Are you busy?

When I ask friends how they are doing, some of them said they are very busy. While some of them said they are doing well and not that busy.

I reflect what they do and realize that some of my friends from the second group have similar job positions with the first group, and some of them are even having higher executive positions.

What is going on here? Aren’t the General Managers supposed to be busier?

“Busy people have no future.” – one of my CEO friends said.

She further explained that she prioritize her to-do-list. She makes time to think, to rest, to reflect, to make personal growth plan. She is not busy. She feels fulfilled and happy about work and life.

Are you really busy? Or you haven’t planned your work and life that well? Or you are pursuing a busy status to show you are capable or important?

Well, you can learn how to plan your work and life through many channels as long as you are clear and determined to sort this out. Getting work done is about working smarter, not busier.

However, if you pretend to be busy, then you may be hiding. You may be hiding your talent, your character, and hiding yourself from opportunity as well.

Check it now: are you busy?

The problem with being nice

In a corporate setting, you may hear saying like, “He is a nice guy”, “That is nice”, “This is nicely done”…

What is it exactly nice referring here? There is a problem with being nice.

Being nice is a default mode. It is not the same as being kind and sweet and good.

Being nice is hiding – hiding your true comment, your true self, your true intention in a corporate setting.

The opposite of being nice is being mean. We are not talking being mean here. We are talking that you need to be who you are with your character.

We like you even though you may be stubborn, we like you even though you may be very direct, we like you even though you may be aggressive… you see the pattern here: we like you as a person being who you are.

A company’s development and suitability need all kinds of people, from various disciplines, different backgrounds… the diversity and character make a difference.

Being nice is not a mode where any company or person wants to hang on.

Being yourself, with your unique character, live truly.

Persistence…

If you can get real with Persistence, what would it be for you in terms of daily action?

It can be sticking with your plan, no matter how hard it could be during the course. It can be sticking with your goal, and modify your tactics so that you can reach your goal. It can be sticking with your goal, and be on hold for a long while to figure out your next step when you are in dark and don’t know where to put your feet.

……

It does not matter what situations you may face, as long as you have determined to get to the end of your starting journey, you are a persistent person.

And sometimes, the key to be persistent is to do:

Little and Often

And you can Make Much More.

Take yourself seriously

Do you ever take yourself seriously? What did it feel to you?

When you missed an appointment, an assignment, a goal, a promise, what’s going on there?

More often than not that the missed engagements are due to your sluggish, lazy, unclear, unawareness of your responsibilities to yourself. You did not take yourself seriously.

If you want others to take you seriously, professionally, you get to treat yourself the same way first.

Very often, we forget the first and the most important relationship we have is with ourselves.

What is the importance for you, what is your intention, why you will do that… ask yourself questions to get better understanding your role, your responsibility, your intention, and your engagements in that context and the time.

With the good understanding, take yourself seriously, others will take you seriously as well.

Live your life, live your life, live your life

We all get to live our lives as long as we are alive.

Live your life seems obviously, naturally, and no one needs to debate or argue about it. It is a matter of fact.

If you think a little bit more, absorb the meaning of live your life, and what does it look like from now onward to really Live Your Life? To live a life worthy of living? To feel the joy, the tear, the happiness, the pain, the connection with others, the love…

Whatever happens in your life is your life, you have full permission – your birth right, to do things.

You have permission to be fearful to give a public speech;
You have permission to make mistakes and try again;
You have permission to fail and learn from it;
You have permission to write and publish them;
You have permission to love yourself first;
You have permission…

The list can go on and on.

Only when you break free from self limitation, you gain your permission to do more, to be more, to live your life fully.

Live your life whole heartily.

Live your life, live your life, live your life

We all get to live our lives as long as we are alive.

Live your life seems obviously, naturally, and no one needs to debate or argue about it. It is a matter of fact.

Whatever happens in your life is your life, you have full permission – your birth right, to do things.

You have permission to be fearful to give a public speech;
You have permission to make mistakes and try again;
You have permission to fail and learn from it;
You have permission to write and publish them;
You have permission to love yourself first;
You have permission…

The list can go on and on.

Only when you break free from self limitation, you gain your permission to do more, to be more, to live your life fully.

Live your life whole heartily.

Live your life, live your life, live your life

We all get to live our lives as long as we are alive.

Live your life seems obviously, naturally, and no one needs to debate or argue about it. It is a matter of fact.

Whatever happens in your life is your life, you have full permission – your birth right, to do things.

You have permission to be fearful to give a public speech;
You have permission to make mistakes and try again;
You have permission to fail and learn from it;
You have permission to write and publish them;
You have permission to love yourself first;
You have permission…

The list can go on and on.

Only when you break free from self limitation, you gain your permission to do more, to be more, to live your life fully.

Live your life whole heartily.

Positive thinking… and?

You know positive thinking is crucial and important for your success.

Is positive thinking sufficient for your success? Do you need anything else?

Positive thinking is the first crucial step for your success. And you need more steps to be successful.

With the positive thinking, you will need be prepared for the bumpy roads ahead physically and emotionally.

You will need to have healthy body and mind to carry your positive thinking and energy through the journey.

Your journey can be an upward spiral, it has ups and downs with many turns. It calls for positive altitude, grit and stoic for your success.

The most precious gift

What would be the most precious gift in the world one can give to each other?

What would you give to your significant other? to your children? to your parents? to your best friends?

I ask people about this question and I pay attention to the answers from some of the most successful people in the world. They say the most precious gift they receive or give is time – the time being with others, and the time you give each other.

The time being with others means you are there for real, not for a show.

We live in a hectic world with disruptions all the time. It is a challenge for anyone to be present without distraction.

Being there for someone is precious.

When the people you care need your being there, you are there for them, 100% being there, no divided attention. You are present for them: may be to help them physically, may be to give advice, may be simply being a listener, may be just there to share sometime together, may be there just giving them a big hug…

The time giving each other means you have empathy for others, you have respect for others, you have trust for others.

You give others time to think over about things on their own terms, you give others time to do things on their own pace and journey, because you trust them strong and brave enough to learn and do a good job. This is where tough love comes in.

Children learn how to walk, how to talk with different paces. You can’t walk or talk for them and trust them being able to do these themselves after all.

Time is precious. Give this precious gift wisely.

Self development

Self development is a life long process.

When talking to a 30 year old, she says she and her friends in the same age feel really grown up. They feel they are more confident than the time when they were 20 year old. And they can make money and live independently. They think they are in a very good place.

When talking to a 40 year old, she says she feels she becomes more clear about who she is now, and she is confident and has no fear to do anything. She feels she can conquer the world.

When talking to a 50 year old, she says that now she knows what is more important for her in life. She has courage to say Nos to things do not bringing much value. She has a free soul, does things efficiently and yet considerate. She is energetic, full of life.

One of my best friends in her 60s, she had her biggest promotion at the age of 60 years old. Now she grows her coaching business and running the company in full speed at her age of 66. She is one of the most generous people in my life. She says she does not feel retire any time soon…

people always grow, no matter how old you are.

Self development is a marathon.

When you grow your self, remember:

Stope focusing on gaining the approval of others and starting to improve and develop yourself.