Where Is The BEST FREE TIME?

Where Is The BEST FREE TIME?

Where Is The BEST FREE TIME? Is it the FREE TIME that just falls on your lap?  You'll be surprised a plurality, if NOT majority, will scream AYEs.  BUT let's be more incisive.  Is that really the best way for us to earn the FREE TIME we truly deserve?  C'mon dude.  We talk a lot about FREE TIME.  BUT WHAT we fail to to get is the thing that FREE TIME gets the right flavor WHEN it is earned.  THAT's WHEN we get to just enjoy the time📗📙📘

The thing is, you CAN'T just wake up in the morning and say you have so much FREE TIME.  Like you just DIDN'T do any work.  So, WHAT's the fuss for the FREE TIME?  You are unhappy because you are always happy???? That kind of baffles me.  You are getting food.  You are getting to sleep so much.  Your parents are giving you everything.  And life is just so okay.  Sadly, eventually you are the one WHO is the SADDEST👽👽👽

BUT hey, everything seems in place.  It's true we humans are the happiest WHEN we are building things.  Our lives.  Our business.  Our mind.  Our body.  Solving problems are at our core level, that's the naked truth we got to embrace.  It's time for us to take up some tough work ahead.  So, WHY DON'T we get busy and start having a packed up schedule.  FREE TIME is earned from a busy schedule and now, DON'T ever fall for the trap that FREE TIME comes anyway💥💥💥

To quote William Penn, the famous English writer, 'TIME IS WHAT WE WANT MOST BUT WHAT WE USE WORST'.  Thing is, you can find time in your day.  To be happy and productive, you need less time than you may think.  Getting enough FREE TIME in your day is possible if you control your time.  How much FREE TIME do you wish you had?  Your answer may surprise you, seriously.  Having too little FREE TIME is terrible for you and having too much FREE TIME is bad for you as well.  Let's find enough time and learn that 'sweet spot' of FREE TIME is critical❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  let's heed the advice of experts.

• DETERMINE YOUR NON-NEGOTIABLE - Once you identified the non-negotiables, you can make time for them.
• FIND OUT YOUR TIME WASTERS - It's as simple as going to your smartphone, see WHAT apps you used the most that day.  See your SCREEN TIME display.  WHAT apps are really wasting your time?

Bottomline, CREATE YOUR FREE TIME and DON'T wait for FREE TIME to fall on your lap😌😌😌

What Your Life Is Right Now DOES NOT MATTER

What Your Life Is Right Now DOES NOT MATTER

Mr John could be a billionaire.  Ms Suzy can be a middle-level office employee.  Mr Billy Joe could be a teacher who's struggling to make both ends meet day-in day-out.  Ms Trixie could be a student who attends school in the evening so she can work in the daytime because she's financially self-supporting.  Mr Wong could be in and out of work through the years because of the economic instabilities in his country.  Mr Murayama could be a Japanese farmer in the far-flung areas of Okinawa.  Mr Kombawa could be languishing in an African jail because he got embroiled in past troubles which he admitted his guilt.  BUT hey, What Your Life Is Right Now DOES NOT MATTER.  It is HOW YOU FEEL YOUR LIFE which really matters.  DON'T even think as to how anyone else feels.  WHAT MATTERS is HOW YOU FEEL YOUR LIFE, without factoring all the external 'noise' all over the place📗📙📘

Problem is, most of us approach life in an 'upside-down' manner [you could include me as one of those in the past].  We tend to care more about HOW our life looks on the outside to others than HOW IT FEELS on the inside to our very own selves.  WHY is that?  First off, people are akin to function as our very own 'CONFIRMATION DEVICES' as they tend to act as our MIRRORS and help us maintain the illusion of our separate individual selves.  WHEN other people praise OR validate us, our existence is affirmed.  WHEN other people reject us, our non-existence is affirmed💧💧💧

And since non-existence [which looks and smells like 'death' ouch] is WHAT we fear most, we then strive for others to VALIDATE us.  Indeed, this sounds confusing BUT this is WHAT's going on in many people even as we speak now.  A second culprit for this dilemma is looking back how we were all taught how a GOOD LIFE is supposed to look like and from the day we enter school, the indoctrination machine makes sure our lives develop that socially accepted 'LOOK'😁😁😁

Once we have graduated from our schooling and leave the school portals, we then firmly believe that we want a career, a house, a car, a family.  We then strive to become useful and respectable members of our community.  Oh, how convenient things can be, right?  BUT has it ever occurred to you that MAYBE all the things you think you care about you DON'T care about one bit at all???

