There are times in life when we suddenly notice how busy and crowded our minds have become. However, they are not full of our own dreams, plans, or happiness. Instead, they are filled with thoughts about other people. We remember someone’s words again and again. We think about how someone treated us. We replay old conversations in our minds before going to sleep. Sometimes we think about others because we admire them. Other times, we think about them because we feel disappointed, upset, or even jealous. Without noticing it, we slowly allow other people to take up too much space in our hearts and minds.
The human mind is powerful, but it is also delicate. It can bring us peace, but it can also bring us stress if we are not careful with our thoughts. Many of us spend too much time worrying about other people’s actions, opinions, or success. We wonder why someone spoke to us in a certain way. We feel hurt by someone’s behaviour. Sometimes, we compare ourselves to others and feel unhappy. The more we think about these things, the heavier our minds become.
The sad truth is that while we are busy thinking about others, we often forget about ourselves. We forget our own growth, dreams, and peace of mind. The first thing we lose is often our inner peace. A peaceful mind cannot stay calm when it is full of anger, jealousy, or disappointment. Negative thoughts slowly grow inside us. Even when we smile in front of others, our hearts may feel tired and heavy.
Another thing we lose is time. Time is one of the most valuable things in life because once it passes, we can never get it back. Yet many people spend hours, days, or even years thinking too much about people who may not even think about them in return. We lose sleep over misunderstandings. We waste energy on anger. We let sadness stay in our hearts for too long. At the end of the day, we feel emotionally tired without fully understanding why.
In today’s fast-moving world, many people feel mentally exhausted. Even when they have not done difficult physical work, they still feel drained. One reason is that the mind itself becomes tired. Thinking too much can be exhausting. Carrying disappointment, anger, or jealousy in our hearts every day slowly takes away our happiness. Instead of focusing on our own lives, we become too interested in what others are doing, saying, or achieving.
At some point, we need to stop and ask ourselves an important question: “Am I spending too much time thinking about other people?” This question may seem simple, but it can help us understand ourselves better. When we become aware of our thoughts, we can slowly begin to change them.
Bringing our attention back to ourselves does not mean becoming selfish. It simply means caring for our own mental and emotional well-being. Instead of filling our minds with negative thoughts about others, we can fill them with thoughts that help us grow. We can think about our goals, our families, our studies, or ways to become better people. We can spend more time helping others, learning new skills, reading books, or doing things that bring peace to our minds.
One beautiful thing about the human mind is that it can learn new habits. At first, it may be difficult to stop negative thinking. Sometimes anger comes naturally. Jealousy may quietly enter the heart. Disappointment can be hard to forget. However, we do not have to let these feelings control us forever. The first step is simply becoming aware of them.
The moment we notice ourselves thinking too much about someone, we can gently stop and say, “I am thinking about this too much.” This small awareness is powerful. It helps us step back from our emotions instead of becoming trapped inside them. Little by little, we learn to control our thoughts instead of allowing our thoughts to control us.
For many people, peace comes through prayer, meditation, or spiritual reflection. In Buddhist practice, many find comfort by remembering the noble qualities of the Buddha. When the mind focuses on something positive and meaningful, negative thoughts slowly become weaker. Anger, jealousy, and disappointment begin to lose their power.
Of course, changing our thinking habits does not happen overnight. It takes patience and practice. A habit formed over many years cannot disappear in a single day. However, every small effort matters. Just as a tree grows little by little, peace also grows slowly inside us. The more we practise letting go of unnecessary thoughts, the easier it becomes.
Over time, we begin to feel lighter. We stop reacting too strongly to small problems. We stop carrying other people’s actions in our hearts all day long. Instead, we begin noticing the simple joys of life — the quiet beauty of the morning, kind words from a loved one, peaceful evenings, or moments of laughter with friends and family. Life becomes calmer when the mind becomes calmer.
Every person has limited time in this world. Our time is precious because it is closely connected to our life itself. Once time passes, we can never bring it back. That is why we should be careful about what we allow to stay in our minds. Not every problem deserves our attention. Not every person deserves our endless thoughts.
If we must spend our valuable time on something, let it be on thoughts that bring goodness into our lives. Let us think about kindness, peace, wisdom, and personal growth. Let us spend more time improving ourselves rather than worrying about others. A peaceful mind brings strength, happiness, and clarity. And when the mind becomes peaceful, life itself becomes more meaningful.

gnlm

The human mind is powerful, but it is also delicate. It can bring us peace, but it can also bring us stress if we are not careful with our thoughts. Many of us spend too much time worrying about other people’s actions, opinions, or success. We wonder why someone spoke to us in a certain way. We feel hurt by someone’s behaviour. Sometimes, we compare ourselves to others and feel unhappy. The more we think about these things, the heavier our minds become.

