“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect”
People agree on things because people in the past agreed on things without knowing why they
agreed on things but because agreeing on things was the thing to do.
People agree on things because people are too lazy to grapple with the shades of grey.
People agree on things because it’s easy.
Who said that’s the right way?
Who said that’s the only way?
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect”
Challenge.
Why do you believe what you believe?
Your path is your path.
You are an artist with a fresh brush, pristine paint, and a clean canvas.
Paint the future you want.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
One Young World - the Odyssey
Grab your coffee, your empanada, poutine or whatever morning treat your culture deems conducive to a good read... And by good I mean long, though hopefully good in the most literal sense. You be the judge.
Get comfy.
One Young World. 196 countries. One hundred and ninety six countries. Allow me to repeat that one more time; 1-9-6. That’s a lot of countries. Depending on who you ask, that’s pretty much every country in the world.
A lot of countries.
1300 young people. Young leaders. Young human beings who want the world of 2026 to be better than the world of 2016. Not only “want” it to be better, but most of whom are actively fighting each and every day to ensure that becomes a reality.
When you have six passionate people at one table, passionate people representing Guatemala, Japan, India, Mexico, Canada, South Africa (or any permutation of 196 countries) – you have possibility. What are the shared experiences of such vastly different countries? How can they challenge each other on media-led misconceptions? How can their vastly different perspectives demystify worldwide wicked problems? How can their networks be forged together to create a global super-force for good?
When you have young people from across the global, passionate, awakened, hungry – you have possibility.
That was One Young World.
Allow me to share some thoughts on the experience. Some may cogent, relevant and directly applicable to the summit. Hopefully most fall in that category. Others may be thoughts spurred on by the scenery, observations, conversations and the introspection and life lessons inferred thereof. Let’s commence…
We should start thinking "What world do you want to see?" What world would you create if you could? What world do you want to shape your life for? This thought was inspired by Professor Muhummad Yunus – a crazy man, crazy enough to follow his crazy beliefs and actually impact millions of lives because of it. Imagine thinking that a poor Bangladeshi uneducated woman can turn a $300 loan into a flourishing family business. Imagine being even crazier and giving that loan out, unsecured, without any intentions of getting anything back for it. Imagine doing it over and over again. That’s madness.
What can that teach us? If he can be crazy and follow his crazy convictions, why can’t we?
What is so crazy about envisioning the world we want to see and putting the steps in place to bring the world there? Surely we are not powerless and confined to living a shackled life? Surely we can imagine change, structure our lives around change, and bring change?
I believe we can. I believe many of us will.
There is something special about the notion of ‘different’. Different intrigues. Different entices. Different is mystery. Different is scarce because it is finite compared to that which we have grown accustomed. And we all know the power of scarcity. Beyond that, however, different begets different – if we expose ourselves to others with perceptions different to ourselves, we are forced to view life differently – to have information from all angles before forming an opinion.
Different is powerful. I had breakfast with ridiculously cool people from Albania and Hong Kong. I spent countless hours bonding with incredible guys from Japan and Guatemala. I had an amazing dinner with funny and inspiring (in equal measure) young change-makers from Canada, Argentina, Thailand, Switzerland and India. It was different. It was eye-opening. Through this experience reveals the power of travel. The power of exposing ourselves to the notion of ‘different’. Different countries, systems, structures, processes, cultures, people, and opinions – Imagine the potential.
Embrace different – let different ignite something in you.
Meeting new people is difficult. Nobody likes clichés. “Nice to meet you.” “Mucho gusto”. “Muito prazer”. “What do you do?” “What are you studying?” Same old pleasantries, small talk, platitudes, the need to impress. Some people like to be guarded stone-cold-shells until you have peeled them away. That works for some, it’s even cultural for many. However, I have seen intangible but very real value in some level of vulnerability. Exposing full personality and sense of humour early on in conversation is key to building a genuine connection. Show who you are and others will show who they are. Networking situations can be very tense, forced or awkward. Most are reluctant to take the mask off first. If we are bold enough to take that step, others will follow our lead, and a connection is accelerated.
