What is your life map?

I have always been fascinated by maps. In fact I love reading maps. I remember during my Girl Scout years when I was still in high school, we had our Orienteering, I made one mistake that taught me to learn reading maps very carefully. I was the first one to start in the Orienteering yet the last one to arrive simply because I did not read carefully the map given to me! I was so focused to end as a winner because I am an athlete and I believe I can ran faster than the rest and definitely have stronger stamina than the rest yet I ended up last. Why? because at the end of the day if we don't read a map carefully and use it to where we are going, no amount of strength or stamina will do. Well, stamina and strength will still get you there yet do not expect that you will end up victorious.

I learned to be good in reading maps as well because one of the businesses I have requires I be good at it. There's no Google Map before. So I get to use this one below, a Topographic Map, for me to get specific details of islands. 

I have lots of Topograpic Maps, and before I visit an island, I already have a mental picture of what it is and what it looks like etc. just by simply looking at it on the Topo Map. Right now Google Maps has provided a tool so powerful that anywhere we are we can already access specific details of almost anything. 

The same thing in life, if the map we are using to get from where we are now to where we wanted to be is unclear, we will definitely have a hard time arriving at our destination. Several times I experienced this and its a total waste of time getting lost then finding out, by simply not taking time to read maps carefully, to end up going back to the beginning. So that's one lesson I will never forget and so I vowed to never get lost again by simply not taking time to read maps. 

So I got fascinated by this one particular book because the artist is so good in making a visual representation of Tokyo and reading it, I feel like I am also walking with him as he explored Tokyo on foot. The maps in the books reminded me the importance of having a clear mental picture of where we wanted to be.

What I did, I put on some of my photos I took from my phone, when I was on those particular places.

This place in Tokyo became even more famous of Gwen Stephanie's "Harajuku Girls"

What I like here is the Southern Terrace. Its one nice place to have a cup of coffee. I didn't include it here already but in the map you will find a bridge connecting from Takashimaya. From Takashimaya crossing the bridge is the Southern Terrace. 

Map reading is exciting. For me, its an adventure especially if its a place I wanted to be even. A map that is clear will get us to anywhere we want to and faster even if the destination for us is unfamiliar. So I guess this also applies to where we wanted to be perhaps in the next 5-10 years of our lives.

Do you have a map where you are going? and not just in the next 5-10 years but perhaps even in this lifetime? and how clear is it? I believe a map going from one place to another is very important, especially if its gonna be used to get to the destination we wanted in life. And for me, having a map of where we wanted to be in our life, is the most exciting and the greatest adventure of all. 

 

 

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I have always been fascinated by maps. In fact I love reading maps. I remember during my Girl Scout years when we had our Orienteering, that's one mistake that taught me to learn reading maps very carefully. I was the first one to start yet the last one to arrive simply because I did not read carefully the directions given to me! So that's one lesson I will never forget and so I vowed to never get lost again by simply not learning to read maps. 

So I got fascinated by this on particular book because the artist is so good in making a visual representation of one of my favorite cities.

What I did, I put on some of my photos I took from my phone when I was on those particular places.

This place in Tokyo became even more famous of Gwen Stephanie's "Harajuku Girls"

What I like here is the Terrace. One nice place to have a cup of coffee.

 

 

Making The Effort To Succeed

I have seen a lot of people starting in business very enthusiastic then to find out later on that they gave up doing it. Yes its not easy to be in business however it makes me wonder how come people who have qualities and advantages to succeed yet end up quitting.

 

So here is what I have observed. People who quit in general most often boils down to one thing: They cannot handle obstacles.

 

Yet, in every thing we choose to go into, whether business, sports etc., there will always be obstacles along the way to succeed.

 

I believe that the lessons in business is not far from how we should also view life. Indeed, there will be obstacles along the way. What most people have in mind when they go into something is that everything will go as planned. What they don’t know is that obstacles will come and that most of the time, these obstacles will definitely disturb, disorient and eventually disappoint us. 