These days, kids from all over the world like to spend most of their free time surfing the net, as far as I can see. In our childhood, we had less screen time than now, simply because we could not afford modern technology to a certain extent, except that we used to see a few movies on TV on weekdays and weekends. We would spend time on child’s play, such as hide-and-seek or football, not on the phone. Nowadays, most children are so addicted to video games and TikTok that they cannot help using the internet every single day. From whatever point of view, wasting time only on the internet day and night is inadvisable for their health at all. Thus, how should we stop our kids’ endless scrolling?
Start small and be realistic: Many indulgent parents have already given their children tablets or smartphones, especially because they do not want them to lose face among their same age groups, without being aware that getting rid of the tablets or phones is no easy task. Of course, breaking a deep-rooted habit, especially a bad habit, is too difficult. Changing a habit is always going to be hard, and implementing changes at a neutral moment, not in the heat of an argument about screen time, calm brains communicate best, as Child Psychologist Dr Jane Gilmour stated. Hence, one of the first steps to reducing kids’ screen time may be designating a set place at home for devices, like a particular cupboard.
Be collaborative: According to Child Psychologist Dr Maryham Baker, older children and teenagers can benefit from being part of the conversation around screen time instead of having rules imposed on them. In actual fact, acknowledging the peer pressure surrounding social media can help get teens onside, where Parenting Coach Edwards added that building a strong connection with children or teenagers will make it easier to regulate screen use. What I want to mean here is that parent collaboration tells a sort of authoritative parenting style, not authoritarian, indulgent or neglectful.
Turn screen time into learning opportunities:  Many children of today are found to be struggling to keep up with the fast-paced changing fads and trends on social media, for example, a premature marriage or a young marriage. There is, however, an opportunity for both adults and children to learn from each other through frank discussions about screen time. How we think social media works or an application works to keep people looking at it, and whether they make money off the more time people spend on it, are potentially expected learning opportunities for children. After all, parents can even teach their children digital literacy in a hands-on way.
Model good behaviour: It is no secret that children mimic or imitate their parents, encouraging good screen habits in them will have to start with some self-reflection. As a light-hearted approach to behaviour, a slightly self-deprecating conversation with kids can be used. Really, phones and tablets have provided young and old alike with an ever-present source of entertainment, but both adults and children should take advantage of embracing boredom a bit more. Being on the screen, we keep on looking at the external world, as well as when we go into our internal world, and we kind of stare into space, which allows us to think about the past, visualise the future and predict creativity.
Do not panic: Parenting is scarcely easy, yet raising children in a time and place where screens exist here and there can be very worrying even though we are still learning how they affect us. Nonetheless, parents should not fall into the trap of moral panic now that there is a tendency for anxious people to get caught up in a prevailing media panic and see all adolescent brains as simply hardwired for social media addiction. Nevertheless, children and teenagers have what is called neuroplasticity, that is, their brains are better at adapting and bouncing back than those of adults. Herein, positive technological use can help to boost neuroplasticity for creativity, exploration and learning.

