Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Three Levels of Thinking
Make the leap from asking, "who am I, and what do I want?" to asking that most powerful question of all — "how do others see themselves, and how can I help them feel stronger and more successful?"
Games are played in all kinds of places — sports stadiums, backyards, offices, classrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms. But games are won in only one place — in the mind of the winning player. That's why Michael Jordan was consistently better than the tallest player in the National Basketball Association every year he played — having better physical tools to work with was not enough to beat a player like Jordan, thinking at a higher level. That's why some salespeople consistently sell more — of the same stuff to the same people — than the rest of their colleagues. That's why David slew Goliath, and that's why your personal path for your success begins right between your ears.
Here's the fact: how we think is the key to how we live. It's the key to your happiness, the key to your personal goodness, and the key to your success.
East Versus West in the Pursuit of Happiness
One useful model of observation on how people think comes in the classic description of the difference between Eastern thinking and Western thinking. Begin with the observation that unhappiness is the product of unmet desires. Eastern thinking says, change your desires to match what you already have, and you will become happy. Western thinking says, change the world to fit your desires, and you will be happy. If you are unhappy because you live in a tiny house and want a bigger home, the traditional Eastern view would be to change your desire so that you want no more than you already have. The Western view would be to go out and build a bigger house, at almost any cost.
There's some wisdom in this model, but the world we live in today is no longer easily divided between East and West; each tradition has drawn on the other for decades now, and the habits and patterns of thinking of each have blended together in important ways. And in my experience, the most successful people have always combined elements of both traditions in their thinking — they embrace the ambition and outward focus of the West as well as the patience and humility of the East.
We all know people who are filled with the Western ambition to go out and change the world. Many succeed, at least now and then, by pushing against the forces of the world and reshaping them. But just about all of them also fail now and then — because they come face-to-face with people, ideas, or parts of the physical world that are simply too strong to be moved. And we all know people who are filled with Eastern patience and humility, ready to reshape their own desires to fill the world. At times, this approach to life is powerfully rewarding, with the ups and downs of the external world softened by a philosophical detachment from external things. But how many opportunities to make positive change in the world slip by, how many chances to have a real impact on the world are missed, because of this detachment?
But imagine the man or woman who looks at the world and understands, this is when I should push, here is the opportunity to reshape the world in some small way, and knows too when to say, here is when I must step back, here is when my desire has to yield to patience. The real power lies in being able to see both visions — both the ambition of the West and the humility and patience of the East — and being able to employ each when it best suits the challenge at hand.
Games are played in all kinds of places — sports stadiums, backyards, offices, classrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms. But games are won in only one place — in the mind of the winning player. That's why Michael Jordan was consistently better than the tallest player in the National Basketball Association every year he played — having better physical tools to work with was not enough to beat a player like Jordan, thinking at a higher level. That's why some salespeople consistently sell more — of the same stuff to the same people — than the rest of their colleagues. That's why David slew Goliath, and that's why your personal path for your success begins right between your ears.
Here's the fact: how we think is the key to how we live. It's the key to your happiness, the key to your personal goodness, and the key to your success.
East Versus West in the Pursuit of Happiness
One useful model of observation on how people think comes in the classic description of the difference between Eastern thinking and Western thinking. Begin with the observation that unhappiness is the product of unmet desires. Eastern thinking says, change your desires to match what you already have, and you will become happy. Western thinking says, change the world to fit your desires, and you will be happy. If you are unhappy because you live in a tiny house and want a bigger home, the traditional Eastern view would be to change your desire so that you want no more than you already have. The Western view would be to go out and build a bigger house, at almost any cost.
There's some wisdom in this model, but the world we live in today is no longer easily divided between East and West; each tradition has drawn on the other for decades now, and the habits and patterns of thinking of each have blended together in important ways. And in my experience, the most successful people have always combined elements of both traditions in their thinking — they embrace the ambition and outward focus of the West as well as the patience and humility of the East.
We all know people who are filled with the Western ambition to go out and change the world. Many succeed, at least now and then, by pushing against the forces of the world and reshaping them. But just about all of them also fail now and then — because they come face-to-face with people, ideas, or parts of the physical world that are simply too strong to be moved. And we all know people who are filled with Eastern patience and humility, ready to reshape their own desires to fill the world. At times, this approach to life is powerfully rewarding, with the ups and downs of the external world softened by a philosophical detachment from external things. But how many opportunities to make positive change in the world slip by, how many chances to have a real impact on the world are missed, because of this detachment?
