iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 30/07/2026

Film you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, Disney, or Ghibli.

From the 2007 movie Across The Universe, this gif shows Lucy, Jude, and Max singing Dear Prudence to Prudence, who has locked herself in a closet, both literally and metaphorically.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 25/07/2026

In 2017, I arrived in Saigon for the first time. I took this pic in a taxi from the airport to my hotel. Seeing "Good Fuckin' Vibes" on the jacket of the motorbike driver in front of us was a perfect Welcome To Vietnam sign. Instantly my favorite pronoia omen. It's been Home Chi Minh City ever since

The view is from the back seat of a taxi. Looking past the driver's ID and reflection in the rear view mirror, there is a lot of traffic in front of the car. The nearest motorbike driver is wearing a jacket that says across the back: Good Fuckin' Vibes.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 30/06/2026

9 years ago today, 6/30/17, I arrived in Vietnam for the 1st time. Almost immediately, I snapped this photo in a taxi going from the airport to my hotel. Through the windshield, the words on that driver's jacket hit me as an amazing Welcome To Saigon sign. It's my favorite picture I've ever taken.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 28/06/2026

I see what you did there 😜

Screenshot of Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro in the 1998 movie version of Hunter S. Thompson's book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In this scene they are on a drug-fueled road trip and are shown looking rather maniacally directly into the camera.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 16/02/2026

Tomorrow #Vietnam celebrates Tết in honor of the Lunar New Year. The greeting chúc mừng năm mới means happy new year, inspiring this chơi chữ (pun) variation. Who else regularly makes mixed language puns? #BilingualLogic #langsky #wordplay #StarTrek #Nimoy #Spock

Photorealistic AI creation of actor Leonard Nimoy in Vulcan Spock ears and a dress uniform. Star Fleet insignia is replaced by Vietnamese adornments. Along the bottom it says Chúc mừng Nimoy!

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 08/10/2025

Got some extra exercise today. Heavy rain began while I was on the treadmill at the gym. After my run, I got to swim home! #langsky #Vietnamese #flood

This is a cartoon meme of a smiling young man in a red t-shirt with a big gold star in the center of his chest (the flag of Vietnam). He is standing in flood water up to his left elbow. His right arm is raised to wave his hand. A quote bubble appears above him saying: "Hi dear! The Vietnamese word you need to learn right now is lũ (flood)" #langsky

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 23/06/2025

I just meditated a while, then the Universe began laughing me without effort or thinking. When the fun & noisy breaths eventually stopped, a sense of I/me/self returned with a lighter body, quiet mind, & soaring spirit grateful for being simply infinite. Laughter remains my best teacher.

White writing, centered on a red background: SIMPLE Sayings #41, You can both lose yourself and find yourself in laughter. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 08/06/2025

This is the link shared above. It does not mention California and would seem to apply nationwide.

Pictured is a screenshot of the top part of the announcement linked in the OP. Also shown is a search field indicating California does not appear in the full text of the page. This text is in the screenshot:

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

SUBJECT: Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions

Numerous incidents of violence and disorder have recently occurred and threaten to continue in response to the enforcement of Federal law by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions and supporting the faithful execution of Federal immigration laws. In addition, violent protests threaten the security of and significant damage to Federal immigration detention facilities and other Federal property. To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.

In light of these incidents and credible threats of continued violence,

*

Full text at https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/department-of-defense-security-for-the-protection-of-department-of-homeland-security-functions/

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 04/06/2025

I watched the woman at the fruit shop handle several coconuts before picking this one for me. As she gave it to me I said "chỉ tốt nhất cho tôi" and we both laughed. Very satisfying to make a joke in Vietnamese. #langsky (translation: "only the best for me.")

An white coconut wedged open slightly on top rests in my hand in front of a brown background.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 16/05/2025

Great post, Bry. It reminds me of both of these quotes.

Black and white picture of Kurt Cobain next to his quote: "I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." AZ Quotes

Green background with white writing: SIMPLE Sayings #52, The more you love yourself, the easier it is for others to see what they love about you. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 14/05/2025

"I'm not being argumentative for the sake of being argumentative" implies "I am being argumentative for a different reason." Also, saying "change my mind" is an invitation to argue. I believe you don't want to argue or be seen as argumentative. I don't believe these lines support your point.