gnlm

The hundreds of human skulls preserved in the Morton Cranial Collection at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia reveal an unexpected mystery about modern health. The collection, one of the world’s largest of its kind, contains specimens from cultures across the globe and spans from the Stone Age to the nineteenth century. While examining the skulls, researchers noticed something remarkable: ancient people almost always had straight teeth, broad jaws, and strong facial structures. Crooked teeth, crowded mouths, and impacted wisdom teeth were extremely rare.
In contrast, modern humans commonly struggle with dental misalignment. Millions of children and adults wear braces, undergo tooth extractions, or receive corrective dental procedures. Orthodontics has become a massive industry, yet the deeper causes of these problems remain controversial.
A New York Times writer once discussed this phenomenon with one of the museum’s modern curators. Looking at ancient skulls with perfect teeth, the writer asked whether she had ever seen crooked teeth in specimens from ancient populations.
“No, not one. Ever,” the curator replied.
The ancient skulls consistently showed edge-to-edge bites, wide dental arches, and room for every tooth, including wisdom teeth. But the situation changed dramatically in skulls over the last two centuries. One nineteenth-century North American woman’s skull displayed a narrow upper jaw, crowded teeth, and a weaker facial structure.
The curator admitted that she had spent years wondering what had changed.
“I always told my students, ‘Something happened 200 years ago, and nobody has an edge-to-edge bite anymore – and I have no idea what,’” she explained.
Anthropologists and dental researchers have proposed many explanations. Some argue that modern diets play a central role. Ancient humans ate tougher, less processed foods that required heavy chewing. This constant use of the jaw during childhood may have stimulated proper growth and development of facial bones.
Modern diets, however, consist largely of soft and processed foods. Children today often eat mashed foods, bread, pasta, cereal, and snacks that require little chewing effort. Critics of modern dietary habits argue that this reduced strain on the jaw prevents it from developing fully, resulting in smaller mouths and crowded teeth.
Despite these observations, mainstream orthodontics often focuses on treatment rather than prevention. The most common explanation given to patients is that crooked teeth are primarily genetic.
“Your teeth are too large for your jaw,” many orthodontic clinics explain.
Some clinics acknowledge that environmental factors such as thumb sucking or mouth breathing may contribute to alignment problems, but these factors are usually considered secondary.
Meanwhile, orthodontic treatment continues to grow rapidly around the world. At any given time, millions of Americans wear braces, and a significant percentage of teenagers eventually receive orthodontic care. In the United Kingdom, hundreds of thousands of young people undergo similar treatments every year. Increasing numbers of adults are also seeking braces and aligners in pursuit of improved smiles.
Dental crowding has become so common that wisdom tooth extraction is practically considered a normal part of growing up. Many teenagers and young adults have their wisdom teeth removed before they even cause symptoms. Some studies suggest that by age thirty, a majority of adults in industrialized societies have undergone wisdom tooth extraction.
To critics, this widespread need for correction raises an important question: if crooked teeth are simply genetic, why did the problem become so common only recently in human history?
One controversial answer comes from Dr John Mew and his son Dr Mike Mew, British orthodontists associated with a field known as orthotropics. Their theories challenge conventional orthodontics and argue that modern lifestyle habits are significantly altering facial development.
According to the Mews, one of the most damaging habits is chronic mouth breathing.
They claim that breathing through the mouth instead of the nose can affect the position of the tongue, the shape of the jaw, and the development of facial bones during childhood. In healthy development, the tongue naturally rests against the roof of the mouth, helping the upper jaw expand outward. However, if children breathe primarily through the mouth, the tongue drops downward, reducing support for proper jaw growth.
The result, according to their theory, is a narrower face, crowded teeth, weaker jawlines, and smaller airways.
The Mews also connects these structural changes to a growing list of modern health problems. They argue that reduced airway size contributes to sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. Sleep apnea causes repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep and has been associated with serious health risks such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, poor concentration, and memory problems.
Some researchers have also linked sleep-disordered breathing in children to behavioural issues, learning difficulties, and reduced academic performance. In severe cases, poor sleep quality may affect emotional regulation and cognitive development.
Supporters of orthotropics believe that modern society has underestimated the importance of proper facial development. They argue that correcting underlying breathing habits and encouraging healthy jaw growth during childhood could reduce the need for braces and extractions later in life.
However, the Mews’ views remain highly controversial within mainstream dentistry and orthodontics. Many orthodontists argue that their claims lack sufficient scientific evidence or rely too heavily on anecdotal observations.
The disagreement eventually became intense. In 2017, Britain’s General Dental Council removed John Mew’s license to practice dentistry at the age of eighty-eight. Critics accused him of publicly criticizing established orthodontic methods and promoting ideas considered outside accepted standards.
Despite this opposition, interest in airway health, facial growth, and breathing patterns has continued to grow online and among some health professionals. Social media platforms, podcasts, and alternative health communities frequently discuss topics such as nasal breathing, tongue posture, and facial development.
The debate reflects a larger issue in modern medicine: should healthcare focus mainly on correcting problems after they appear, or should it pay greater attention to prevention and environmental causes?
Ancient skulls suggest that humans once developed strong jaws and straight teeth naturally, without braces or surgery. Something about modern lifestyles appears to have changed that pattern. Whether the causes are diet, breathing habits, genetics, or a combination of many factors, the dramatic rise in dental problems raises important questions about how modern environments shape human health.
For now, orthodontics continues to provide solutions for millions of people seeking healthier or more attractive smiles. Yet the mystery observed in museum collections remains unresolved. Why did our ancestors rarely need braces, while modern populations increasingly depend on them?
The answer may not lie in a single cause but in the cumulative effects of industrialization, processed foods, changing childhood habits, and modern lifestyles. As researchers continue investigating the issue, the history hidden inside ancient skulls may eventually reshape how future generations think about teeth, breathing, and human development.

