Have You Start Reading Obituaries?

I have start to become more philosophical these days, as I realised time is ticking by so fast...I am less willing to waste my time, less willing to listen to negative people. I am even less willing to miss an opportunity to be loving, champion another human being, get closer to my dreams, or have some genuine fun. And...I started reading obituaries too. 

When I read of the lives others have lived , I am offered clues on whats most important in life. I realised that obituaries of lives well lived often share certain consistent pattern. 

• Family
• Friendship
• Contribution to community 
• Taking calculated risk 
• Kindness through small, simple acts 
• Love

The greatest of all i read speaks of being close to loved ones and of the impact the deceased had on the world around them. 

Leading a beautiful life, I always ask the kinds of questions that will provoke me to think deeply ad connect with what matters most. One of the dominant traits of so many of the extraordinary people I know is the discipline of bring more reflective than most of us. So ask profound questions. Good questions lead to excellent answers and greater clarity. And greater clarity is the DNA of authentic success and personal greatness. 

There are 5 questions that I hope will cause you to go deep and become more philosophical about what truly counts in your life. Most people don't discover how to love until it's time to die. By then it's too late...Start writing your answers down in journal, ask yourself on a daily basis and get yourself align!

• Did I Dream Big Enough?
• Did I Live Fully to the Extend of What I am Capable of?
• Did I Learn to Let Go of Those Thinking that Does not Support Me?
• Did I Love Well?
• Did I Leave the Earth a Better Place?

I hope the answers you arrive at will help you live with more passion and joy. Clarity does precede success. You can't hit a target you can't even see. And we are really not here that long, if you think about it. We'll all be dust before you know it! So live and maximise your potential now!

I Want The Best, How About You?

One of the habits I consistently observed within those star performers and extraordinary leaders are their commitment to world class. They drive the highest quality class, live in the best house and wear the finest clothes. Their philosophy generally seems to be " I stand for being the best so it only make sense that I should invest in the best." And they held the belief even before they are successful.

Greatness is a state of mind. You need to believe in your potential and power before you can bring them to life. You need to feel like you are extraordinary before you can become extraordinary. I call this "emotional blueprinting" To see spectacular results in your external life, you have to emotionally create a blueprint of your vision within your inner life.

One of the best way I have discovered to achieve this feeling is to ensure that you surround yourself with the highest level. I remember reading a book years ago, written by Al Koran, called Bring out the magic in your mind. One of the ideas that stayed with me is : In order to be successful, it's important to go where the successful people are. Even if you have on $10, go have a coffee at the best restaurant in your city. His point? Your surrounding shape the way you feel. And the way you feel drives what you do. Feel world class and you behave world class.

Invest in the best. Buy the highest quality goods you can possibly afford. Better to buy one superb pair of shoe than three cheap ones. "Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten." When I just started out, I took part of my first pay check and invest in a great watch. It wasn't a rolex or cartier but it was a good one. My thinking was that it would last for years, make me feel successful while I wore it and actually end up saving me money because it would rarely need repairs. One of my friends who always looked for the cheapest deal laughed at me. But I turned out to be right. He changed 6 watches along the way, and mine is still working great!

I am in no way encouraging a senseless addiction to material things. All I am saying is that if you are serious about standing for the best. Rewarding yourself with the good things sends a message to the deepest and highest part of you. One that say I am worth it and I deserve it. It will inspire you to reach even higher, work even harder and be even better. To anyone who says that our self worth should be so strong that high quality goods won't affect how we feel, I respectfully suggest that such a statement misses the reality of human nature. Every one of us like nice things, they appeal to our senses just like a beautiful sunset, magnificent mountain.

The best investment we can have is to be the best. You might not agree but I owe you the truth. My tastes are simple, I just want the best, how about you?

Life...

I am 30 years old this year. Looking back at how times fly past for the last 3 decades, I realised I am so lack behind. I am halfway through the adventure I call my life. I have become more philosophical these days. I am less willing to waste my time. Less willing to listen to negative people. Less willing to miss an opportunity to be loving, champion another human being, get closer to my dreams, or have some genuine fun. I have also started reading obituaries.

