5 steps to self actualisation

As we pay ongoing attention to our motives, we can see how both our conscious and unconscious attitudes are changing.

Here are some ways that our motives can shift with rising consciousness:

• I desire
• I want to collect things
• I want to know
• I want to serve
• I want to be

What are your motives as you participate in life?

"There are three kinds of people and three kinds of richness:

• people who want to have, to collect
• people who want action, work and labor
• people who want to be

The process is clear. 

First 'know yourself' - your personality and direction in life. 

Then 'create a plan'. 

Next 'heal yourself and what holds you back. 

Then you can expand and 'grow yourself'

Showing leadership

 A great leader sits on the floor. 

Lowering his or her status. Lowering his or her shield. 

And then others follow suit. 

A great leader takes all arrows before they are shot. 

Accepting all responsibility, accepting all failure. 

And the results are counterintuitive. 

And in a twist of irony, as the leader sits low, her status is raised. 

And in a twist of irony, as the leader takes on the arrows of the group…

He is saved from any harm

Malaysia is probably still the best country in the world

Robert Kennedy said: 

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. ... let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.”

This is a good saying for Malaysia.

I still know that it is the greatest country in the world.

There iss no question in my mind.

That’s the beauty of the Malaysia I know.  Even in our darkest times, we find a way to see the light, no matter how distant it may be.

We believe that Malaysia will always find a way to be better because for nearly 50 years, even with horrible injustices, tragedies, and scandals, the arc of this country has moved upward. Don’t get me wrong: we have gone backwards, over and over again, but we’ve always found a way to get moving forward again. We are never perfect, but we always have a reason to be optimistic. We always find a way to move toward the light.

Today, too many of our fellow Malaysians have given in to darkness.  I see people choosing pessimism and hate every day.

We can blame the social media companies that created algorithms to amplify negativity. We can blame the foreign governments who make every effort to divide us.

But that’s the easy way out. I always tell you that the path to progress requires discomfort.

We need to look in the mirror.

This search needs to happen in our own hearts and minds.

The big social media companies and our adversaries can only drive wedges between us because we’ve chosen to see each other as enemies, instead of as fellow Malaysians who have different ideas about the best policies to move the country forward.

This is our choice. We hold the power. We will be the ones who cast the die.

Today, I want all of you to reflect on the Bobby Kennedy quote I shared.

Sit with it. Think about whether you’ve lived up to it. If you haven’t, commit to rejecting that savageness that is inside every single one of us and choosing the path of love, wisdom, and compassion for your fellow men and women.

That is the choice each of us has to make. We can choose to turn toward the light once again.

This is up to all of us. This is our choice. We have the power to choose the better angels of our nature. Don’t wait for anyone else to make the first move. Be better, today.

Transitions and truths

 Whether we like it or not, things change. Life moves, and it's dynamic in such a way that it's complexities keep the wheels of time turning. And just as we get oh so comfy in our seat at the table the sand starts to shift. 

We seek stable ground. 

But sometimes that keeps us holding onto what we've got even though it's expiring. The tighter we hold the more sand starts to slip through our grasp and...

There's always another patch of earth to stand on, but still, we delay. 

We're too comfortable where we're at and too scared to let go. 

Because who will we be on the other side? 

The brave ones, they make the leap early and often. 

Others make the leap begrudgingly, somewhere along the way.

And some hold on to the bitter end. 

But here's what we know, and we know this from past experiences...

Everything that was bad at some point turns good. The rough start at work, the challenge speaking on stage, the difficulty of starting a daily writing habit...

All of the good stuff comes after a transition: We fear the decision, we fear after we make the decision, and then we look back and say, "I'm so grateful that happened" – for all the growth and all the learning, and being on the edge.

Suddenly when we're somewhere new, we're someone new, and everything is alive. Like when we travel, a life with new experiences is rich with scenery, presence, and new learning. 

It takes courage to jump on cue, but maybe not?

Maybe it just takes looking back, and seeing how when we delayed, we delayed the inevitable. 

And why delay, when life has more transitions for you ahead if you just get through this one?

Going through as many transitions as you can.

Isn't that the point?

Rhythm of life

 Enjoy this moment. Somewhere something you’re doing is going well.  

The bed you lay down in is warm and comfy.  

Your tea is perfect.  

You step outside and feel the sun.

At this moment things are good.

Exhale...

A problem or obstacle is coming. Of this I’m sure.  

We can simultaneously see what’s good, and expect the next challenge.

This bed is comfy but you must get out of it.

This tea will soon be cold.  

Today’s win is the moment before tomorrow’s loss.

This is the rhythm of your life.

Obstacle, and Achievement.

Comfort, and Discomfort.  

It’s easy to be swept into this like a tide, caught off guard with each new wave that comes, good or bad.  

Happy when times are good.

Shocked when times are tough.

But that would be a mistake in not seeing this game for what it is.  

Having awareness of this rhythm, we can come to understand it.  

To savor the good moments while knowing it’s temporary.  

To expect the obstacles to come, and laugh at their arrival.  

It's like your problems are knocking at your door, and you can try and hold the door shut.

Or you choose to let them in.  

Because both are the same coin.  

The error is in your perception of duality.  

In seeing them as separate.  

In getting hit by waves you aren't expecting. 

Instead of recognizing that this... 

Find purpose

 

1. “Wake up at 4 AM everyday” is a myth . Success is hiding in your daily routine ,
2. “A 30 minute stroll through nature will answer most of your problems” . In fact, true personal growth always involves : Thinking outside the box . Taking calculated risks , and making tough decisions ,
3. “Self-improvement in itself is a myth” . Nobody has time for that. It’s up to you . Find a reason to keep going ,
4. “ More lives have been destroyed by being in a relationship than by being single “ . Stop stressing about relationships. You should be stressing about getting into a relationship with the right person ,
5. “Everything happens for a reason “ is myth . Better, fix yourself and you’ll fix your world ,
6. “You need to have a purpose in your life” . The fact is our purpose is in no way limited to our work or what we do do for money . It’s much bigger than that . It’s the standard you hold with your presence ,
7. “Clarity comes through thinking” . Contrary to this , clarity comes through taking action and understanding what isn’t clear ,
8. “Saving money in this inflationary world to get rich “ is a myth . Find new ways to make more instead of saving the little you have ,
9. “The self-improvement hacks are same for everyone” . Reality is , people are so fundamentally different from you no matter how much you try, you’ll always be incompatible at base . Follow the path that suits you ,
10. “ Do what makes you joyful “. Instead, do what makes sense