Extend yourself

When I say that you have extended yourself in life, how do you feel? what do you see yourself look like?

I feel from time to time that I have extended myself… during those time periods, I feel that I have connected to others, connected to the surroundings from my extremities smoothly, no border, no end… I am in a free flow net – I am part of the net…

My reflection tells me that these moments and periods in life are the time when I generously offer myself to others without any string attached. I honestly give my effort to others from a empathetic place, from a compassionate action. I offer others with my emotional labor. These actions make me feel myself and I’m satisfied with what I do.

The offers I give are not forced.

In fact, offers should be given people in needed and people asked for the needs.

I believe that everyone is Naturally Creative, Resourceful and Whole.

With this believe, we give people benefits of doubts. We give people the chances for trial and failure. Because we believe they can create, find their resource and discover their potential on their, or with some help.

With this believe, we connect with people. We get trust from people. Therefore, we extended ourselves by this bonding and connection.

This is how we make our mark in the world. This is how we make a difference. This is how we an impact to others.

Extend yourself today.

You are the sum of your action

We have dreams. We pint beautiful pictures for our future. We make plans, New Year’s resolutions and promises.

These are good to certain extent. They can make us excited, happy and satisfied momentarily.

Then we get back to where we are, do as we usually do, talk as we normally talk, go the same route back and forth from home to work place.

And we get numbed, bored, and day dreaming our dreams, future and plans.

Only when you take action towards your dream, your resolutions and your plans, you will be a bit closer to them. You will make a little bit change to your life. You will impact a little bit to the people and environment you’ve reached.

A thousands of miles starts with one step at a time.

This is how you can make a difference to your life. Your action will spill over to others and make others’ life different.

The world needs solid people. The world needs people working on their dreams little by little, bit by bit, drip and drip, generously and graciously and empathetically and compassionately.

You become more valuable because you make others more valuable.

After all, you are the sum of your action.

What is being open-minded?

We say to be open is a pleasant trait. Therefore, we all strive to be an open-minded person.

What is exactly being open-minded?

Being open is an altitude. It’s an altitude towards work and life. Being open provides you more opportunity to see things in many angles, with more possibilities and options. It also provides you more opportunities to connect with people, to get closer to the truth of a matter, to get more accuracy to do things.

Does open-minded mean you have to listen to others all the time? Most of the time? Or some of the time?

It really depends…

Being a leader, you may need to be more open in order to get fuller evaluation of a situation. Therefore, you will get better judgement and reduce the chance for potential risk. You can make decisions quickly for smaller things, but with open discussion and debate for bigger (fewer) decisions.

Jeff Bezos said “People who are right a lot listen a lot, and they change their mind a lot.”

He believes that if you do not change your mind frequently, you are going to be wrong a lot.

Therefore, being open means you need to be ready to change your minds, to face tough situations, to embrace the pain to grow stronger.

Being open-minded is not a show. It gets to be from the bottom of your heart. Only then, you can learn, grow, and get better for what you do.

Live truly for yourself with a growth-mind, ie, an open-mind.

Find your rhythm

Life is a marathon, which does not end as long as you live.

We may run very fast sometimes. We may need stop to have some foods, drinks, and rest, in order to continue our marathon.

We need plan methodically about our life and work – find that pace, that rhythm , that balance suits us for different segments of our journey,

Our purpose and goals in life are our compass. How to get there is our tactics. We need trial and error to figure out our tactics – the system or structure for our routines, so that we can work hard and have enjoyable time as well.

Find your rhythm:

Plan your day: goal of the day? morning routine, evening routine, divide your day into different blocks, each block has its focused point…
Plan your week: what is the goal of the week? Divide it into five sub-goals for the week…
Plan your weekend: recap? Recharge? Or build up social connections?
Plan your month: goal of the month? Divide it into sub-goals for each week…
Plan your six month: goal of the half year? Divide it into monthly goal…
Plan your goal of the year: divide it into six month goal…

Your rhythm building plan may include these areas: your career, your personal growth plan, your milestones, your health maintaining plan, your social networking plan, your relationship with your significant other, your relationships with your other family members and friends, your financial plan, your leisure plan.

Where are you for the above areas? Where would be your ideal position for each area? How are you to get your ideal position if there is a gap for any of the area?

Do what you love

When you do what you love, you don’t feel you have to go to work, because you enjoy it so much, you live and enjoy your life.

Work becomes your life. The purpose of your work is in sync with your personal meaning. You look forward to your work. Your works makes you happy.