Want to catalyse an acquaintanceship into a friendship in just a few minutes? Simply be real and connect – that’s what life is about.
As a tourist, I think we find it much easier to engage with people because of the novelty, and because we are already out of our comfort zone. Also, we have that “in” that makes initiating a conversation so much easier – the intriguing accent, the backstory of “this is my first time here – *insert tourist question here*”. Back to the ‘different’ thought process mentioned earlier. Should this always be the case? I want to engage more wherever I am. In daily routine life, we are constantly in a rush. We don’t see the opportunity for a story in the everyday people we meet. We are desensitized. From this experience I have learnt there is potential beauty in any chance conversation with a stranger. Making people smile, laugh or learning their story can be beautiful whether abroad or at home.
I want to remember that and “live like a tourist” all the time.
It appears many ambitious young people face the opportunity cost problem. What if I study or accept a job overseas? Great for career but terrible for existing relationships. What's more important? What if I am a CEO? Great to impact but difficult as a family man. What if I am a great husband? Difficult to be a great CEO too? Why have so many top leaders in society cheated on their loved ones? I don’t want to be at risk of an empty adulterous life if it means being a top-level influencer. Can you only be a great family person or a great career person? I don't have any answers. I can only recommend a book called ‘How will you measure your life’ by Clayton Christensen. As young people, budding young leaders, we must ponder this question, grapple with every dimension of it, because I fear all too often that I will measure my life by the incorrect things, if incorrect measurements even exist. Do we want to be admired by many and loved by few? Or do we want to be loved by many and admired by few? Is that an entirely misguided way of even looking at it? Is it perhaps more about how many and how deeply we have loved? Do we want to measure our impact by the depth of our influence or the volume of our influence?
Now that you are completely overwhelmed by the torrent of rhetorical questions, I hope you have a buffet for thought - and please, enlighten me when you have the answers – definite or not.
Inequality. The great bane of society’s existence. If you look at any civil war, any rebel faction, and any uprising, the common root cause seems to always be directly or indirectly the result of socioeconomic inequality. We solve this, we solve a lot. How do we do this without becoming an oppressive shackled communist society? I wish I was more answer than question. Alas, I hope someone much smarter than me reads this and has the solution.
One final life-thing that has come to me since One Young World is this – I’m not sure it is possible to be truly happy unless all key facets of your life are pulling in the same direction. Remember earlier I spoke of structuring our lives towards the world we want to create? If we have a particular passion and we commit the vast majority of our days contrary to that passion – how are we supposed to feel fulfilled, and how are we supposed to create that world we envision?
So there it is. Words. Thoughts. Expressions. I have been and will continue to grapple with many of these until the day I leave this planet. Oh… One Young World also touched on the not-so-small matters of refugees, extremism, peace and security, education, global business, gender equality, LBGTQ and mental health too. Some would say that was the whole point of the summit. I always knew the world was a complex place. This experience made me realize the world is a very complex place.
To close off, I think the greatest realization of many realizations is this:
It doesn’t have to be my fight to fight the fight. I am busy. Self-absorbed and consumed by daily routine. But I am privileged and there is a lot I can do with that.
I am male, but I can combat gender inequality.
I am white, but I can combat racism.
I am heterosexual, but I can combat homophobia.
I am not directly affected by extremism, nor am I directly affected by many of the social issues of this world.
If those not affected step up for those that are, we, as a society, can make major steps, strides, leaps forward.
We are often frustrated by the political landscape in our respective countries, but One Young Wold revealed to me how we, as young people with bold convictions, have the power to effect change.
So let’s leverage the network effect.
Let’s catalyse each other’s projects and passions into progress.
Get comfy.
One Young World. 196 countries. One hundred and ninety six countries. Allow me to repeat that one more time; 1-9-6. That’s a lot of countries. Depending on who you ask, that’s pretty much every country in the world.
A lot of countries.
1300 young people. Young leaders. Young human beings who want the world of 2026 to be better than the world of 2016. Not only “want” it to be better, but most of whom are actively fighting each and every day to ensure that becomes a reality.
