Vilia Ciputra

"I believe that the true value of education lies not in the accumulation of knowledge, but rather in the cultivation of the ability to educate oneself. It is not a finite endpoint, but an ongoing process that requires self-reflection, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. The same goes to detachment; it is not solely about releasing attachments to things and people, but rather about cultivating the ability to recognize our attachments and the hold they have on us. It is not about becoming indifferent or apathetic towards the world around us. Rather, it is about the process of cultivating inner freedom, that requires ongoing practice and self-reflection, much like the process of education. Both education and detachment are important for us to master, for only when we feel enough about ourselves and stop making our lives as the center of the world, or the projects to fix, we can then learn more about the universe and how life actually works. And isn't that the greatest desire a...

I used to think a year means nothing. I was skeptical of how much could I change or grow in a year. Now, even a month, matters a lot. The pictures show more. Pic 1 was me at my highest bodyweight at Oct 2015 VS me now April 2023. But let's look at a closer gap time. Pic 2 was me last year May 2022 VS me last month March 2023 (10 months gap) Pic 3 was me last month March 2023 VS me now April 2023 (1 month gap) Pic 4 was me last year May 2022 VS me now April 2023 (11 months gap - less than a year) My weight doesn't change much from last month, but my body's proportion and size does change quite a bit. Some clothes that fit perfectly last month, started to loosen up a bit here and there. Now, even a week matters a lot, cause I stabilized my cholesterol, uric acid, and glucose level in less than a week. What I eat and what I do daily, matter a lot. I am not posting this here to brag, or to boast, or to be congratulated, and not even to encourage or inspire (but yes that would b...

1. Focus On My Core Competencies  Minimalism forces me to focus on my core competencies. By doing so, I focus on my best expertise, eliminate distractions, both on the design and resources management, which equal to higher quality product output and lower production cost.  2. Focus On Quality Minimalism is about focusing on what's important and removing the excess. What's important in my business is; quality. And by focusing on delivering quality, both on products and services, I can streamline my business model, reduce my cost, while also deliver better values to my clients.  3. Focus On Sustainability Minimalist business model operates on the most effective, efficient, and sustainable business process and resource management, including to reduce waste and its' environmental impact. It forces me to make a better, greener, and more sustainable decisions, for the long term.  4. Focus On Simplicity In a world that makes me to constantly feel the need to explore and add...

Finally. I've been working hard and waiting to see this number pop ups for few weeks. Just like how swimming 20 first laps are piece of cake, and finishing the 60-70 laps feels like forever, I feel the same here. The leaner I am, the harder works and efforts that I have to put for results to be achieved, especially on weight. It is not even enough to just work hard these days. I really have to do things smarter; paying attention on my sleep, macros, tricking my metabolism, IF, carbo-protein fasting, etc Size went down pretty stable (that's probably why most health coach told us to rely on size more than weight), but still weight is one of the numbers that I wanna change. Size, visceral fat, muscle mass, and weight numbers to be exact. My visceral fat has been going down 4 points, yet I still have to go lower 2 points more to be at normal level. I am nowhere near my goal, still have a long way to go, and I know it will only get harder. But, I'll be there. 🖤 If you are on th...

These three weeks I learnt quite a lot about the importance of knowing my own sweet spot on managing weight, food, fasting, exercise, and health. I've been testing uric acid (UA), cholesterol(CL), and glucose (GL) bi-weekly to monthly before, to maintain their numbers. But these three weeks, I tested UA and CL everyday, while GL weekly. It was started when I tried to raise my Intermitten Fasting (IF) ratio time from 16:8 to 22:2, and my Uric Acid went up. 18hrs IF - 5.2 20-21hrs IF - 6 22-23hrs IF - 6.9! I was panicked when I reached 6.9, but I managed to lower it down by finding my sweet spot IF ratio as 16:8, and now UA at lowest 3.5/5.5. I also learnt that my body turns out to be sensitive towards beef meat. No matter how little of it that I ate, it raised my UA up to 0.8-1 point. So, I shall make sure my UA at low point, and go straight for 150gr grass fed beef steak rather than just go for bulgogi kimbab, and I know to limit my beef intake in bi-weekly basis. I'm not too s...

10 things we don't buy anymore as minimalists, and few things that we still buy to replace the old ones. 1. Physical Book  Not only physical book takes spaces, most of the physical books that available here are also outdated and strongly curated. We can only grow when we learn to understand different perspectives and see things from different angles, even from the one that we might disagree with. To read the same books that everyone reads and only cater to certain perspectives, certainly won't help us to grow. We also have to get the latest knowledge and facts to get better results in everything. I find e-books fill those needs ad gaps better for me, while my husband choose audio books, lately. 2. Perfume If you should, you won't need more than one bottle that will last for 1-2 years.  3. Physical Music I use Spotify.  4. Coffee Machine & Refill 1 French Press and 1 manual dripper do the works well until now. 5. Souvenirs We don't buy for ourselves, and not for othe...