A bearded viking with a metal helmet appears with the following words: Pick your battles. Pick fewer battles than that. Put some battles back. That's still too many battles.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/05/2025

I’ve been repeatedly reminded of this Lynne Twist quote lately. NOW I see it points me to Minimalism of Thought. #quotes #energy #spirituality #philosophy 1/3

White background with centered black text saying: “When you let go of trying to get more of what you don't really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have. When you make a difference with what you have, it expands.” ~ Lynne Twist

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 25/04/2025

You don't make me anxious. No matter how much you think, you'll only ever make yourself anxious. That's the #NatureOfThought. Understanding this is the crux of emotional regulation. #overthinking #anxiety #clarity

This is a simple drawing of two glasses of water side by side.

On the left, the water appears muddy as a spoon stirs up bits of dirt. The muddy water is labeled "chaos" and under the glass it says "when you overthink."

On the right, all the bits of dirt have settled to the bottom and most of the glass contains blue water labeled "clarity." Under this glass it says "when you stay still."

There is no attribution for creating this image but the metaphor appears in Jamie Smart's book Clarity about the self-correcting nature of the mind.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 20/04/2025

Excited to see this production of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple starring two women in the lead roles. #theater #Saigon

This is a poster for a production of The Odd Couple with a twist on Neil Simon's original premise: "A comedy of one apartment two women, and a hilarious battle of personalities." It is directed by Naima Thompson and will run in the Imaginarium at the ISHCMC Secondary Theater in Thao Dien, Saigon from April 24-27. For booking info, scan the QR code or email info@imaginariumvn.com.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 17/04/2025

Cutting up the breadfruit was time and labor intensive. I boiled the big hunks, which became like unmashed potatoes.I fried the smaller bits in coconut oil so they’re more like French fries/chips.

White chunks of breadfruit in boiling water.

Small white chunks of breadfruit and a spoon on a cutting board.

A clear bowl with big boiled while hunks of breadfruit and smaller golden brown fried chunks of the same breadfruit.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 15/04/2025

I just picked this from the tree beside my balcony. It is oozing milk. Maybe tonight or tomorrow I will cut and cook it.

Freshly picked breadfruit in a big clear plastic bowl.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 14/04/2025

So glad to finally learn about sa kê (breadfruit). This tree is right off my balcony and sometimes drops fruit to the ground in front of the building. Does this grow where you are? What do you call it? #langsky #Saigon #Vietnam

View of the underside of big green breadfruit (sa kê) tree leaves in Saigon. Two round green fruit the size of pomelos are in the top right.

Small unripe breadfruit (sa kê) lies on the street next to a garbage bin in Saigon.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 03/04/2025

My most recent publication is a five page PDF called Shortcuts To Simplicity. It is a gift for new members of the Let It Be Simple community, NOW on both #WhatsApp and #Discord. chat.whatsapp.com/Etl4BSbpqwhG... discord.gg/3YRUp4cP5K #shortcuts #simplicity

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 03/04/2025

The Simple Book of Infinity has a new review on Amazon. I like that it mentions reading the book multiple times and noticing different things each time. The book is designed for that. It doesn't change. You do. #booksky #simple #infinity #philosophy #spirituality www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPNVCHZY

This is a screenshot of Darnisha Harrison's Amazon review of The Simple Book of Infinity. She gave it five stars and titled the review Pure Wisdom on Every Single Page!

"Finished my second read and it kind of felt like I had not read the book at all. Each word on each page seemed to have an infinite knowingness that never really stopped unfolding for me. I started reading it again. It's a book that you can just pick up and whichever page you land is ok because there's mounds of pure, simple wisdom on every page."

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 03/04/2025

Just noticed this sticker on a table at a coffee shop. The words say sống đơn giản, which is #Vietnamese for #simple life. #Saigon

This is a blue sticker with yellow writing stuck on a table at a coffee shop in Saigon. The words say sống đơn giản, which is Vietnamese for simple life.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 30/03/2025

This seems like drinking poison to deprive others of even the possibility of betraying you. As another possibility, would you consider this?