Often while I read the lives of others, they offered clues on whats most important in life. Family, friendships, contribution to community, kindness through small simple acts and love. I have yet to read anything that's says anyone dies peacefully surrounded by his lawyer, stockbroker and accountant.

The great ones all speak of being close to loved ones and of the impact the deceased had on the world around them. To lead a beautiful life, I suggest that you need to ask the kinds of questions that will provoke you to think deeply and connect with what matters most. One of the dominant traits of so many extraordinary people is self-reflection. Often good questions lead to excellent answers and greater clarity. And greater clarity is the DNA of authentic success and personal greatness.

Here are five big questions that I hope will cause you to go deep and understand what truly counts in your life. Most people don't discover how to live until it's time to die. But by then, it's too late. Ask yourself these five questions today. Write your answers in the journal. Talk about them, think about them, imagine that today is the last day of your life and you are lying on the deathbed. Then ask yourself

Did I dream big?
Did I live fully?
Did I learn to let go?
Did I love well?

My hope is that the answers you arrive at will help you live with more authenticity, passion and joy. Clarity really does precede success. you can't hit a target that can't be seen. And we're really not here that long. We'll all be dust before you know it. So live your potential now. The chinese say it so well "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the best time is now. "

Your Schedule and You!

Theres an old phrase that says : Action speaks louder than work. You can say that your primary value involves putting your family first, but if time with family is not all over the schedule, well then the truth of the matter is that your family life isn't your priority.

You can say that being in a world class physical condition is another top value but if there isn't five or six workouts etched into your weekly schedule, then the reality to be confronted is that your health just isn't as important as you profess it to be.

You can argue that self development is an essential pursuit to you because the better you are, the more effective you'll be. Show me your schedule and you will discover the truth.

There can be no authentic success and lasting happiness if your daily schedule is misaligned with your deepest values. That's a big idea that has been so helpful to so many of the people out there.

If there is a gap between what you do and who you are, you are out of integrity. I call it - The Integrity Gap. The greater the difference between your daily commitments and your deepest values, the less your life will work. Why? Because you are not walking your talk. Because your video is not congruent with your audio.  Because you are committing the crime of self betrayal. Worst crime of all. And the witness that lives within the deepest part of you - your conscience - sees it.

Your schedule is the best barometer or what you really truly value and believe to be important. Too many people talk a good talk. But talk is cheap. Less talk and do more. Show me your schedule and 1'll show you what your priorities are...

Principles @ Work

A man visiting a temple under construction saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Realising there was a similar idol lying nearby, he asked “Do you need two statues of the same idol?” “No,” replied the sculptor without even looking up,“We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage”

The Gentleman examined the idol for a while and found no apparent damage.“Where is the damage?” he asked. “There is a scratch on the nose of the idol.” said the sculptor, busy with his work. “Where are you going to install the idol?”, he asked the sculptor.

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. “If the Idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?” the Gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, “I will.”

Success - Up or Down?

Richard Carrion, the CEO of Puerto Rico's top bank once shared "Nothing fails like success."

Powerful thought. You, as well as your organisation are most vulnerable when you are most successful. Success actually breeds complacency, inefficicency and worst of all - arrogance.

When people and businesses get really successful, they often fall in love with themselves. They stop innovating, working hard, taking risks and begin to rest on their laurels. They go on defensive, spending their energy protecting their success rather than spending time focusing on the things that got them to the top.

The most successful you and your organisation become, the more humble and devoted to your customers you need to be. The more committed to efficiency and relentless improvement you need to be. The faster you need to play. The more value you need to add!

The moment you stop doing those, things that got you to the top is also the very moment you begin to slide down to the valley.

The Three Filter

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day this great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test.. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

"Triple filter?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.
Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really...."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful! Why tell it to me at all?"

The man felt ashamed and walked away.