gnlm

In today’s technological era, trees continue to play a vital role in improving the quality of life, especially in urban environments, as recognized in many government Sustainable Development Strategies. Trees provide us with invaluable resources such as oxygen, soil stability, beautiful landscapes, timber, medicine, cosmetics, shelter, and environmental balance.
Planting and preserving trees in urban areas helps reduce the heat island effect caused by roads, pavements, and large commercial buildings by blocking and deflecting sunlight. Moreover, trees reduce the greenhouse effect by absorbing carbon dioxide and filtering dust and pollutants from the air. Many communities are also home to ancient trees that stand as historical landmarks and symbols of local pride.
Trees absorb and store rainwater, helping to prevent floods, droughts, storms, and other natural disasters. In addition, trees make our world greener, healthier, and more beautiful. From the fresh buds of spring to the colourful leaves of autumn, trees create breathtaking scenery both indoors and outdoors. Hundreds of living creatures depend on trees for shelter, food, and survival. Leaves, flowers, fruits, and branches provide homes and nourishment for birds, insects, and animals. We are all familiar with apples, oranges, mangoes, and countless other fruits and nuts that trees generously provide, along with delicious natural syrups.
Trees also play an essential role in maintaining good health. Many medicines are produced from plants and trees. The bark of certain trees contains important chemicals used in medical treatments. For example, quinine and aspirin are both made from bark extracts. Furthermore, trees have a wide range of practical and commercial uses. Wood was one of humanity’s earliest sources of fuel and is still used for cooking and heating by nearly half of the world’s population. Trees also provide timber for construction, furniture, tools, sports equipment, paper, pencils, notebooks, and thousands of everyday household items.
In conclusion, people should stop cutting down trees because they absorb carbon dioxide, reduce global warming, and provide the oxygen necessary for all living beings to survive. Nowadays, preserving trees has become an important responsibility for everyone around the world. Therefore, we should encourage our neighbours, friends, and especially young people to understand the importance of trees by planting and caring for them whenever possible. Trees are an inseparable part of our lives, and it is difficult to imagine a healthy world without them. For a greener, happier, and healthier future, we must prevent deforestation and plant more trees.

gnlm

A country can only become peaceful, successful, and developed when its citizens act responsibly and contribute positively to society. Being a good citizen means respecting laws, helping others, protecting the environment, and working together for the improvement of the nation’s interests. Every citizen has a responsibility to support and protect their country through good behaviour, education, and hard work.
One of the most important qualities of a good citizen is responsibility. Responsible citizens obey domestic laws, respect public places, and avoid actions that may harm society. Even simple actions such as keeping the streets clean, helping neighbours, and showing kindness to others can create a healthier and more united community. When citizens behave responsibly, society becomes more peaceful and organized.
Education and self-improvement are also important duties of citizens, especially young people. Students should focus on gaining knowledge and developing useful skills because they are the future generation of the country. Educated and skilled citizens can contribute to national development in areas such as science, technology, business, medicine, and education. A strong country depends on capable and hardworking people.
Loving one’s country is not only about words or emotions. True patriotism is shown through actions and contributions to society. Citizens should respect their culture, traditions, national heritage and national identity while also helping their communities grow stronger. In difficult times, unity and cooperation among citizens are essential for national stability and progress.
Nowadays, many young people dream of going abroad for education, jobs, or better opportunities. While learning from other countries and gaining technical know-how and international experience can be beneficial, it is also important to remember one’s homeland. When too many educated and talented people leave their country permanently and never return, the nation may lose skilled workers, professionals, and future leaders. This can slow national development and create difficulties for future generations.
Therefore, young people who study or work abroad should also think about how they can contribute back to their country in the future. They can return with new knowledge, skills, and experiences to help improve education, technology, healthcare, and society. A country grows stronger when its citizens use their abilities for the benefit of their own nation.
Moreover, good citizens should show honesty, kindness, and respect toward others regardless of differences in background or opinion. Peaceful societies are built through understanding, cooperation, and mutual respect.
In conclusion, being a good citizen and loving one’s country are important responsibilities for every individual. National development does not depend only on governments and leaders but also on ordinary citizens. Therefore, people should strive to become educated, responsible, and compassionate individuals who contribute positively to society and help build a peaceful and successful future for their country.

