If not today, tomorrow!

April 24, 2009

Worry not that today you will go to bed with something unresolved, with something that still needs to be done, with something still on the to-do list.  You have done all you could today and made the most of it. Your efforts were sufficient today. You gave a good account of yourself today. Well done!

Ask not for more hours or more minutes in in the day. There are already enough. That’s how it is and that’s how its always been.  This is something that you can’t change so rather focus on the things that can.

Time won’t  stop moving today just so that you can finish what you are doing. Time waits for no one. Time is forever marching on. Tick tock clock!

Remember there have been so so many before you who have done so much  with the same hours and same days of the week. They did it and so can you! Great legacies have been over a lifetime, over decades.  But they too started with one day!

There will be more to do tomorrow but that’s just fine. For the work and tasks that will await you there will be sufficient resources. You will wake up with a full tank!

Have your rest today and enjoy it.  Don’t disturb your rest by dwelling on the shortcomings of the day. Tomorrow you will be refreshed.  You will be amazed by your own insights!

If you did not get it today, you will do so in the  morning. Life is such that you can’t do everything in one day. There is just no way that could happen. What would you do the rest of your life if you could do everything today?

If not today, then tomorrow!

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Posted by Bruce

Be flexible

April 21, 2009

Be ready to do things in a different way. Be open to new ideas and experiments. Keep your eyes open for better ways of doing things. Keep your ears on the ground and do not ignore the nagging thoughts of going in a different direction.

Move out of the way if necessary and let others who know better show you how it’s done.  As much as you might know, are you ready to know how much you don’t know? Stand aside as the foot soldier tells you how to do it in the front-line. Get ready to be amazed. From the front-line rush to the trenches and enjoy the different experience.

Be prepared to be challenged.  Accept that the way we did things in the past may simply not be enough for today. We have evolved and moved to a different point and situation.  Changing times, changing situations, changing needs!

Changing times call for a change in the way we look at things and in the way things are done.  Yesterday we only did so much because we knew so much. Today we know so much more, today we are equipped with the experience of yesterday and pushed by the curiosity that comes out with the morning sun.

Be prepared to learn with the enthusiasm of a kid.  Be prepared to question and take it all in like a kid. No preconceptions, no prejudgements no second guessing!  Be prepared to get it wrong as you seek to discover what’s right. Be willing to start again and start afresh. Be ready to lose it all, only so that you can get it all again and more.   Get ready to discover the unknown.  Get ready to be amazed.

While evolution served us well yesterday, today we may need a revolution.  Perhaps we had to be radical in the past but now might be the time to tweak and tinker with what we have without throwing it all away.  If we cast our nets far and wide before  it might be time to look closer to home. If we came up with all the solutions alone yesterday, today might be the time to talk to our neighbour.

Today came with a twist. Tomorrow awaits with the unknown.

How are you approaching it all?

Be flexible!

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Posted by Bruce

A new blog

April 20, 2009

Maintaining one blog is difficult enough but now I have decided to add yet another one (btmtennis.wordpress.com). The original idea was always to have one blog but it looks like for now I am not able to unify some of my interests (chess, motivation, tennis). Time will tell whether this blogging business is a passing fad. There was so many blogs in the graveyard now. Blogs that were started with a lot of zeal but have not been updated in the past few years. I hope this will not be one of them.

For now I will keep chess, motivation and tennis separate. That said I do get a lot of motivation from tennis and sport in general. I have written quite a bit about running in my blogs before. Some of my ideas on teamwork also came from watching sport.

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When the chips are down!

April 16, 2009

Every now and then we have a bad day, whether at home or at the office. Things do not go our way. When things can go wrong, that’s exactly what happens.  Some call this phenomenon if you like  Murphy’s Law.

The whole world need not know that the chips are down in your world. How will it help you if everyone says sorry. Will things get any better because everyone knows you are going through a tough day. Only talk to the people who matter, the people who need to know. So keep smiling, don’t give anything away!

How do you handle such situations? Do you take it out on the world, on the people around you or do take it out on yourself? Remember you will still have to face these people after the situation. You will still come back to work tomorrow. You will return to your family at the end of the day. Don’t do or say anything foolish. The situations will change, they will come and go but your family and your colleagues at work will be there.

Remain focussed on the things that matter. You have worked on building relationships over years at work and at home. Do not let circumstances beyond your control ruin that.

Do not let inanimate and lifeless things get in the way of life! Move on with life and leave the situation behind you. Don’t take the situation with you. Leave it where it belongs, in the past. Do not let it spoil the bright and lovely future that lies head.

How you handle things when the chips are down will influence your ability to recover from such situations.  Do not focus so much on a bad situation that you overlook any good that might come out of it. The chips won’t always be down. You know this. You need to be ready for that turning point.  Every situation will change at some point.  When the tide turns you must be ready. No one will come and tell you that things have changed.

Remember that one situation is exactly that. A separate and distinct situation at a specific and passing point in time. Do not confuse it with other situations. Do not mix situations. Do not combine situations. Get over it, draw the line and move on.

You need to separate yourself from the situation. You need to pull yourself from your situation. You see the situation could still exist without you. This could have happened to anyone. But today it just happened to be you.

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Posted by Bruce

Your path

April 15, 2009

There is no path from here because this is where yours will start. Your path could not start in the middle of another or beside another. Your path starts after another ends.  With your path you continue where another ended. Where others turn back and proclaim the end, you realise that it’s only the beginning. Where others are disembarking and calling it a day, saying goodnight, you are boarding, you are looking forward to the day, you are saying good morning.

Just because there is no path does not mean there is no way to get there.  What will take you from this present point and location to the desired destination is your path. Between the reality that you desire and where you stand now is your path.

