In The Current Current Media RMIT Hanoi

"Be yourself, everyone else is taken." - Oscar Wilde.  Today, with the proliferation of the internet and social media, we have less control over the information we take in. People put their best foot forward in social media posts; the newest and most successful business owners are featured prominently. These stunningly successful people cannot help but make us feel somewhat… lacklustre.  

It's natural to compare ourselves to others and wish we could be just like them, but the truth is that 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬. If we simply use our shortcomings to make ourselves feel negativity, will we ever reach for the better? 👤  

In this episode of "𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭,"  Dinh Khanh Hoa, a well-known figure in the RMIT Hanoi sphere will be visiting us today.

"At your age, I would have been able to do so many things instead of glueing my eyes to the screen like you are”.   

The familiar yet unpleasant sayings of previous generations cause us to wonder whether or not we are fundamentally inferior to them. Our parents and grandparents didn't have to deal with the same kind of rapid global transformation that we do today. However, we are still subject to the preconceptions and habits of a bygone era.  

Isn't it true that there is no such thing as "identity" if there are no differences? Do we have to live up to the expectations of our ancestors? Alternatively, could we decide to celebrate what makes us special?

In our childhood, dreams came true when the paper crane bottle was filled up. In our twenties, dreams are associated with higher stages of interpretation. We dream higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean. We yearn to express ourselves and put our stamp on the farthest points. However, we also hold ourselves accountable for errors and even, fall into periods of personal identity crisis. Then, how can we keep our minds serene in the midst of chaos and dream like a child, again?  

Participating in this episode is a special guest - Ms. Bach Duong, editor-in-chief of the “Youth” issue. Her incisive observations on dreams and the threshold of adulthood will definitely put you in wonder.

Love is portrayed through various mediums.

One that can be a good example is the way we weave our wording. Something that is mundane usually emits a certain ‘smell’, a particular animal companion lets out a unique ‘scent’, or the use of ‘flavour’ for describing an inviting, mouth-watering dish.

But love. But that person. Only them can emanate an ‘aroma’, so endearing that it is totally obvious, clearly recognizable from any other smell. The ones smitten with one another seem to immerse, indulge themselves in the other’s endearing aroma; to get lost, to get found, and to unravel the fragrance of love.

Life is like an unsolved puzzle. As time passed by, a fragment of that puzzle is gathered. Those pieces are something that we always cherish and admire whenever we take a step back and try to visualize the story of our life. Those memories could have brought you joy or could have shattered you into pieces and deformed you. Either way, it defines who you are. Experiencing nostalgia is a chance for you to look back at your journey, to know yourself better or to comfort your inner child.

Joy: A sensation that is fundamental to a truly meaningful life, yet people seem to always be on the lookout for it throughout the course of our lifetime. It is safe to say that joy and happiness burns with the most passion during our youth, and there is hardly another period in life when that delight blooms with such liveliness.

Perhaps, as youngsters recognize the time of our lives is still ahead of us, but also constantly want to grasp every excitement there is to enjoy. A paradox, one might say. Youth’s joy is its own colorful world, ever tragically beautiful.