Three Questions for Every Choice
Before each step, before you take,
Three questions guide the path you make.
For life’s decisions, large or small,
These truths will serve to help you all.
First, ask yourself, “Is it legal?”
A rule-bound world keeps life more equal.
If it is morally right, then go ahead;
If not, let caution guide you instead.
Next, wonder this: “Is it harmful?”
To bring no hurt is ever artful.
There is strength in doing no harm to self and others—
Be kind to all, as kin, and as brothers.
And last, but most, “Is it kind?”
Let forgiveness guide your heart and mind.
For kindness paves the golden way,
To brighter paths and better days.
No earthly process is perfect, but strive your best,
With these three steps, you’ll pass the test.
Let love and wisdom guide your view,
And every choice will strengthen you.
The Path to Self-Forgiveness
To forgive yourself, begin with Truth,
Acknowledge mistakes, embrace the proof.
Take responsibility, own your role,
But don’t let blame consume your soul.
Reflect on how your actions weighed,
On others’ hearts, the pain they made.
Feel empathy, let guilt transform,
To lessons learned through every storm.
Your mistakes are not your name,
You’re not forever bound to shame.
Hold to your values, let them steer,
The better choices you hold more dear.
Show yourself the love you’d send,
To comfort a struggling, cherished friend.
Suffering is a shared refrain,
A part of life, not cause for more pain.
From every trial, wisdom flows,
Growth and wake, the seeds it sows.
Apologize quickly, where harm was done,
Make amends, and peace is won.
Silence the critic in your mind,
With words of kindness, soft and kind.
Celebrate progress, no matter big or small with stride,
A journey of healing, with love as your guide.
Lean on those who hear your heart,
Their warmth can help the mending of a new start.
Through journaling or mindful space,
Find forgiveness at your pace.
Give yourself the gift of time,
Healing’s rhythm holds no rhyme.
With patience, gentleness, and ancient love now anew,
Self-forgiveness will see you through.
You Are What Survives
Don’t let your pain become your story,
A fleeting storm, not life’s inventory.
What hurts today can fade tomorrow,
No need to shape your life in sorrow.
Struggles are steps, not where you stay,
They are not you in any way.
When you name yourself by wounds endured,
You give the fleeting a home secured.
A moment of hurt, a fleeting sting,
Shouldn’t define your everything.
For every thought, belief, and tale,
Can build the walls or lift the veil.
If pain’s the lens through which you peer,
It’s all you’ll see, year after year.
But you’re much more than trials past,
More than shadows that life casts.
You feel, you carry, you learn, you grow,
Through winds that wail, through waves that flow.
These aren’t your truth, not all you are—
You’re a flame that shines, a guiding star.
Let feelings move like ocean waves,
Don’t let them anchor you in any way.
They’re parts of your path, not where you land,
Life flows with your journey, not standing in the sand.
You are not what breaks, but what remains,
The strength in you will rise after the pain.
You are the one who endures, who thrives—
Not what hurts you, but what survives.
Be Proud of Who You Are
Some can’t communicate, so they fail to see,
That disagreement isn’t hostility.
Some dodge accountability’s call,
And take feedback as an attack, that’s all.
To those with no self-awareness inside,
Boundaries feel like betrayal, denied.
Most of the time, their actions display
The truths they fear to face each day.
And so be it—let them be,
Their path is not your destiny.
Keep your voice clear, stay true, stand tall,
Honor your boundaries, through it all.
Be someone you’re proud to know and love,
Aligned with the values you’re dreaming of.
The right ones will see you in the same way,
And walk beside you, come what may.
The Things I Learn After Losing It All
I once believed that money was small,
A thing of paper, not much at all.
I dreamed of change, of making things right,
Yet now I see in a different light.
Money won’t shape the heart within,
It won’t define if I lose or win.
But when it’s gone, the truth is clear,
I can’t give love if I’m drowning in fear.
Money is time, a cruel exchange,
You can earn more cash, but time won’t change.
The moments lost, the ones we miss,
Are worth far more than gold exists.
Money is value—I failed to see,
That worth was something inside of me.
How I treated myself, the words I spoke,
Reflected a mirror of dreams I broke.
What they say, what they do—it doesn’t define,
Their judgment is theirs, not a verdict on mine.
I learn to stand, to claim my place,
To walk with wisdom, to move with grace.
From my grandmother’s voice, I carry her truth:
Spend less, earn more, invest in your roots.
Yet simple is hard, and ease is a lie,
For wealth fades fast like clouds in the sky.
I learn that being poor is a heavy chain,
A life of struggle, a cycle of pain.
Panic and hunger, a mind caged tight,
A war to survive both day and night.
But now I focus, I clear my view,
I stop the sabotage, embrace what’s new.
And the last great lesson I finally see—
Stay broke in spirit, stay wild and free.
For wealth’s not measured by what I hold,
But by a heart that’s rich, a soul that’s bold.
And now that money is back in my hand,
I live as if broke—at peace where I stand.
Thach Ho, LCSW 