Skip to main content

The Power of Simple Aspirations




Gerry Oh’s The Power of Simple Aspirations is an inspiring and practical guide for readers seeking a more fulfilling life. The book's key themes include resilience, emotional well-being, and financial planning, which are essential tools for staying motivated and overcoming setbacks.

Throughout the book, Oh’s writing style is clear, organized, and engaging. He balances practical advice with motivational anecdotes, making complex ideas easy to grasp and apply. His structured approach — offering specific guidance for youth, young adulthood, midlife, and later years — ensures readers feel supported wherever they are on their journey. Oh’s ability to blend emotional intelligence with pragmatic financial tips is particularly impressive, offering readers a comprehensive roadmap to personal and professional success.

The Power of Simple Aspirations highlights a global and multicultural perspective. I appreciated learning about diverse traditions such as Japan’s Ikigai, which emphasizes finding purpose by balancing what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This holistic approach encourages readers to align their aspirations with passion and practicality. From India, the concept of "Seva," or selfless service, underscores the value of contributing to others as a path to personal growth and fulfillment. The Maori people of New Zealand emphasize the importance of relationships and community through “Whanaungatanga," a reminder that personal aspirations are deeply interconnected with collective well-being.

Through these examples, Oh presents a rich and nuanced perspective on how divergent cultural values can be beneficial for goal-setting, regardless of one's background. By discussing the benefits of each belief system, he challenges the reader to expand their worldview while encouraging the integration of empathy, balance, and community into personal aspirations.

Oh reminds us that success isn’t about grand gestures but small, meaningful steps aligned with who we are and what we value. Oh’s message is deeply encouraging: by staying grounded, embracing cultural wisdom, and adapting to modern challenges such as digital influence and changing economies, anyone can build a resilient and fulfilling life.

Editor's Note: This book was originally published via Reedsy Discovery.

Popular posts from this blog

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Enlighten Me

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Los Angeles Book Review . Author Minh Lê Standing up for oneself seems like doing the right thing. Binh did just that in the face of a racist school bully who was poking fun at his Asian heritage. But physically assaulting another student goes against school policy, and it was Binh who got in trouble. Binh shares a silent retreat with his family and younger siblings. Along with other children, he learns about stories from the previous lives of the Buddha. The stories are interesting, but for Binh, it is difficult to sit still and clear his mind when he misses his Gameboy. While he struggles with silence, he learns important lessons about friendship, community, and being present. In the graphic novel "Enlighten Me," award-winning author Minh Lê and bestselling illustrator Chan Chau tell the story of a boy who gains a better understanding of himself as he works on quieting the mind and reflecting on dharma. Lê and Ch...