Values

During the Q&A session at the end of an interview with George Foreman, he was asked about the top three values he wanted to impart to his (10) kids, yes, he has ten. His answer was:

- Get up early in the morning.
- Take advice and listen.
- Strive to be the nicest human being ever.

Kevin Eikenberry commented: "These clearly aren't just thoughts valuable for children. Think about how these sound advice can both apply to us and those that we coach, mentor and lead."

I wonder, if you were to ask the same questions, what would you say you will impart to your children? What would you impart to those you strive to influence?

Quote

It's been a long lapse since I last made an entry here. No excuses yet that doesn't mean nothing is happening to my life or to learning or to experiencing insights. There are plenty of them. This is a comeback.
Here's one that I had heard last night. It refers to the former president of Taiwan Mr Chen Sui Bien. Someone sent him a book with this title as he was going through inquisition on bribery.
"I am so impoverished that the only thing I am left with is money."
You figure that out yourself.

Mediocrity

Mediocrity is getting stuck half way up the mountain. When one who felt he had accomplished much but still not there yet had decided to take a break which then turned out to be a long break. Such breaks break us. Such is being mediocre.
It is when we think we had done enough and still not the best we can do, we become mediocre. Not good enough gets us nowhere, instead it drags us back.
I was talking with a mediocrity-ridden store assistant last week and that store lost a customer. I won't go back there again as long as that store continues to allow its employees to think and behave that way.
Doing 10% less may not get you 10% less, it actually sets you back 90% which is 0.

Doing what you love

I read with fascination what Seth Godin had written in his blog lately. Here's one para that I just have to quote:
"Doing what you love is as important as ever, but if you're going to make a living at it, it helps to find a niche where money flows as a regular consequence of the success of your idea. Loving what you do is almost as important as doing what you love, especially if you need to make a living at it. Go find a job you can commit to, a career or a business you can fall in love with."
Some people hide behind volunteerism and claim altruistically that what they are doing is for others' benefit. This does not say if they really enjoy what they are doing. It's one thing doing something to help others but it is totally another to doing something one enjoys while helping others. While I do not deny that it is magnanimous to help others but some actually do it with a grudge. To such people, it is better not to be involved.
On the other hand, it is also unrealistic to do something one loves and disregard the practical aspect of earning something from it in order to survive in this world. So why can't we do something that we really love and let it also help to bring in the dole?
At the end of the day, I suspect that the real issue is with personal satisfaction or the kind of lifestyle one truly desires to have. What are you living for has to be answered with what are you working for?