What's Your TRUE POTENTIAL?

What's Your TRUE POTENTIAL?

Can we spend a very small fraction of our time today to discuss What's Your TRUE POTENTIAL?  Hoping I WON'T face a cold response because I deeply feel this is one burning issue amongst many of us.  Whether you're applying for admission to the university OR in the midst of choosing your career path OR going through a midlife crisis, the BIG question is "WHAT ARE YOU CAPABLE OF DOING?'  Unfortunately, this world may have fed you with UNREALISTIC expectations from the beginning, and it may be keeping you from understanding your potential.  What's Your TRUE POTENTIAL💵💴💷

We're all told that there's some hidden talent deep within us that will be our saving grace one day.  More often than NOT, though, you're only wasting your time in finding your "TALENT" instead of spending that energy to build your POTENTIAL.  If you can understand your POTENTIAL, SUCCESS will be knocking at your doorstep, promise.  Let's dig in to find out the not-so-hidden secrets that will help to lead us towards our empire of SUCCESS📌📌📌

So, what exactly is personal POTENTIAL?  Before getting into its definition, we need to know WHAT personal POTENTIAL really means.  There's a high chance that you have the wrong definition in mind, BUT that's NOT your fault though because it's HOW most of us think of it.  Oh Oh, people generally tell you that you're naturally gifted with personal POTENTIAL.  Supposedly, your true POTENTIAL is an activity that you can do with minimal effort📗📙📘

With this perspective, you're always in search of a hobby that you think you're good at.  You keep looking for that "UNKNOWN" nature's gift.  WHAT you DON'T know, BTW, is that personal POTENTIAL has more to do with your mental strength than your so-called gifts.  It is anything that you wish to be.  Hence, even if others say that your fashion sense is terrible all your life, you can still end up being a SUCCESSFUL fashion icon💎💎💎

WHAT you probably need is willpower.  With your courage and a firm intention, you can achieve whatever personal POTENTIAL you want.  In brief, it is YOU, and ONLY YOU, who can define your GLASS CEILING and that as you progress, you can keep 'raising the ante' so that your GLASS CEILING goes UP and UP, with no limits.  So, WHAT'S YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL, dude❓❓❓

Is Social Media Addiction Reaching Alarming Levels?

Is Social Media Addiction Reaching Alarming Levels?

Is Social Media Addiction Reaching Alarming Levels?  My quick unfiltered answer is 'YES and YES'.  And no less than in the United States, where the rule of law prevails most of the time, recently, fourteen states and the District of Columbia filed a suit against META, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger contending that the company knowingly uses features on its platforms to cause children to use them compulsively, even as the company said that its social media sites were safe for young people💴💷💵

The accusations in that lawsuit raises a deeper question about behavior.  Psychologists claim that devices lure users with very powerful tactics which they coined "INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT" which creates the idea that a user could get a reward at any time.  BUT when the reward comes is unpredictable.  By analogy, this is easily compared to slot machines📗📙📘

So, similarly with slot machines where users are beckoned with lights and sounds BUT in social media, it's even more powerful as information and reward tailored to a user's interests and tastes.  And while it's true that we adults are susceptible, young people are particularly at risk because our brain regions are involved in resisting temptation and reward are NOT as nearly developed in children and teenagers compared to adults📌📌📌

So what makes SOCIAL MEDIA so compelling? Practically all experts who study the ramifications of the internet are one in saying that the magnetic allure of SOCIA MEDIA arises from the way the content plays to our neurological impulses and wiring, such that consumers find it HARD to turn away from the flurry of incoming stream of information❎❎❎

Moreover, the studies say that adolescent brain is especially attuned to social connections and SOCIAL MEDIA is all a perfect opportunity to connect with other people.  So, the debate now is whether COMPULSION EQUALS ADDICTION?  A word of caution, though, from experts for tagging ADDICTION with SOCIAL MEDIA because it is also essential to our daily life✅✅✅

HOW HARD YOU TRY Versus HOW YOU TRY

HOW HARD YOU TRY Versus HOW YOU TRY

HOW HARD YOU TRY Versus HOW YOU TRY, oh what a boring topic you might try to blurt BUT hold on.  Please allow me to convince you that this topic is worth our five minutes for today.  WHY?  Because many of us frequently get into this dilemma of NOT ignoring things, of NOT procrastinating, of NOT dilly-dallying, only to FAIL after having tried💴💷💵

