Fail to succeed…

Email: Finishing law school soon. Scared of failure in court. Tips for the future? (US)

Congratulations. I cast my mind back to my own graduation. The guest speaker was a distinguished politician. His speech helped me write this note, because it turns out I can’t remember a single word he said!

Let’s talk about the benefits of failure & the crucial value of visualisation. At 19, the only thing I wanted to do was learn how to fly, to write, to dance. But, parents had other plans. I’d failed on an epic scale in pursuing my passion, purpose. Hardship, dissatisfaction is necessary to understand what truly drives us. We playfully learn to balance fear of failure with desire for success. We’ll never truly know our inherent uniqueness until tested by adversity.

JK Rowling – “some failure in life is inevitable. It’s impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default”.

Visualisation, an ability to envision that which is not. The fount of imagination, inspiration. Humbly transformative. If we choose to empathise, to raise our voice on behalf of those who have no voice, can celebrate our lives, add compassionate value to vulnerable people. 

Finally, failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a part of success! Visualise. Good luck…

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Nature’s silent message…

Our planet is trying to teach us to live better. Will we tune into nature’s ultimate intelligence? The same intelligence that allows blood to flow through our veins, bees to pollinate flowers, birds to fly south, salmon to spawn, whales to migrate, caterpillars to become butterflies, the moon to orbit & the rest of nature to function in perfect balance.

Nature’s Silent Message – Amazon

We have access to nature’s silent messages, if we take the time to listen. Stillman guides us from lush forests of North Cascades, through sandstone slot canyons of Utah, into southern Arizona. Wilderness is the school of life, where we learn from that which knows. Nature’s Silent Message suggests the existence of something far greater than we can see.

The message is simple & pure like a beautiful butterfly. Try & catch? It’ll elude. With stillness within, gently flow with it & all the wonders are revealed…

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Understanding how the future unfolds…

Email: Recommend a book on basic, valuable business principles. (HK)

Recently, nostalgic reflecting on items in my trunk. A Sony camera, folding maps, camera films, VHS tapes, CD’s, Nokia mobile. How powerful disruptive market forces can be! Mark Esposito & Terence Tse write in Understanding How The Future Unfolds: Using DRIVE to Harness the Power of Mega-trends:

Understanding How The Future Unfolds – Amazon

“In business, we tend to think today is certain & tomorrow is uncertain. But, that logic can be flipped. Certainty in the present implies there is nothing we can do to alter an outcome, harness an opportunity. Uncertainty implies we can hopefully have better results. The better we deal with our current challenges, the higher our chances of creating a profitable business in the future”.

Usually, market trends are heavily inferred by traditional tools like macro-economics. Takes into account generic aspects of growth. But, these can hardly spot emerging trends. Blackberry focused on the corporate market. Completely overlooked the consumer market where availability of apps quickly grew as a priority for mobile users, lines blurred between a business or personal user.

Prompts an open, ongoing mindset. Sometimes, the best possibilities don’t occur in predictable markets. Rather in curiously connecting with mega-trends. Keep testing hypotheses, experiment by turning ideas into pilots & minimal viable products to determine how market responds. E.g. Uber, Airbnb, Nike perceive customer sentiments with personalised experiences, try innovative business models. The future of business is an exciting enigma. Book offers insightful, inspiring perspectives.

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