Our takeaway:  Have you ever asked yourself if the life you're working so hard to achieve ISN'T just the 'pre-existing template' that you and everyone else get served by default?  It's true many of us would sacrifice our enjoyment of life in the attempt of trying to fill the that 'template' with exactly the 'RIGHT CONTENT'. And this is our problem because we tend to focus all our attention on the 'CONTENT' instead of the context.  By 'CONTENT', we're referring to the details of your life while by CONTEXT, it's HOW YOUR LIFE FEELS TO YOU.  So, WHAT YOUR LIFE IS RIGHT NOW DOES NOT MATTER at all dude❗❗❗

Is Your $$$$$ At Risk With Digital Banks?

Is Your $$$$$ At Risk With Digital Banks?

Is Your $$$$$ At Risk With Digital Banks?  No sirrrrs, I'm NOT here to harangue OR bad-mouth digital banking because it is generally safe and NOT that easy to hack.  And to be fair to digital banks, they are required by their respective country banking regulators to implement precautionary measures to keep the clients' monies safe.  Popular measures rolled across borders include data encryption, MFA [multi-factor authentication] and compliance with deposit insurance.  So, Is Your $$$$$ At Risk With Digital Banks???

So, WHAT lures us to digital banking?  The past year OR so, I've been receiving an avalanche of marketing emails and even SMS notifications from new digital banks now in operation in my country.  So, you might ask, have I fallen for those aggressive marketing ploys to date?  Unfortunately, I'll admit that I remain hesitant those enticing offers of higher interest rates for obvious reasons💧💧💧

So, WHAT holds me back?  First and foremost, let's admit it, through the years [decades in fact], we have all been comfortable with those traditional brick-and-mortar banks.  BUT given the recent collapse of U.S. banks Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, it behooves that we look at the fine print of digital banking safety.  For your awareness, in-country banking regulators are the very cornerstone of consumer confidence in the banking system because of the required depository insurance💦💦💦

Be informed of 'fintech intermediaries' wherein the digital bank is literally linked with a traditional bank.  Look no farther than the most recent collapse of US-based SYNAPSE wherein the traditional bank to whom SYNAPSE was linked had not filed for bankruptcy.  So, technically, the helping hands of U.S. FDIC [Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation] was tied behind its back.  NOT to scare you folks but popular banking apps like PayPal [oh no, I do maintain a small-small account there] and Chime only 'PARTNER' with banks [INSTEAD OF OWNING THEM]😌😌😌

Feel free to browse the CNBC Synapse update @ https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/02/synapse-fintech-fdic-false-promise.html.  Our takeaway:  Nothing wrong to have digital banking accounts BUT please LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE.  Never be lured by the higher deposit interest rates by putting all EGGS IN ONE BASKET.  At the end of the day, prudence dictates upon us to be aware of the differences of e-wallets versus e-vaults so you have your answer to the question 'IS YOUR $$$$$ AT RISK WITH DIGITAL BANKS?💥💥💥

Only PASSION Can Stop CONSUMERISM

Only PASSION Can Stop CONSUMERISM

Only PASSION Can Stop CONSUMERISM.  BUT you might ask, WHAT'S CONSUMERISM?  Let's go by the books WHERE it is defined as an economic theory that consumer spending is the key to individual WELL-BEING [?????].  Can we believe that?  WHO agrees to that definition BTW?  THAT this time around, our WELL-BEING hinges on our activities [spell it out loudly as S-P-E-N-D-I-N-G] as a consumer?  Just to clear up things, there is NOTHING wrong with spending as a consumer BUT to peg it to WELL-BEING???

Seriously, a few minutes ago was the first ever attempt I made to look for the definition of CONSUMERISM [and I almost fell off from my chair, honestly].  DON'T get me wrong because I am a CONSUMER through and through BUT can we agree that if we embrace that CONSUMER mindset, that might likely keep us stuck at our financial level OR even worsen, leaving us constantly longing for more and preventing us from appreciating WHAT we already have.  No sirrrrrs, this WON'T be a rant about how we should stop striving for more because in fact and in truth, having aspirations is simply great. BUT having said this, sadly, most of our GOALS are often driven by CONSUMERISM!@#$%?

