Leadership

25 Things About Life I Wish I Had Known 10 Years Ago

/ onetusk / 1 Comment

We might learn things quickly, but we often forget things at the same rate—and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things we’ve learned.

Here are 25 of those reminders that others taught me.

1. Struggle Is Good

Never say “I can’t take it anymore.” Say “Bring it on!”

2. Don’t Complain

Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you can’t, shut up about it.

3. Spend Time With People You Love

That’s your family and best friends. If you don’t have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life.

4. Don’t Start A Relationship If You’re Not In Love

I’ve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: “We might as well give it a shot.” Not a good idea. You’re either in love, or you are not. Don’t fool yourself. It’s not fair to you and the other person.

5. Exercise Daily

I didn’t get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you can’t build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life?

6. Keep A Journal

No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. “I don’t want to be a writer” you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer.

7. Be Grateful

Say ‘thank you’ to everyone and everything. “Thank you for this beautiful day.” “Thankyou for your email.” “Thank you for being there for me.”

8. Don’t Care About What People Think

We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you?

9. Take More Risks

Don’t be such a wimp.

10. Pick An Industry, Not A Job

If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You can’t do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually.

11. Lead The Way

When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, it’s time for you to lead. You‘re a leader when you decide to become one. There’s no initiation or a title. Just a decision.

12. Money Is Not The Most Important Thing

You have to train yourself not to care about money and focus on providing value instead. Also, don’t become too dependent on the stuff you own — otherwise, the stuff will own you.

Continue reading →

The World We Have

/ onetusk / Leave a comment

The American dream has been a nightmare.

“The American dream is not possible for the Chinese, nor the Indians or the Vietnamese. The American dream is no longer possible for the Americans. We cannot continue to live like this. It is not a sustainable economy.”

“We have created a society in which the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, and in which we are so caught up in our own immediate problems that we cannot afford to be aware of what is going on with the rest of the human family or our planet Earth.

In my mind I see a group of chickens in a cage disputing over some seeds of grain, unaware that in a few hours they will be killed.”

Thich Nhat Hanh.

“There are among us men and women who are awakened, but it’s not enough; the masses are still sleeping. They cannot hear the ringing of the bells. We have built a system we cannot control. This system imposes itself on us, and we have become its slaves and victims. Most of us, in order to have a house, a car, a refrigerator, a TV, and so on, must sacrifice our time and our lives in exchange.”

Quotes from an article by Thich Nhat Hanh: The World We Have.

I Am An Incorrigible Optimist….

/ onetusk / Leave a comment

I AM AN incorrigible optimist. I’m aware of the threats that surround us, but I haven’t lost my faith, I haven’t lost my hope. And I haven’t lost my confidence that people working together harmoniously can bring about a change for the better in the world that our children will grow up in. It’s not for governments to improve our lives. It is for each individual to ask himself or herself, “Should I continue to make things which destroy life, or can I lend my expertise and my experience to benefit life, to help life?” We get discouraged because we don’t see life as it is. We feel we can’t make a difference because we don’t see things as they really are. When we see life as it is, when we see people as they are, all sorrow will fall away, all suffering will come to an end. This is the great message of all religions. When we see life as it is, all sorrow falls away.

Eknath Easwaran