gnlm

You may be remembering Twixt Twelve and Twenty by Pat Boone – a guide for adolescence, written for the uncertainties of youth. Yet, with the benefit of age and observation, one could argue that the truly turbulent decade is not twelve to twenty, but thirty to forty.
Between thirty and forty, life often stops asking “Who am I?” and begins asking “What have I become?”
This period is psychologically pivotal because it represents a collision between dreams and reality.
At twenty, hope is cheap. At thirty-five, reality sends the invoice.
Many enter this decade believing life follows a predictable script: education, career, marriage, children, success, security. Yet reality proves uneven. By midlife’s threshold, some have become fully-fledged professionals, financially stable and socially admired. Others remain stuck – careers stalled, relationships fractured, ambitions quietly buried.
Some become pompous with achievement, mistaking status for identity. Others feel down in the dumps, comparing themselves with peers and mourning roads not taken. It is also a period where questions of identity, including gender identity, sexuality, belonging, and purpose, may surface or intensify, sometimes after years of suppression.

Maslow’s Lens: The Hierarchy Begins to Shake
(Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization)
Through the lens of Abraham Maslow, the thirties are often the decade where multiple levels of needs collide.
In one’s twenties, many struggle with security needs – jobs, housing, income. By the thirties, attention shifts toward:
Love and belonging: marriage, intimacy, family stability, friendship networks. Broken relationships or loneliness can become deeply painful at this stage because peers appear to be “moving ahead”.
Esteem needs: professional recognition, social standing, financial competence. This is the era of promotions – or disappointments.
Self-actualization: the haunting question: “Is this really the life I wanted?”

Many experience what psychologists describe as an “expectation-reality gap”. When youthful ideals clash with adult reality, people may suffer depression, burnout, cynicism, or existential anxiety.

Erikson: Generativity vs Stagnation Begins to Whisper
Erik Erikson described adulthood as a struggle between generativity and stagnation. Though classically linked to later adulthood, its seeds often appear in the thirties.

People begin asking:
Am I contributing anything meaningful?
Am I simply surviving?
Have I become who I wanted to be?
This explains why some abruptly change careers, end marriages, migrate to other countries, return to study, or reinvent themselves. The thirties can feel like an internal audit.

The Neuroscience of the Thirties
Interestingly, the brain itself is changing.
The prefrontal cortex – responsible for judgement, impulse control, and long-term planning – reaches mature integration by the late twenties to early thirties. Impulsive youthful confidence often gives way to realism. One sees limits more clearly – both one’s own and one’s life.
At the same time, social comparison intensifies. Modern psychology calls this the “social clock” phenomenon – silently measuring oneself against cultural expectations:
Career? Married? Children? House? Success?
Falling behind that imagined clock can generate shame, envy, or despair.

A Buddhist Reflection
From a Buddhist perspective, the suffering of the thirties often stems from attachment to an earlier imagined self – the person we thought we would become.
The young self dreams in straight lines; life unfolds in circles.
Some dreams shatter. Yet shattered dreams are not always failures; sometimes they are merely corrections of fantasy. A broken relationship may prevent a lifetime of unhappiness. A failed career may redirect one towards authenticity.
In Myanmar wisdom, one might say: “Life does not always give what we ask for, but often what we need to become wiser.”
Perhaps twixt thirty and forty is less a decade of success or failure than a psychological crossroads – where identity, ambition, disappointment, and maturity wrestle together.
By forty, some emerge humbled, some hardened, some wiser.
And wisdom, unlike youthful success, usually arrives carrying scars.