"I am not who I am, with only my lights and without my darkness. I need my yang to balance my yin. And I'm like Cal; I want to live, at least until now. And not just live, I want to be alive. And that requires me to unleash my darkness. That's the only way for me to be my true self. To be alive means to feel and experience the life from a lot of (if not all) spectrums, to notice the multifaceted of it. I know I can only achieve that when I give the same amount of space and respect, towards every aspect of my life and to each side of mine. And only when I accept my whole self, I can be in my true nature, and be my very best self. It might sounds complicated, but it's actually simple; Fire wants to burn Water wants to flow Air wants to rise Earth wants to bind Chaos wants to devour And I want to live life." --------- - Aim for a better tomorrow through healthy lifestyle, diverse insights, creative arts, and minimalist living. -  ViliaCiputra.com Thank you for suppor...

"I still have it with me, and I still take you as the person you've always been to me." I found it two days ago in the box where I keep my mementos. To be honest, I was pretty amazed to see that it's still working. I can still see the playlists and play the songs, which to my surprised, sounded unfamiliar to me, now. I still remember a few, some old songs that we sang along in your car, but the rest.. I felt like those were not mine. I wonder, have I and my music taste changed so much all these years? Or were they yours? Anyway, the only problem is; it has 0% battery life. It can't be charged, and could only be on when I plugged it into the power. It probably pictures the condition best; dying and irrelevant. I understand that we sometimes feel the need to disappear and restart our lives or something. We might need to wipe off our past to survive, and I might be included on the part that people wanna forget. That's why I gave you those three things to promise,...

There are lots of versions about minimalist eating, and about minimalists' view on food and diets. You may agree or disagree with mine, and these points might won't work for you the same way they do for me. I might add or eliminate some of them in the future, too. However, these are few things that I am currently doing, and work well for me. 1. Eat Wholefood • Minimal processing, better nutrients, healthier. • Minimal packaging, better for environment. • Minimal effort, maximal energy and time use. 2. Eat Local • Minimal travel time, fresher and healthier for the body, better for the planet.  • Minimal effort, maximal impact on supporting local businesses.  • Minimal cost expense, better financial stability. 3. Eat Simple • Minimal ingredients, maximal options. Imagine egg and how versatile it is to be cooked differently. Find few more ingredients that are as that versatile, build an all-stars team.  • Minimal variation, easier travel adaptation. Find food that's availabl...

"But I hope we will be friends for a lifetime. I plan to keep you forever." "I'll keep you forever, too." ----- The thing is; both of us are stoic people, and we are so good at being alone, somehow. You're even better at it than me, or everyone else that I know. And we are too logic to know that forever doesn't exist lol. But I'll keep it here and I'll look back after years. I've found myself running alone from time to time, I'm fastest that way. And I was one of them; ones who were so good at leaving. But, let's hope forever does exist for once. --------- - Aim for a better tomorrow through healthy lifestyle, diverse insights, creative arts, and minimalist living. -  ViliaCiputra.com Thank you for supporting  my intention  through owning  my artworks , reading  my writings , and following  my Instagram . You could also support my page with buy me a coffee at the link below. 

So, the last two weeks was actually a test and trial period for me. I've eliminated fried food almost half year, but intrigued to know whether there is a difference between fried food at home VS fried food at good restaurant chain VS fried food at street hawkers, on my cholesterol level. The result on me was; yes there is a HUGE difference between them. My cholesterol level was barely affected when I do pan fry (not deep fry) at home with olive oil (146/200) VS raised a little when I ate fried food at a good restaurant chain (165/200) VS a huge spike when I ate fried food at street hawkers (211/200). So, clearly the oil that we use, how many times it was being used, and how we cook, matters. I also got insights on my uric acid level. While my cholesterol level wasn't affected much, my uric acid level is a completely different story. My uric acid raised almost 0.5 - 0.8 points every time I dine out, even when I didn't eat red meat/ high purine food. My guess was; either the ...

Do you actually know the kind of life that you want, and the kind of person that you would like to become? One of my mentors told me once about the importance to prioritize our To-Be list as much as, if not more than, our To-Do list. While our To-Do list represents tasks that need to be accomplished, our To-Be list focuses on the person we want to become, the skills we want to achieve, and the values we want to embody. Since then, I found this as a very important and enlightening process. My To-Be list is like a blueprint of how I want my life to happen, how I set my priorities and how I make better decisions. I also learn to become more resilient, as I am better at handling setbacks and challenges when I am grounded in my values and focus on my greater purposes. I found that some small changes in my daily life, really support my To-Be list; • Block 4-5 hours of my mornings for myself to work on who I wanna be. To exercise, read, write, and create. Exercise, we all know why. Reading al...