Well, no matter how hard you try to avoid them, you really CAN'T stop BAD days from happening.  Maybe you lost your job.  Maybe you had an acrimonious fight with your partner/spouse.  Maybe you had a terrible breakup with someone you considered as "THE ONE'.  Maybe you were blindsided by the loss of a loved one📗📙📘

The fact is, we all face times in our lives when we feel the coldest depths of despair, WHEN the only thing we feel like doing is going somewhere quite, staring at the ceiling.  Those are the moments when life feels way too hard, right?  The thing is, when you are in those difficult situations, we do try and sometimes FAIL.  And the thing is, how HARD you try is hardly ever enough.  That's only half the equation.  If you DON'T factor in HOW you try, then it is quite likely that you'll be 'screwed'💎💎💎

Now for a deeper insight, can we agree that your best will NEVER be enough if you DON'T know exactly WHAT you're trying to achieve.  So, here's the DIFFERENCE between your intention and your means.  Just because you have good intentions OR hope for the best, it just DOESN'T mean it will happen.  Just because you did try, even if you did try your best, that's NOT enough either❎❎❎

Sadly, many people [wrongly] believe that if they did try HARD enough, that's enough to get all they want.  That couldn't be more wrong.  There's more to the equation than just how HARD you try.  There's also HOW YOU TRY and what you actually do.  It's NOT just a question of how HARD you try.  It's also, if NOT more, important about how you try.  You can put your blood, sweat and tears into something BUT still get little to NO returns.  Then there's someone else WHO seems to be hardly trying, but they get everything?  WHY?  Because that person is either doing something more effective OR efficient.  They're doing something that works and quite likely, you're using something that DOESN'T.  HOW HARD YOU TRY versus HOW YOU TRY can be oceans apart❗❗❗

How NOT to Fail BUT Succeed

How NOT to Fail BUT Succeed

How NOT to Fail BUT Succeed will always be a polarizing topic to thread.  NOT because it's irrelevant.  NOT because it's a no-brainer.  BUT as I write this blog, I can be asked 'ARE YOU SUCCESSFUL'?  Problem is, SUCCESS is relative.  For one person, just to end up with an office job even as a clerk is SUCCESS by itself while for others, SUCCESS means he becomes a manager💴💵💷

So let's NOT get bogged down with the semantics of SUCCESS.  Instead, let's focus on FAILURE because that's a more 'one size fits all' recipe.  And topping the list of FAILURE culprits is when we DON'T understand the VALUE of TIME.  Truth is, UNSUCCESSFUL people DON'T VALUE their TIME, period.  They are everywhere, anywhere, anytime because they lack the ability to dedicate their time towards their goals.  And sadly, their FAILURES are compounding😡😡😡

Unfortunately, year after year, we can hear many of us make NEW promises WHICH never come into fruition simply because they couldn't be bothered to put in the time required towards achieving their GOALS.  Time management skills, learning HOW to say NO and knowing WHAT commitments to undertake, is a step towards great SUCCESS in any area of our lives📗📙📘

If you DON'T want to waste your time, then learn NOT to procrastinate.  Take actions WHAT you want in life.  Second common culprit is WHEN the things we do are NOT aligned with our GOALS.  The more important a GOAL is, the higher it will be on your hierarchy of VALUES and the less discipline and more disorder you'll have associated with it❎❎❎

There's one other COMMON MISS we commit.  Some of us [wrongly] think that SUCCESS in one area is good enough to compensate for FAILURE in other areas.  Let's look at a rare but realistic scenario WHERE your boss sucks and you really hate your job BUT that is NO reason to slack and produce mediocre work.  You're getting paid to be there so DO IT RIGHT, life has this universal law of giving you WHAT you put in.  It all boils down to maturity and wisdom to pursue excellence no matter the circumstances.  UNSUCCESSFUL people are the ones WHO are okay with getting bad grades and WON'T bother finding an effective method that will help in their learning ability, because after all, being a student is less about how smart you are BUT more about how well you can plan and prepare.  This is all about HOW NOT TO FAIL BUT SUCCEED✅✅✅

How Tough Is It To Improve In Life?