When you have six passionate people at one table, passionate people representing Guatemala, Japan, India, Mexico, Canada, South Africa (or any permutation of 196 countries) – you have possibility. What are the shared experiences of such vastly different countries? How can they challenge each other on media-led misconceptions? How can their vastly different perspectives demystify worldwide wicked problems? How can their networks be forged together to create a global super-force for good?
When you have young people from across the global, passionate, awakened, hungry – you have possibility.
That was One Young World.
Allow me to share some thoughts on the experience. Some may cogent, relevant and directly applicable to the summit. Hopefully most fall in that category. Others may be thoughts spurred on by the scenery, observations, conversations and the introspection and life lessons inferred thereof. Let’s commence…
We should start thinking "What world do you want to see?" What world would you create if you could? What world do you want to shape your life for? This thought was inspired by Professor Muhummad Yunus – a crazy man, crazy enough to follow his crazy beliefs and actually impact millions of lives because of it. Imagine thinking that a poor Bangladeshi uneducated woman can turn a $300 loan into a flourishing family business. Imagine being even crazier and giving that loan out, unsecured, without any intentions of getting anything back for it. Imagine doing it over and over again. That’s madness.
What can that teach us? If he can be crazy and follow his crazy convictions, why can’t we?
What is so crazy about envisioning the world we want to see and putting the steps in place to bring the world there? Surely we are not powerless and confined to living a shackled life? Surely we can imagine change, structure our lives around change, and bring change?
I believe we can. I believe many of us will.
There is something special about the notion of ‘different’. Different intrigues. Different entices. Different is mystery. Different is scarce because it is finite compared to that which we have grown accustomed. And we all know the power of scarcity. Beyond that, however, different begets different – if we expose ourselves to others with perceptions different to ourselves, we are forced to view life differently – to have information from all angles before forming an opinion.
Different is powerful. I had breakfast with ridiculously cool people from Albania and Hong Kong. I spent countless hours bonding with incredible guys from Japan and Guatemala. I had an amazing dinner with funny and inspiring (in equal measure) young change-makers from Canada, Argentina, Thailand, Switzerland and India. It was different. It was eye-opening. Through this experience reveals the power of travel. The power of exposing ourselves to the notion of ‘different’. Different countries, systems, structures, processes, cultures, people, and opinions – Imagine the potential.
Embrace different – let different ignite something in you.
Meeting new people is difficult. Nobody likes clichés. “Nice to meet you.” “Mucho gusto”. “Muito prazer”. “What do you do?” “What are you studying?” Same old pleasantries, small talk, platitudes, the need to impress. Some people like to be guarded stone-cold-shells until you have peeled them away. That works for some, it’s even cultural for many. However, I have seen intangible but very real value in some level of vulnerability. Exposing full personality and sense of humour early on in conversation is key to building a genuine connection. Show who you are and others will show who they are. Networking situations can be very tense, forced or awkward. Most are reluctant to take the mask off first. If we are bold enough to take that step, others will follow our lead, and a connection is accelerated.
Want to catalyse an acquaintanceship into a friendship in just a few minutes? Simply be real and connect – that’s what life is about.
As a tourist, I think we find it much easier to engage with people because of the novelty, and because we are already out of our comfort zone. Also, we have that “in” that makes initiating a conversation so much easier – the intriguing accent, the backstory of “this is my first time here – *insert tourist question here*”. Back to the ‘different’ thought process mentioned earlier. Should this always be the case? I want to engage more wherever I am. In daily routine life, we are constantly in a rush. We don’t see the opportunity for a story in the everyday people we meet. We are desensitized. From this experience I have learnt there is potential beauty in any chance conversation with a stranger. Making people smile, laugh or learning their story can be beautiful whether abroad or at home.
I want to remember that and “live like a tourist” all the time.
