A President for the World

There was an air of quiet celebration in the house on Wednesday. My husband and I had taken a little time off work to watch the results of US Election on CNN.

When Obama’s name was announced as the president elect, I watched America and the whole world throw their fists in the air and celebrate. Some were crying, in relief, joy and hope (and for some, disappointment). I can’t help but shed a few tears myself. I’m just happy to be granted the privilege of witnessing this momentous occasion in history.

Last week I was chilling out on the couch after a very tiring day when my 11-year old nephew asked, “Why do the skinheads want to assassinate Obama?” referring to a newspaper report last month. In my state of fatigue, I tried explaining about racism and supremacists but find myself at a loss when he asked, “Why is the colour of one’s skin such a big deal?”

Earlier this year my husband and I were pondering on the probability of America having Barack Obama as president. His proposed policies are generally multilateral, his background is global and he’s got this thing called charisma.

To the world, Obama seemed to be the preferred candidate. Parts of Asia sees him as one of our own (”He speaks Bahasa and has lived in Indonesia! He’s more Asian than your uncle Jo”). Africa, or at least Kenya, claims him as a son of their soil. Middle east welcomes “Hussein” along with the olive branch he’s extending. In a sense, he is a president for the world.

But he is black (or grey as I call it, since he is half white). And we’re afraid that though the world was rooting and ready for him, America didn’t share the same sentiments.

We were wrong to assume that Americans were not mature enough to look beyond racial lines and for once I’m glad we were. There is so much hope and expectation placed on this one man. And he has shown us, with his election, that there is some hope in this world.

With the current global economic crisis and the peril of climate change, it is definitely a challenging time to be the leader of a nation so powerful and influential. Let’s hope that he lives up to at least some of the expectations. :)

Change the Approach, Not Yourself

A guy on a TV show was talking about the myth of our personalities changing as we grow older (actually, the guy was motivational speaker Marcus Buckingham and the show, Oprah). He also suggested that we should try, in most situations, to magnify our positive traits instead of being obsessed with reducing the negative ones. It’s not all that groundbreaking but I thought I’d share how this approach has helped me in my work.

As a child, I had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a knack for problem-solving. At the same time, I was reserved and hated confrontations. I always thought I’d mature into a gregarious, eloquent woman. It didn’t quite turn out that way. Attempts to condition myself into becoming more of an extrovert was futile and eventually, I stopped trying.

I work as a designer, which is great because it involves doing a lot of research and finding the right solution to a client’s problem. This part of the job gives me great satisfaction and when I nailed the brief, I feel strong.

My job also requires me to interact with many different individuals and manage conflicts — two things I don’t enjoy but have accepted as part of the job.

It was a shift in mindset I had about 2 years ago that made this part of the job bearable. I started looking at meetings as opportunities to learn and solve problems. The more I open myself to learning at these discussions, the easier it is to find a solution, the less time I need to spend in meetings. A win-win situation for all.

The next time you are faced with a difficult situation that seems to suck all your energy out, stop and think if there’s another way to approach the problem, one that puts your strengths to good use. It’s much easier working with your strength than trying to work against your weakness.

Road to Success - The Right Attitude and Hunger

Positive thinking plays a big part in determining whether you will be successful and this is how I’d chart their relation:

The more positive you are the more likely your are to succeed.

I came across a graph from one of my newspaper clippings collection and promptly pin it up because I like how it outlines another key factor — success is not only determined by the kind of attitude you have but also by how bad you want it (which is to be followed by a plan of action).

Through purely unscientific inference, I conclude that if we solely depend on positivity, we’ll likely fall into the “I think I might” to “I think I can” spectrum. Therefore, to increase our chances of success, we’ll need to rise to the next level. When you’re at “I can” or “I will”, a natural question that follows will be, “How can I make this work?” and you will be on your way to writing you own blueprint to success.

Of course, there are other factors that would influence your chance of success - connections, luck, fate, cats (having too many cats greatly reduce my chances of a spontaneous getaway — who’s gonna feed all the cats?!) — but as they say, success is 99% perspiration, so get sweating and good luck!

Success May Be Closer Than You Think

Amazing Vision - Mahatma Gandhi

Here’s my response to the Amazing Visions writing challenge by Damien Riley of Postcards from the Funny Farm.

My school was divided into houses which was named after inspirational figures in international history and my class came under the Mahatma Gandhi house. That was the first time I heard of the man but it was only after I watched the movie Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and convincingly played by actor Ben Kingsley, that I learned about what he stood for and the profound impact this unassuming man had in the history of India and the world.

Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in British India in 1869, he was given the title Mahatma, meaning Great-Soul, by poet and Nobel Literature Prize winner, Rabindranath Tagore. The turning point in his life occurred in South Africa, where he worked as a legal adviser for 21 years, and in the process witnessed firsthand, the crippling effects of racism. It was there that he coined the term “satyagraha”, his philosophy and practice of non-violent resistance. Returning to India, Gandhi played a major role in establishing India’s independence against British rule. Once again he used his most powerful weapon against the injustice — non-cooperation and peaceful resistance.