But imagine the man or woman who looks at the world and understands, this is when I should push, here is the opportunity to reshape the world in some small way, and knows too when to say, here is when I must step back, here is when my desire has to yield to patience. The real power lies in being able to see both visions — both the ambition of the West and the humility and patience of the East — and being able to employ each when it best suits the challenge at hand.
From Book of 'The Power of Purpose' :
The Power of Purpose begins with a simple but remarkable statement: "The more you focus on helping others, the more you will succeed in reaching your own goals." Peter S. Temes builds on this fundamental insight to share a simple plan for living with the truest and most enduring kind of happiness.
http://www.enotalone.com/article/5958.html
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Smile. :D
A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home. ~Author Unknown
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tagline Blog
Another stuff to share ~
45 Creative, Clever And Effective Blog Taglines
1. How To Change The World: A practical blog for impractical people
2. Successful Blog: You’re only a stranger once
3. Conversation Agent: Connecting ideas and people – how talk can change our lives
4. Sugarrae: Never mess with a woman who can pull rank
5. Boing Boing: A directory of wonderful things
6. PR Squared: It may be the future but you still gotta eat
7. The Consumerist: Shoppers bite back
8. Zen Habits: Simple Productivity
9. Yoast: Tweaking Websites
10. PR 2.0: The future of communication starts here
11. CopyBlogger: Copywriting tips for online marketing success
12. /Film: Blogging the reel world
13. Broadcasting Brain: Harvesting cognitive surplus for uncanny content
14. Psyblog: Understand your mind
15. Lifehacker: Tips and downloads for getting things done
16. Think Simple Now: Creativity, Clarity, Happiness
17. Violent Acres: Like you, but with poor impulse control
18. Bacon Today: Daily updates on the world of sweet, sweet bacon
19. Shoemoney: Skills to pay the bills
20. Techno Theory: Technical…Practical…Theoretically Interesting
21. Publishing 2.0: The (r)Evolution of media
22. Geek Sugar: Geek is chic.
23. Smashing Magazine: We smash you with the information that will make your life easier. Really.
24. A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
25. Steve Pavlina: Personal development for smart people
26. Simply Fired: If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.
27. So Good: An absurd look at the world of food
28. Get Rich Slowly: Personal finance that makes cents
29. Personal Branding Blog: Navigating YOU to future success
30. SEO Book: Learn. Rank. Dominate.
31. The Impulsive Buy: Putting the “ew” in product reviews
32. PluginID: Plugin to your identity
33. Kottke: Home of fine hypertext products
34. Freakonomics: The hidden side of everything (also a book, but a great tagline none-the-less)
35. Web Worker Daily: Rebooting the workforce
36. Online Marketer Blog: If Copyblogger and JaffeJuice had a bad-ass baby
37. Auto Blog: We obsessively cover the auto industry
38. Advergirl: …yeah, I have an opinion about that
39. TwiTip: Twitter tips in 140 characters or more
40. Duct Tape Marketing: Simple, effective and affordable small business marketing
41. Apartment Therapy: Saving the world, one room at a time
42. TechCult: Technology, Twisted
43. Illuminated Mind: The less boring side of personal development
44. Don’t Drink The Kool-aid: Join the conversations. Just don’t drink the Kool-aid.
45. Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters
Reerence from this site
45 Creative, Clever And Effective Blog Taglines
1. How To Change The World: A practical blog for impractical people
2. Successful Blog: You’re only a stranger once
3. Conversation Agent: Connecting ideas and people – how talk can change our lives
4. Sugarrae: Never mess with a woman who can pull rank
5. Boing Boing: A directory of wonderful things
6. PR Squared: It may be the future but you still gotta eat
7. The Consumerist: Shoppers bite back
8. Zen Habits: Simple Productivity
9. Yoast: Tweaking Websites
10. PR 2.0: The future of communication starts here
11. CopyBlogger: Copywriting tips for online marketing success
12. /Film: Blogging the reel world
13. Broadcasting Brain: Harvesting cognitive surplus for uncanny content
14. Psyblog: Understand your mind
15. Lifehacker: Tips and downloads for getting things done
16. Think Simple Now: Creativity, Clarity, Happiness
17. Violent Acres: Like you, but with poor impulse control
18. Bacon Today: Daily updates on the world of sweet, sweet bacon
19. Shoemoney: Skills to pay the bills
20. Techno Theory: Technical…Practical…Theoretically Interesting
21. Publishing 2.0: The (r)Evolution of media
22. Geek Sugar: Geek is chic.
23. Smashing Magazine: We smash you with the information that will make your life easier. Really.
24. A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
25. Steve Pavlina: Personal development for smart people
26. Simply Fired: If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.
27. So Good: An absurd look at the world of food