Regrettably, we want something NOT because we are passionate about it OR because it makes us happy BUT more often than NOT, we desire things simply for the sake of consuming them.  Unfortunately, by the definition of CONSUMERISM, we can see that CONSUMERISM aims to achieve happiness and fulfillment alongside status.  HOWEVER, here lies the biggest question behind CONSUMERISM.  Is this HAPPINESS real OR is it merely a result of the flood of CHEMICALS in our brains???

Is it REALLY [moi doubts it] genuine HAPPINESS OR just the satisfaction of conforming to the norms of this CONSUMERISM-driven world?  So, the brutally frank question is, ISN'T CONSUMERISM simply a form of materialism?  If so, HOW can it bring happiness?  In the end, CONSUMING does NOT bring lasting HAPPINESS, at least that's HOW I do observe.  Instead, let us consider that true HAPPINESS stems from a genuine passion for life💦💦💦

Our takeaway:  CONSUMERISM keeps us financially constrained, unsuccessful and even unmotivated.  It tends to accentuate deficiencies we have and feeds on 'HUMAN GREED'.  And once we develop a PASSION FOR LIFE, we can break free from this vicious cycle.  We WON'T feel like we DON'T belong OR that we lack something.  PASSION is something that CANNOT be lacking because it is WHAT propels the world to move forward.  Instead of getting fixated on consumption and remaining in a state of the lack-mentality, we should instead redirect our focus and energy toward living the life filled with PASSION.  Dude, let us NOT do things solely for CONSUMERISTIC or MATERIALISTIC reasons.  Let us LIVE LIFE fueled by our PASSION for it💚💛💜

Do We Live In ONE-WAY STREETS?

Do We Live In ONE-WAY STREETS?

Do We Live In ONE-WAY STREETS?  BTW, here's a typical road for the average person.  Goes to school.  Gets good grades.  Gets a job.  Buy things on debt.  Buys properties on mortgage.  Settles mortgages and debts.  Teaches the same to his kids.  Retires.  Dies.  And the vicious cycle loops.  Along the way, sometimes that 'road', that ;cycle' gets interrupted.  WHAT happens next is panic

As we progress along in life, we start at entry-level, get trained, get mentored.  And along the way, we build relationships and rapport with our mentor[s] and seniors and our more seasoned colleagues helpful to our growth and development.  BTW, I also went through those formal technical trainings @IBM.  For a long time, that's all mentorship was to me, a linear relationship WHERE seniors taught, supported and advocated for their juniors.  These days, do we notice, that 'old school' kind of thing DOESN'T happen all the time anymore.  In fact, I uncorked REVERSE MENTORING

After so many donkey years, I realized that things do RESET.  You could have been trained and honed for so many of those capabilities you have [till now].  Then WHEN you fast-forward to the present, you would realize that you need to RETOOL and UPSKILL yourself.  WHY?  Because you want to keep abreast with the times, with the developments in life.  And bottom line is, you want to keep yourself RELEVANT [and avoid ending up IRRELEVANT, right]

Today, WHAT's my realization?  It is that MENTORSHIP is NOT a ONE-WAY STREET.  Your age, your experience OR even experience has NOTHING to do with the value you bring to the table.  You have as much to contribute as those WHO are seemingly more experienced than you.  This is the case of REVERSE MENTORSHIP, which, simply put, it describes a situation in which a younger OR early career professional mentors a much more senior colleague

Our takeaway:  WHILE the overarching goal mirrors that of a traditional mentorship. which means advancing the professional growth of the MENTEE, because roles have reversed.  So, this shows that everyone goes through that experential learning that is as valuable.  If you're just starting out in your career and you want to get involved in a REVERSE MENTORSHIP, do figure out WHAT you have to offer.  WHAT lessons are you willing to share?  HOW can you communicate your knowledge to someone else without overwhelming them?  You can bring them VALUE and help them do their jobs better by sharing your experience around HOW you think about.  So, DO WE STILL LIVE IN ONE-WAY STREETs?  Let's depart from that❗❗❗

Are You More Of A DREAMER Than A DOER?

