holiday goodbye

Taking a holiday from writing.
I foresee coming back early/mid January, until then, this is goodbye.
We'll see if I come back earlier.

message on a snowflake

I said it once and I'll say it again.
I love snow.
It's such a beautiful thing.
What if you could write a message on a snowflake?
I just finished watching a video of someone doing just that.
What would your message be?

ripples in the water and why goodbyes are now harder

I feel like I'm a pond of water right now in the changing season. On the surface everything is calm and smooth, unchanged. But in its dark depths, there is a vigorous turmoil. Hugely agitated and anything but calm. Trying my best to put on a calm demeanor these days, but seriously who am I kidding. Underneath the surface, there's a disarray of emotions and thoughts.
Our experiences together have changed me. Each, like a raindrop falling into the pond, creates a ripple. It changes the pond, its composition will never be the same.
Gosh, I miss you already.

Why goodbyes are harder now
Each passing moment is an extra minute to reminisce on the past (though I hate doing this).
Why I'll miss you:
I'll miss my silly, awkward attempt to get your attention on that first day we met. Trying to be helpful to get you online on your laptop. Trying to navigate your Japanese Windows operating system and failing.
I'll miss our first real conversation when I was on the beanbag chair and you were on the black couch. Boy, was I nervous that time.
I'll miss the day that S.Keith took your seat and you had to move to our pod.
I'll miss staring over my laptop screen and seeing you at the opposite end.
I'll miss our red carpet moment. Thanks for the autograph superstar!
I'll miss that day when I left the Me-to-We scarf on your chair as a gift. I knew you wanted to attend We Day, but that's the best I can do to help you feel as if you were a part of the event.
I'll miss the first time I awkwardly asked you out. Casually asked if you'd like to attend Nuit Blanche. I was ecstatic when you confirmed. I regret that I had to leave early, would've loved to stay longer that night.
I'll miss the night we went to J-Town, it was probably the first opportunity we got to talk more and get to know each other. It was also the first moment I knew I'll miss you once you're gone. I enjoyed browsing the Heisei Mart and sharing some of the snacks we bought. Highlight of the night was shopping at One's and then sharing the crazy scoops of gelato and mango mousse cake. It was also when I found out how much you love your sweets.
I'll miss the first time we had dinner together. That night was... memorable for all the wrong reasons -__-...
Embarrassed that I took you to the wrong direction. I don't understand it, each time I'm with you I lose my sense of direction. I swear I'm normally very good with keeping my direction.
Pantheon's food was excellent. But the rain kinda ruined the fun.
I'll miss the fireworks show we went to on the Cavalcade of Lights. Too bad we didn't do that interview ;)
I'll miss how silly you were that day you mixed up your interview dates. Having to wake up super early to realize it was supposed to be the next day instead.
I'll miss the time we ate at 3 Brewers. Sitting beside that patio window was very cold for my feet ...
I'll miss our first movie together as well. It was a great movie. The best part was when we both jumped when the snake went to attack. Hahaha, we were both so startled.
I'll miss our last dinner together (in Toronto) at o'noire. It was such a unique experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it (http://ideadrivr.blogspot.com/2010/12/blind.html).
I'll miss Montreal. Well, Montreal's Montreal. Our first trip together - it was epic!
You kept asking me why I take photos of you when you're not ready. You look perfect in every picture, and that's how I see you. You're beautiful in each one of them regardless, and it's more natural :b
I'll miss your quirky sense of humour, your silly, embarrassed smile. The face you make when you're upset.
I'll miss the time we spent together.

I'll miss you.

Epic adventure... the beginning

Okay, so I was supposed to be blogging throughout my trip to Montreal, but seriously, there was no time for that.
I've been using the words "whirlwind tour" to describe this trip. But a close second would be "dream tour".
It's very contrasting that even though we only spent a little over 12 hrs in Montreal, it felt like a lifetime to me. Not in the bad sense of the phrase but it really felt like I spent a large portion of my life there on that one day.
I began the journey at a friend's house recording audio clips for an upcoming event at church. Having a cough and a stuffy nose did not make this go smoothly but I'm glad that we finished the recording quickly.
9 pm: here I am on my way to Scarborough Town Centre
Walked around a bit and realize I should probably buy a pair of gloves for the trip, seeing that my right hand is completely bare when I put on my glove (lost the right glove one random day - unfortunately, I know).
Luckily for me the mall doesn't close until 9:30, which gave me a whole 30 minutes to walk around.
Great, my bus isn't due until 12:30 am: a whole three hours away.
Before I knew it, I was on the TTC 21-southbound bus to Kennedy. This is pathetic, taking a longer route to Kennedy station because of all the time I had to kill.
Pulling into Kennedy station, I realized that on a Saturday night, the buses run a lot quicker and thus I still had a lot of time to waste.
I channeled all my positive thinking into "But this is still good though, because I can get to stop by the bank for a bit and withdraw some emergency cash".
Making a pit stop at the CIBC at Bloor and Yonge meant I wasted another 20 mins or so.
By the time I arrived at the bus station it was 10:30 pm.
Caught some really broken wifi connection and surfed the Facebook on my iPod touch.
But spotty connections really puts a damper on browsing so I upped and went for a walk around the station.
Time really passes slowly when you're waiting.
Amazing that an angel dropped by to save me from some really horrible wait times.
She's simply stunning each time I look at her.
We waited patiently in line after I went and brushed my teeth. Our conversation led us to help me practice my Japanese. It was fun.
And so, our adventure began...