28. Get Rich Slowly: Personal finance that makes cents
29. Personal Branding Blog: Navigating YOU to future success
30. SEO Book: Learn. Rank. Dominate.
31. The Impulsive Buy: Putting the “ew” in product reviews
32. PluginID: Plugin to your identity
33. Kottke: Home of fine hypertext products
34. Freakonomics: The hidden side of everything (also a book, but a great tagline none-the-less)
35. Web Worker Daily: Rebooting the workforce
36. Online Marketer Blog: If Copyblogger and JaffeJuice had a bad-ass baby
37. Auto Blog: We obsessively cover the auto industry
38. Advergirl: …yeah, I have an opinion about that
39. TwiTip: Twitter tips in 140 characters or more
40. Duct Tape Marketing: Simple, effective and affordable small business marketing
41. Apartment Therapy: Saving the world, one room at a time
42. TechCult: Technology, Twisted
43. Illuminated Mind: The less boring side of personal development
44. Don’t Drink The Kool-aid: Join the conversations. Just don’t drink the Kool-aid.
45. Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters
Reerence from this site
*new banner*
I just learned how to design a .GIF animated banner in Photoshop. Will post it once done here ^^ ~
Talk by Mercedes-Benz/Daimler's Head of Design
Last week I attended the talk at Singapore Polytechnic. Here're some photos to share (it might contains some unrelated photos but those were part of the day haha ^^)
Actually it's kinda difficult to find my way back to mrt from this school so those photos were captured when I was *lost* ~
Things I noted :)
Design for:
Yesterday : Form follows function
Today : Satisfying Individual Needs (individual expression through design)
Tomorrow : Quality of life
LOHAS (new luxury + efficiency)
Actually it's kinda difficult to find my way back to mrt from this school so those photos were captured when I was *lost* ~
Things I noted :)
Design for:
Yesterday : Form follows function
Today : Satisfying Individual Needs (individual expression through design)
Tomorrow : Quality of life
LOHAS (new luxury + efficiency)
Journeys in Life ~
"Often the greatest journeys in life are those that weren't on the itinerary."
Samuel Bacote
Samuel Bacote
Friday, May 7, 2010
Weekennddd ~
Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Chingay Illustrations
I'm re-arranging my works today and found another works for illustration for Chingay (done w/ watercolors) ~
BEE ~
I don't know why the last pic on my previous post looks soooo small ~ :D haha
Here's one more bee.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
World Fair Trade Day 2010 May 08th
Be the change you wish to see in the world - Gandhi
World Fair Trade Day 2010 is about Fair Trade, about people, organizations, producers, consumers, supporters and all those who share its goals. But more importantly, it is about you. It is your day to draw attention to your power to change your community and your world for the better through Fair Trade. Together, we can improve the lives of small producers, farmers and artisans, around the world.
These are the list of events happening worldwide
Help to spread the message around the world, change your consumption patterns, and attend a World Fair Trade Day event on May 8th, 2010.
Main website -- http://wftday.org/
World Fair Trade Day 2010 is about Fair Trade, about people, organizations, producers, consumers, supporters and all those who share its goals. But more importantly, it is about you. It is your day to draw attention to your power to change your community and your world for the better through Fair Trade. Together, we can improve the lives of small producers, farmers and artisans, around the world.
These are the list of events happening worldwide
Help to spread the message around the world, change your consumption patterns, and attend a World Fair Trade Day event on May 8th, 2010.
Main website -- http://wftday.org/
Every Morning
Quoted from John Hope Bryant's Site
“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest Lion or it will be killed.
…Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle…
When the sun comes up, you’d better be running!”
-------------------------------- J.H.Bryant --------------------------------------
Little Bio about J.H. Bryant
John Hope Bryant is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, the bestselling author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), advisor to the last two sitting U.S. presidents, a thought leader, social entrepreneur and businessman in the business of empowerment.
“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest Lion or it will be killed.
…Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle…
When the sun comes up, you’d better be running!”
-------------------------------- J.H.Bryant --------------------------------------
Little Bio about J.H. Bryant
John Hope Bryant is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, the bestselling author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), advisor to the last two sitting U.S. presidents, a thought leader, social entrepreneur and businessman in the business of empowerment.
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