Finding Peace In Nature: Thiên Minh’s “One Habit”

Every month, Vietcetera partner Bright – the Vietnamese magazine for simpler, cleaner and happier living, speaks with one incredibly busy individual about their “one habit” that helps them keep their balance. Because after all, if they can, we certainly could too, right?

This month, the team sat down with photographer, model and “Thinker & Dreamer” coffee shop owner Thiên Minh.

Hi Thiên Minh. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. Can you share with our readers what a typical week looks like for you? How would you normally get your day started?

Even though there a lot of events and projects that pop up all the time, my day-to-day is actually quite similar, in a way. Every morning I get up early to water plants, make food and go to the gym. Then I spend a few hours at home, researching ideas, preparing for upcoming shoots, thinking ahead about lighting set-ups, and editing photos. Once I’ve finished I go and check in on my Thinker & Dreamer café to attend to business there, or go straight to a shooting.

Even with that routine, that’s a lot to handle. What would you say exhausts you the most?

Honestly, that’s when I have no inspiration to work. As an artist, I need to be able to take some time to get inspired and create new visions. But when I don’t have the space to do that, and deadlines are pressing, it’s very easy for me to get stressed out.

As writers, we can completely understand that. So, how do handle those moments? Is there a habit you can share that helps you stay focused?

I find it in nature. And I bring that nature into my apartment so it’s always there when I need it. When I’m feeling overwhelmed I look at my plants. I like taking care of the trees I have and observe how it grows, sprouts, flowers. When I do this, I feel very comfortable and inspiration starts to bubble up again. It’s the same reason I always have flowers in the home. Every week, I like to go to the flower shop and buy new ones. I see plants as my friends, and feel very peaceful next to them.

That sounds so lovely! So what would you do if we, as by magic, could grant you another hour, or even another day of additional time?

If it’s an extra hour, I’d maybe just watch a movie or take a walk. But if you’d give me an extra day, I’d want to divide it over a week. That way, I could live a little slower, and have the time to feel a bit more, deeper. A full day without doing anything could be boring and meaningless, but adding that time to individual days would really change things and help me live slower, appreciating each moment more.

Those are very inspiring words. We think we can all take the time to live a bit more purposeful. How about you, do you have someone you look up to? A role model?

I don’t really have a role model. But I am sensitive to beauty and want to look at beautiful things every day. The people I follow on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are lovers of beauty; just looking at their pictures keep me inspired throughout the day.