My daughter would say: "You don't have to tell me, I know it already."


Knowing it from the headspace is different from executing the learned skill.

There is no shortcut to creation, not mere copying, curation, critiquing, and putting on a show to mimic actual work.

Creation is the best way to release your thoughts, put it on paper, speak about in public, share it to colleagues, and get feedback when ideas are fresh and not stalled by indecision and self-doubts.

​Creation stimulates new thinking. Like a muscle that is conditioned and toned, the skill will become stronger and robust over time. Like any great artist, it starts from a hundred iterations, until a better form surfaces.

Last week, I saw a great quote from an office - do not stop until you are proud of it!

 




































​A few years ago, I have written about the concept of blue ocean.

To fortify this idea, I have encountered recently that it is wise to move upstream when there are bigger sea creatures and not get clipped by a speeding boat and hit by ski boards when you are closer to shore. The former gives you the wide room to maneuver and avoid the predators while the latter constricts your basic movements. 

Organizations concoct arbitrary rules, policies, and standards without due consideration to the actual costs and value that these inputs could do to obstruct relations with their customers, suppliers, and partners.  

More rules created becomes barriers for taxpayers, businesses, and stakeholders to access services, programs and opportunities for partnerships.

Designed to safeguard an objective process, smaller organizations become their own enemies when they make these arbitrary rules to their detriment. There is a word for that 'bureaucracy.'

Bureaucratic organizations tend to treat themselves as insulated from growth and results orientation, with the pr0pensity to perpetuate themselves regardless of their impacts and relevance to society.

From non-profits, associations, community clubs, government organizations, and other types of community initiatives, and social enterprises, the first question to ask: how can we get rid of the problem so that we can get out of the way? 

The recent train blockade by protesters is incredibly concerning. Hundreds will be potentially laid off as a result of this impasse. 

You can extend an invitation to an open and sincere dialogue but the other party has to be able to lay down their swords and come to the table to talk. We call it acting in 'good faith' when parties trust each other to commit to agreeing with the rules of engagement and begin to acknowledge that resorting to violence is the far least alternative to achieving their desired outcomes.

It will just prolong the conflict and leave it in a protracted level where no parties gain substantially from the zero-sum game. This is what's happening with the pipeline issue. It has dragged on for years, resulting in billions of dollars of missed opportunities for the economy and the country.

Despite the well-meaning politicians and leaders trying to mediate this conflict, there seems to be no resolution in sight yet. The recent court ruling only demonstrates the wide disparity between what is observed and what is being said in the media.

Words are cheap. 


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Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in China with 11 million people is in lock down. The death toll has risen more and the level of infections has spread not just to China but to other countries, where their nationals have visited the county and other places where infections have been reported. 

We will never know the extent of the epidemic as China controls all parts of the country and even castigated the doctor who warned about the epidemic that later on died from the infection. This behavior from China is not going to be constructive in getting down to the root cause of the virus, getting help from experts and other parties that can lend scientific and technical support, and coordination when other countries want their nationals to be lifted out of China and other places under close monitoring.

When disaster strikes, information is a 'life and death' criterion. Information becomes critical in saving lives, alerting other people about dangers and hazards, asking for life-saving help, and appealing for people's participation and unity to rally behind those in need. We need information for preparedness, for collaboration, for greater awareness of the problem. One country's problem becomes a global concern and everyone can contribute to alleviating further suffering. 

A humanitarian expert that I talked with recently said that China has asked them to leave and that through the grapevine, there are more deaths underreported. I also heard that China is asking for help behind closed doors.

Whether this is true or not, the secrecy policy aggravates the situation, when misinformation is allowed to spread leading to the pandemic of fear and public unrest. This same fear is what makes the Chinese government reluctant to accept that there was a problem, reneging on their duty to protect and prepare their citizens, and seeking to contain and stabilize, but not to prevent its future occurrence. 

Did you notice in the grocery produce section that they sell those naturally imperfect fruits and vegetables? There is nothing wrong with them.

They weren't squeezed or plucked during the process but naturally looking ugly or simply not that 'pretty sight' to see-with pockmarks, dents, and unusual coloration. 

There is nothing wrong with how you look, how you talk, how you walk or how you move when these are all natural, as in your genetic predisposition. What is wrong is the over-reliance on how other people's comments and opinions about your looks, your speech, your movements dictate your overall perception about yourself and negatively affect your well-being and healthy sense of self.

Turn around, there is no such thing as perfect human being. Enjoy what you have, improve what you have, and believe in your fundamental goodness and completeness.

We are all frightfully and wonderfully made!

A recent meeting with another organization led me to believe that not all efforts are wasted on merely connecting. In the era of social media and autobots, in-person connecting is very primal-it is akin to breathing. We are social beings.

When businesses and organizations connect with one another on the basis of exchange of goods, services, and ideas, an exponential gain happens. But when results do not come quickly or clearly, we tend to see 'connection' events as good to have but not easily transmutable to business bottom lines.

How many connections fizzle away because we force the issue on people, whether it is an idea, ideology, religion, product, or service?

How many connections we didn't even try because we thought, it wasn't worth to even break a leg? 

How many connections just die because both parties have found it to be totally pretentious?

How many connections led to many more fruitful encounters with mutual benefits outweighing the costs of the transactions?

Think about what you have to offer, not what you can get. 

Be a connector between people and learn to give and reciprocate a kind gesture.

We are all in this together whether we acknowledge this or not.


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