💌 Life advice from a stranger

An asian pops (or... my spirit guide?)'s perspectives on career, love, life, & family

Jun 21, 2023

Hey folks, it’s not exactly Monday… but I’m writing to you from a new city, and none of the dust has settled yet (besides the dust I cleaned in my condo with my new vacuum cleaner yesterday) — more on this exciting move later!

“This is your Nexus event.” “Maybe he was your spirit guide!” “MEG MONDAYS CONTENT” (so I’m doing it!) — these are just a few from the ~90 reactions to my Instagram story last Thursday, sharing nuggets of life lessons imparted to me from a stranger on the plane.

I must share ‘em with you. It’d be criminal not to.

It couldn’t have come at a more serendipitous time. On Thursday night, I boarded my red-eye flight to Toronto, en route to my new home. This flight was, literally and metaphorically, the transitionary link between my old life and new — a new life with little known definition, but unlimited possibility.

A middle-aged Chinese man set next to me, and we immediately made conversation. What started as a pleasant exchange regarding the purpose of our trips (he was visiting his daughter for her graduation from Queens!), turned into an hours-long talk about all-things life, love, family, career, and learning. (Conversing 100% in Mandarin made it all the more intimate.)

He both reaffirmed and shifted many of my perspectives, perspectives that’d undoubtedly guide (and perhaps foreshadow) my new life in Toronto — and frankly, perspectives that apply to anyone at any point in life.

Here are the key ones:

Finding a romantic partner: Don't get too caught on how much money they make (ie. having to find someone "equal or more than" you career-wise). It's about finding someone with good character, with whom you're genuinely happy. Someone who’d make a good parent, care for your family, make you laugh and smile — who you can safely and happily come home to after a long day. It’s okay to trust feelings more than logic sometimes, and stay open-minded to the abundance of people, far beyond the confines of defining metrics.
Health > money: No matter how much money you have, if you don't have good health and good relationships, you can die rich and miserable. Some people focus so much on their career and money that they neglect health completely — beware of this early, and find a balance between the two.
Having kids: (He’s a proud father of daughters, so it may be his bias.) Have kids, because it’ll be one of the most fulfilling passages of life, especially as you age. It’s extremely difficult and certainly a lifelong commitment, but he can’t imagine a magnitude of fulfillment and happiness greater than being a parent.
Parenting: (This is beyond my ballpark, I haven’t even dated in over a year let alone think about kids LOL.) Spoiling your kids as a parent, though it may seem like giving love, is one of the most dangerous things you can do to your kids’ psyche. Teach kids from a young age to work for their rewards; that they’re responsible for their own happiness through effort, intention, and consistency.
Count your blessings: We often forget or take for granted the blessed living conditions we have. This man works in mining and travels all over the world for work, hence has experienced shocking cultures that are unfathomable to most of us — slavery, assassinations, and extreme sexism, to name a few. Living in a developed country, we may forget the reality of much of the rest of the world. It’s enlightening to count our blessings, and propel ourselves forward from our present state to, sequentially, also make the world a better place.
Career: A massive salary and title prestige are not worth mental health issues, sacrificing precious time with loved ones. Overcome the “should”s and focus less on others’ perception of you (it really doesn’t matter). Focus instead on health, balance, and genuine enjoyment for what you do — or at the least, work that affords you both the financial means and time to enjoy your life with people you love. Work to live, not live to work.
Final nuggets:
- People are everything.
- Lead with wisdom and love.
- We are so f*cking lucky to be young. We have an entire life ahead, so wake up every day blessed for another day. Time is on our side.

The man and I wished each other well, and bid goodbye at the Pearson airport on Friday morning. We didn’t exchange names, and I’ll probably never see him again… but the points from our talk will stick with me forever, like guiding poles, gentle nudges, the angel on my shoulder. I’m excited to see just how these shifts will shape my forthcoming life — in career, dating, finance, family, and everything in between. I hope they were meaningful for you, too.

A blank slate await. Regardless if you’ve moved to a new city or stay in status quo, every day is a new day. What decisions will you make today to shape your tomorrow? Which points resonated most, or least? Write to me. I love hearing from ya’ll. :)

Love from Toronto,
Meg

🍵 Meg’s Weeklies

Keeping up with ~~the Kardashians~~ Megatron, through my weekly gems!

Podcast I’m listening to:

Article I’m reading:

None at the moment — too busy furnishing.

Quote I’m pondering:

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” —Oprah Winfrey.

Raw life update:

Andrew and I built our bed frames yesterday: a queen bed, and a twin daybed with trundle (yay for more sleeping room). We also got an air fryer. Stocked our kitchen. Did a $400 NoFrills grocery haul. Went to IKEA, HomeSense, Dollarama, H&M Home, you name it.

Dining table and chairs coming soon. Rugs are coming soon. Lots of decor on the way. I’ve been closing my Apple Fitness rings through all the cleaning and building. Andrew and I have been working tirelessly, day in and day out, to furnish our Toronto condo — our home for the next 3.5 months (at a minimum), and the start of countless new memories! I’m so thankful for Andrew, and can’t imagine a better partner-in-crime to do this all with.

Hehe… we also started a TikTok to document it raw, just for funsies!! Check us out @MegDrew6ix!

Check out my latest podcast episode: