When The Character Of A Man Is Not Clear....

When The Character Of A Man Is Not Clear......

Please allow me to quote this Japanese proverb When The Character Of A Man Is Not Clear because although it sounds hallow, take a minute to pause and I'm hopeful you can digest its very message because it is straightforward enough.  This is NOT to imply that if a criminal is close to someone else, all his associated friends are deemed criminals.  Instead, the very persona and background of a person may likely give us a fairly good indicative view of the other person's background or persona, without imputing ill-advised speculations to cast aspersions on someone💊💊💊

Truth is, as mostly we live in multi-cultural environments, it is but appropriate for us NOT to stereotype people either by culture, race or even religion.  On the other hand, this Japanese proverb is akin to the old American expression which says TELL ME WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE, AND I'LL TELL WHO YOU ARE.  Again, we're NOT here to pre-judge people but what this tells us is we need to be cautious and mindful when associating ourselves with other people.  In fact, people who end up to be close amongst themselves normally have similar hobbies or areas of interests.  For women, the more vain ones seem to flock together.  Same thing happens for LGBTQ📘📗📙

Someone who's actively into sports will likely associate him/herself with sports-minded folks as well.  But there is a thin line that we may end up breaching once we get associated with someone.  It is possible that you get tied up to that other person or group until things become so deep-seated such that when one party veers into the risky or doubting areas of life, you may be vulnerable to become complicit💎💎💎

As the old cliche goes, SAME FEATHERS FLOCK TOGETHER and that truism can't just be shot down because even literally speaking, it remains a truism.  Like we DON'T expect a parrot to be co-mingling with an eagle.  Now I trekked back my MEMORY LANE and I remember way back my 1st Grade School, two or three of my classmates seem soft and effeminate.  After several decades, it's reconfirmed they're a part of LGBTQ community [BTW, there's nothing wrong with it]❗❗❗

Bottomline, it is perfectly fine to be associated with someone else as long as you confidently and comfortably feel to be on the same page or within the same wavelength with the other person you're being associated with.  Lesson here is be cautious, circumspect, guarded and heedful before you decide to be associated with others because WHEN THE CHARACTER OF A MAN IS NOT CLEAR, THEY WILL START LOOKING AT YOUR FRIENDS✅✅✅

Forgetting The Shades Of The Trees

Forgetting The Shades Of The Trees

Remember when we were struggling through the blistering heat of the sun, that sweltering summers where we [wrongly] thought we can't gasp enough air to breath not until we came across those Shades Of The Trees.  But after it was way past the scorching heat, how was our awareness of those Shades Of The Trees at that point.  My guess is, almost everyone of us forgot about that tree📘📙📗

How many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, have dreamt to become U.S. immigrants?  And although I never took that path, I am on the same page with would be-immigrants because more than a decade ago, I did bear witness to thousands and thousands of would-be immigrants in Singapore.  So, I can empathize with all the hardships and stretched patience of aspiring immigrants.  BUT alas, there is a small minority who, upon hurdling all the immigration challenges and finally become permanent immigrants [or even citizens], some of them would seem to have shortened memories, forgetting with whom he/she took refuge during those trying times📌📌📌

We have also heard the African diaspora and thanks God, many Africans are now residents [and citizens] across EU countries and for the African Jews, they migrated to Israel.  BUT the key message here is that, after we have hurdled all the difficulties in life, let us NOT forget WHO extended a helping hand for us, be it financial or even sheer inspirational because we never know, that kind of HELP could have tilted things either in our favor or NOT at all💎💎💎

There's an old cliche which says if we fail to look back from where we came from, we may NOT be able to reach our eventual destination.  Whereas, for those who continue to keep that sheer indebtedness even in their hearts, a simple 'Hi' many years after to someone who was instrumental to HELP you in the past, that would be appreciated❗❗❗

Besides that moral indebtedness that we need to keep within ourselves, remembering those SHADES of TREES which protected and sheltered us from the blistering heat of the sun will help us remain grounded with both our two feet.  Moreover, we need to be mindful that there is NO guarantee that those 'difficult' moments, with us struggling under that scorching heat of the sun, there's just NO guarantee that those 'low moments' will NOT hit us again down the road.  Being constantly grounded and mindful of the unpredictability of life should help us sustain that resilience, for us to 'weather storms' all over again in the future, NOT FORGETTING THE SHADES OF THE TREES✅✅✅

If You Don't Like Something, Then Do Something

If You Don't Like Something, Then Do Something

Former U.S. President Donald Trump may be a polarizing public figure but if he stands out in a mammoth crowd, it's because he vociferously WALKS THE TALK especially If You Don't Like Something, Then Do Something.  Even prior to his White House term of office, he hosted THE APPRENTICE [American Series] for fourteen seasons.  And when he perceives a contestant as a LOSER, out he steps OUT before the show ends👏👏👏

While I am not an ardent follower of Former U.S. President Donald Trump, I admire him for his FULL TRANSPARENCY.  While he has his cordon sanitaire, his coterie of closest and trusted advisers, once someone falls short of his expectations, he would give that confidant the pink slip soonest.  And to cap it all, he can go to Twitter and share that decision⏳⏳⏳

When nothing sounds good to you, and even well-intentioned suggestions from loved ones might make you a little cranky.  It's just absolutely natural to feel this from time to time, especially during times of STRESS or when you end up busier than usual.  When this loss of interest [a.k.a. APATHY] or reduced pleasure in the things you usually enjoy persists, it may suggest something more serious.  BUT usually, this feeling is only temporary and WHAT we want to do now is explore ways and means to SHAKE IT OFF💴💷💵

So, with that WHAT IF situation where you just CAN'T withstand it, WHAT do we do?  Yessssirrrr. as this poster seems to scream, YOU CAN GET OUT.  Frankly, you can TAKE A BREAK.  Sometimes, NOT wanting to do anything is your mind and body's way of asking for a BREAK.  If you tend to push yourself to your limit more often than NOT, respecting your NEEDS for a rest can help you avoid BURNOUT.  Self-compassion is key in this situation. Acknowledge your HARD WORK, and then give yourself permission to take some DOWNTIME.  Take a nap, scroll through your favorite social media app OR do whatever feels relaxing📗📙📘

TAKING A BREAK can help us recharge mentally and even physically and in the process, be able to think more clearly and even perform much better.  On the flip side, it can help us to avoid committing mistakes [especially at work] when we are even in a 'mild internal turmoil'.  Once we TAKE A BREAK, try GETTING OUT for some light physical activity  even if it's just a 10-minute walk around the block.  Frankly, it can even RESET OUR MOOD💎💎💎

Taking a lift from the 'old school', it teaches us to try JOURNALLING as it can help us sort through our emotions and exploring our emotional state may shed some light on WHY we DON'T want to do anything OR get involved with a particular task OR activity.  This can be particularly helpful if we HAVEN'T felt like doing much for more than a few days.  Unfortunately, emotions can occupy our thoughts and make it hard to think about doing anything else.  As a starter, we can try 'LIGHT JOURNALLING' even if it DOESN'T make it hard to think about doing anything else📌📌📌

WHAT'S our takeaways here?  Primero, DON'T push yourself on something you yourself are resisting [and aghast] to do because you WON'T progress and in case you do it, you can miserably FAIL.  First things first, BAIL OUT, reach out for your parachute in life because that's the safest WAY OUT IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, THEN DO SOMETHING❗❗❗

Nothing Is Impossible!

Nothing Is Impossible!

After taking my warm water as the first order of my day, I was skimming through ChannelNewsAsia, I stumbled across the news about that 4,800 kilometer trek of Victor Atencio who escaped from the difficult life in his native country of Venezuela and finally reaching the United States.  His was a story that really floored me because of that feat he has shown from the time he left Venezuela on foot last July 30th.  Really, Nothing Is Impossible❗❗❗

Literally on bare foot, he trekked through the jungles of Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua until he reached Mexico where he had to cross and survive the currents of Rio Grande to get through Texas, finally setting foot on U.S. soil.  And while he admitted that the most difficult part was surviving through the jungles, what was a real eye-opener were the urban jungles where all kinds of criminals and gangs did gang-up on him, extorting and robbing him of all his monies. Picture source: Channelnewsasia, SEPT 24 2023💎💎💎

The one-liner from Victor Atencio which I never heard or read in the past was his realization that "ANIMALS BEHAVE BETTER THAN MEN".  My God, what a testimonial but we got to believe his words because he just went through that almost 5,000 kilometric-journey that exposed him to the worst tests one can expect in life💵💶💴

For the curious ones, here's the link to my source regarding Venezuelan Victor Atencio @ https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/endless-one-venezuelans-arduous-odyssey-us-3795646.  What this tells us is that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, and even if you have NOTHING.  As long as your resolute pursuit is NOT hollowed one and you remain focused, YES YOU CAN📗📘📙

While we shared this very admirable feat of Victor Atencio, let's take a long at that achievement of India to have its lander named VICRAM finally land on the moon last August 23, 2023.  It used to be that realm was the monopoly of the United States.  So, how can a Third World country like India get through that breakthrough similar to a behemoth like the United States?  By sheer coincidences, the Venezuelan I featured today is named VICTOR while the Indian Lander is named VIKRAM.  No pun intended, VICTOR and VIKRAM both ended VICTORIOUS as they proved NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE✅✅✅

Time To Open Up To NEW FRONTIERS

Time To Open Up To NEW FRONTIERS

For the longest time, we have been so 'comfy' within our comfort zones but now is the Time To Open Up To NEW FRONTIERS because there's NO turning back and there is just NO way to block the avalanche of NEW FRONTIERS now all over our global village.  These are times when and where locking up ourselves out is just unthinkable📗📙📘

Moving into the third decade of the twenty-first century, our world now offers challenges way beyond what we could have ever imagined [much less handle].  Broadly, it might be prudent for us to investigate things and determine how they impact us.  Word of caution though.  We DON'T want to hear "OH NO, THAT'S NOT FOR ME, LEAVE THAT TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS [of the millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha]📌📌📌

With the mile-long list of new frontiers, I'd limit to rattle it off down to AI, virtuality, social change, gig work, diversity, leadership and work-life balance.  These 7 contexts are but a few of the most pressing issues now✅✅✅

In a world confronted with endless crises impacting health, equity and even morality, it is critical for us to meet these challenges with a forward-thinking approach since the flood of information brought about by enhanced access to technology has led us to an overwhelming volume of information that too often rewards the style rather than the substance.  At its worst, this never-ending deluge of data has led us to less precise conclusions and even ill-advised decisions in life,  The recent pandemic alone brought forth the work-life balance way long after we were hit hard by the pandemic itself💎💎💎

In the business world alone, the NEW FRONTIERS brought forward is this digital transformation which involves finding and developing new technologies to be strategized when factoring-in all variables of the equation including the practices, challenges and opportunities related to the digital transformation.  If these NEW FRONTIERS are NOT to our liking, frankly, you and me DON'T have much choice❗❗❗

Not For The Faint-hearted

Not For The Faint-hearted

Lots of things in life are for everyone.  BUT there are turfs and things that are NOT for everyone though.  Acrimonious divorce. Bankruptcy.  Crisis.  Death-defying situations.  Emergencies.  High Risks.  Near-death.  Life-changing conflicts.  Most of these, if NOT all, are Not For The Faint-hearted.  It takes someone who's battle-scarred and a proven survivor who can be counted in.  But the rest of us, at best, it's a fighting chance💊💊💊

Not to look down on the Third World countries but the burning question is, what keeps the DIVIDE between the First World and the Third World countries to continue widening.  And within the Third World countries, what can explain the enormous gap between the HAVEs versus the HAVE NOTs?  Hold your breath, as of 2021 statistics, there are almost 12% Americans living in poverty and that equates to a 38-milion population, whew📌📌📌

And why are the business magnates and moguls continue to have their war chests zooming up way beyond what statistics can explain?  It's because they DON'T belong to the Faint-hearted.  Why are business conglomerates gobbling up markets unabatedly?  Simple.  NO one else is ready enough to pick up the mantle❌❌❌

So, for the Faint-hearted, what's the journey they can plot to embark to turn around things?  First off, DUMP your fears out there.  Any doubts and apprehensions DO NOT have a place for any Tom. Dick and Harry willing to pick up the gauntlet.  Secondly, ensure you have the sound fundamentals of your trade.  You just DON'T buy a major franchise if you DON'T have that business acumen, period❎❎❎