Your path, moulded by the countless, patient and energetic footsteps. The missteps which eventually found the right way.

You see, the paths up to this point have served their purpose, they cannot take you any further. The paths that have you taken you this far have served you well and to their fullest extent.  There were there for a good reason. There serve as a reminder to how you got to where you are today, your journey thus far.

Your path will guide others that come after you.   So do not despair when you see no path ahead and there is nothing to your left and to your right either. Be very excited because you have that great opportunity to create your very own.

Your path will show others the territory you covered, the discoveries you came across , your milestones along the way and reveal your courage and sense of adventure. In time you will be proud that you did not stop walking when there was no path but rather continued, in a new direction,  and in the process left a beautiful trail – Your Path. BTM

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Posted by Bruce

The right question…

April 15, 2009

The right question

Could get you closer to your destination,

Could get you the right answer and not the one you want to hear or expect,

Could reveal wisdom, perspectives, views you had not even considered,

Could get you thinking about bigger things,

Could get you exploring the possibilities and move them closer to realities,

Could  show you that it’s indeed possible,

Could  unlock the wisdom and knowledge in others,

Could  show your openness to learning new things and hearing different and opposing ideas,

Could even get things going in a totally different direction,

But the right one after all.

Ask the right question,  dare not only to question but to ask the right question,

Before you proceed  think carefully about what you hope to achieve with your question,

Be direct, be subtle, unearth the treasures that lies beneath!

Remember there is power in words,

And get closer to achieving and realising this full power with your question.

The right question!

But what is the right question?

Think about it and decide! Then ask.

BTM

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Posted by Bruce

Refreshed! Recharged! Refocussed!

April 14, 2009

I trust that you had a restful and enjoyable break.

I hope that you have come back with the 3 Rs among other things.

Refreshed! – You are ready to continue the journey. Though it’s still the same journey, yet there is feeling of novelty. This a different part of the journey, it’s going to be more interesting this time around. There is a feeling of freshness, while you acknowledge the seriousness of the task and challenge at hand, yet you are now more relaxed. The pressure will not crack you. Instead it will build you.  You are poised for that breakthrough. Something new is going to happen. Something exciting is going to happen!

Recharged! – You have got the energy to continue. With the enthusiasm you have got it’s like the very first time you face these challenges.  You have got what it takes to go all the way. Not only that but you will go all the way. You are going to bounce even higher than the last time! New heights! New experience!

Refocussed! – And now to the matter at hand. Back to the item on the agenda! You are going for those targets and goals with renewed vigour and determination. You will not allow anything to distract you from achieving the goals that you have set for yourself. The blinkered horse race would draw much inspiration from you!

BTM

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Posted by Bruce

Happy Holidays Everyone!

April 10, 2009

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Posted by Bruce

Keep them in check! But if you make them keep them!

April 8, 2009

Don’t make promises unnecessarily,  Don’t break promises period! The damage done from breaking them is immense. Don’t  be known as someone who breaks promises. This is a nasty reputation. People will stop taking you seriously. Your promise, your word is devalued! When that happens your promise means nothing.

If you are going to make promises, go for the easy wins, the ones you are sure to keep, all things being equal of course.  Promise on the obvious, if there is such but not to the extent of being silly (for instance promising that the sun will rise). Underpromise and overdeliver. Promise to do things you know are already taken care of.  Be conservative, be cautious when you promise. Do not raise expectations only to sink them again. Do not build something only to destroy it.

Before the age of voluminous and extremely detailed contracts came about, a handshake was enough.  It was all that was needed to get things in action and even today it’s enough for some people. But for others signatures, witnesses, jargon and penalties  are  still not enough to ensure that a promise will be kept.

You know there is a problem when you are spending more time making promises than keeping them. You know there is a problem if after one breaking one promise, you make yet another, even more ambitious than the first one. My goodness!

If you are put on the spot to promise something you are not sure of rather be embarassed briefly for than a long time after breaking  the promise.  Take your time to promise but be swift in keeping it. Do what you can to keep it. Do what it takes to keep your good name. Sometimes your good name is really all you have. Look after it and treasure it.

Keep the promises in check but if you really must make them, keep them!

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What works best for you? Know it and use it!

April 8, 2009

What works best for you?  Which situations, times bring out the best in you? To what extent  do you know your own strengths and weaknesses?  Whether from a personal or work perspective, how much do you know yourself?

Sometimes the reason why we are not excelling at what we are doing is that we are not creating conditions conducive to excelling. I believe everyone has got something they excel in, or said differently given the ideal situation, everyone will excel at something. Sometimes we simply do not know ourselves enough as individuals to make informed decisions in the course of our work and personal lives.  It’s really sad when do not know that we don’t know. 

How can we be fully effective with the  unknown, unpredictable and  distant outside world before we know and understand the ever present, intimate and the closest world of self?  Before you start looking and working  outside, you got to know and understand what’s inside.  Then you are better placed to navigate the environment around you, the outside and better manage its impact on you.

The following are just a few questions that readily come to mind:

Are you a numbers or calculations person or bigger on words, ideas or concepts?

Do you prefer to focus on the bigger picture or would you rather get bogged down by the small detail, the nitty gritties?

Do you work best in the mornings or your efficiency increases towards sunset or beyond?

When you give presentations or addresses do you prefer to have as much detail as possible on hand  or are you more comfortable with pointers on what you want to say. Would rather speak off the cuff or impromptu style or for you everything has to be prepared beforehand?

Do you prefer listening or would rather be doing the talking half the time?

Take time to know yourself! It is time well invested. Take time to understand what works best for you. Know it and use it! – BTM

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