gnlm

In the modern world, job interviews are found to be the most common culture of most workplaces. Before a person goes into a work domain, he or she often gets interviewed, especially about whether they have previous work experience, qualifications and so on. To be honest, it is natural if a white-collar or blue-collar worker is interviewed by respective people, simply because a job interview may be the precursor of manual and non-manual workers who will probably dedicate themselves to their work from the employer’s point of view. On the other hand, job interviews can be the greatest barrier to hopeful successors at work in the future. Hence, preparing for a job interview has always become an absolute must for all expectant workers. So, how on earth should a job interview be well prepared by any amateur? This is as follows:
First, we should research the company, which means that we have to find out what the company does and what matters to them. Additionally, the fact that the company where we will apply for a job puts goods, services, or both first should be noticed. As far as I know, most companies all around the world tend to give service rather than goods first. To undertake company research, we can check their website, LinkedIn, and social media. This helps us show genuine interest and talk more confidently about why we want the job.
Second, we need to prepare answers to common questions like `Why do you want this job? ´ and `What can you bring to this role?´ In whatever situation, answering preparation for frequently asked questions is the best for us for the simple reason that preparation usually makes us believe in ourselves, as well as a good end to the job interview. For interview questions, we ought to study the job description and think about what the company is looking for. Does the company importantly or urgently demand an employee’s professional expertise or physical appearance, and the number of blue-collar or white-collar employees? And we must use authentic examples so as to make our answers clear and persuasive.
Thirdly, it is very important to us that we practise our language. Never think it is unimportant at all. Speaking, also a communication skill, is essential for almost all jobs of today, in that an able speaker is mostly liked by many interviewers, assuming that he can also work in accordance with his oral commitment and job requirements to some extent. Thus, we are required to practise useful interview language such as positive adjectives, action verbs, and key terms in our respective fields, as in the example `I am experienced in conducting multi-sensory learning for children in SENDs (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)´. As a matter of fact, we will also have to check the pronunciation of important words, the company’s name and the interviewers’ names. To do this, we can try our answers loud or doing a practice interview.
Fourthly, we can even prepare our own questions. That is, we may prepare a few questions to ask at the end of a job interview, for instance, about the challenges of the role, the next step in the process, or training opportunities. In my opinion, such a question-and-answer session in a job interview will hardly ever happen. Several companies like to express no interest towards an interviewee’s subjective questions most of the time, I should believe. But, if possible, we can make at most one or two questions of our own before a job interview. Nonetheless, this shows interest and helps us to decide if the job is right for us.
At last, we will need to get the practical details right. We must choose what to wear, bring what we need and plan to arrive early. If hair is said to be the second face of a person, then clothing will become his third face automatically. An interviewee’s clothing style and colour choice tell a lot about them. Do not be too out of date or too trendy. According to the applied job and the physique, it is OK if clothes fit and suit us. Also, we ought to take our educational transcription and other related evidence, just in case. For online interviews, make sure that we check our camera, sound and surroundings. Getting these details right can help us feel calm, prepared and ready to do our best. The best of luck with our jobs!

gnlm

Photo: Workable Resources

In modern society, trust is often treated as either a virtue or a weakness. We are encouraged to “trust people” while simultaneously warned to “trust no one”. Between these opposing messages lies an important psychological truth: healthy living depends not on absolute trust or total suspicion, but on the ability to balance both.
Perhaps the human mind resembles a pendulum clock.
A pendulum that swings too far in one direction loses balance. Yet one that remains permanently fixed in the centre becomes useless – a dead clock. As the old proverb reminds us, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, but it no longer adapts to reality. In much the same way, a person whose thinking becomes rigid – permanently trusting or permanently mistrustful – risks psychological stagnation.
The Psychological Origins of Trust
Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson famously proposed that human development begins with a stage called Trust versus Mistrust. During infancy, children learn whether the world is safe and dependable through interactions with caregivers. Warmth, predictability, and protection foster trust; inconsistency or neglect may encourage mistrust.
However, Erikson did not view trust as a fixed childhood achievement. Rather, it evolves across the lifespan. Adult experiences – relationships, betrayals, disappointments, and recoveries – continuously reshape how individuals perceive others.
Excessive trust may leave one vulnerable to manipulation, deception, or exploitation. On the other hand, chronic mistrust can imprison a person emotionally, leading to isolation, suspicion, and loneliness. Psychological maturity, therefore, requires what some scholars describe as “earned trust” – confidence informed by experience and tempered by judgement.
What Happens in the Brain?
Modern neuroscience offers a biological explanation for these psychological patterns.
The brain constantly negotiates between safety and threat through the interaction of several systems. The amygdala functions as an emotional alarm system, rapidly detecting potential dangers. The prefrontal cortex, located behind the forehead, serves as a regulatory centre that evaluates evidence, weighs consequences, and moderates impulsive reactions. Meanwhile, the hippocampus helps store memories of previous experiences, including reliability, betrayal, fear, and comfort.
When these systems function harmoniously, people are generally able to judge situations wisely. But difficulties emerge when the brain’s metaphorical “ticks and tocks” fail to synchronize.
If emotional alarm signals overwhelm rational assessment, anxiety or excessive suspicion may develop. Conversely, if rational thinking dismisses emotional warning signs entirely, individuals may ignore risks and trust too easily. Mental well-being, therefore, depends not on eliminating emotional reactions but on maintaining balance between instinct and reasoning.
An important concept in neuroscience is Neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change and reorganize itself through experience. Repeated betrayal may strengthen neural pathways associated with mistrust, while repeated experiences of kindness and reliability may reinforce confidence and openness. Put simply, experience shapes both memory and expectation.
A Buddhist Perspective on Balance
Interestingly, these scientific insights resonate strongly with Buddhist philosophy.
Buddhism rarely advocates extremes. The Middle Way encourages individuals to avoid rigid positions and cultivate balanced understanding. In Buddhist thought, trust (Saddhā) is not blind obedience. Rather, it is confidence that grows through careful observation and personal experience.
The Kalama Sutta, often described as one of Buddhism’s most rational teachings, advises people not to accept claims merely because of tradition, authority, or popular belief. Instead, individuals are encouraged to examine evidence and judge whether ideas lead to well-being or harm. This bears striking similarities to contemporary ideas of critical thinking and informed trust.
Equally relevant is the Buddhist concept of equanimity (Upekkhā) – maintaining emotional steadiness without becoming emotionally detached. A balanced mind neither trusts recklessly nor mistrusts reflexively.
Keeping the Mind’s Clock in Good Time
Healthy psychological functioning may therefore resemble a well-regulated clock: the pendulum continues to swing, but remains connected to a stable centre.
Life inevitably presents disappointments, betrayals, kindness, and renewal. The challenge is not to become permanently hardened or permanently naïve. Rather, wisdom lies in flexibility – in learning when to trust, when to question, and when to pause before reacting.
Perhaps maturity is not achieved by stopping the pendulum, but by learning how to let it move without losing rhythm. In an increasingly polarised and uncertain world, the greatest psychological strength may simply be this: the ability to remain open-hearted, yet discerning.
Selected Bibliography
1. Childhood and Society – Erik H Erikson (1950). Foundational work introducing psychosocial development and trust versus mistrust.
2. The Developing Mind – Daniel J Siegel (2012). Explores relationships, brain development, and interpersonal neurobiology.
3. The Brain That Changes Itself – Norman Doidge (2007). A readable exploration of neuroplasticity and behavioural adaptation.
4. What the Buddha Taught – Walpola Rahula (1959). A clear introduction to Buddhist philosophy, including the Middle Way and equanimity.
5. Why Buddhism Is True – Robert Wright (2017). Examines intersections between Buddhist psychology and modern neuroscience.