Green background with white writing saying: SIMPLE Sayings #52, The more you love yourself, the easier it is for others to see what they love about you. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 25/03/2025

Seems we often overthink by innocently misunderstanding the #NatureOfThought. We ponder how to change/fix our thinking, or what our thinking means about us. Meanwhile, we simply miss how the feelings driving our action/inaction tell us only about thoughts as we think them. 2/4

Red background, white writing: SIMPLE Sayings #14, You are not your thoughts. It only feels like you are. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 25/03/2025

Minimalism of Thought is similar to protecting or preserving my inner #peace, but it refers to being a stand for #infinite #simplicity always available. Nothing can take that from me, but I can innocently get distracted from it and start both complicating and pretending not to be infinite. 1/4

A grey stone Buddha statue is in the background. Across the top, in white letters, it says: "We are infinite beings, pretending not to be." Across the bottom, it says: "My work here is making that simple to see. ~ ĐƠN GIẢN © LetItBeSimple.com

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 22/03/2025

This photo is in the article linked in the OP. Is that a US flag handkerchief in Hegseth's breast pocket? Is he going to blow his nose in the flag? Or just use the flag to wipe up a spill? Or violate the flag code simply by the item's design? Hardly even registers as an indignity these days.

Photo from the article linked in OP shows Trump sitting in the Oval Office with Hegseth standing next time gesturing as he speaks. Hegseth appears to have a US flag handkerchief in the breast pocket of his jacket.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 21/03/2025

Allowing experiences to "unfold" feels sharp, stiff & angular for me. Experiences happen whether I allow them or not. Allowing just feels more like they "unfurl" for me. Softer, gentler, flowier, curvier. When you relax, what can you notice about #allowing? #langsky #kinesthetic

Violet background with white writing saying: SIMPLE Sayings #33, May the allow be with you. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 11/03/2025

Here are the lyrics for Break Up With Everything by Michael Franti & Spearhead.

Lyrics:
Break up with everything
That you don’t need, don’t need
Throw it into the wind
Throw it into the sea, the sea
If there’s love that you lost
Or some roses that dried up
Or something you no longer believe
Just, break up with everything
That you don’t need, don’t need
I see you from a distance
You gotta know, I’ve never seen somebody so beautiful
I love all the scars and the stars in your eyes
You said I was the first to realize
All of the pain that you carried around
You don’t need to carry now
Break up with everything
That you don’t need, don’t need
Throw it into the wind
Throw it into the sea, the sea
If it’s love that you lost
Or some roses that dried up
Or something you no longer believe
Just, break up with everything
That you don’t need, don’t need
Even if it’s me, even if it’s me
Even if it’s me, even if it’s me
Oh yeah
I love you enough, to let you go
I love you enough, to let you know
I love you enough, to let you go
I love you enough, to let you know
To break up with everything
That you don’t need, don’t need
Throw it into the wind
Throw it into the sea, the sea
| If there’s love that you lost
Or some roses that dried up
I hope you find someone you need
That you really need
That you really need
That you really need
That you really need
Even if it’s not me

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/03/2025

Remnants of a typical #Saigon breakfast for me these days. Twasn’t always thus. Grateful for the Metta #vegan bánh mì stand in my neighborhood & owner Trang who has become a dear friend.

Two items on a wooden bench.

On the left, a brown paper bag saying: Bánh Mì Việt Nam, Best Vietnamese street food, Chúc quý khách ngon miệng! (Enjoy your meal!)

On the right, a tall cardboard cup with a cartoonish cityscape and the words: The Coffee Queen, Est 2017, Hello Spring.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 21/02/2025

Anybody can test this anytime with their own experience so you don't have to believe me. It can seem tricky but is actually #simple once you realize it for yourself. Circumstances don't cause feelings, only thinking does that. HMU if you want to explore this more closely. 4/4

A blue wooden rowboat appears on a beach at the water's edge. The ocean meets a blue sky at the horizon. In the center of the image is a quote in white text on a brown background: "If the only thing people learned was not to be afraid of their experience, that alone would change the world." The quote's author is Sydney Banks and his name appears below the quote centered in white letters on a pink background. Below that, small white text says "quotefancy

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 18/02/2025

What's the best #photo you ever took? I snapped this from the back of a taxi on 30/06/17, my first arrival in Saigon. I was en route from the airport to my accommodation, less than an hour after getting to Vietnam. I consider this the first #pronoia evidence of the Universe welcoming me here.

