Life Theory - Everyone is a Teacher

I have never met someone from whom I learned nothing. I genuinely believe that and here is why.

Life is like a never ending series of lessons. Every day presents numerous opportunities to learn something new.

And, if u think about it, just about everyone has something they can teach us. That is, only if we are open enough to take note.

Teachers need not be those who instruct us in a school setting; they need not be our superiors in the workplace; they need not be our elders; they need not be those more educated than us; and they need not be the wise. Sure, they may well be any one of those things, but needn't necessarily be.

We can learn from anyone we come across. Words need not be spoken, gestures need not be exchanged, and the moment of impact may only be fleeting.

As I write this blog a woman has sat down beside on my commute home. She is agitated, anxious, sniffling perpetually, and is playing what looks like a crack pipe. I am uncomfortable as her eratic motions and frustrated sighs leave me wondering if she might fall, or more precisely, collapse on top of me. But, if I can move past my immediate unease, and take a step back, I see a person who is very clearly frustrated by her current state of affairs. What those are, I will never know as we did not exchange words. No matter, I have been left with a lesson nonetheless. The experience hasI left me to review my lot in life, and with a renewed appreciation I might add. Believe me, I have my annoyances, and can find things to sulk about, but I would suggest that they pale in comparison to those of the person I just encountered.

Such is the nature of the more impactful lessons we can learn - they often teach us a bit about ourselves or the situations in which we find ourselves.

One of my favourite types of teachers are cab drivers. Yes, cab drivers. For some reason, most of us see it perfectly resonable to hop in a cab, sit quietly as we are driven to our destination, pay the cabbie, and then jump out of the cab, almost as though we didn't just share a car ride with another person. Next time, why not spark up a convo? Depending on the city, the cabbie likely speaks at least one other language, may be very well educated, and is often trying to make his/her way in a new country. Talking to cabbies can also give u a flavour for the city u visiting. Las Vegas is a great place to take a cab ride. I have met many a colourful card in Vegas. If u can't pick up a thing or two about life from a cab driver, you might wanna check your pulse.

Another great source of life insight is young kids. They generally speak their mind with a refreshing frankness that most adults have long abandoned in favour of protecting their pride and/or being super sensitive to the feelings of others. Simply put, children lack the filters that the rest of us have built in over time. They ask questions that get to the heart of the issue in no time. Next time you have the chance, sit down and ask a child what they think about this or that -- you might be very impressed with your answers!

These have been but a few examples of the types of people that can teach us as we step through life, but keep in mind that everyone you know can give you insight into life.

That is my Two Cents for this day.

Tatooine?

Thus far this winter, Vancouver has been subjected to some genuinely crazy weather! Five hour one-way transit commutes that normally take a mere hour, main city streets closed off, side streets that are left unplowed for weeks, and having to shovel my house steps several times a day have pretty much characterized the first month of winter this year.

Lately though, the city has been immersed in a thick, unrelenting fog. While you might not think of fog as being particularly picturesque, check out the attached photo!

For some reason is kinda reminds me of Tatooine - Luke Skywalker's hood. Look closely and you will see some of Vancouver's landmarks - The Harbour Tower, the Scotiabank Tower.

$1000 a month - A thought experiment

Einstein used thought experiments to test a theory or a principle in math or physics. In essence he proposed a specific conundrum, thought about it, proposed solutions, and in general derived some useful conclusions out of it.

So today I would like to throw out a business thought experiment. Unlike its scientific counterparts however, this experiment can actually be carried out.

The details are as follows. How can I make an additional $1000 a month through an activity that is not at all related to my current position at work. Ideally, this would be scalable so that over time it can be leveraged into greater and greater profits.

On the surface, most people would suggest that this challenge is simple -- "Sure, I can do that"! But, when you sit down to find something that can easily and reproducibly yield $1000 a month, it becomes a bit of a challenge. Do you get into web advertising? Do consulting on the side? Exacerbating the problem is the fact that you don't really want a linear relationship between the time put in and the realized output as, by definition, that is not a scalable scenario.

I still think a retainer type of structure is most favourable, but with who, and under what circumstances?

I'll keep you updated as things evolve .. wish me luck!


That's My Two Cents for the day.