Despite the change he effected and being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 5 times, “the strongest symbol of non-violence in the 20th century” was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But Gandhi was never one for adulation and awards, being as humble about his influence to the world as he was sure about the power that exists in everyone of us:

“I claim to be no more than an average man with less than average ability. Nor can I claim any special merit for such non-violence or continence as I have been able to reach with laborious research. I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith.”
Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi dedicated his life to the discovering the ultimate Truth, and did so by conducting experiments on himself and learning from his own mistakes. The result of these experiments with truth and non-violence is a legacy that lives on, decades after his assassination, influencing and inspiring people all over the world from Martin Luther King Jr, leader in the American civil rights movement, to Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and former president of South Africa.

One of his many admirers, Albert Einstein, who had exchanged letters with him, had this to say:

“Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one, as this (Gandhi), ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.”
Albert Einstein

There may come a time when Gandhi’s remarkable story is taken as mere folklore but his ideology will always remain important and timeless.

Who has been a great inspiration to you? Why not share your thoughts on Amazing Visions? Entries open till end of the month.

Wouldn’t It Be Great If…
Your Haircut Came with The Internet?

I go to the hair salon every 6 months. I like getting my hair fixed but I do not enjoy the amount of time it takes to get the job done. Usually the process would take at least an hour and much, much longer if I decide to go with a totally different look.

Wouldn’t it be great if one could do work or surf the internet while getting your hair done instead of just reading the magazines provided? I believe a few high-end salons are providing free wi-fi access stations but I’m talking about having the option to surf in my seat while the hairstylist do my hair.

Some points of contention

“You mean you want the Internets to rule your hairdressing salons too? Hello? Unplug, much?”

It’s purely optional. You can choose to surf or work on your laptop or you could stick to your magazines or bitching with your hairdresser.

“It’s expensive to implement.”

The salon may probably need a small investment but think of the benefit in customer experience. Instead of flipping through hair catalogues to select a style, a customer can superimpose his or her photos through a virtual hair makeover application like this one

“What’s the big deal about waiting a few minutes to get your haircut? Ever heard of patience?”

Have you ever taken 5 hours to get your hair done? I have (a botched colouring job). If there’s an opportunity to make fuller use of your time, why not?

Perhaps it’s really the comfort level that I’m having a problem with. You know the feeling of having to bend your neck for more than 15 minutes trying to read a heavy magazine that’s resting on your lap? Probably the most practical solution is to just provide a table of comfortable size and height (like a writing or tablet arm chair) preferably the type that swings out of the way when not in use.

Wouldn’t It Be Awesome If…?

I keep a list of ideas that starts with the line “Wouldn’t It Be Great If…” a habit inspired by a presentation by Jake and Jeff of SkinnyCorp which I watched early last year:

In this list, no idea is too fantastic, too difficult or un-noteworthy, they are just waiting for the right time to fully blossom. Needless to say, I have a lot of pet projects just waiting to be executed! B noted that some of my ideas have no direct relation to my interest or skill set. In my opinion, some of these ideas just need the right person to take on, which is why I’m sharing one of my latest entries above. If you run a hair boutique and just happen to read this, please take note — you could be pioneering a new standard in customer care! ;D

Have a great weekend!

You’ve Got To Find What You Love
Steve Jobs on Hindsight, Love, Loss and Death

On June 12, 2005, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios delivered an uplifting speech about connecting the dots, love, getting fired by the company he created and death at his Stanford University Commencement address [Read more....]

The Power of A Dream
Pangea Day and A Doodle of A Daydreaming Cat

10th May was Pangea Day.

“Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through film. In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it’s easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.”

[Read more....]

If You’ve Never Failed, You’ve Never Lived
An Inspirational Video About Famous Failures

I was lucky to be taught by an exceptional teacher in school. No, she was not exceptionally good. In fact, she was the direct opposite. For some reasons, I was always one of the few people she constantly picked on, but that day was the culmination of her greatness. [Read more....]

100 Ideas for Your Blog

I’ve just finished reading this– No One Cares What You Had for Lunch - 100 Ideas for Your Blog by Margaret Mason of Mighty Girl — in less than two hours.

Someone gave me this book because I was telling everyone how hard it was to find new ideas to post everyday for a month last month (I was on NaBloPoMo March blogroll). I wished I’d read this book earlier!

From the blurb “(this book) offers inspiration for bloggers who want to contribute something worthwhile — and perhaps build an audience.”

There are many suggestions worth considering, if you are maintaining a personal blog (like Growing Happiness). Here are some of my favourites:

19. Give us your scraps - Share your notes / clippings. If you think it’s worth saving, it’s worth sharing.

Here’s the latest entry in my Google Notebook:

importunate: troublesomely urgent

I’m pretty sure I’ll find a need for this word soon.

26. Share your expertise - Do you have a foolproof hangover cure? I’ve actually done this with my Best Cure for Hiccups post.

47. Promote truth - Outline truths you believe to be universal.

Note: This is not a book about how to write a blog, make money online, generate traffic or search engine optimisation, it is about ideas, ideas most suitable for a personal journal. I have to add this because I feel that it got some unfair reviews on Amazon, mostly from people expecting this book to be “about blogging”.

Another thing: the book is short — this is can either be good or bad — and I personally like it that way .