Bamboo In The Wind

It is more scary to feel we are in an endless free fall than to face actual free fall. Free fall occurs u expectedly and ends with an impact. The feeling of free fall, on the other hand, is worse. The sentiment is self-generated and hugely distracting in every aspect. We live in a world where we are responsible for ourselves and those around us. Thus, when we feel that we are in free fall, it impacts us and others in unimaginable ways. They start to learn about our situation that concerns them. They make assessments and pass judgments, which elongates our feeling of a fall. So where does it end? The feeling of a free fall originates from an inadequate assessment of self. That follows with making judgments heavily influenced by our past and views. When our actions based on calls we made do not appear to work, the feeling that we are in free fall begins. The way to end it is by assessing self by stopping the noise of judgments of others about us. Avoiding self-inflating inputs that misle...

Opportunities arise when we volunteer our time. Often it’s not always up to us to choosing what to contribute to. Not everything may be of our liking. But that is fine.  As long as we are giving a hand to making things a little easier or better or brings a smile on someone’s face or makes them stand on their own, we utilize our time well. Volunteering is an act of generosity where internally we feel we need to offer. Offering is in the form of sparing time, effort and most importantly our attention to something or someone else. It represents that we have sensibilities and store of an inner care that can extend to the world around us. Being able to see thing beyond and us and even more critically involving ourselves to improving them is gracious act.  An uncommon one. And hence, a special one!

We are taught to win and go after something until we encounter victory. Aimless chases can mistake ego trips we are on for ambitious pursuits. Eventually, such hunts falter and run into trouble.  The root of the problem lies in the blind belief in what we want over what we can have. There is a gap between the expectations and the reality of our readiness to make it happen. When that gap is wide enough, we cannot see the care, attention, and effort required to get what we want. That leads to positioning ourselves in a poor position, which places us at a problematic point of return. It is not impossible to improve the situation.  It precedes improving our belief that what we want is backed by our attention. Once our view is back to being realistic, floating in the waters until we can is an inevitable survival strategy.  Make great pursuits we see around us a result of surviving as long as possible rather than a frantic attempt to win at any cost. 

Jeff Bezos took a lot of ideas from Sam Walton of Walmart. Jobs and Bezos took many ideas from Akio Morita of Sony Corp. Steve Jobs learned a great deal from his conversations with Edwin Land, who was Polaroid Founder.  Jobs was even quoted as saying that Apple's journey was at the intersection of science and technology. The quote was Edwin Lands'! Could we have predicted that Jobs, who learned from Land and Morito, would have gone to build fascinating technology and the most innovative phone devices we have ever seen? Every person at the top of their game is always keen to absorb the vitals from their surroundings. They study people who came before them and try to learn the purest form of practice tips on building excellence.  Jobs and Bezos were no different. It is hard to know in advance what a philosophy, an invention, or an idea can influence. It is even harder to understand what a person affected by the influence will go on to create! Books are authors' ideas. Some re...

There is a strange thing about doing things on schedule. Schedules make us plan for things ahead of time.  Every slot in it is immaculately planned. And, when the time for action arrives, we simply want to walk away from the very thing the next time slot is meant to be for. Why do we work so hard to plan but find excuses to strike off what we intended for? One reason is that schedules are done with someone else's priorities for us. Someone else tells us what they need from us, or they tell us what is good for us. If we are accommodating these external inputs in vastly self-prepared internally thought schedules, we are usually comfortable with it. But what if our schedule is vastly driven by external triggers? That is when we tend to drop the ball. We don't have the emotional stake or the commitment required to complete every external trigger. Belief in the task assigned is a crucial aspect that drives motivation.  Motivation is the highest when we create a structure for action...

The sudden emergence of fog can be daunting to deal with! It is scary. And it hits us at a time when we are already on a turning uncertain terrain. The only truth about fog is that it's transient; while it's there, it masks reality. It makes us believe, albeit temporarily, that nothing beyond the line of sight it has pitched to us. While our beliefs are susceptible to illusions like these, we have vast experiences beyond the very moment that tricks us into believing the present. If we draw upon our vast past at various stages, we will know the terrain can be tackled based on our experience. Fogginess may narrow our line of sight, but the fact that we do have a line of sight is a big boost. All we need to do is to plan tiny steps to traverse only what is in a line of sight. And do so every time we execute the plan because we have an immediate benefit of adjoining line of sight, which became plausible through our willingness to march ahead! Tiny steps at a time, fog is bound to e...