Are You More Of A DREAMER Than A DOER?

Are You More Of A DREAMER Than A DOER?  Good question I guess for today.  BUT before anything else, please DON'T get me wrong dude.  NOTHING wrong with DAYDREAMING.  I did a hell lot of DAYDREAMING all throughout my life.  DAYDREAMING [a.k.a. mind wondering] is of one of life's great enjoyments.  You can indulge in it WHEN you're stuck in a boring meeting [oops I am NOT implying that I do that at work] OR [this one, I'll admit I've done a zillion times] WHEN you are in a perennial traffic gridlock.  They reflect WHAT you want in life and something to strive for.  BUT they can also keep you stuck in life. BUT there is a shocking realization about this📗📙📘

DREAMERS get nowhere in life without becoming DOERS.  Indulging in the desired future ignores possible obstacles and therefore masks the necessity to act. BUT admittedly, for most of us [and that includes moi] DAYDREAMING can provide a source of creative inspiration.  In fact, it is a mental capacity for freedom from an immediate event toward inner thoughts and feelings💦💦💦

Truth is, DAYDREAMING is a virtual world WHERE we can plan for and rehearse future scenarios without risk.  In contrast, merely focusing on present reality does NOT give a direction of WHERE to go.  An intense FOCUS on our setbacks [and even problems]  may NOT always lead to immediate solutions.  DAYDREAMING helps problem-solving and planning for the future.  However, DAYDREAMING OR fantasizing  about our desired future may make people feel accomplished [at least temporarily].  After all, if you can imagine a world in WHICH you've achieved your goals, WHY bother pursuing them in the real world!@#$%?

Let's picture an imaginary experience of SUCCESS that diminishes the energy to translate fantasy into reality through action.  So, the bigger question is, WHY, then, are we so prone to fantasizing about the future, if doing so, in fact, reduces the chance of achieving our dreams?  True, POSITIVE fantasies are indeed so alluring and 'seductive'.  POSITIVE thoughts and images provide feelings of relaxation [a.k.a. RELIEF from boredom] BUT unfortunately, a false sense of security❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Similar to drug addiction, we need to be cautioned about DAYDREAMING because extreme DAYDREAMERS do get the pleasure from DAYDREAMING and end up finding their private world so difficult to 'escape', literally speaking.  Psychologists have termed this as 'MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING' although it is NOT officially recognized as a disorder.  BUT if things turn from bad to worse, WHO knows we'll end up worse with just another disorder❓❓❓

Stop Waiting!

Stop Waiting!

I'm NOT into poetry but I stumbled across this:  SPRING HAS PAST, SUMMER HAS GONE, AND WINTER IS HERE.  AND THE SONG THAT I WAS MEANT TO SING, REMAINS UNSUNG, FOR I HAVE SPENT DAYS STRINGING AND UNSTRINGING MY INSTRUMENT.  WHAT this means exactly is that WHENEVER you go in search for something, in a way you are implicitly reminding yourself of WHAT is missing.  Dude, we got to Stop Waiting📗📙📘

In simpler words, if you're seeking, you're simultaneously experiencing absence.  Your quest is to fill this void.  BUT hey, that's NOT how things work.  Instead of filling the void of WHAT you lack, you knock yourself further out of balance.  You continue to to experience the lack because you're weighed more heavily in that direction. So, if you're constantly thinking about getting something you want, you're kind of implicitly and simultaneously thinking about your lack, so it grows.  And this is huge and recurring problem because many of us NEVER stop looking for WHAT we want.  BUT is it more 'palatable' if we become an 'embodiment' of it instead.  In the shortest words, let us consider to detach ourselves from the outcome and ENJOY THE RIDE instead💧💧💧

America, the very bulwark of democracy has shown how their educational system have always encouraged students to get challenged very early in life, even setting up job fairs for them to consider those employment lotteries even in school.  In short, they are shown exactly WHAT to do, every step of the way.  And they clarify that it's NOT that the American students DON'T work hard.  BUT what they amplify here is that there's a huge difference between working hard and figuring out WHAT to do for yourself.  And people WHO go through their system never learn to figure something out for themselves.  Instead, they learn that WHATEVER it's time to go to the next level, a mentor shows up at the right time✅✅✅

