?? Hello from Mt Fuji! (STIMY #53)

???? STIMIES,

Can I be honest?

? I never thought I’d enjoy Japan.

The first few times I came, I was ready to go home after a week.

Which I've always found to be weird (for me)

I love travelling and being in new environments but there was just something about Japan that made me go, “No, I’m good. I’ve had enough.”

Then some dear friends moved to Japan (???? Saran & Jared!) and they invited me to stay with them to experience the ‘digital nomad’ life for a couple of weeks.

So I said yes.

And it turned out to be the best experience of 2024!

As it turns out, being a tourist and living as a (temporary) “local” are two very different things.

Which is why I found myself back in Japan a couple of weeks into 2025. ??

The first of many trips planned for this year.

Last year was my Year of YES.

This year, I’m making it my Year of TRAVEL.

I’ll still be saying YES to lots of things, but I’ll also be based in the UK, US and Canada for a fair bit.

First up is the UK in 2 weeks - if anyone is around, do hit me up!

I’ll be around for a couple of months and would love to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, join communities (I really want to find creative/writing/storytelling-related ones), host events etc.

I'll be sharing my experiences in this newsletter (+ more daily snippets via my old travel account, vidadeliya, which I really need to resurrect & consider whether it should be rebranded lol).

So keep your eyes peeled for more updates!

P/S: If you want to be part of the STIMY Community Directory, submit this form instead.

I'll add you to the Directory & give you access too!

STIMY Event: CNY edition

The first STIMY community event happened last week.

This was a special Chinese New Year edition co-hosted with some of Malaysia's top community builders (+ former guests of the So This Is My Why Podcast ) including TEDxKL , FinLit Media ( Sim Onn Yong ), MalaysianPAYGAP ( Prestine Davekhaw ), HERizon ( Jesyka Hiu ) and so much more.

There was a ton of food, a mini panel session and of course... lousang. ??

4 hours flew by just like that.

Special thanks to Daniel Cerventus Lim F. S. for bringing us all together!

P/S: Want to get updates re the next STIMY event (likely happening in London)? Hit REPLY to this message and I'll give you the link to join our Telegram group!

Want to grow your personal brand?

Join the Build Your Why course to learn how to tell your story in simple, practical steps.

This is a beta launch so if you join now, you get a 50% discount as thanks for believing in a product that doesn't yet exist ??

You also get to build BYW with me!

Tell me more about BYW!

LinkedIn Personal Branding Corner

Here some of the most viral LinkedIn threads published in the last week or so:

1. I never bought into the FIRE movement
2. This is the most feminist act you can ever take
3. This might upset some people and honestly, I hope it does. Because it needs to be said
4. Last year I spent about 500+ hours embedded at...
5. Social media managers… on an off day

Personal Branding Tip

Your age isn't your enemy.

It's your superpower.

?????? ?????? ???? ????????????????: "Everyone has 20+ years of experience. I have nothing to offer!" ?????? ?????? ???? ????????????????: "Everyone has a unique perspective. That CEO is going to want to know what young 20-year-olds care about. I can share that in public!"

Here's how you can get started:

1?? ?????? ?? ???????????? ????????

? Announce on LinkedIn that you will "Master ChatGPT in 30 days"

2?? ???????????????? ????????????????????

? E.g. what you're learning, struggling with, milestones etc.

? Take photos, videos, screenshots of your own experiments/learnings from other YouTubers etc.

3?? ?????????? ?????????????????? ????????????????

? Set a schedule for yourself, e.g. 8am every Monday & Wednesday

? Avoid writing essay; make it a quick diary entry (albeit public!)

? E.g. Quick wins, failures, favourite resources

4?? ????????????????????

? At the 30 day mark, ask yourself: What did you learn? Did you enjoy? Do you want to keep going? What have you gained (both tangible/intangible)?

? What else do you want to learn?

5?? ?????? ?? ?????? ????????

Because your learning should never stop.

??

P/S: If you were forwarded this email and want to subscribe to STIMY Newsletter or read past editions, CLICK HERE.

Ling Yah

Say ???? on LinkedIn, Instagram or Discord

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