We seldom realize that we are acting in self-interest to a level that practices self-preservation at any cost. But we often do. And it's dangerously detrimental.  We get fooled into self-defending prophecy to the extent that we harm ourselves in plain sight.  The reason is we refuse to see the truth. Instead, we create a basis for the circumstances to protect our self-image in our own eyes. That is blindsiding ourselves. This one is hard to fix. Unless there is the realization that what we are seeing and experiencing and what we are telling ourselves has a gap.  The gap reflects a need for more understanding. Our ego adds a flavor of distorted reality that is not a lie but a version of reality that we can stand behind as though we are doing the right thing even when we are not. Clearly, the path that earns a badge of trust, reliability, and dependability focuses on shedding the signs of self-preservation.  Open reception of feedback and believable productivity ensues...

It is hard to say we don't know when we don't know something. We respond with what we do know. Our approach could reflect two ways to think:  1) An attempt to demonstrate that we are superior in what we know, and  2) It could also mean that we want to convey that we are interested in what is being asked and are prodding for the conversation to progress.  The latter is an excellent attitude when done with care so as not to be seen as the former. It is common to say we don't know, even when we know something. It could reflect a few things as well:  1) We are vehemently protecting self-interest and are protective of preferences over what someone needs from us, and  2) We say so to make others psychologically safe that we do not know everything and there are things to learn. The latter is again an excellent attitude when it does not embed the quality brought in by the former of the two. Expressing a desire to improve ourselves can be magical for others who want to i...

There is a first-mover advantage. That is true in every aspect of our lives. The biggest staller in being the first mover is missing belief. Belief comes from within, the pre-authorized internal nod of reassurance that we have a proper thought. Belief is the root of aligning thoughts into a string of actions. Just saying it is one thing; generating an internal push to get to action is another. And a string of actions defines those who are movers. They build trust in themselves. Connect internal and external dots. And a small subset of them turns out to be the first movers!  It is not the passion, a subject or knowledge, or the area of our work; it is overcoming thoughts and moving into actions that matter.

They are unanticipated, cornering events. Yet, they always turn out bold.  Unorthodox experiments are courageous methods to put yourself out there. You must be prepared to face the risk of failing from the unexpected. But that is the whole purpose. To experience the unexpected. The thrill of being in such a situation gets you sharply focused. Just as the sharpness of mind triggered by the frigid body of waters in the snowy mountains! The goal of an unorthodox experiment is meant to regain composure and bring the focus on what matters.  Do the essential. Remove the fluff. Set your eyes on the finish line.

Freelancing gives us a chance to be on our own. Working, teaching, creating arts. The freedom that comes with it has consequences but perhaps limited.  Freelancing by nature is done with a huge self interest. So if work we do, the rejection we receive, the pat we get is quite personal. Stakes are high for the individual. Ownership on the other hand is taking responsibility. Not just for self but for those affected by what we do, those who work with us and the crafty mission it has potential to build out.  The effect of taking ownership is rarely clear but steadily it becomes clear that it is much larger that us alone and we must act in broader interest. Ownership originates from a rather personal act - from having agency.

Struggling in the area beyond your comfort zone crushes your confidence. In fact, so you think. In reality, it awakens the excellence instinct in you. It motivates you to listen and learn! Failing beyond your expertise can be a lethal blow to enthusiasm. That is only as long as you are bound by the age-old norms that define competence, hard work, and what constitutes success. Usually, failing beyond your experience uncovers success within your experience. You could ensure your position is adjusted such that failing is inconsequential and learning is immense! Here is an example from the world of Baseball!

Understanding the message, the reasons for our emotions, causes of our situations results in internalizing what self faces and why the surrounding affects us. Realizing the explainable facts establishes an internal calm and gives the composure required to make sound decisions. When the realization is absent, we can be sure that uncertain unease prevails. We are bound to doubt how we will be perceived and whether our decisions will be believed. Lack of realization is the shaky start towards incoherent thoughts; even on the most straightforward matters you hope to get tight. Inconsistent actions are mere consequences! Working on improving our realization and learning to refine it with facts is a vital step before the required outcomes are seen!

