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Kwan Yin Has Been Following Me
A statue of Kwan Yin has been stalking me since it arrived on the property at the nonprofit where I dedicate my love and energy. I had never heard of Kwan Yin before the stature arrived. I eventually asked the board president why this symbol was so important, and at the bottom of the two-page document that he sent me, it stated the following: “Kwan Yin’s name means the one who hears all sounds of suffering in the world. Kwan Yin is a deity of mercy and compassion and blesses all travelers and pilgrims on the Path.” Upon further investigation, I found that our new statue Kwan Yin has many…
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Beyond Order Book Review
I am both a fan and a critic of Jorden Peterson. Much of his writing intrigues me and some of it confuses me. Nonetheless, I do feel refreshed and stimulated when I absorb his views. I also note that he is controversial in many circles, but this is even more of a reason to read his work. We should not shy away from reading that challenges our own ways of thinking—In fact, we need to seek it out. His first book was about chaos and this one concentrates on order. Chaos and order are at the core of what Jordon Peterson talks about mostly. I made a lot of highlights…
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Daily Productivity
Success doesn’t come overnight. Unless you win the lottery or your rich uncle Mike dies and leaves you a fortune. I had a rich uncle that I didn’t speak with for over 20 years, and when he died, he didn’t leave me a cent. My advice is not to bet on any rich uncle and to do the work because it matters. Ultimately, you want to add value to the world no matter how rich you or your uncle get. Though it feels like money is essential to work, finding meaning in what you do is way more fulfilling. Building something of value takes time and each day’s effort compounds…
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Doing Time In A Cave
I have been attracted to the Buddha for most of my adult life. I don’t know what it is or how it arrived, but he is silently looming by my side. Maybe it’s some leftover karma from another life, or perhaps the early exposure to Christianity drove me to find an alternative figure. However he showed up, I am grateful. A few books over my lifetime have had profound, lasting impacts on who I have become. One of those is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. If you are interested in knowing more about the Buddha’s story, this is a wonderful expression of his life and message. It’s short and sweet. I…
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One Conversation Can Change Your Life
I worked for the federal government right out of college. It was the kind of job that came with a badge and a gun. G man, they called me. That is a real thing, that G talk. When you enter a government job you are assigned a grade level, GS-5, GS-7, etcetera—and when you get a promotion they bump you up a number until you reach 15. General Schedule 15 is the top dog. Ruff. Ruff.
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How To Start A Mastermind Group
It all starts with the desire to be better. That desire leads to a search for improvement. On my path, in particular, that search leads to taking online courses, attending seminars and conferences, joining entrepreneurial communities, and participating in masterminds. It was said somewhere that two heads are better than one—a mastermind takes the ‘more heads are better than one concept and makes it real. Essentially, it’s about finding like-minded people and building a community that offers support and guidance. The fundamental aspect of a mastermind group is a gathering of two or more people that agree to help each other become better versions of themselves. In most cases, the…
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Writing is Dying
A small part of me dies at the end of each sentence. Every period constructs my personal burning ghat, each coma suffocates an ember of my existence. This perpetual death is also the story of my life and worth dying for. Worth writing for. Remnants of myself are sprinkled among the unread paragraphs, the run-on sentences, and the obliterated adjectives. The poems that rambled in my mind and never made it into form, meet the unjust expression of non-expression. Yet, a hurricane of life blows inside of me. In moments of calm, it feels, I feel, barely palpable—like being softly kissed by stardust at twilight. I keep writing. I keep…
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Seth Godin Workshop
Last year I signed up for Seth Godin’s Creatives Workshop in his Akimbo offering.. Seth is a marketer and has been a mentor of mine for many years. I have read most of his books and his daily email is one of the few emails that I read on a regular basis. The Creatives Workshop is a 100 Day sprint within a digital community. Seth releases training videos on a weekly basis within the digital forums and his facilitators help shepherd the students during the course. There are zoom calls and an emphasis is placed on shipping something each day—which means that you are committing to showing up and creating…
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Piano-less Playing Granny
When I was a child my Grandmother had 2 pianos in the living room. I never saw her sit down and play them in 20 years. I was always banging on them as a little guy—secretly hoping that she would teach me. Then she died. I heard whispers from relatives later that she loved to sing, dance, and play the piano in her youth. I found an old newspaper article that celebrated her talents as a professional dancer—’Kathy was a ballerina savant’ it said. She never once talked with me about that part of herself. At some point in her life, before I knew her, she lost the energy to…
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How To Prepare For The Canton Fair
The Canton Fair is the largest product trade show in the world. It happens twice per year in both the Spring and Fall. The show is broken into three phases depending on the products that you produce. You can check out the product lists and see where your niche falls. Each phase lasts 5 days. The exhibit takes place in Guangzhou. Guangzhou is the fifth largest city in China—it’s about one hour by train from Hong Kong. There are 20+ million inhabitants as of 2020 and the skyline is expanding quicker than a bamboo plant. Pick A Phase 1, 2, 3 The first thing you need to figure out is…
