Embrace Possibility

Thank you for your support of the Seemingly Useless blog. I am going to take a break for a while on this blog while I work on my main blog - Embrace Possibility Blog, which will contain articles focused on helping people reach their full potential by integrating five core areas in their life: Personal Development, Professional Development, Health, Relationships and Financial Freedom. For more details, please check out the My Philosophy page on my main website - Embrace Possibility.

Thanks again!

Robert

The 6 Simple Life Lessons from the Tao Te Ching

I am currently reading the Tao Te Ching and came across this passage that I found both simple and profound. I am sure there are many interpretations of this passage but I can only give you my own. 

In dwelling, live close to the ground.

Our society places a premium on living on higher floors but what are the real benefits? Privacy, Seclusion, Exclusivity? Are these the things you really want from life? No man is an island and I don't think anyone wants a life devoid of connection. Also, if something ever happens to the building, you are the least likely to survive. 

In thinking, keep to the simple.

It is easy to outsource our thinking to Google these days. Just about any problem has an answer online. I take this quote to mean, use your own brain and think through things about work, relationship and other important aspects of your life. 

In conflict, be fair and generous.

This is Lao Tzu's way of saying Win-Win. If you ever want to dispel conflict, remember to make sure both parties get what they want. If you crush the other party, be ready for their retaliation one day. So to repeat: Be both fair and generous. It'll work every time.

In governing, don't try to control.

When given power, remember that it is not about control but rather leadership to achieve the common mission. Give your subordinates (employees, children, etc) autonomy but at the same time the necessary resources for their success. History has shown that control is not a good long term strategy.

In work, do what you enjoy.

Work comprises of a good part of your life. Why spend that time doing something you don't enjoy. Find the intersection between your strengths and your career. This way you can spend time building on your what you do best and have people pay you for doing that for them. 

In family life, be completely present.

How many times do we "spend" time with our loved ones and find our minds somewhere else. We're either thinking about the future things we have to do or the ways we were hurt in the past. If you want a excellent relationship with your family, be completely present with them and enjoy the moment. They'll thank you for it.

How to Spot a Liar - Seemingly Useless Skills Series

I have decided to start a series of posts called Seemingly Useless Skills which will feature a skill that is not common but practical for everyday people in everyday life.

No one likes to be lied to (although sometimes we are probably better off not knowing the truth). At times, it is crucial that we know the truth. The first of this series will be a short guide on how to spot a liar.


Being no expert myself, I have found an excellent info-graphic that explains the principles to lie detecting.

How To Spot A Liar by Forensic Psychology

Now that you have some tools under your belt, be careful not to hurt yourself by jumping to conclusions and misreading people. Someone may be rubbing their nose because their nose was itchy but if they rub their nose, lean towards the exit, uses more formal language and constantly looking up and to the left, you may be on to something.

7 Little-Known Factors That Could Affect Your Life

When I was working in China, I learned a lot about "lean thinking" and recognized its efficacy in practical application especially within a manufacturing plant. As I learned more deeply about this mindset, I realized that it can be apply to all aspects of life. One concept was that of the 7 wastes ("muda" in Japanese).


I mention the Japanese because they were actually the pioneers of the lean movement chronicled in the widely popular book "The Toyota Way".  As with all ideas, these seemingly new ideas in the Toyota Way were refinements of older ideas from the likes of Deming and Ford. Although the ideas of "lean" originated in a manufacturing setting, it has been expanded to include many other industries so why not also into our personal lives.

So what are the 7 wastes present in everyday living and how to reduce it?

1. Waste of Overproduction: Unclear expectations or false assumptions lead to this waste. If you did not clearly recognize the needs of your customers (any industry) and create a product making the wrong assumptions, you will probably be left with a lot of junk (anything that has no value and value in this case is determined by what people will pay money for). Any time you spend energy on something, that energy can not be spent on anything else and if at the end, it didn't result in what you wanted due to lack of or misleading information, you have wasted your energy. The way to prevent this waste is to clarify your purpose for everything you do and to make sure whatever you do is relevant to your life's purpose.

2. Waste of Inventory: When you buy new things but you still keep around old things that are never used anymore, you are propagating this waste (i.e. blue jeans that go out of style). When you keep useless things, you need to use resources to store these items and they take up space that can be used for better things not to mention they get in the way when you are looking for things that you need. The best way to get rid of clutter is to donate it - you help other people and you can usually get a tax break (win-win).

3. Waste of Motion: Motion refers specifically to the motion of a person. Poor organization leads to this waste. If you've ever had to rummage through your bag, drawer or closet to find something, you are experiencing this waste. If you are walking upstairs each time you have to pick up the telephone, you are experiencing this waste which can be easily solved if you apply the concepts of organization (Lean has a technique called 5S). There are two parts to organization: One is putting everything in its place and the other is putting that assigned place in an area that is most useful (i.e. placing supplies that are used most often in the top drawer and those used less often in the bottom drawer and to give an assigned location for every item.)