gnlm

True simple living is not the absence of possessions, but the profound realization of needing no more—lightening our internal load to transform a burdened journey into a graceful flight.

As the world speeds up, we often find ourselves increasingly breathless. Simple living is not about having “nothing”; it is the profound realization of needing “no more”. It is like rowing a boat through the heavy currents of modern materialism. When the journey becomes exhausting, we lighten our load by tossing unnecessary baggage overboard, allowing us to glide forward with ease.
The wisdom that “chasing endless desires leads to misery” acts as a lighthouse amidst life’s storms. Letting go of things that hurt to hold onto is not a defeat; it is a liberation. Only by slowing the momentum of greed can we cherish the greatest treasure: contentment. A meaningful life is not a mansion built of cravings, but a palace founded on the appreciation of what we already have.

The Mastery of Desires
We often strive to be the “ocean”, yet we only truly need a “glass of water” to survive. Human nature allows us to be satisfied with a single drink, yet we exhaust ourselves trying to embrace the entire sea. This greed is like trying to own an island while drowning in its waves.
Craving everything we see is like feeding fuel to a fire; the more we add, the hotter it burns, eventually turning our inner peace to ash. Life is like a painting – beauty does not come from using every colour, but from removing unnecessary strokes to reveal a masterpiece.
The Japanese concept of “Ma” (Negative Space) offers a sanctuary for the soul. “Ma” refers to the empty space between objects. Just as a room needs empty space for airflow, a life needs “white space” to breathe. After World War II, Japan used this “creative emptiness” to rebuild from ruins. By removing the clutter, we give our spirits room to dance.

Inner Serenity
Modern competition is like “drawing on water” – no matter how much effort you put in, the image vanishes with the next wave. Chasing these fleeting things is like a child trying to catch their own shadow. If you spend your life stepping in everyone else’s footprints, your feet will only grow weary. You cannot find rest while wandering on paths cleared by others.
Trying to keep up with every trend or new gadget is like trying to breathe through someone else’s nose. As long as you rely on others’ lungs, you will never taste the air of true existence. A bird in a golden cage may have food, but the bird in the sky has freedom. Accepting your reality is like building a private island of peace in a noisy world.
In many cultures, the inability to say “no” out of politeness is like “honey-coated poison”. Trying to please everyone is like pouring water into a leaky pot – it is exhausting and never-ending. Declaring “no” to meaningless social obligations isn’t an insult to others; it is building a fence around your soul’s garden so your inner flowers can bloom.