It appears many ambitious young people face the opportunity cost problem. What if I study or accept a job overseas? Great for career but terrible for existing relationships. What's more important? What if I am a CEO? Great to impact but difficult as a family man. What if I am a great husband? Difficult to be a great CEO too? Why have so many top leaders in society cheated on their loved ones? I don’t want to be at risk of an empty adulterous life if it means being a top-level influencer. Can you only be a great family person or a great career person? I don't have any answers. I can only recommend a book called ‘How will you measure your life’ by Clayton Christensen. As young people, budding young leaders, we must ponder this question, grapple with every dimension of it, because I fear all too often that I will measure my life by the incorrect things, if incorrect measurements even exist. Do we want to be admired by many and loved by few? Or do we want to be loved by many and admired by few? Is that an entirely misguided way of even looking at it? Is it perhaps more about how many and how deeply we have loved? Do we want to measure our impact by the depth of our influence or the volume of our influence?
Now that you are completely overwhelmed by the torrent of rhetorical questions, I hope you have a buffet for thought - and please, enlighten me when you have the answers – definite or not.
Inequality. The great bane of society’s existence. If you look at any civil war, any rebel faction, and any uprising, the common root cause seems to always be directly or indirectly the result of socioeconomic inequality. We solve this, we solve a lot. How do we do this without becoming an oppressive shackled communist society? I wish I was more answer than question. Alas, I hope someone much smarter than me reads this and has the solution.
One final life-thing that has come to me since One Young World is this – I’m not sure it is possible to be truly happy unless all key facets of your life are pulling in the same direction. Remember earlier I spoke of structuring our lives towards the world we want to create? If we have a particular passion and we commit the vast majority of our days contrary to that passion – how are we supposed to feel fulfilled, and how are we supposed to create that world we envision?
So there it is. Words. Thoughts. Expressions. I have been and will continue to grapple with many of these until the day I leave this planet. Oh… One Young World also touched on the not-so-small matters of refugees, extremism, peace and security, education, global business, gender equality, LBGTQ and mental health too. Some would say that was the whole point of the summit. I always knew the world was a complex place. This experience made me realize the world is a very complex place.
To close off, I think the greatest realization of many realizations is this:
It doesn’t have to be my fight to fight the fight. I am busy. Self-absorbed and consumed by daily routine. But I am privileged and there is a lot I can do with that.
I am male, but I can combat gender inequality.
I am white, but I can combat racism.
I am heterosexual, but I can combat homophobia.
I am not directly affected by extremism, nor am I directly affected by many of the social issues of this world.
If those not affected step up for those that are, we, as a society, can make major steps, strides, leaps forward.
We are often frustrated by the political landscape in our respective countries, but One Young Wold revealed to me how we, as young people with bold convictions, have the power to effect change.
So let’s leverage the network effect.
Let’s catalyse each other’s projects and passions into progress.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
The Unreasonables
I read this quote on Friday, one I have seen before but not never pondered.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw
Be reasonable. Adapt to the world. Live a good life.
There is literally nothing wrong with that. This leads to a world that most consider functional.
"The normal way".
Be unreasonable. Get frustrated often by the way things are. Refuse to accept those frustrations.
Ask why a lot. Confuse people with your convictions.
Get called "mad", "bizarre"... "a dreamer".
The unreasonable see the need for change because the world does not fit into their crazy idealism. They see their crazy idealism as "normal". The unreasonable not only create products; they create markets. They see what you and I need and want before we know we need and want it. They create it, then they make us need and want it. They move the world forward.
You didn't know you needed Uber.
On an arbitrary evening in 2008, Travis Kalanick and Garret Camp had difficulty calling a cab.
A common frustration we previously accepted.
They didn't adapt themselves to a frustrating world, they adapted the world to them. Uber.
You didn't know you need Uber. Now you do. Market created, the world moves forward.
What are your main frustrations in the world? Have you adapted to them?
Ask yourself, are you unreasonable? Can you use your frustration to drive the world forward?
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw
Be reasonable. Adapt to the world. Live a good life.
There is literally nothing wrong with that. This leads to a world that most consider functional.
"The normal way".
Be unreasonable. Get frustrated often by the way things are. Refuse to accept those frustrations.
Ask why a lot. Confuse people with your convictions.
Get called "mad", "bizarre"... "a dreamer".