4. Waste of Waiting: If you've ever been late to anything, you've created this waste for the person you were suppose to meet. If you've ever had to wait for someone or something, you've experienced this waste first hand. The way to reduce this waste is to always be on-time and to realize that being on-time shows that you respect not only your own time but other people's time. If you find yourself waiting, always make sure you have something to make the best use of your time (i.e. audiobook when stuck in traffic, ebook on phone when waiting on line, documents to read when early for a meeting)

5. Waste of Transportation: If you commute, you are experiencing this waste. Having to commute is a way of life for most people and the only advice I have for you is to do try being productive during your commuting time. Remember productivity is whatever you make it to be. It can be reading, catching up on some sleep (although I don't recommend it), calling a good friend or just good old relaxing. Also another solution may be to explore working from home. In this age, many jobs can be done with a reliable internet connection and computer.

6. Waste of Overprocessing: If you are a perfectionist in everything you do, you will probably experience this waste. Sometimes good enough is really good enough. You only have a limited amount of time in your day so if you decide to go for perfection, you are dedicating a lot of resources for what may or may not be a lot of gain. Of course there may be instances where being perfect is worth it (i.e. the Olympics) but in most cases it does not pay to be perfect (Read Pareto Efficiency article). Also, going from 95% to 100% takes a lot more energy than going form 0-95%. That's why it is so difficult to be in the top 5%.

7. Waste of Scrap, Defects and Rework: Making careless errors is an example of this waste. Strive to do things right the first time. If you work too fast and make a mistake, you spend even more time reworking. Another precaution is to make sure you are doing work within your reach. If you know you lack the skills, work on building your skills and do things more carefully until you have mastered the skill. This does not mean you have to always be perfect but it does mean working at the minimum required standard.

Having written this article, I realize that some of these ideas may be a stretch but at the same time I see that some are right on point. For now, it is good enough.

Recommended Reading: The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker and Lean Thinking by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones

Warning: Get Some Sleep!

For the past few months, I've been logging my hours of sleep per night and also my general mood for the day and I've begun to see a correlation. Although this is no mystery that people that lack sleep are generally more irritable and stressed, I believe these are merely the symptoms of the bigger problem: weakening of our self control.

When I lack sleep, I find that I become undisciplined and give into my impulses and whims. I am unable to resist foods that I shouldn't eat, I cut my exercise routines short and I can't reign in my negative emotions (fear, anger, frustration, etc). I also can't control what I want to say despite knowing the consequences. Being in this state is a vicious cycle that leads to bad decisions and actions which leads to even more frustration not only because of the situation itself but my apparent in ability to stop the downward spiral.

The oft quoted line of the Greek Stoic, Epictetus, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.", truly holds the secret to happiness. Unfortunately when I lack sleep, I no longer have control of my reactions. Now this doesn't mean that I should not be held responsible for my actions because I definitely am accountable. I lack sleep due to the choices I make (working late, hanging out with friends, waking up early, etc). The good thing is that now that I have made this connection between sleep and self control, it impresses upon me the importance of a good night's rest and on the occasions that I don't get enough sleep, I need to be extra cautious of the things I do and say and be more vigilant with myself. 

Now for all of you statisticians that argue correlation is not causation, you are correct. At the same time, my belief is no "cum hoc ergo propter hoc" (latin for correlation proves causation) but rather a function of my experience and intuition. Not very scientific but you always have the choice to agree or disagree with my views.

For those who has experienced the connection between sleep and self control and want to improve their sleeping habits, here is a link on How to Sleep Better.

Ok, time for me to get ready for bed.

Be Individual! Be on the edge...always

In this society, most people blend in because that is what is easy and comfortable. Everyone wants to belong to a group (even those who claim they don't want to conform to a group belong to a group that "doesn't like conforming to groups"). But what is valuable (something/someone that creates real value) is not conformity and people who always stay within their comfort zone but rather those who push to their outer limits and test themselves by being always on the edge of failing. The ones who truly succeed are the one that actually push so far that they fall off the edge and fail but know that it is a necessary step if they always want to expand their potentials.

In light of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, where many people lost their lives due to no fault of their own, it serves as a painful reminder to not waste the time we have because we really do not know how much we have. I encourage everyone to

Live, Work, Eat, Sleep, Play, Read, Pray, Love on the edge.

Enough of the somber. Here is a video by an artist working on the edge (Perfect for fans of creativity, breakdancing and cinematography). Enjoy!

How to Think Outside of the Box - Blending In

Here is some creative art that was sent to me recently that I thought was worth posting. It is really inspiring to see the out of the box ideas that people come up with and a good reminder that it hasn't all been thought of yet.

Artist Liu Bolin at the Supermarket 

It took me a while to realize that these were all real people.