How Tough Is It To Improve In Life?

Do we need to discuss how to improve in our life?  OR is this a non-issue?  Me thinks this is as important as our 'bread and butter' topics.  So, the brutally frank question I'll pose now is:  How Tough Is It To Improve In Life?  And I'll quip:  NOT SO TOUGH.  We all know that SELF-IMPROVEMENT is important BUT let's face it, it's NOT always easy to know WHERE to start, especially when we're feeling STUCK📗📙📘

Now, have we ever wondered WHAT your life would look like IF you could get just a LITTLE BIT better every single day?  WHAT if you could improve your skills, habits, and even mindset by a measly 1% every single day?  HOW much progress could you make in a month?  In a year?  In a decade?  Now, we're in for a BIG surprise💥💥💥

Studies will surprise us because they showed that while 1% may seemingly look [and sound] insignificant on its own, small daily improvements compound over time to create astonishing results.  That is the power of the "1% RULE' coined by researchers, a simple yet profound idea that continues incremental progress adds up to MAJOR progress✅✅✅

So, let's buckle up and understand as to what is this "1% RULE"?  The 1% RULE states that if you can get 1% better at something everyday, the effects compound dramatically over time.  For example, if you improved by just 1% daily for a year:

• After 6 months, you'd be 37% better
• After 12 months, you'd be 371% better [and that's over 3.5 times higher than when you started off]

BTW, this applies to all areas of life, name it, health, career, relationships, finances and more.  While trying to change everything overnight rarely sticks, small consistent actions create lasting results.  BTW, the 1% RULE is about progress, NOT perfection.  You DON'T need massive breakthroughs.  Just focus on incremental improvements.  WHY will this work?  Hmmm, trying to change too much too fast is overwhelming and the 1% RULE takes the pressure off😀😀😀

Living Life With AUDACITY

Living Life With AUDACITY

As we stir by our everyday hustle and bustle of life, the mundane nuances of our days rub into our faces.  We all transcend into the struggles, putting on brave faces, and marching with frantic heartbeats in the uncertainty of tomorrow.  Bestowed with the most powerful weapon of creation, our minds uncover the depths of seamless ideas that revolutionize.  So, are we  Living Life With AUDACITY💴💷💵

As the world today CONNECTS as one global family with millions of UNKNOWN identities, as we CONNECT more, HOW often do we connect with ourselves?  Our ideas of CONNECTION are perceived as being accepted and validated in the social realms.  Our existence is dependent on the identify of society ushers us with.  So, WHAT exactly is identity?  Is it the intangible association that society labels us with?  The notion that deems fit to them📗📙📘

As we humans are multi-layered species WHO are condoned by the world to fit into a box, to be like a balm that soothes the ego of others.  We are so conditioned by the IDEA of pleasing others, it becomes difficult to identify WHAT makes us happy.  The most unfiltered version of ourselves is the authentic selves that live without any concealing and are fearless in the pursuit of WHAT sets us free.  So, how often are you hurt by someone's words yet DO NOT react to them to NOT anger them

Indeed, it is a human tendency to overlook everything OR invalidate our own experiences to derive validation from others. And as we grow older [and wiser], we realize the simple fact that indeed, the world is filled with stories of broken dreams, waiting to be read one story at a time.  We understand that at the end of the day, all we want is to fall into our bed with tranquility and wake up with EXCITEMENT❗❗❗

No matter what we are, let's face it, all of us are broken pieces of the same thread that binds us together.  And in our darkest nights, where we have battles to fight, sometimes on the brink of adversity and despair, we want to be tended with LOVE and CARE.  We all want to be LOVED, a LOVE that gives us a chance to unleash our authenticity, for our souls to dance, and to be embraced with honesty.  So, LIVING LIFE WITH AUDACITY is too tempting to ignore✅✅✅

Do We Have LIMITING BELIEFS?

Do We Have LIMITING BELIEFS?