In our age of corporate careers and lifelong positions, all you had to do was get your first job and then ascend through the ranks at WHATEVER company you choose.  WHENEVER you wanted a promotion, you pursued your boss and asked him WHAT you needed to do.  Thing is, we DON'T live in that day and age anymore.  Instead, we live in 'gig' economies WHERE people in their twenties today will work many jobs or more, WHERE an increasing number of positions are either contractual OR remote OR both.  Instead, in our economies these days, the ability to figure out WHAT you need to do and figure it out yourself, even without a mentor, is WHAT makes the difference between lifelong wealth and even poverty😑😑😑

Our takeaway: By analogy, many of us are like miners trapped in the deep mines of the earth where an avalanche blocks them off from going out and apparently, their only option was to WAIT.  BUT that example is a far stretched hypothetical plot that may NOT even happen in our lifetime.  Instead, we are all guilty if more often than NOT, we get stalled, NOT because our engines conked out BUT because we tend to keep waiting for the 'MORE PERFECT' time before you take a step forward.  BUT how often do we realize that things will be far from perfect and definltely far from becoming ideal. So, before things turn from bad to worse, let us STOP WAITING and instead move ahead with our endeavors💦💦💦

Turning IDEAS Into REALITY

Turning IDEAS Into REALITY

How many times you were 'cooking' an IDEA in your mind?  Surely, it's a zillion times.  That was the bonus question.  Now for the challenging ones.  WHAT's the 'SUCCESS PERCENTAGE' of those IDEAS turning into REALITY?  Surely, that's a damn super-duper tough question.  At work, HOW many times have we heard someone blurt out "THAT'S A GREAT IDEA".  BUT we run a full circle and ask the same question.  WHAT's the 'SUCCESS PERCENTAGE' of those IDEAS turning into REALITY?  Surely, it is a very minuscule number, which, WHEN rounded off, will turn out to be an extremely negligible number to even talk about📗📙📘

And those harsh realities are NOT far different even at the workplace.  That explains WHY at the workplace, once commitments have been secured [both executive support and financial] for a possible project, it gets stamped as a new project and a project manager gets assigned.  NOW, here's a bomb about to be dropped.  Do we know that, on average, between 20-60% of projects are considered unsuccessful based on basic criteria like budget overruns, missed deadlines or failure to meet the project goals💚💚💚

In short, WHAT's the prognosis?  First off, WHY do IDEAS remain as such?  WHAT typically happens?  Most of the time, NOTHING, to be blunt about it.  Many great ideas remain dormant because people either DON'T have the courage, resources, time and/or money to take action.  And If I may add another crucial variable, it's WILLPOWER.  BUT let's step back.  Assuming approximately 50% of IDEAS do take off, WHAT happens next❓❓❓

Unfortunately, for those eventually taking ACTION, most are unprepared to say the least.  And they end up finding themselves spending their valuable time and money on a dream that simply goes astray.  BUT to put things into perspective, converting an IDEA into a reality [regardless of the required budgeted time + money] is never an easy task.  Just last week, WHEN on the fly we thought to catch fresh air in the countryside, I had to scramble for all the logistics [including finding the hotel with the amenities we need]💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  I remember this quotable quote.  'GIVING IDEAS LIFE' is akin to giving birth to a child.  You must own that singular responsibility regardless of the circumstances at hand.  NO one will ever understand your idea OR the dynamics associated with it like you do.  In that regard, you are on your own and the journey will require you to learn about yourself more than anything else.  As the old saying goes, "IF IT WERE EASY, EVERYONE WOULD DO IT".  Time to TURN IDEAS INTO REALITY, dude😁😁😁

Downtime = Uptime?

Downtime = Uptime?