 

I am no longer surprised when people, who went into business then quit, tell me the reasons why they are quitting. Most often its all about being disappointed about something and most of the time their disappointments comes from failed expectations. We expect to succeed in everything we do yet we did not get what we expected. For example, we expect people will give us the support we need yet they did not, then we get disappointed; we expect people to treat us the way we wanted to be treated, yet they did not, so again we get disappointed; we expect to earn immediately yet we did not and so again we get disappointed and etc. Since we don’t have the mental toughness most entrepreneurs have when it comes to handling disappointments, we finally tell ourselves, “maybe this is not for me”, “maybe there is something better out there for me”, “I no longer find meaning in what I do”, etc., so finally we decided there’s no other way but to give up.

 

As I was reading one of my favorite books, The Inner Game of Tennis, written by W. Timothy Gallwey. I get reminded again what obstacles are in relation to the goals we have set for ourselves. I play tennis and this book helped me a lot to improve my success in the court. Although Gallwey’s book is about tennis, its principles is applicable for those who wants to be the best in what they do.  One thing I learned from him is to consider this: the more challenging the obstacle we face, the greater the opportunity for us to discover and extend our true potential. The potential is always in us but until it got manifested in action, it will remain hidden in us.

 

We probably have set a a goal we wanted to achieve and we try our best to achieve it. The thing is, as Gallwey said, there’s actually no point of giving up when we understand that in true competition, no one is defeated. So, our goals simply presents obstacles to us. There is a huge difference between being concerned to succeed and concerned about making the effort to succeed. The former, believe it or not, you cannot control the outcome and this leads to anxiety and you trying very hard. Yet the latter, we can control the effort we put to succeed in accomplishing our goal. 

 

Japanese people has a way of reminding themselves of giving their best effort. You would often hear the word  頑張って (がんばって) Gambatte! meaning do your best or persevere to reach your goal.

 

Perhaps, there’s just very few people who likes challenges. I for one, I like challenges. It allows me to explore my capabilities in overcoming the obstacle my goal presents. One thing I know for sure is that the obstacles we face is simply an obstacle coming from our goal. The moment we give up, we eventually give up to the goal we set for ourselves. We will not be given an obstacle that is not aligned to that particular goal we wanted. In fact, we should stop and ask ourselves, is this obstacle, once i overcome it, will lead me to my goal? Will it be worth my effort to overcome this one? So it may seem crazy for some, yet, I learned in my years, more than a decade actually, of being an entrepreneur is learning to give our maximum effort in overcoming obstacles and finding out if overcoming is going to be worth our effort. 

 

 

Making The Effort To Succeed

I have seen a lot of people starting in business very enthusiastic then to find out later on that they gave up doing it. Yes its not easy to be in business however it makes me wonder how come people who have qualities and advantages to succeed yet end up quitting.

 

So here is what I have observed. People who quit in general most often boils down to one thing: They cannot handle obstacles.In every thing we choose to go into, whether business, sports etc., there will always be obstacles.

 

I believe that the lessons in business is not far from how we should also view life. Indeed, there will be obstacles along the way. What most people have in mind when they go into something is that everything will go as planned. What they don’t know is that obstacles will come and that most of the time, these obstacles will definitely disturb, disorient and eventually disappoint us. 

 

I am no longer surprised when people, who went into business then quit, tell me the reasons why they are quitting. Most often its all about being disappointed about something and most of the time their disappointments comes from failed expectations. We expect to succeed in everything we do yet we did not get what we expected. For example, we expect people will give us the support we need yet they did not, then we get disappointed; we expect people to treat us the way we wanted to be treated, yet they did not, so again we get disappointed; we expect to earn immediately yet we did not and so again we get disappointed and etc. Since we don’t have the mental toughness most entrepreneurs have when it comes to handling disappointments, we finally tell ourselves, “maybe this is not for me”, “maybe there is something better out there for me”, “I no longer find meaning in what I do”, etc., so finally we decided there’s no other way but to give up.

