Khuyen's Big Life Updates: London, PhD, Book
I'm back to the West!
Dear friends,
I HOPE YOU ARE SO WELL. For those who are going through challenging times, or hurricane Ian, please hang in there. For those who are looking for something to spark up your days, I hope you find it here.
I'm thinking of an iconic scene in the action movie John Wick by The Keanu Reeves. In the scene, John, a retired hitman, is tied up by the mafia boss and mocked about returning to the world of business. He grunted
"People keep asking if I'm back and I haven't really had an answer, but yeah, I'M THINKING I'M BACK!"
WELL, ME TOO.
I am back into the Western world, back into English words, back into action.
So please join me in celebration…
Celebration 1: a new PhD journey
For the next 4 years, I will embark on my PhD in Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) of City, University of London.
It's a whole new life. New possibilities, appearances, people. I am so inspired and moved by my supervisor and dear friend, Dr Nettra Pan, an amazing human being, a brilliant scholar & a dedicated practitioner of making things happen in the real world. My journey to the PhD has been rather unconventional without a prior Master degree, but I know why I am here (more on that later) and I’m very looking forward to re-entering the matrix. 😀
Celebration 2: the book, Not Being - The Art of Self-Transformation,
I've got to hold it for the first time. It's beautiful! (and much thicker than I thought, almost 400 page).
I'll continue share more about it in the years to come. You can find a copies at the big bookstores in the US & UK, and soft copy on Amazon. What I am most proud of: my co-author Steven and I never met in a person until last week, and yet we managed to work together to produce something beautiful.
Celebration 3: London is gorgeous!
Except for the gray cold weather and pricey stuff, the rest is greaaat. A bustling city with lots of opportunities for professionals, creative endeavors and of course, love. (hey, soulmate, I'm calling you 🤓)
People said honeymoon doesn't last long, and I'd say "let me fall in love with the sour side of the moon too".
Farewell to Vietnam
The last 5 years in Vietnam has been a beautiful journey. I've loved and been loved, given and received much from my homeland. I have grown wiser, more loving, playful and most importantly EVEN MORE EAGER TO EXPLORE.
It's nice to see that people miss me once I'm gone. What is even more heartening is that some of friends are stepping up to fill in the gap that I left with their creativity, energy and dreams. We truly want to be part of a new way to live, work, live, play together.
Here's a picture of our farewell event, where we invited friends, family and fans to come and celebrate our learnings over the years.
What's next
I am at a beautiful and very creative period in my life, exploring the many ways we can live, love, work and play together that our hearts most long for. I will use the PhD program to support this journey and share with others.
For at least the next 4 years, I will continue to expand. Especially to
connect, learn, explore and co-create with people who choose to live in between many worlds (cultures, communities, professional domains etc..) They are those who Joseph Campbell called "boddhisatva", who "joyfully participate in the sorrow of the world".
support communities around the world where people are pioneering new ways to live, work, love and play together, ways that make our hearts singggg open and our mind quietens. Especially founders who cultivates environments to enable such new ways.
dedicate my whole self, esp my insights, connections and presence, to aid people in joyfully transitioning to the next phase of life. Especially leaders who are getting out of old role or into new role.
BE PART OF MY UNFOLDING JOURNEY
Introduce friends in London
I'd love to meet wonderful people like I describe above, especially if we are physically close in London/UK/Europe.
If you know of anyone interesting, truth-loving, open and enjoy exploring things with me, please introduce us. You can forward this newsletter, or introduce us on LinkedIn, Facebook or reply to this email. I will likely host a party next month to gather people 😀
Introduce podcasts & venues to share the book.
Do you anyone at any podcast or community who’d be interested in the message of the book - moving beyond the separate self? If so, I’d really appreciate an introduction. And of course, I’d be happy to send a copy to you too! Please email me.
Follow me on LinkedIn: I'm exploring writing more on LinkedIn, where I'll document this journey. This Enzyme newsletter likely would become a monthly update, where I will share more personal findings. In any case, you can count on me with some helpful, joyful things to share :-)
Workshop Series - playing with transformation.
My friend Aaron Finbloom from the Deep Play Institute is putting up an eclectic program for those interested in personal work but not the mainstream rah-rah thing. If you are considering the healing or coaching work, or just a self-explorer enthusiast like me, definitely check out. The facilitators are great at what they do - guiding people through practical challenges and teaching the tools. I'll be there too, offering a 2-hour workshop on "Getting Unstuck". Check us out!
LASTLY
Like Green Day's famous song, “wake me up when September ends”, here's a light hearted poem for us all as we ended the month and began the last quarter of 2022.
YOUR LIPS NEED A SIP
Love is like wine, easy drunk.
Life without oomph is not fun.
Sometimes your lips need a sip
Good work, fun play, blinked a month.
Do send me a note, I'd be so happy to hear from you!
Khuyến