The unreasonable see the need for change because the world does not fit into their crazy idealism. They see their crazy idealism as "normal". The unreasonable not only create products; they create markets. They see what you and I need and want before we know we need and want it. They create it, then they make us need and want it. They move the world forward.
You didn't know you needed Uber.
On an arbitrary evening in 2008, Travis Kalanick and Garret Camp had difficulty calling a cab.
A common frustration we previously accepted.
They didn't adapt themselves to a frustrating world, they adapted the world to them. Uber.
You didn't know you need Uber. Now you do. Market created, the world moves forward.
What are your main frustrations in the world? Have you adapted to them?
Ask yourself, are you unreasonable? Can you use your frustration to drive the world forward?
Monday, February 29, 2016
Call for Vulnerability: The Russian Doll Story
It's called a matryoshka. Or as I know it from school, a "skilpop".
A Russian doll. Many layers, to be removed one at a time.
We are all matryoshkas (a word that sounds cooler than it probably is).
We meet new people. We start guarded, cynical, mysterious, with the desire to be emotionally numb.
We are so intent on ensuring we will not get hurt like in the past, that we actively resist removing the layers of emotional vulnerability as quickly as before.
As life goes on, we become more guarded. More closed off to people getting to know the true "us" because of previous hurts. We decide the possibility of pain is not worth the possibility of unparalleled joy.
We are a society of matryoshkas not willing to shed layers. A cold connection-less society.
This is a call for vulnerability. A call for us not to let life's previous missteps endanger life's future hope.
Yes, vulnerability comes with the risk of 2/10 moments along with exhilarating 10/10s... an emotional rollercoaster. Is that not more thrilling than a constant 6/10 life? A dull predictable emotionless limbo.
I am an open book. Too open. I allow myself to feel and to feel fully.
It is delightful. It is horrible. At times I wish I could switch it off.
But then I feel the joy again of soul-soul connection. It is a gift, it is a curse.
But life is going to be one mad journey.
The way it should be.
A Russian doll. Many layers, to be removed one at a time.
We are all matryoshkas (a word that sounds cooler than it probably is).
We meet new people. We start guarded, cynical, mysterious, with the desire to be emotionally numb.
We are so intent on ensuring we will not get hurt like in the past, that we actively resist removing the layers of emotional vulnerability as quickly as before.
As life goes on, we become more guarded. More closed off to people getting to know the true "us" because of previous hurts. We decide the possibility of pain is not worth the possibility of unparalleled joy.
We are a society of matryoshkas not willing to shed layers. A cold connection-less society.
This is a call for vulnerability. A call for us not to let life's previous missteps endanger life's future hope.
Yes, vulnerability comes with the risk of 2/10 moments along with exhilarating 10/10s... an emotional rollercoaster. Is that not more thrilling than a constant 6/10 life? A dull predictable emotionless limbo.
I am an open book. Too open. I allow myself to feel and to feel fully.
It is delightful. It is horrible. At times I wish I could switch it off.
But then I feel the joy again of soul-soul connection. It is a gift, it is a curse.
But life is going to be one mad journey.
The way it should be.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Fighting the Cynicism of Time
When you are a kid, you tell the adults that you want to be an
astronaut.
They laugh at you.
When you are a kid, you gleefully proclaim you are going to change
the world.
They laugh at you.
When you are a kid, you do mad things, say mad things; say what's
on your mind.
They laugh at you,
When you are a kid, you get rejected for having unique
thoughts.
They laugh at you.
When you are a kid, you know you are here to achieve something
special.
They laugh at you.
The cynical pack around you wants you to become cynical too. They
don't like your optimism. They are threatened by your ideals. They accepted a
long time ago that changing the world is not for them. They want you to be like
them - to conform... to be in a comfort zone... to concede to mediocrity.
As we grow up, we unknowingly become conditioned to be like those
around us. To be cynical. To enjoy comfort zones. To lose that conviction that
beamed through our eyes. We lose that conviction that made us
intoxicating.
Now is the time. We have to fight back...
Regain your ideals. Reinvigorate your conviction that you are here
to make an impact,
Step out of your comfort zone. Get rejected. Feel alive.
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