có thể dùng Detached Chain Stitch (mũi lá đơn) hoặc Bullion Knot nếu muốn tạo các hoa vươn cao, lởm chởm hơn. 🧵Thread painting là vẽ tranh bằng chỉ. Mũi long and short stitch để blend màu. Có thể padding bằng chỉ – không cần bông. Cách tạo khối, độ nổi tự nhiên trong thêu tả thực.