It is scary to ask anyone for feedback. And why not? After all, it might expose our inadequacies, poor thinking, and everyday work. If asking for feedback shows us our fears, why do so? It turns out that asking for feedback is being open to inputs and ideas contrary to our thoughts! The concept that someone without knowledge of us, our thoughts, and our work can review our work is terrifying at best.  Volunteering to get feedback is a great way to assert that you are willing to change minds and improve. Feedback comes at the cost of sharing. Sharing comes at the expense of leakage of trust. Trust develops with acceptance of input as is. Feedback is heard through sincere, patient listening. And that is the difficulty in seeking feedback in the first place.

We point out inactions. We ponder what needs to be done and resort to creating goals, targets, or mechanisms that push for action. And that is great.  Because push results in the impetus to move forward and think. It certainly generates thinking about how to get ourselves out of inaction. And that is a must before progressively bringing the work toward the intended results. But overemphasis on mere action is no good! That is no guarantee that we will progress.  What in the world is blocking constructive thinking that leads to action? We need to play a much bigger emphasis on that. Get all those fears, displeasures, and knocks weighing our minds out of the way. It's easier said than done. Who would support, who would listen, who really cares? Fair enough. But that is precisely the test of our connections.  Keep traversing connections until we can express ourselves freely with someone willing to listen with intent and without fear of safety. It is a skill to build and prese...

Two types of decision-makers end up making decisions of consequence. These types define how we feel about what we decide and do. Some do a quick research and make gut feel-based, good-enough decisions and live with the result of making those. Such decision-makers usually have no surprise about what outcomes they get.  And so they are generally happy about their choices. They live with what they have, get, and consistently work to improve their odds by continually making the next decision.  Often this makes them average achievers, but they benefit from gaining confidence with the experience they garner. These are Satisficers. Then, there are those who infinitely research, review, rate, debate, and discuss their choices. They tend to procrastinate over the costs and benefits of those decisions and weigh the effect of options.  Supposedly these decision-makers make well-informed decisions but quickly resort to second-guessing themselves on whether they could have made even b...

Whether it is exercise, relationships, or a business battleground, we must know to handle pain.  Pain induces the emotion of unending hopelessness, which teaches us how to decipher stumbling blocks and figure our way out of them! Endurance is a test of time. Lasting longer than the problem. One that lasts longer has been baked in the difficulty of varying circumstances.  If it has lasted long enough, it will likely survive even longer and become robust and resilient.  Endurance helps us become or create something of lasting value that we come to depend on. Endurance is why we learn to survive and further - thrive!

Trust compounds when honesty is present. But there is something more required. Trust grows when there is integrity on display.  It is easy to be truthful about what you say today. It's more work to keep your commitment to truth tomorrow and the day after. Consistently. Clearly, honesty is about being boldly truthful, as you express. However, integrity is respecting spoken words every day and making sure they remain truthful day after day, every day! Trust is an outcome of honesty and integrity. Trust is mainly up to us!

It is easy to brush aside any feedback you get. In fact, what do others know of you and your circumstances for them to pass judgment about you or your actions? That is a fair view. You know yourself the best and must hold your own self in the face of feedback. But brushing aside what others say about you? Perhaps you must be careful about ignoring input and being deaf to developmental information. Most people react the way you might think of responding with a sense of ignorance. However, the loss is only yours. First, you must note no one is interested in you. They are interested in their own experience with you. Your reflections, sharing, accommodation, care - your behavior in their presence, all of it.  They are also affected by your actions - which either encourage or discourage their own actions. The type of impetus your presence provides them is vital to them. And they will provide feedback, whether you expect it or not. You must be open to listening to the feedback, think har...

To see the moment of truth, we must be open to missing the goalpost rather than just expecting to make it.  Running the race fully to see us falling short in our preparation.  Or we must be open to being watchful along our journey and making continuous adjustments that improve our position - relentlessly. Being open makes us see. And, then, we have a chance to make it.  The flip side is to see what we expect or what is desirable. Then, we are unlikely to make it! Either way moment of truth is show-up. It is outside our control!

Wait is excruciating! Never-ending. Nail biting. Worrisome. Wait is hardly of any use. We might wait to start on something, wait to stop something, or wait to continue something. It is rarely apparent to us why we must wait. Turns out we are waiting for reassurance. Reassurance about something from someone. When that reassurance does not show up, all hail breaks lose! We become hopeless. We eventually get stumped. We have a vast pileup to climb over to get to the other side and become hopeful again! However, what we turned waiting into exploratory actions? Actions might change our perspective, our understanding, and our connections. And eventually, we update our beliefs. That might be a handy thing to do. Because that will pave the way for a lot of possibilities to pursue. Importantly, it positions us with options that just go created because the wait was turned into a splendidly productive spell!

