Hello! Thank you for signing up for my bi-weekly newsletter. I appreciate you and I hope I can share some interesting thoughts with you over the next couple of weeks.
I want to kickoff this publication with a brief introduction of the whys - why am I starting this newsletter, and why do I think it is a good idea? The whys are an essential aspect of defining a purpose, and my purpose is to maintain a platform to share insightful takeaways from the books I read, work I do, and the activities I pursue. We are all so busy in our daily lives that we don’t often stop to pause and ponder, let alone talk, about the deeper aspects of life like knowledge, our well being and relationships. So this is my way of sharing, creating and hopefully transforming the web of thoughts in our little network - thank you for being here. Oh and look out of this week’s coffee date location at the end of this newsletter!
I.
You may think I have “main-character syndrome” to be someone who publishes newsletters to share my thoughts on topics I care about. In fact, you might think it presumptuous of me to assume that all of you would read this. To be honest, I don’t expect all of you to read this. But I know that the ones who do will really gain something from it, even if it is just a few of you.
As I said earlier, my purpose is to create and maintain a platform of thoughts. Not just mine, but yours too. Why can’t I be a normal human and share my thoughts on Twitter, or Instagram, and read your comments instead? Well, for one, I do not believe social media is the best place for someone like me to share their life. It is overcrowded, anxiety-inducing and distraction filled. The well-built interfaces allow me to share and consume content without purpose or intention, which I find quite unfulfilling.
In a world filled with choices, distractions and countless opportunities, I feel like quantity has started to mean more than quality. We live in a society where the number of followers you have mean more than the number of reliable friends you have. Where the number of pictures you take together means more than the actual memories you make together. Where the number of restaurants and countries you visit matter more than the kind of food and cultures you have experienced.
This never made any sense to me because, ultimately, it is the value you extract from life’s experiences that matter the most, isn’t it? And I don’t mean “value” in the modern capitalistic sense where everything you do must be to create a productive output and add concrete value to society. I mean that your experiences should be a source of sustained personal value that provides fulfilment and allows you to gain knowledge along the way.
I want to work on this newsletter because I also want to be able to connect with you on a deeper level and with a greater sense of intentionality.
Essentially, this newsletter hopes to fulfil three goals:
Add depth to my existing relationships and create new ones
Foster a community of individuals and a network of thinkers
Be more intentional with my spare time
No, I am not starting a Philosophy club of any kind (although that would be cool, do hit me up if you want to talk about Kant or Stoicism). However, I am hoping to create a community of individuals - friends, family and more - who are interested in personal-growth, well-being and knowledge. I think it is quite unfortunate that we put effort into networking sessions to expand our professional circle, but why not also work on personal networking sessions where we aim to nurture our personal circle on a deeper level?
II.
Second, I am writing this newsletter to incentivise myself to read more and write often. By promising you a publication every two weeks, I am signing a social contract that makes me accountable to sharing knowledge with you. Further, it enables me to make room for lively discussions and inspiring conversations. I am hoping the things I write about will encourage you to reach out to me with your thoughts (look out for coffee date slots at the end of this newsletter!)
I truly believe that we don’t have to venture far and wide to hear different perspectives in today’s world, especially in a city like Singapore where each of us has a unique backstory with something new to share. I am hoping that, through this platform, we can foster a community of thinkers and create a network of thoughts in our social circle.
III.
And finally, I am writing to be more intentional with the spare time that I have. Intentionality is a philosophy that permeates most aspects of my life. To me, intentionality is the practise of making focused choices and following them through with a purpose that aligns with your values and/or goals. It requires deliberate effort towards your purpose.
By choosing to connect with you through an elaborate, curated newsletter, I am being more intentional with the thoughts I share and the connections I hope to make. Additionally, by subscribing to this newsletter by writing down your email, you are being intentional in supporting me. By accepting this newsletter to connect us, you and I are both taking intentional steps to be connected because it requires more effort on both our parts; for me to write this and for you to read this. Which is why I know that maybe not all will stay, but the ones who do will derive a lot from it because it will be intentional, purposeful and hopefully, fulfilling.
IV.
I have highlighted the importance of intentionality and deep relationships in today’s newsletter, but I will dive deeper into these philosophies in the upcoming publications. This was just meant to be an introduction, a welcome to you all. Moving forward, I have write-ups planned on topics covering Digital Minimalism and Deep Work (inspired by Cal Newport, of course), the Hustle Culture and Working at a Bank, Stoicism, Essentialism, and maybe some excerpts from conversations I will have in the next two weeks.
Speaking of which, here is the location and time for this week’s coffee date:
Date & Time: Saturday, 17th September 2022, 11am
Location: Glasshouse @ Chijmes, Singapore
I will be there from 11am to 1pm, reading. Feel free to join me and bring a friend along if you want to and we can talk about anything and everything. Looking forward to seeing you and hearing your thoughts on intentionality and anything else that came to your mind while reading this.
Do drop this newsletter as a recommendation to your friends and family if you feel like it is something they would like, and lastly, don’t be shy to write in. I do love reading :)
Thank you for being here! I appreciate you all. See you two weeks from now with the next edition of Kikki Bites.
“Do it badly; do it slowly; do it fearfully; do it any way you have to, but do it.”
Steve Chandler, Reinventing Yourself: How to Become the Person You've Always Wanted to Be
Signing up for this was definitely one of the best intentions of this week - looking forward to read more!