Life Theory #1 - Circle of Friends

So I have these theories about life. Today I share my first, I call it my Circle of Friends theory. It is neither deep, nor particularly sophisticated, but has made me think about life a bit differently of late.

It goes a little something like this.

I think that through the natural course of events in life, we tend to surround ourselves with friends that are very similar to ourselves. Be it from the perspective of athleticism, ambition/drive, intelligence, or even career success, odds are that you are on par with, or close to par with, the friends in your unique circle. Think of it visually as you and each of your friends being nodes on a circle.

To be sure, there might be differnces between you and your friends in terms of a specific characteristic, but overall, I would say the theory holds. Think of the likelihood of being really close with someone who is a world class athlete if you are a couch potato, or with a data entry clerk if you are a CEO; or with a super driven worker who puts in crazy hours and attends seminars etc. if you religiously punch a clock and wouldn't consider working a minute of OT. Please don't misinterpret, I am not passing judgement on any of the types of people outlined above - I am merely suggesting that the context in which we live our lives can make it very challenging to find common ground which to relate to people who live within a different context.

While this alignment with people of similar ilk happens naturally, I would also suggest that this can lead to a group think, and/or sedentation of thought. As we get older, it becomes easier to believe that what we are doing is resonable as we look around and see that our friends are doing the same thing. This is the essence of keeping up with the Jones -- so and so bought one, so I need to buy something similar, or ideally, bigger. But doesn't this work pretty much the same way with a variety of other issues also. For example, if the people you are most comfortable with and associate with the most are unambitious and prefer not to travel, mightn't it be likely that you will be the same way? I would suggest that it does indeed.

Now, while this may provide us with comfort and lead to a life that we understand and relate to easily, I would also suggest that the greatest growth and development of a person happens when they interact with people that belong to a different circle. For a visual, imagine that you and your friends are nodes on one of the rings in the Olympic emblem. But, as the logo suggests, there are other circles in addition to your own, each with people appreciablly different from those on your circle.

Now I am by no means saying that we should all turn our backs on the friendships that we have developed over months, years, and sometimes a lifetime - that would be foolish by all accounts. I am suggesting, however, that we stand to grow a fair bit by expanding our circle of contacts and listening to what those from other circles have to say. Visually, I am suggesting that you put your circle at the centre, and distribute the other circles you introduce into your life around your circle, much like the petals of a flower.

What will be the result? Well, my personal belief is that everyone in this world has something to teach me, so by introducing more and more circles into my life, I can't help but broaden the lessons I will be taught. Will all encounters and interactions be joyful and blissful? By no means. Keep in mind that people on other circles can hold oppossing views, values, morals, and just about anything else as well. As such, there will be times when they behave in a way that is different from how you would. They may even offend and/or hurt you, who knows. But overall, the process is worth it. You will get a better appreciation for how others on this planet live their lives, and you may be exposed to a variety of new and exciting activities, thoughts, and concepts that will greatly enrich your life.

So get out there, and grow your circles.

That is My Two Cents on this day.

VB's 2009 Resolutions

There is an adage that telling people about your goals and objectives is positively correlated with their attainment. Why is this so? Without any research of any kind, my sense is that the simple acting of sharing our goals keeps us honest and on path to achieving them. After all, who wants to be questioned about things they fail to do? Generally speaking, I would suggest that nobody likes to be reminded of their failure to attain a targeted objected.

With the above in mind, I have opted to draw a line in the sand and throw out my resolutions/objectives for the upcoming year. I will follow up once monthly with an update to keep myself on track. While a little unnerving, the fact that nobody is likely to read the blog gives me great comfort – haha!

So, without further ado, here we go.

Skill Building / Enhancing Objectives

•Reconnect with my French
•Aggressively study Mandarin Chinese
•Take a Latin dancing class
•Take a sommelier course
•Get my PADI license
•Improve my salesmanship

Athletic Objectives

•Run a sub 4:15 marathon
•Play league volleyball again
•1200 calories a week - no exceptions!