Do you ever feel like you're NOT quite living up to your full potential?  OR that there's some kind of MENTAL BLOCK standing in your way of truly listening OR understanding another perspective?  If so, you might be experiencing that phenomenon of LIMITING BELIEFS.  So, for alignment, let's agree LIMITING BELIEFS are those deeply ingrained perceptions or assumptions about ourselves, others, and the world that restrict our potential and even hinder our personal growth📗📙📘

Sadly, these LIMITING BELIEFS can cover a broad range of aspects, such as HOW you think about HOW the world works, interacting with people, WHO you are and more.  Some of these LIMITING BELIEFS are as follows:

IT'S TOO HARD

I DON'T HAVE TIME

IF YOU WIN, I LOSE

I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH

YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE

So, WHAT's the downsides of these LIMITING BELIEFs?  It is when they either STOP you from going after your dreams, OR PREVENT you from developing relationships with people OR PREVENT you from creating healthy changes in your life.  LIMITING BELIEFS can further arise due to various situations in your life.  They may come from family VALUES, BELIEFS, education and/or life experiences💎💎💎

Most often, though, LIMITING BELIEFS keep us within our COMFORT ZONE.  They STOP us from branching out, from changing WHO we are, and from plenty of PERSONAL GROWTH.  While we might set goals, our LIMITING BELIEFS can stop us from achieving them.  So, HOW can we grow past what LIMITS you can achieve more than you ever thought possible❗❗❗

So, what's our takeaway for today?  Primero, let us REFLECT and be conscious enough of your LIMITING BELIEFS.  Then write it all down.  Then, here comes the hard part.  write down your CHALLENGES like, CAN YOU CHALLENGE THESE BELIEFS?  WHAT DIRECTLY OPPOSES THEM?  WHAT IF YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT THEM?  And while challenging them goes a long way in overcoming these LIMITING BELIEFS, we need to have enough courage to realize that LIMITING BELIEFS is just a thought OR state of mind that you think is the absolute truth and stops you from doing certain things.  And these LIMITING BELIEFS don't always have to be about yourself either.  So, DO WE HAVE LIMITING BELIEFS❓❓❓

What Else Do We Need To Be Satisfied In Life?

What Else Do We Need To Be Satisfied In Life?

What Else Do We Need To Be Satisfied In Life?  We are all neck-deep in the clutches of consumerism such that MONEY has become the currency of VALUE. MONEY can get you anything.  And that is WHY everyone runs after MONEY.  BUT can we agree that beyond and besides that stack of CASH, there are many other things in life that can bring us SATISFACTION?  Topping our list is EMOTIONAL INDEPENDENCE.  Let's look at our everyday life where we generate gazillion of thoughts BUT not all of them are doing good to us and our body, right?  But WHAT IF we say that it is possible to train our minds NOT to think bad thoughts?  WHAT IF we said that it is possible to NOT react in anger WHEN someone hits your car by mistake.  WHEN someone calls you cuss words.  WHEN someone shouts at you.  That is EMOTIONAL INDEPENDENCE no less📗📙📘

Thing is, our reactions DON'T depend on situations and people.  It only depends on you, on us.  And if we had to choose between emotionally independent and getting a million dollars, I'll admit I'll choose the former.  NOT because I DON'T want MONEY.  BUT because if I have emotional independence, I can earn and make ten times that amount❗❗❗

Segundo, GOOD HEALTH.  I'm sorry I DON'T buy the one-liner that HEALTH IS WEALTH.  It is NOT.  Because it is MORE THAN JUST WEALTH.  And nobody knows this better than us because I am quite sure, many of us have had their fair share of woes and challenges with regard failing HEALTH happening within the family.  Frankly, this is like buying QUALITY FOOD and investing in our HEALTH no less💎💎💎

Tercero, let's have that PASSION.  When I was studying hard back then, sometimes I pitied myself thinking I would NOT have to put in those efforts had my family been WEALTHY!@#$%?  BUT as I reflect now, I feel lucky NOT to have generational wealth.  Because it taught me the importance of working hard.  It taught me to be passionate enough about my goals so I can achieve anything I want📌📌📌

Today, I CAN'T fathom living a life without the PASSION that I have.  And as I type these words, I am thankful for having found my latest PASSION - writing.  NONE of which MONEY can buy.  Cuarto, that FREEDOM FROM WANTING.  Essentially, things for which I have to depend on the outside world, I DON'T want to want things from others.  What Else Do We Need To Be Satisfied In Life❓❓❓

