New Things

A bold question: What's new to you?

Well, new things make us excited. New shoes. New watch. New dress. New mobile phone. New car. New place to go. Even, new friends. New born baby is a source of joy for the parents.

Wonder what makes life boring? There's nothing new. No reason to get up from your lazy bed and catch the time to be in the office. Imagine if all you have for many years are the things you have now:

Same shoes. Same clothes. Same food to eat. Same phone. Same place.

You'll find yourself stuck in the same mindset and belief.

Turn on the TV. Imagine you are going to watch that TV show all day. Then, tomorrow it will be the same TV show, same episode, same sitcom, same...same..same... What do you think will happen to you?

Give yourself a little favor. Create. Discover new things. Play new video games. Explore.

Those who love books will agree with me. When I buy a book, I get excited as if it's the best book I've ever had. That's why, I keep on buying books. I'm excited on the new things I'll learn from it.

Raise Your Hand!!!

In my observation, successful people are those who volunteer themselves in a specific task and even it's out of their job descriptions, more often than not. That's what sales and marketing people are good at because they know that consistent exposures lead them to more sales. Connectors and networkers value volunteerism.

Why is it important? Top Executives look at those who could perform well. School teachers give credit to active students. Parents appreciate the helping child rather than the complainer. Each work done voluntarily has a value and I think it always work for our advantage. Just make sure it's out of passion, not for compensation. (Money will just follow those who have a good heart.)

Volunteers are endangered, like the wildlife. They are rare. You can only find few, if not a handful, in any existing organization. That's why I believe not everyone is a leader. Only few are willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the sake of a purpose. Some are settled already and change is not welcome anymore. The word "improvement" is not in their vocabulary.

If you are a leader, observe your people. The one who has the most number of volunteer works and doesn't complain got the "big picture". He values personal and organizational growth. Let him fly.

The Great Life Issue

The broken mirror has an issue. Anybody can't just cover the cracks with packaging tape nor try to fix it with glue. Same with trust. When you lose it, it's so difficult to bring it back.

American journalist Barbara Walters has a reputable credibility in her field. She was the highest-paid news personality on television. Anyone can just approach her and talk to her about anything. A quote from the book Winning With People says,"People trust Walters, so they talk to her." This stopped me from reading and began to ponder.

Have you ever thought why people talk to you? They trust you. Turn the table, when they don't talk to you, chances are, the trust gauge might have reached the level zero. When friends talk to you about their life, drop by your office to let you know their recent engagements, what keeps them busy, what bothers them...it means they trust you.

For me that's an issue. A great issue. We make friends everyday but how many of them talk to you like a brother or sister? How many of them do you think trust you with their secrets? I know how it feels when a friend drew away from me. Completely ceased conversations. It was a lesson of trust and it wasn't easy. Trust, in any relationship, is important.

I still owe eternal gratefulness to those who trusted me for who I am, I was and would be. Thank the people who have trusted you, family ,friends and colleagues. Their trust is enough for us to be inspired everyday.