Thirdly, hope for the BEST but be prepared for the WORST.  Think of the most daunting nemesis you can ever face, yet 'prep' yourself NOT even have your eyes to blink at all.  Lastly, plot your journey towards your pre-set goal BUT ensure to have a feasible alternative plan of action once you HIT THE WALL because time is of the essence in your long, arduous journey❗❗❗

When It's FULL MOON

When It's FULL MOON

I vividly remember our childhood When It's FULL MOON, that's the time when children will run out of their houses after dinner and have fun with endless games, all played underneath the FULL MOON.  BUT the lack of awareness creeps in only when the moon starts to wane right after FULL MOON.  That's where we will draw the parallelism in life.  After the best of things, the only way to go is down south💊💊💊

So, where's the miss here?  It is us enjoying every bit of happiness that can be squeezed during the FULL MOON, totally overlooking that in due time, the FULL MOON will start to wane till it's gone and gone.  In our life, that has been a common scenario.  Everyone seems oblivious when things are nice and dandy.  NOT UNTIL when things turn around, by that time, the realization comes late📗📙📘

So what pricks the balloon after all the fun?  It is that eventuality that GOOD THINGS DO LAST [only until a certain point].  We CAN'T get drank with the coziness of things only to wake up when it is too late to really awaken ourselves to the reality that creeps in at the next corner.  On the other hand, there are those who are aware of the benefits to enjoy when it's FULL MOON but they tend to overlook it, till it WANES and it's gone❗❗❗

So, WHEN exactly should we make a move such that we DON'T end up doing all the catch up?  Good question.  In truth and in fact, we got to be on our toes even way before the FULL MOON shapes up.  Being a few laps ahead of things will give us the headway and breathing space way before things come to crunch and grind to a halt.  In life, that's our common miss.  We tend to do lots of catch up because when the FULL MOON is up there, we get immersed and consumed by its luster and beauty, missing that sooner that FULL MOON will wane💎💎💎

What's our lesson[s] here?  DON'T enjoy the fullness of things way beyond what is just right and reasonable.  DON'T let your guard down as if you are a retiree with a full chest of retirement funds enough till your last breath.  DON'T have too much of things.  TOO MUCH of anything is akin to having an overdose of medicines.  Anything in life has to be lived and enjoyed in moderation.  Never enjoy things by pushing yourself till you reach the edges of the cliff only to realize that all it takes is just one ill-advised step and you're done in life❎❎❎

Rain Falls Harder On A Leaky Roof

Rain Falls Harder On A Leaky Roof

Rain Falls Harder On A Leaky Roof, that's a common expression in Japan.  Simply put, this Japanese proverb points to the obvious need that our FOUNDATIONS in life should be robust and sturdy enough to withstand the unknowns and even the unpredictables in the future, else, worse things can turn to worst📌📌📌

And what are the FOUNDATIONS in our personal life?  It all bolls down to our relationships with our partner/spouse, our immediate family and loved ones, our colleagues and bosses at work, our customer base from our commercial operations.  We can equip and ready up ourselves for any future eventuality but NOTHING equates or supplants the importance of laying the groundwork for solid and strong foundations of relationships in our life⏳⏳⏳

People who end up mas casualties of the difficult phases in life which were not pre-empted, they would claim FORCE MAJEURE, that it is beyond their control.  Dude, when you hear that, that is a HALF-TRUTH because by then it is a fact that things are BEYOND CONTROL but the bigger and puzzling question is as to WHY and HOW you ended up in that FORCE MAJEURE situation.  WHAT have you laid down to prepare yourself when the heavy rains would simply throw you awash and offtrack📘📙📗

Let's play devil's advocate.  So what happens when you laid out the right foundations that are robust enough for whatever rainfall and typhoons that might hit you?  That makes you READY enough.  That leads you to RESILIENCE.  That leads you to be a step ahead of whatever unknown variables that might hit you down the road.  By that time, you have buttressed your defenses in a proactive way, anticipating the worst✅✅✅

Borrowing the age-old Japanese way of doing things, when compared to the western world wherein people spend 20% planning and 80% for the execution, Japanese best practice shows us approximately 80% planning and 20% execution.  What's the rationale for that big chunk of time + effort spent during planning?  They're preparing their roofs to be sturdy enough WHEN RAIN FALLS HARDER❗❗❗