This is a photo taken from the back seat of a taxi in Saigon on 30 June 2017. The driver's face can be seen in the mirror and on his Vinasun ID card. Looking out the windshield, there is a lot of traffic ahead, including a motorbike driver wearing a jacket that says Good Fuckin' Vibes. This was an auspicious beginning to my life in Vietnam.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 16/02/2025

This weekend I joined a friend & her Buddhist group at Tà Cú Mountain Pagoda (2 hours from Saigon). I was amazed several monks took great interest in me. Last night I was asked about simplicity & said: Everything is simple unless you make it complicated. Can you find an example in your experience?

Monks at Chùa Núi Tà Cú (Tà Cú Mountain Pagoda) lead a prayer in front of a table full of food while a group of Buddhists pray behind them. The monks wear mustard colored robes while most of the group members wear gray robes. I stand out in a neon yellow shirt and shorts.

In the center of the photo is a Buddha statue at Chùa Núi Tà Cú (Tà Cú Mountain Pagoda). Yellow buildings are on both sides of the statue and behind it there are concrete steps going up to a building with several prayer rooms. This building has three visible characters in red on a yellow background. I do not know what they say, but they are from an earlier (not current) form of Vietnamese derived from Chinese.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 05/02/2025

Rules are choices you've stopped making. Some #rules are good to follow. This 🧵 is about rules we make up in our minds, often w/o realizing it. These are empowering to discover & liberating to reclaim as choices. Got examples? 👇👇👇 #ADHD #OCD #MentalHealth #EmotionalIntelligence #Coaching

Salmon colored background with centered black text that says: SIMPLE Sayings #4, Rules are choices you've stopped making. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 04/02/2025

After recently learning #Vietnamese distinguishes inner & outer quiet, yesterday I learned six ways of saying "save" based on contextual connotations. #Linguistics #langsky

The English word "save" translates to various Vietnamese words based on context. This picture shows six examples, as follows:

Lưu lại để dùng sau / Save it for later / saving digital or written information

Tiết kiệm tiền học đại học / Save money for college / saving resources like money or time

Cứu người khỏi hỏa hoạn / Save people from the fire / saving someone from danger

Tôi sẽ để dành nó để uống sau / I will set it aside to drink later / setting something aside for future use

Bảo tồn động vật hoang dã / Conserve wildlife / preserving things like nature or culture

Giữ bí mật / Keep a secret / keeping something in a general sense

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 03/02/2025

What if you had an ally who showed you unconditional love and support? He said call me for 15 minutes, each day if you like 👍 The calls are always about you 😀 You guys laugh together a lot 😂 Your life gets sorted 🥳 The Simplicity Series letitbesimple.com/simplicityse... #simplicity #coaching

The words "Simplicity Series" appear in black letters centered on a white background. This is a 30 day private coaching program with ĐƠN GIẢN. Visit the link for details - https://letitbesimple.com/simplicityseries

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

When I'm tripped up by labels, I'm pretending not to be infinite. When I'm in analysis paralysis, I'm making something complicated when you can always simplify - and I'm again pretending not to be infinite. It happens in many ways for each of us as humans. Just notice.

Red background with white writing that says: SIMPLE Sayings #47, You are simply infinite. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

These memes appear together as "How it started, How it's going" on the dedication page of The Simple Book of Infinity. Following publication, as my journey with learning to be ĐƠN GIẢN (SIMPLE) has progressed, this has continued revealing to me a new vibe and voice.

Two identical photos of a Laughing Buddha statue appear side by side, each with white writing in the foreground. On the left is a quote from Osho: "You are Buddhas, pretending not to be. My whole work here is to expose you." On the right is a quote from ĐƠN GIẢN: "We are infinite beings, pretending not to be. My whole work here is making that simple to see." Along the bottom, centered across both images, it says © DaveBermanCoaching.com. (NOTE: That website no longer exists and will redirect to LetItBeSimple.com)

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

That day my name became ĐƠN GIẢN, meaning SIMPLE. The #booksky became The Simple Book of Infinity: Simplicity is only as complicated as you make it. And it wasn't half done; I realized it was 90% complete! #simple #simplicity #infinite #infinity

Book cover of The Simple Book of Infinity. The background is white and the writing is black and centered on the page. The title is across the top, then it says Through ĐƠN GIẢN, and below that is the subtitle: Simplicity is only as complicated as you make it

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

Amidst the reflections, the core question to emerge was how could I #simplify - not just the book but my career and life overall? Then came these three sentences, arriving in a flash all at once as a page for the book, its title and subtitle, and the name I have kept.