This is an ideal picture.

Not everyone is lucky to find that ideal work. They may get a job. Some of them may even realize later that the job is actually what they love to do.

However, find the work you love in general needs you know what you want at the first place.

Know what you want means you have to know yourself. What energizes you? What resonates with you? What do you want achieve? Where do you want to start? Are you ready to take No as an answer? What stories do you tell yourself? What does a resistance telling you? …

It’s always easier to find a work you love, but it’s difficult to find a means to get there.

To do a work you love becomes a journey to know yourself first. So go to know yourself, it’s never too late to do so.

Internal compass

Ships need compass on the sea to get where they need to go.

We need our internal compass to guide us doing things we need to do.

What is our compass?

I feel good when I have a goal in life and at work. Because with a goal in mind it gives me clarity. Clarity empowers me for my action. My action makes me feel I am producing something to the world, showing my value, and getting closer to the goal.

A goal or purpose can be a compass.

I feel engaged with a company when the company’s mission reflects my personal values as well. My engagement with the company makes me looking forward to work each day. I am pumped and happy doing what I do at work.

A mission and our values can be our compass.

What else can be a compass?

What can make you feel meaningful? What would be your calling? What can get you up from the bed every day? What can make you so excited that you get to do it? …

If you can find your answers to any of the questions, you find your compass.

We are running a life-long marathon. We need different compasses for different stages of our life. Therefore, our compass is a moving target. However, this is exactly the fun in life. We get to find it from time to time. That’s how we move forward.

Take a pause sometimes. Check your internal compass. Are you going with the direction of the compass? It would be a much better journey when you go with your internal compass.

About alignments…

Very often I hear that many companies, departments, working groups seek for alignments before a decision is made. We all know that this is a typical culture for many Japanese companies. Consensus decision making is working in Japan.

Obviously there are advantages for aligned decision making approach. Such as, it can reduce the potential risks, it makes everyone throughly understood the approach therefore everyone has a clear goal in mind, it may get the best outcome with many round’s of discussion… this works better in a context of seeking stead growth.

And the disadvantages are also evident. It takes too much time, less flexible, not agile, and may kill productivity… this slows down a company’s development in a fast paced context.

Currently, we are in an environment more or less like the second scenario. We need to respond the demands from marketplace quickly with agility. Therefore, quick decision is needed more and more.

Decisions related to housekeeping matters are more suitable for aligned approaches, while those decisions related to company’s growth and development are required quicker responses, may not need to be aligned from time to time.

Starting to take lead and responsibilities to make decision is not a easy thing. It calls for courages, determination and wisdom.

Go with the flow

A close friend who has a typical type A personality, came back from a trip to Bali. She told me that the trip has big impact on her. The biggest one is to remember or remind herself from time to time to go with the flow.

“Why is that?” I asked her.

“Because I feel going with the flow relaxed me. I feel myself again, peace, happy and also become more energetic…”

She is right.

Flow is a energy. Going with flow is to go to the direction of energy. You give the way to the energy, not block the way of the energy. Of course you will feel better, because you are riding with the energy!

These are the moments when you are absorbed into doing your work, realizing your dream and making a difference with sweats.

Edge creation

Life has many bumps and detours. Life also can be too calm, like a sea without any waves.

When the life becomes too still, we get bored.

Human in nature needs new things to grow with life changes: new things to learn, to do, to entertain… without an edge, we may enter into a slow “suicidal” phase.

To keep our flames for life, we need create our edges from time to time.

Only then, when the edge created, it brings tension and drive to our life.

Therefore, life moves on.

To be kind

Confucius said that Human nature is kind… this statement has impacted many generations.

To be kind is one of the doctrines my parents and school teachers told me when I was young. Therefore, to some extent, I think to be kind is in a personal level for a long long time.

Then,

It is interesting to know that today some companies have To be kind as one of the ground rules of their operation. The rule of To be kind has huge positive implication for their employees.

To be kind empowers employees to be their best because their employers are kind;
To be kind gives people room to grow when their fellows and bosses allow them to make mistakes;
To be kind increases people’s empathy when they see themselves from others as their mirror;
To be kind increases trust and connects people, makes team work more efficient;
To be kind makes ourselves happier because we make others happy…
…

The companies set up To be kind as one of their rules will attract people alike. Like-minded people will form a positive atmosphere for people working there. Therefore, a positive cycle forms. I want to know more companies having this rule.

To be kind is a nature in human.