Steve Jobs and his Question

I am sure many of you knows who is Steve Jobs. He started his billion dollar business in garage during his early twenties. Before he passed on, he is already the leader of 3 separate industries: Music - Ipod, Movies - Pixar, Computing - Mac)

What really gets my respects about him is his Philosophy. Jobs always ask himself this question everytime he is faced with a big choice. "What would I do if this was the last day of my life.?" And there, he met his wife.

He was giving a university address while she was sitting among the audience. He fell for her and approached her for her number. She agreed. He wanted to take her out for dinner that night but had a business meeting. So, he ask himself this magical questions. The next moment, he found himself running back to the auditorium and took her out for dinner instead. They have been together ever since.

Try it for yourself, and maybe you will realise how this questions can change your life. Remember, connecting to the end can keep you focused on what is most important to you before it's too late.

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!

Let's Get Up Early?

I was reading on the internet when I bump into this article. This is an awesome article about waking up early and how it impacts productivity, thus success.  

For 15 years, Starbucks President Michelle Gaas has set her alarm for 4:30 a.m. to go running. Gretchen Ruben, popular author of The Happiness Project (Harper Perennial, 2011) wakes up at 6 a.m. and works for an hour before her family rises. Time-management expert Laura Vanderkam highlights what makes mornings special and how we can use them more efficiently in her book What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. Here are a few benefits to getting out of bed earlier. 

You are less likely to get distracted in the morning. An entrepreneur's day fills up fast. If you wait until the afternoon or evening to do something meaningful for yourself such as exercising or reading, you’re likely to push it off the to-do list altogether. “There are going to be reasons why you can't tackle a personal priority at 4 p.m. -- things have a lot less likelihood of coming up at 6 a.m.," says Vanderkam.

You have more willpower early in the day. Even if you aren't a morning person, you may have more willpower in the early hours than later in the day. "Willpower is like a muscle [that] becomes fatigued with over-use," says Vanderkam. During the course of the day as you're dealing with difficult people, making decisions and battling traffic, you use up your willpower, leaving you feeling depleted toward the end of the day.

Mornings give you the opportunity to set a positive tone for the day. If you've ever slept in past your alarm clock or forgotten your kids' lunches on the counter, you know that starting off the day with a failure can bring down your mood and affect your productivity at work. Vanderkam says waking up earlier allows you to start the day with a victory and set the tone for a happier and more productive day.

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If the thought of waking up at sunrise makes you cringe, Vanderkam recommends these four steps to transform even a habitual night owl into a morning person.

1. Keep a time journal. Vanderkam says one of the reasons people say they don't like mornings is that they stay up too late. She recommends keeping a time journal for a week to show where you may be using your time inefficiently. Vanderkam finds when many self-professed night owls look at their time journals, they often find they aren't spending their evening hours productively or doing anything particularly enjoyable.

2. Imagine your perfect morning. Imagine what you would do if you had an extra hour in the day. Would you exercise? Read the newspaper rather than simply skimming the headlines? "[Getting up earlier] isn't about punishing yourself. You will not get out of bed if you don’t have a good reason to do it," says Vanderkam.

3. Plan your morning. Once you have decided what you want to do with your extra time, plan how to execute it, and set as much up as possible the night before. For example, if you want to exercise in the morning, lay out your clothes the night before, or gather the ingredients for your breakfast.

4. Build the habit slowly. Vanderkam says you will likely hit the snooze button and sleep in if you try to switch your habits drastically. So instead of setting your alarm for 5 a.m. when you normally get up at 7: 30 a.m. set the alarm for 10 minutes earlier each day. To make sure you don't lose sleep, go to bed 10 minutes earlier each night. If you have trouble hitting the sack on time, set a bedtime alarm.

Having seen all this, Let's get ourselves to wake up early now!

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. "

Sponge Bob Square Pants

Sponge Bob Square Pants is an amazing character. The kids were enjoying the cartoon when this little boy brought up the subject on this little cartoon character. "Is Sponge Bob a real person?" This made me laugh. Then it made me think. If Sponge Bob were a human being, this world
would be a better place. Seriously, There are four lessons I gather out from him.

The Eternal Optimist. This guy always see the best in any situation. Your thinking really does shape your reality. And because Sponge Bob looks for the best, he finds it.

Value People. Sponge Bob knows what friendships means. He loves his pal. Sponge Bob knows about respect and putting people first are two of the most important element for strong relationships.

Being Original. Sponge Bob is one of a kind. Too many among us are afraid to be ourselves. So we give up our dreams to follow the crowd. This is tragic. "to thine own self be true," say Shakespeare. Have the courage to be your true and greatest you.

Have Fun. There is no point in being successful but sad. Makes no sense. Yes, reach for the mountain top. But enjoy the climb as well. Life wasn't meant to be an ordeal. It was meant to be a celebration. So have big time fun as you chase and catch your most cherished dreams

Get in World Class Condition

You know, I am with the idea of being fit if you want to be at your best. Getting into world class physical condition is one of the smartest moves you can ever made. Exercising will make you look better, feel stronger and fill you with boundless energy. Staying fit will make you even happier.