Does Downtime equate to Uptime?  Me thinks that way from a specific perspective.  And I'm referring to planned DOWNTIMEs.  That explains why all infrastructures with sound management would always include scheduled preventive maintainance a.k.a. DOWNTIME.  If machines and infrastructures need DOWNTIME, we humans are entitled to it as well📗📙📘

'Tis true, we all know that just leaving our work premises DOESN'T stop our mind from racing.  Our brains just happen to be constantly working BUT there's a huge difference between the kind of work we do for money and the way our brains work to support us in our daily lives.  This explains why all experts say that DOWNTIME is crucial to a balanced life and a productive workplace💧💧💧

So, the bigger question is HOW do we make that tough switch once you call it a day at work?  And WHAT activities should you try to give yourself a break?  Experts tell us that the answers lie in neuroscience.  So, WHAT do experts tell us as regards the impact to our brain WHEN we get stressed at work?  WHAT's tricky here is that when we need some DOWNTIME, how can that possibly be if neuroscience tells us that our brain is NEVER NOT WORKING [even when we're asleep]💥💥💥

Let's look at real-life scenarios like scrolling through Instagram, chatting with a friend, and taking time for your hobbies all require brainpower BUT here's WHAT experts are intervening.  They can also your brain rest from work because the required effort is different.  They advise us that intentionally taking BRAIN BREAKS from work can help our brains do the repairing and restorative activities it needs to do that will ultimately help us function better💦💦💦

Our takeaway:  WHAT the neuro-scientists are telling us is that a real DOWNTIME is a 'TRUE BREAK' where there is an absence of responsibility and the pressure of DUE DATES and TIMELINES.  BUT we know that the truth is, it's NOT an easy time to carve out BUT it's necessary to have some time in your day WHEN you're NOT thinking about WHAT needs to be done.  And HOW you spend the time you have in that zone is up to you.  YES, DOWNTIME=UPTIME😀😀😀

Containing FAILURES in Life

Containing FAILURES in Life

News flashes.  Breaking news.  There's more news about FAILUREs than any other stuff. Yet, many of us talk about FAILUREs in the past tense, like it's somehow okay to discuss once we have transcended, made meaning, and are back on the come up.  BUT let's face it.  WHEN you get hit with a FAILURE in life, it can be difficult to feel motivated and identify the meaningful messages we are intended to learn, probably mostly because we are too angry, exasperated OR call it 'broken hearted' to look for them.  Feeling like a FAILURE in life even seems to be energy-consuming and it takes many forms and shapes.So, it seems, the only guarantee in life is that we will, in fact, FAIL.  We will do so separately and when FAILUREs compound, it can feel like tje Earth is crumbling down.  Containing FAILURES in Life📗📙📘

I'll volunteer myself as to how my past FAILUREs did look like to me.  Imagine when either you're financially strapped, given the pink slip by HR, missing a promotion, getting ghosted, [and I'm guilty of this], breaking diet, going through separation [coupled with anxiety], standing by WHEN you wanted to stand up, failing to complete a major goal OR just a daily task list OR doing everything right BUT still losing WHERE it seems to count OR something you poured time into coming out all wrong, just one too many shortfalls💦💦💦

BUT rather than sulk in the corner, let us peruse the merits of FAILURES because in the first place, there is merit in trying.  If you have FAILED, the underlying truth is that you must have tried to be in that position.  The fear of FAILURE runs so deep that many people choose NOT to try just to avoid the possibility of FAILING.  And if you have found yourself feeling like a FAILURE, then it means you summoned the courage to do something hard.  And do remember that same courage hasn't disappeared just because it DIDN'T work out the way you hoped.  Instead, celebrate your willingness to try and note that this is the same spirit that will fuel you as you move forward and try again OR try something new💧💧💧

Oh, NOT to forget, FAILURE humbles US if we DON'T give it too much power.  If we give our FAILURES too much credit, we tend to memorialize them as predictors of future inevitable FAILURES.  It's AS IF by FAILING at something in life, you can never succeed in that area again.  In the end, we tend to catastrophize our FAILURE, then widen its scope and turn a single moment in time into a self-fulfilling prophecy we tend to replay😀😀😀

Our takeaway:  At the end of the day, WHAT'S done is done.  Reliving our FAILURE moment serves nobody, seriously.  "WOULD'ves", "COULD'ves", and "SHOULD'ves" rush through our minds as we consider all of the ways things could have turned out differently, if only.  BUT the truth is that the time we spend in this place of unnecessary replay could be better spent working to take full ownership of the parts we had control over that led to the FAILURE.  This is all about CONTAINING FAILURES IN LIFE 💥💥💥