If you face a situation where you feel you are not progressing, then stop and think. If you are in a position where no effort results in solid relationships, stop and think! You must check if you employ a trust-first approach to engaging with yourself and your surroundings! The trust-first approach can attract the best. Best thinking, best effort, best outcome, best people. The trust-first approach defies the logic of being judgemental. It avoids the side effects of self-expectations.  The trust-first approach underlines that people generally reciprocate with greater trust. So trust we must. At the start!

We are logic bullies! We only realize it sometimes.  We fall prey to our biases and form a firm understanding of how the world works. That understanding is based on how we perceive the situation, the observations we make, the evidence we collect, and the inferences we draw from it.  Collectively, such understanding can be inherently flawed. But we don't know it. We use our knowledge everywhere we have an opportunity to interact. That becomes our logic to explain things to ourselves and those around us. When we develop our understanding into a firm one, it can turn into a fixed belief. When we use our thoughts daily, we turn that into the logic that explains what is happening around us. It becomes our opinion. The trouble is we are often blindsided that our logic and underlying understanding could be flawed.  If we persist with our opinion, we will likely be impressing our thoughts on others without their consent. That is logic bully in action crippling the environment! Th...

  Trained under abusive coaches, NBA (Americal Basketball) players  performed poorly throughout their careers, even when playing for different coaches! Weak leaders can make people who work with them fragile!

Everyone has a wild side to their self that can look like it!  Usually, Gump has a tendency to be non-compliant. The one with uncommon imagination.  Gump is an exploratory unfazed by the outcome. The one that goes on with equal curiosity to accept the result, in their favor or against! Gumps are open to accepting that they are unfinished products, unlike us, who like to portray a conscious image of what we are not. Gump is unpolished and yet unpretending. They are original, and that counts for a lot when it comes to seeking development! Gump represents a learning style - a way of being ambitious but with low expectations - until we are sure!

It's a perceived status. Falling short has an assumption built into it that there is more to be done.  Instead of beating ourselves, thinking we are falling short, we could think more about our problems. We could deploy different techniques to solve them. We could be more creative about what we want to convey about them so there is enough enthusiasm around our effort. Or, better still, we could inspect the results we have much more imaginatively. And wholistically understand what has been accomplished and the learnings it embeds for the future. Falling short is a state of mind that must be tackled by furthering our understanding of where it comes from and what actions to take to overcome it!

Projecting perfection protects your ego but not without a side effect. Projecting perfection inadvertently shuts people out and affects the balance in trusted relationships. Unsurprisingly, projecting perfection in the short run is attributable to success, but a loss of trusted support in the ecosystem over time begins to stunt your growth. Revealing struggles, on the other hand, shows humility and personal touch. It, too, comes with a side effect. Revealing struggles might help you gain trust that you are courageous and willing to share your shortcomings.  On one side, some might perceive it as an attempt to garner attention.  But undramatized revealing of struggles might open the door to new avenues of support and strength.

Vulnerability is often misconstrued as weakness. In fact, it's a powerful tool that demonstrates your authenticity. Vulnerability is messy. It shows a momentary loss of control. Yet it offers the ability to present the state of mind transparently. Resilience, on the other hand, is persevering to last longer when faced with adversity.  Persisting when there no options appear. It shows control of the situation and willingness to keep going when it feels like quitting.  Vulnerability is not the opposite of resilience. Vulnerability builds resilience. Together, they build a strong foundation for dealing with all sorts of experiences!

Are we replacing connections? Are we reducing connections? Are we renewing connections? Are we adding new connections? Do we see no need for connection? The vitality of connections and what actions we take determine what we achieve. In the absence of any one of them, we have diminishing relevance in the environment we live and work under. A lack of real connections makes us feel empty and unreal. And the reciprocation of this feeling is us finding ourselves irrelevant. The way around it is to start making different connections, new ones, interesting ones, the ones that teach us, those that expose us to the unseen, or those that ground us.  Choose any one of these connections. Choose as many as possible. But start by making connections and opening the doors! For your own sake!

It is possible, and it must be made! New beginnings are full of new energy, hope, and excitement that comes from newness. Beware, new beginnings are not extensions of the old ones, however! Things around us must change. It must expose new connections. So it must tell further limitations in us!  That is what drives new learning about how we think and respond. That is what we are made up of! Until we begin to notice. This streak will run through us for a long time until we can see through our responses as soon as they occur!