There are those
with the ambition
to change
the world.
I just want
to make my mother
happy.
Myth of Meritocracy
We’d like to believe
that acquiring merit
is what determines
success.
But often times
acquiring merit
without acquiring trust
is worse
than acquiring trust
without acquiring merit.
Anxiety & Overwhelm
The moment
we feel like we have
so much work to do
may be the very moment
we need to step back
and actually scope out
the landscape
as opposed to
jumping in
and getting to work.
Advice from Pain
When we give someone
advice
then find ourselves feeling
frustrated
or angry
for not following
our advice
ponder the possibility
that we have yet to recover
from a pain we incurred
in our past
and projecting ourselves
on to others.
Pursuit of Happiness
When I remember
the moments when I was
happy
I was not in pursuit
of happiness.
When I rememer
the moments when I were not happy
I was in pursuit
of happiness.
Innovation
One way to notice
that we’re genuinely
innovating
is to notice
that we don’t know
what we’re doing.
If we know
what we’re doing
we’re probably just
following the steps
of manufacturing.
The Cult of Gratitude
Gratitude
has somehow became
a panacea.
“Be grateful.”
some say.
“Be honest.”
I say in response.
If you don’t feel gratitude,
you don’t feel gratitude.
What you feel
is what you feel.
Irony
I lack empathy.
Sometimes.
We all lack empathy.
Sometimes.
Let those
who’s never lacked empathy,
judge others
for lacking empathy.
Let those
who’s never seen others lack empathy,
judge themselves
for lacking empathy.
Complaining
It’s ok
to complain.
In fact,
it can be healthy.
Except,
complain to someone
with skills.
The skills to summarize your complaint
far more succinctly
than you could
alone.
The skills to organize your complaint
far more clearly
than you could
alone.
The skills to guide your complaint
toward a resolution
you couldn’t reach
alone.
May we neither waste our complaint
on people who lack
such skills.
Nor leave such people frustrated
for lacking
such skills.