Exercise and healthy eating could be overwhelming, and many people like me back then, didn't have a clue of where to start and what to do first. These are not the most complete guide to have a healthier life, but these are the simplest and most useful steps to begin with. Here, I tried to give a No BS steps that I myself follow all these months to get healthier, have more muscles, and lost 24.5kg (yes, it is still going down yay). 1. Get a Medical Check Up The first step to improve everything is to know your current data and situation. So, to improve your health and activity level, start with knowing where you are at now, and get the real time numbers, as simple as that.  2. Find One Thing That You Like And Can Do Daily Step 2 is to find one exercise and one food (for breakfast) that you enjoy, can do or make everyday with minimal effort, and suitable for your daily routine. Just start and stick with it for 3 months, the rest will follow.  3. Get A Tracker Tool  It can be...

"Do you ever sit on a cafe, watching people, and think how we all are just kids trapped in adults' body, playing kids tea party game? Like.. some people will act and talk so big, as if who they are and what they said, were big deals, while we all can easily smell and sense those insecurities?" "Yeah, some people want to be seen as so important. I saw some of those people at the cafe the other day, too. But I'm just a quiet observer, and it's kind of interesting to see how different cafes attract different kinds of people." "I agree. Observing, that's what I always do, too. Those kind of cafes and those kind of people always made me feel grateful of the life that I have now. That I need no one to impress (or to be impressed with me), have no importance to boast of anything, have nothing to cover or hide, and feel completely free and content with myself. To be surrounded with only the people I care the most, and care about me, without the needs to...

These are the hardest categories for me when I started with minimalism. They are hard, but very necessary to do. I suggest you to do them, or any category that you feel as hard, at the end of the process. Finish all the easier categories first, then give yourself more time to process the hard stuff. 1. Hobbies & Tools As it's name, hobbies are something that we like or aspire to do. Yet' they are neither our priorities, nor essential, to invest more time to master. And if you're like how I was, you'll collect a lot of tools first before you even dive into the activity itself lol. I pleaded guilty for my painting tools, calligraphy tools, etc. Sorting them out, not only make space and time for the important stuff, but also making a mental clarity of what really matters for us, and to not be distracted with everything else.  2. Mementos Old letters from people in the past, poems, old travel pictures, you know those stuff. things that became a part of who we were, and ...

"I know I don't always have happiness with me, but I also know that I can always start being happy. I know many people put so many conditions on happiness, as if we are not supposed to have it without earning it. And so many people don't realize that their unhappiness mostly come from the projections of other people's (that they care about) expectations, that they took as their responsibilities to meet and to fix. Well, just because people or life throw you lemons, doesn't mean you have to catch them. I'm one of those people who will put the world on hold, while I'm doing my things for myself to make me happy. 'My peace first for me, but you do you.' That's my mantra nowadays." --------- - Aim for a better tomorrow through healthy lifestyle, diverse insights, creative arts, and minimalist living. -  ViliaCiputra.com Thank you for supporting  my intention  through owning  my artworks , reading  my writings , and following  my Instagram . You...

This year's Ramadhan fasting marks the first year of us celebrating it without any kolak, sweet timun suri, or anything sweet other than fruits. Savoury food, vegetable, and fiber first. Today also my first time ever to try 23hrs fast, which I doubt to have the power to make it sustainable to do in daily basis 😂. I didn't feel hungry, but I guess that's because I didn't exercise today. Happy break-fasting, everyone. Stay healthy. --------- - Aim for a better tomorrow through healthy lifestyle, diverse insights, creative arts, and minimalist living. -  ViliaCiputra.com Thank you for supporting  my intention  through owning  my artworks , reading  my writings , and following  my Instagram . You could also support my page with buy me a coffee at the link below. 

5 easiest categories to start with minimalism! It took us no longer than two weeks to sort them up. It was a boring work, but trust me, it will make your life much easier on the long run. 1. Clothes Just focus on three key rules: Pick your color capsule/ theme (3-4 color combination best) Only include things that feel comfortable, every time you wear it.  Every item should be able to be mixed and matched without thinking and blinking.  The rest, packed them into bags, put on one area and wait for 3 months, then donate. Try not to have more than 100 items (including bras, under wears, socks, etc) if you wanna up game it a bit.  2. Cooking Tools Cooking is a simple daily action, and unles you work on food related field, chances are; you won't need more than these items: 1 Non-stick wok/ high sides pan 1 Stainless steel medium size sauce pan 1 Set of tools (ladle, flipper, thong, scissor, 3 knives) 1 Set of vegie strainer, mix bowl, cutting board 1 Set of plate, cup, and bas...

"There was a scene on The Makanai, where Momoka, the senior and star of the Maikos, said that she actually thinks that she is born to be a maiko and that she couldn't imagine doing anything other than that in life. There was also a scene on The Road to Red Restaurants List, where the owner of a legendary Japanese ramen restaurant who was already aging and has no successor, said that all he wanted in life is just to serve a delicious ramen for the customer, even if that means he has to wake up early every morning during the summer and maintaining the temperature during winter to create a good texture of ramen. And there was a scene on the same series that shown a conversation between a daughter and a father. She told him about her wanting to continue to beauty school instead of going to college, and how her mom opposed it. She asked her father's opinion, and he said something like this; "It's been a long time I feel like I have no interest in anything (and how life...