FRAUD & SCAM Advisory: 11.01.2023

FRAUD & SCAM Advisory: 11.01.2023

Taking a break from our various threads, today please allow me to re-share our FRAUD & SCAM Advisory: 11.01.2023.  Acknowledging that I culled and consolidated the following information from various technology and banking sources.  One of the most common and popular activities these days are web-based transactions.  This is NOT a marketing stunt but I'm mentioning McAfee WebAdvisor as one of the popular tools to check the legitimacy of an online store and this offers free download📗📘📙

Bottom line is, NEVER initiate a web-based online transaction NOT UNTIL you have confirmed the legitimacy of the website.  Coming close to the heels of the risks and uncertainty of online stores and websites is the legitimacy of a company.  Even in the United States where technology is at the forefront, one in ten U.S. adults will fall victim to a FRAUD or SCAM every year💴💷💵

To protect yourself, re-sharing these TIPS:

1. Ensure the URL bar is secured via 'https'  
2. Check the CONTACT US page.  Validate it.
3. Review the company's social media presence
4. Double check domain names like 'Yah00.com'
5. Watch out for grammar & typos, that's a no-no
6. Verify the site's WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY.
7. Run a scan for virus, phishing and malware
8. Validate the site with the Google Safe Browser Transparency Report and it's free @ https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search  
9. Lastly, WALK AWAY if it's too good to be true

For those using either of these browsers [Internet Explorer 11.0 or later, Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, Windows 10 Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox OR Google Chrome], the free download of McAfee WebAdvisor works fine with these browsers

TIPs to check if a company is genuine:

1. Do a GOOGLE SEARCH.  Look into the customer review and feedback pages will tell on a company's TRUSTWORTHINESS
2. Check the company website.  Look for RED FLAGS [e.g. doubtful contact info]
3. Check the company's legal webpage.  Every legit company has a LEGAL PAGE
4. Check for SECURE modes of payment
5. If feasible, visit the company address

The World Is HUGE [BUT We're Small]

The World Is HUGE [BUT We're Small]

The World Is HUGE [BUT We're Small], indeed it is.  We'll just NEVER have enough time for everything we want to do in our limited years.  And that stark TRUTH can bring despair if we constantly fight against it.  BUT instead of struggling, Bertrand Russell, the respected British philosopher, was quoted "LET YOUR INTEREST BE AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE AND LET YOUR REACTIONS TO THE THINGS AND PERSONS WHO INTEREST YOU BE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE FRIENDLY RATHER THAN HOSTILE"📌📌📌

Russell's key message here is that instead of struggling, he advises us to pick up areas of interests that captivate us [like AI [Artificial Intelligence] and the electric cars of Elon Musk] BUT basketball or chess would just as well.  In that way, we could temporarily slip the constraints of time and find momentary HAPPINESS📗📙📘

Modern research agrees with Russell that OPENNESS is very much linked to both creativity and intelligence and even to slow down MENTAL AGING.  Being open to new experiences seems to help us to keep our mind 'YOUNG'.  So, apparently, even science has found new benefits to being FRIENDLY rather than HOSTILE to new people, interests and ideas.  And should that initial CURIOSITY develop into a hobby, so much the better💎💎💎

Studies do show that having diverse interests helps us to develop a broader SENSE of SELF.  Like you're NOT just an entrepreneur or a dad but you could be a bowler and a surfer as well.  Which means that whenever we run into difficulties in one of these areas of life, we can draw STRENGTH and CONFIDENCE from others.  As they say, WHEN BUSINESS GETS ROCKY, THE SURFING WAVES MUST BE ROCKING❗❗❗

Indeed, exploring the world with a sense of wonder, developing a portfolio of interests and identities plus allowing ourselves to get 'LOST' in them regularly is the kind of HAPPINESS ADVICE just about anyone can implement.  Indeed, nothing can make our life less fleeting or even removing all the stress from our lives.  But with all the challenges [and noise] we face in our daily life, it seems like it could help if we can squeeze more HAPPINESS from our 'GOOD DAYS' and then, 'BUFFER' it for some of the 'BAD DAYS'.  We can till make things happen even if THE WORLD IS HUGE [BUT WE'RE SMALL]✅✅✅