The past week has been a time of change for me. I am coaching my team so that they know the new standards and goals. I am pushing myself harder to get more done and generate better results. And I am lifting the bar on the size of my dreams. I need to make a difference. I passionately feel that. As I go through all this, one of the practices that is serving me so well is my exercising routine.

I remember a a friend sharing "Exercise is an insurance policy I have taken out on my health. And each day that I go to gym, I am paying a premium." Another friend quoting " Good health is a crown on the head of a well person that only sick person can see. Great friends. Smart point.

No matter how busy I get or how much pressure is on my shoulders, a good workout makes me feel at ease. I come off the thread feeling relaxed, full of joy and with a sense of perspective over the issues on my plate. I get so many big ideas while I am running and such clarity while I am exercising. The best part ~ staying fit keeps me happy and positive. I know i can never be Mr universe but my life will be a lot better, more productive and longer than if I didn't. And that's good enough for me.

Listen now.

My mom is a very wise woman. As a kid, I loved to talk and i still do now. In school, I always like to talk to my classmate seating around me and I was constantly caught for talking. One day, Mom sat me down and said : you were given two ears and a mouth for a reason. To listen twice as much as you speak." Brilliant point!

Listen intently to someone is one of the best ways I know of to honor that person and forge a deep connection.

When you Listen to someone, it sends a message : "I value what you have to say, and I am humble enough to listen to your words." So few of us are really good at listening. Most people's idea of listening is waiting until the other person has finished speaking before answering. And the sad fact is that while one person is talking, most of us are rehearsaling our replies. How many of us are guilty of that?

New York attorney general, Eliot Spitzer has a line that empahsis the best. "Never talk when you can nod" Your effectiveness as a business person, family member or human being will absolutely soar if you get this one right. Listen twice as much as you speak. Become a world class listener. Get wildly interested in what others have to say to you. And just watch how people respond. They'll fall in love with you. Quickly.

Genius

Genius is not the sole domain of a rare breed of person. Both you and I are entitled to that label and to play in that space. Here's the BIG idea: Focus on any area or skill with a relentless devotion to daily improvement and a passion for excellence and within 3 to 5 years, you will be operating at a level of competence such that people call you genius.

Focus + Daily Improvement + Time = Genius.

Michael Jordan was a basket ball genius. Was his spectacular success on court purely the result of natural gifts? Absolutely not! He took what nature gave him and ran the formula. He was branded as one of the worst player while in school! This didn't stop him. He didn't scatter his focus. He just got devoted to being brilliant at basketball. 

Thomas Edison registered a stunning 1093 patents over his lifetime and invented the light bulb as well as phonograph. He was labeled as a slow learner in school. He continued working on his passion and focused on his inventions. He improved daily. And he let time work its magic. Genius came knocking.

Know what you can excel at. Discover your talents and then work like crazy to polish them. One of the most important of all personal leadership skills is self awareness. Know what you are great at. Reflect on those abilities that others admire in you. Think of those capabilities that just come easily to you and that flow effortlessly from you. This could be a fantastic communicator or have a way with people. You might possess an extraordinary ability to execute and get things done. Perhaps your special talent lies in innovation and creativity and seeing what everyone else sees but thinking a different thought.

Find your genius point and then develop them. Put the formula in. Start today and in 3 to 5 years time people will be writing about you. Calling you a genius. Celebrating your magnificence. And I would be one of them.

Brilliant Idea that works!

Here's a brilliant idea that has worked brilliantly for many people. "If you want to be more happier, do more of the things that make you happy." I know that seems like an obvious point - but its not.

After we leave the wonder years of childhood, most of us stop doing the things that make our hearts sing. Someone told me recently that when he was young, he used to love to take solo rides on his bicycle. "I stopped doing that when we had kids and work demands took over. Life got busier. But those moments out on the bike came from some of the best days of my life."

Another one, a phenomenally successful entrepenuer, shared that his passion used to be playing his drums in a rock band. "Those were incredible times. Then I started my business and it began to consume me. I miss playing music. I'd lose myself in it.

Here's your to do: Make a list of your 10 Greatest Passions, 10 activities that fill your heart with joy and remind you of how good life can be. And then, over the coming 10 weeks, inject one of those pursuits into your weekly schedule.

Powerful thought; "The things that get scheduled are the things that get get done." Until you schedule something, it's only a concept - and extraordinary people don't build remarkable lives on concept. They build their greatness on action and near flawless execution around their deliverables. They get things done.

This 10 week program works. When you get back to doing those things that lifted your spirit and sent you soaring, you reconnect with that state of happiness that you may have lost. And part of the purpose of life is to be happy. Really Happy!

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.