Mental Objectives

•Solve the Rubik’s cube
•Learn about carbon financing
•Build another Advent Calendar Quiz

Relationships

•Appreciate the time people afford me – after, they don’t have to!
•Connect more genuinely with people – avoid surperficial interactions
•Judge less – I know not what everyone has and/or is going through

Personal Development

•Live in the present - the past is but traces of memory and the future a projection of thoughts
•Write my obtituary
•Make mistakes and grow from them
•Finish The Black Swan – I’ve tried 3 times
•Visit Asia - see at least one new country

Giving Back

•Donate to at least 4 more KIVA projects this year
•Help charter the New Generations Rotary Club

Misc.

•Build an emergency kit for the home!
•Develop at least 1 $1000 a month idea.


So, will I be successful? Who knows! But I know I won't be if I don't try!

That is My Two Cents for the day.

Introducing www.kiva.org

Hi All,

So this Christmas, my family was really struggling with what to buy for one another. Even more pronounced this year was our sense that, in reality, we really have everything that we truly need to life our lives in quite an adequate fashion.

Especially given that we are in the midst of an economic downturn, the true impact and severity of which remain largely unquantifield, it just didn't seem appropriate to hit up the local big box stores simply to put some parcels under the tree.

Enter www.kiva.org. I discoverd Kiva thanks to Bill Clinton's recently published book "giving", and am most happy that I did.

In a nutshell, the site matches third world entrepreneurs with lenders from all around the world through microfinancing. In principle, the concept is not appreciably different from traditional loaning processes. In this case, you can review a portfolio of entrepreneurs looking for funding and then choose which you would like to loan to. For as little as $25, you can help make a significant difference in the lives of someone trying to start and/or grow their business. Keep in mind that this is a loan, not a donation, thereby meaning that the recipients pay it back on a preset schedule, and when fully paid back the lender(s) can choose to reinvest or pull their monies out.

In our case opted to support the following entrepreneur:

Mrs. Alicia Tumapon is 59 years old and lives at Polo, Dapitan City. She has three married children. She has been faced with many challenges. Her husband, Francisco, passed away from diabetes. Mrs. Alicia is a business-minded person. She opened a sari-sari (variety) store in 2004 with PHP 3,000. The business runs smoothly and has become her primary source of income. She heard of Paglaum MPC and decided to join in 2005. She has taken several loans and has expanded her business successfully. Now she is borrowing PHP 14,500 to purchase cases of soft drinks and canned goods for her sari-sari store. In the future, Mrs. Alicia wants to operate a mini grocery store.

The fit was great for us as some of us have had the chance to visit the Phillipines and have been looking for a way to give back, even just a little, for some of the great hospitality we were shown while visiting.

So, if you have a little leftover money after the holidays, why not consider kiva? Also, when gift giving, you might consider giving a kiva gift certificate, thereby allowing the recipient choose who to contribute to.

That's about all for tonight ......

Advent Calendar Quiz - Final Post

Hey Quizzees,

I hope you all had a wicked Christmas!

Well, we have come to the end of the 2008 Advent Calendar Quiz. I hope it provided at least a bit of amusement over the past 25 days, and thanks to everyone for playing along – much appreciated!

In the end, Chris H. finished strong and wins first place, but many other drinks are to be doled out in 2009 and I look forward to meeting with each of you for drinks next year.

As we move into the New Year, I extend to each of you the very best wishes for a rich and prosperous 2009.

Now, for answers to the final questions:

Question #24
________________Question #24_______

Although this was a touch question, the group rose to the challenge, as usual, and provided answers for many of the images. The correct answers were:

#1. Capital One - Financial Services for Small Businesses
#2. Johnny Walker - Scotch Whiskey - The caption removed read “..and he/she drinks Johnny Walker”.
#3. FIM - Financial Services - The big nose makes reference to the fact that the company will help you get a nose for where the money is.
#4. Hiltl - Vegetarian Restaurant - The caption removed read “there’s a vegetarian in every football player”.

The winners were as follows:

Capital One – Chris H. – 2 drinks

Johnny Walker – Chris H. – 2 drinks
FIM – Aaron G. – 1 drink for rhinoplasty as the closest guess (really tough call)
Hiltl – Chris Hamade – 2 drinks

Question #25
________________Question #25____________
Some great guesses were submitted for this question, but one exact definition was submitted, by Rob R., so he gets credit for answering the last question of 2008.

The correct answer was a corn husker for cutting corn stalks without having to bend over.