Page 43 of The Simple Book of Infinity. The background is white. The writing is in black and centered on the page. It says:

Your infinite simplicity supply is always available.

Infinite complexity too.

Simplicity is only as complicated as you make it.

*

The Simple Book of Infinity is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon, or as a PDF download at https://LetItBeSimple.com/simplebook

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

As the OP says, this helped until it didn't. After 2 weeks I knew Tôi ổn wouldn't be my name, but NOW it's still a key part of how I think of myself. The next Vietnamese phrase I tried on as a name was Đi chậm ("Go slow"). It is an idea I already embraced, but TBH, took from a common road sign.

In the background there are some motorbikes driving down a road in Saigon, Vietnam. In the foreground, a metal barricade is on the side of the road with three signs hanging on it. From left to right, these are a yellow triangle with a red border and a black outline of a person digging with a shovel; another yellow triangle with red trim and black writing saying in all capital letters ĐI CHẬM (GO SLOW); and a round white sign with a red outline and red line through a picture of a car.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

This provided a new lens through which to view myself. New thinking, new feeling. This is the #NatureOfThought, which I didn't always know. From the perspective of Tôi ổn, I experienced a helpful shift in my energy and attitude, like I'd made peace with #ADHD.

Light blue background with white writing that says: SIMPLE Sayings #46, You can make a personal peace treaty with yourself anytime. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

In sum, I was functioning reasonably successfully, but I was emotionally turbulent & mentally messy In 2009, I was undiagnosed & unmedicated. That story another day. For NOW I'll simply credit my first glimpses of the #NatureOfThought, an understanding pivotal to my wellbeing & eventually my work.

White writing on a red background says: SIMPLE Sayings #14, You are not your thoughts. It only feels like you are. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

For 20 years, I received therapy and meds. During that time, I graduated high school and #Cornell University, had a career as a radio DJ, moved from NY to CA, did customer support for startups, got married, built a successful manufacturing company, got divorced, and sold my half of the business.

This is a photo of a June 1996 Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin newspaper article by Jim Falzone. The headline says: DJ takes show to cyberspace. There is a photo of me wearing headphones and talking on the mic in the WKGB radio studio. The photo caption reads: Binghamton disc jockey Dave Berman will make his debut on the World Wide Web tonight. The article describes my radio show, The Delivery Room, and says it will be the first interactive radio show on the internet.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

I started writing my latest #booksky in early 2023. It stalled for a bit. During the struggle to express myself in the form of this new book I started noticing and relating to content about #ADHD. Do I have it? Have I always had it? Was #bipolar a misdiagnosis when I was 17?

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 01/02/2025

Today I realized "I'm fine" (Tôi ổn) and I have #ADHD can both be true simultaneously for me. I was making it either/or. That was helpful at first. Then it wasn't. NOW a new story. A 🧵 about #simplicity, #infinity, and how I chose the name ĐƠN GIẢN. #neurodiversity #neurounique #NatureOfThought

This is a white name tag with a red border. Vietnamese words are written in black saying: Xin chào, tên tôi là Đơn Giản. This translates to Hello, my name is Đơn Giản.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 31/01/2025

Since everything is projection, perhaps it will turn out "They're eating the cats and dogs" after all.

AI image of Donald Trump using a fork and knife to eat a cat. Part of the cut up cat is on the plate while the cat's head is on a fork going into Trump's mouth.

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 26/01/2025

Flashback to a sticky situation in 2015.

2015 photo of me in front of a tree wielding a big multi-branched stick and a gnashed-teeth attack-face grimace, as if to say "you kids get off my lawn."

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ĐƠN GIẢN @letitbesimple.com · 24/01/2025

Updating "teach a man to fish": Tell someone a new thought, they may briefly feel better. Point them to the #NatureOfThought, they can discover inner peace & innate mental wellbeing are always available Want to notice this more for yourself? Ask me to point privately for you.

Red background with white writing says: SIMPLE Saying #14, You are not your thoughts. It only feels like you are. Love, ĐƠN GIẢN

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