Silence Amidst the Noise
Even tech giants like Steve Jobs turned to Zen meditation to find clarity among complex circuits. It is about finding the stillness at the bottom of the ocean while the surface is stormy. When the world’s noise can no longer disturb your internal “quiet pond”, you become like a lotus – rising from the mud to bloom in purity.

The Middle Path and Contentment
The Middle Path (Majjhima Patipada) is the ultimate goal of simple living. It is like a traveller resting under a tree – not so cold that they fall into a deep sleep, and not so hot that they cannot continue. Like a lute string, if life is too tight, it snaps; if it is too loose, it makes no music.
Contentment is about nurturing your life like a small potted plant. Without it, even a person who owns a mountain of gold remains a beggar in spirit. Cherishing the love and opportunities you currently have is like smelling the simple flowers in your own yard rather than staring at distant clouds.
Life should not be a paper boat burdened with baggage. It should be a paper plane, catching the wind and soaring gracefully. When we drop the heavy weights of greed and value simple beauty, we achieve the most artistic way of living.

gnlm

For many years, countries measured progress mainly through economic numbers such as GDP growth. But today, experts agree that true development is about people’s quality of life. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) introduced the Human Development Index (HDI) to reflect this shift. HDI looks at three key areas: life expectancy, education, and living standards. Among these, health is the foundation. Without good health, people cannot learn effectively, work productively, or contribute fully to society.

Life Expectancy as a Measure of Progress
One of the most important indicators in HDI is life expectancy at birth. This figure shows the overall health of a nation’s people. Longer life expectancy depends on proper nutrition, maternal and child care, protection from infectious diseases, and access to medical treatment. Poor health limits education opportunities and reduces productivity. Sick workers miss work, families face high medical costs, and economies suffer. In this way, health is not only a basic human right but also the engine that drives national development.

Healthy Workers Build Strong Economies
A healthy workforce is essential for growth. Workers who enjoy good health miss fewer days and produce more, thereby increasing family income and strengthening the national economy. Healthy mothers and children also secure the future, as proper nutrition in childhood leads to better learning ability and earning potential later in life. Investing in health is therefore the most important investment in human development. It ensures that future generations are strong, educated, and capable of contributing to society.

Challenges Facing Developing Nations
Despite the importance of health, many developing countries face serious challenges. Hospital, clinic, and medication resources are often limited. There are large gaps between urban and rural areas in terms of access to healthcare. Poor transportation and infrastructure make it difficult for rural communities to reach medical services. As a result, preventable diseases often cause unnecessary deaths. These challenges slow down HDI progress and hold back national development.

Universal Health Coverage: A Path Forward
Experts emphasize the need for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), which ensures that everyone can access healthcare regardless of income. UHC includes prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. Accessible healthcare improves quality of life and reduces poverty. To make UHC successful, governments must invest in health systems, improve service quality, and encourage community participation.
Clean water and sanitation are also vital. They reduce the spread of disease and improve public health. Vaccination programs and disease monitoring save costs and extend life expectancy. Public health education helps people eat balanced diets, exercise regularly, and avoid harmful habits such as smoking or drug use. Citizens themselves play an important role by practising healthy lifestyles.

Government’s 100-Day Plan
The new government has launched a 100-day plan to quickly improve people’s lives. In healthcare, the plan focuses on expanding UHC, raising life expectancy, increasing vaccination coverage, and promoting health awareness. Alongside these efforts, hospitals and clinics are being strengthened, and more doctors and nurses are being trained. Officials say these steps will not only improve people’s lives but also raise the country’s HDI.
The government’s short-term plan is designed to deliver immediate benefits, but it also lays the foundation for long-term progress. By investing in healthcare infrastructure and human resources, the country is building a stronger base for future development.

Health as the Foundation of Development
Health is the starting point for education, work, and income. A person who is healthy can attend school, gain knowledge, and later secure a good job. Families benefit from higher incomes, and the nation benefits from stronger productivity. Without health, these opportunities are lost. That is why healthcare investment is considered the most effective way to drive sustainable development.
Myanmar’s path to development depends on healthy citizens. With strong investment in healthcare systems, universal access to medical services, and responsible lifestyles, the nation can build a healthier, more prosperous future. The government’s 100-day plan is a step in the right direction, but long-term commitment is essential.
As experts often say, Healthy people make a healthy nation. By ensuring that every citizen has access to healthcare and by promoting awareness of healthy living, Myanmar can strengthen its Human Development Index and secure a brighter future for generations to come.

gnlm