Cover Your Tracks, Dude

Cover Your Tracks, Dude

Much as we should live life freely, with no qualms, I guess everyone will agree that regardless, in life, we got to Cover our Tracks.  Oh yes, this thread is most common in the technology space.  WHERE we're reminded NOT to use personal credentials in shared or public computers.  WHERE we're discouraged from connecting to UNSECURED access points [a.k.a. WiFi].  WHERE we're told NOT to access banking and financial accounts besides your own computer.  BUT for our thread today RE 'COVER YOUR TRACKS', this goes beyond technology💵💴💷

In the past, I did come across published articles on HOW TO TRACK A HUMAN IN THE WILD.  But WHAT do we do if the shoe is on the other foot, and you're the one being HUNTED?  Of course, if for whatever reason you find yourself evading a band of marauding outlaws in some dystopian future, you'll want to consider counter-tracking measures to evade them📗📙📘

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Even if you never end up being the one pursued [and I fervently hope you never do because that means something has gone terribly wrong in your life], understanding counter-tracking measures will make you a better tracker as you'll know WHAT to look for in targets trying to evade your pursuit👣👣👣

NOT to scare BUT again when we are in peril, it's true we can run BUT it's really difficult to HIDE.  In the internet world, we really got to PROTECT ourselves and the information you access online from a perpetrator finding out.  Websites and technology itself are commonly exploited by perpetrators to find information and for them to maintain control and track your movements.  Without pushing you to be a techie, it is imperative to have the sound fundamentals of internet❗❗❗

Let's wear the hat as an Internet 101 coach for now.  First and foremost, know what BROWSER are you using, e.g. Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, etc and in most of these browsers, Go To TOOLS to enable your 'IN-PRIVATE' browsing.  In Chrome, it's "INCOGNITO" browsing.  Caution:  Even if you are in that "IN-PRIVATE" or "INCOGNITO" browsing, internet browsers keep a record of all the web pages you visited.  That is the browser's "HISTORY" which you got to invoke.  BTW, even TOOLBARS, e.g. Google, AOL, and Yahoo, they keep a record of your SEARCH WORDS you typed in the TOOLBAR search.  Now for the most critical reminder.  If ever you login using your own credentials, ALWAYS LOG-OFF.  COVER YOUR TRACKS, dude✅✅✅

How Are JOYFUL People?

How Are JOYFUL People?

Everlasting JOY is our innate quality and it's NOT an external accomplishment.  So How Are JOYFUL People managing things? We're always chasing something, be it a promotion, a new car, OR a significant other.  This often leads us to the belief that "WHEN ____ HAPPENS, I'LL FINALLY BE HAPPY".  And it's true.  While those major events do make us HAPPY at first, research shows this HAPPINESS doesn't last💴💷💵

A study covering major winners of large lottery prizes to measure their level of HAPPINESS versus a group of regular people.  Lo and behold, the researchers were surprised to discover that the HAPPINESS RATINGS of both groups were practically identical.  The mistaken notion that major life events dictate your HAPPINESS and SADNESS is so prevalent that psychologists have tagged a name for it:  "IMPACT BIAS".  The reality is, event-based HAPPINESS is fleeting.  In fact, HAPPINESS is synthetic.  You either create it OR you simply DON'T📗📙📘

So, let's take a leaf from the pages of HAPPY people who shared how they do manage such HAPPINESS.  Primero, they are one in unison to declare that they SLOW DOWN to appreciate life's little pleasures.  By nature, we fall into routines and in some ways, this is a good thing.  It saves precious brainpower and creates comfort💎💎💎

BUT sometimes, we get so caught up in our routines to the extent that we fail to appreciate the little things in life.  HAPPY people knew how important it is to savor the taste of their meal, revel in the amazing conversation they had, OR even just step outside to take a deep breathe of fresh air.  Secondly, they surround themselves with the RIGHT PEOPLE📌📌📌

HAPPINESS spreads through people.  Surrounding yourself with HAPPY people builds confidence, stimulates creativity, and it's flat-out FUN.  Hanging around NEGATIVE people has the opposite effect.  They want people to join their PITY PARTY so that they can feel better about themselves.  If a person was smoking, would you sit there inhaling the second-hand smoke?  You should distance yourself, right?  And gravitate towards JOYFUL PEOPLE✅✅✅