 

As I was reading one of my favorite books, The Inner Game of Tennis, written by W. Timothy Gallwey. I get reminded again what obstacles are in relation to the goals we have set for ourselves. I play tennis and this book helped me a lot to improve my success in the court. Although Gallwey’s book is about tennis, its principles is applicable for those who wants to be the best in what they do.  One thing I learned from him is to consider this: the more challenging the obstacle we face, the greater the opportunity for us to discover and extend our true potential. The potential is always in us but until it got manifested in action, it will remain hidden in us.

 

We probably have set a a goal we wanted to achieve and we try our best to achieve it. The thing is, as Gallwey said, there’s actually no point of giving up when we understand that in true competition, no one is defeated. So, our goals simply presents obstacles to us. There is a huge difference between being concerned to succeed and concerned about making the effort to succeed. The former, believe it or not, you cannot control the outcome and this leads to anxiety and you trying very hard. Yet the latter, we can control the effort we put to succeed in accomplishing our goal. 

 

Japanese people has a way of reminding themselves of giving their best effort. You would often hear the word  頑張って (がんばって) Gambatte! meaning do your best or persevere to reach your goal.

 

Perhaps, there’s just very few people who likes challenges. I for one, I like challenges. It allows me to explore my capabilities in overcoming the obstacle my goal presents. One thing I know for sure is that the obstacles we face is simply an obstacle coming from our goal. The moment we give up, we eventually give up to the goal we set for ourselves. We will not be given an obstacle that is not aligned to that particular goal we wanted. In fact, we should stop and ask ourselves, is this obstacle, once i overcome it, will lead me to my goal? Will it be worth my effort to overcome this one? So it may seem crazy for some, yet, I learned in my years, more than a decade actually, of being an entrepreneur is learning to give our maximum effort in overcoming obstacles and finding out if overcoming is going to be worth our effort. 

 

 

Conan O'Brien Delivers 2011 Dartmouth College Commencement Address

 

I have always admired Conan O’ Brien. I always watch his show when he was still at NBC. In fact, its the only show I watch in NBC. Aside from being a funny guy and one great comedian, he can hit you right through your heart yet you end up laughing at it or yourself. Now finding out he gave a commencement speech to graduating students in Dartmouth College was already hilarious. Watching him, was even more hilarious. I think President Kim of Dartmouth was courageous enough to invite a comedian like Conan to give a commencement speech in which traditionally commencement speeches are supposed to be “serious”.

 

His speech indeed was hilarious yet it created an impact. He made an important point about being inferior, about the reality out there after college, “that’s right, with your college diploma you now have a crushing advantage over 8 percent of the workforce. I’m talking about dropout losers like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg." He may have said it in very funny way yet we know for fact that that is what reality is after graduation. In fact I consider it a blow to graduates when he started his speech with, “My first job as your commencement speaker is to illustrate that life is not fair. For example, you have worked tirelessly for four years to earn the diploma you’ll be receiving this weekend, and Dartmouth is giving me the same degree for interviewing the fourth lead in Twilight. Deal with it.  Another example that life is not fair: if it does rain, the powerful rich people on stage get the tent. Deal with it.”

 

Although we laugh at it, we know for a fact that there’s truth in it. One thing that made me laugh when he said something as well to the parents of the graduates "Many of you haven’t seen your children in four years. Now you are about to see them every day when they come out of the basement to tell you the WiFi isn’t working". The he went on to say something about failure and quoted Nietzsche, "Nietzsche famously said “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  But what he failed to stress is that IT ALMOST KILLS YOU.  Disappointment stings and, for driven, successful people like yourselves it is disorienting.  What Nietzsche should have said is  “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you watch a lot of Cartoon Network and drink mid-price Chardonnay at 11 in the morning." Yet he ended his speech with a really moving message, “It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.  It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound re-invention” and I totally agree with this. He further said, “ In 2000, I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that.  But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come.  The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.” Read Transcript of Conan's Address

 

 

True enough, in life those who really succeed are those people who are willing to fail and be disappointed along the way. Most of the time failure is a defining moment. Its either gonna break or make us and those who succeed leverage on their failure and spring back successful.

 

Here is Conan’s speech and even if you never went to college, not yet graduating or graduated already, I believe it speaks to all of us who are constantly run by fear. Its about time we finally say goodbye to it. Watch in Youtube