Epic adventure... the planning

Wow, stressing over the past three days in getting tickets and organizing this Montreal trip. Trying so hard to make sure things are perfect. Suddenly, it dawned on me that, it doesn't have to be perfect to be the perfect trip. Just enjoy the moment and the time spent.
So yea, the tickets still haven't been booked yet. Everything seems to be very spontaneous, just the way I'd like it. But there is still some stress over the randomness involved. I'm sure things will work out, will know in exactly 12 hrs!
Sorta practicing for Japan. There will be element of spontaneity and elements of planned fun. Just hope we don't encounter into trouble. Hope that my French isn't too rusty.

Wish me luck Harry.

Should leftovers be filed under "L" or "F" or food?

Funny thing happened in the office today.
A colleague and friend of mine, before his vacation, left a portion of his lunch in his filing cabinet. He occasionally does this with the intention of finishing the food for dinner. While I'm all for not wasting food, it's funny and somewhat ridiculous how the food has been left there for a few weeks without anyone discovering it. Only today, when the foul odour became out of hand did we investigate the origins.
I admire him for his diligence because he often stays past office hours to finish work and thus have the need to ration a portion of lunch into dinner, he's saving money and the environment at the same time! And being busy as he is, I can see how he might have forgotten about the food.
Heck, I've done that a few times myself.
The punchline is that there is a board meeting happening in the office today as well!
The natural laws of physics are working against us! Damn you diffusion!
Luckily though, they're safely sealed inside the board room, door closed with a small opening.
Today was a very fun way to start in the office. Now I'm working in a very relaxing chair in the foyer area to escape the foul odour - at least some good has come from this.

So really, should leftovers be filed under "L" or "F" for food?


PS. Oh... this could become a science experiment in the future! We should have kept the leftover food and see if it will evolve into a living organism in a few billion years. I think eventually it may grow feet.

Artist's depiction: Mutated take-out box of death

broken heaters and warm hearts

It's really cold out these days.
I really worry about the homeless when the weather's like this.
Currently, the heater's broken at my house, and I feel the agony of having to sleep in the cold. I know, what I experienced in the one night is nothing compared to these people. But this is where we step up to change the world. Regardless of how they got there, we should lend a helping hand in times like this.

Let's make this frigid season a little bit warmer.

I urge each one of you who reads this: each time you see a homeless person on the street, ask if they would like a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate. If you're more well off than me (a broke university student), I implore you to, perhaps, purchase a small meal for them. A sandwich, a bowl of chili, a small wrap, anything.
Best to choose foods with lots of fat and carbohydrates with minimal processing. They should also have plenty of water. All these will help anyone stay warm this season.
Short of wearing more clothing, starting a fire or staying indoors (with climate control... ahem broken heaters -_-), food is the best way to stay warm.

hellos and goodbyes

Yesterday, I picked up my sister from the airport.
Airports are fascinating places to be in. I remember a quote from a TV show that speaks of how an airport is a facsimile of life with all the reunions and departures of loved ones. It's true. When I a passionate embrace of a young child with her older relative (maybe late 20's), I cannot think of a better expression of love and joy. The elation expressed on that child's face was simply inspiring. This welcoming of a loved one is likened to the arrival of a new life within a family. Everyone is overwhelmed with joy and relief, celebrating the a safe arrival of a (new) family member. Whether through birth, adoption, or reunion of a long-lost sibling/child, the same joyous note rings through the cacophony of emotions.
In the same building, just like on the same life journey, people are bidding farewell to those whom they love. There may be tears, good wishes, and many, many sorrowful goodbye kisses. Goodbyes are never easy, temporary or otherwise. The main reason for it being so hard to say goodbye is that you will never see that same person again. Time and its relentless clutches will grasp on to the one you love and drag them through experiences that will, invariably, change that person. Well, it's not cynical as it sounds. I'm just trying to say that things can never be the same. Once the moment's gone, it's gone. This is reminder for you, and for me, to seize the moment and don't let that special moment pass and live in regret.
Also, live in the present while looking onto the future.

I'm never good with goodbyes, do not look forward to sending a close friend of mine away shortly.

dreams, nightmares, truth and dare pt. 2

I had a very vivid dream last night.
I was volunteering at the children's hospital. The dream "started" with a short conversation with the child I was working with. It's kinda like that Inception concept where you never really quite remember how the dream started. As the conversation continued, I ended up asking him (I believe it was a young boy) what his dreams were. "I have always wants to ride on a magic carpet", he replied quietly and he continues after a slight pause, "But now I just want to get off". That line broken my heart and I woke up. Almost bursting into tears immediately. When I came to, I realized that last line meant he's lost control of his life and lost his childhood.
That short dream made me realized that I gotta cherish every moment and also give back to those less fortunate. That morning, I'm resolved to start volunteering at the children's hospital. The hospital that helped my family and I through one of the most trying periods of our lives in Toronto. The same hospital I've vowed to donate large sums to if I ever have the capacity to.
Truth is, we each have the power within us to give back to the community in such a meaningful way.
I challenge you to find an opportunity to do the same and go volunteer.

Until next time.

dreams, nightmares, truth and dare

We each have dreams.
If I had my way back when I was in kindergarten, I'd be either fighting fires or floating in space right now.
Dreams are very personal items. They are a reflection of our being, our very soul. Our dreams are kept closest and dearest to our hearts. Because of this, dreams are a portrait of the inner self. It is the manifestation of our desires, our qualities.
For example, from my childhood dreams you can tell I like to help people and I like to reach into ambitious heights. I still do.
It really defines us and molds us into who we are. This is the inside-out influence of who we are.
But as we grow up, culture, society, parents and other norms starts to be ingrained in us. Transforming our being and thus altering our dreams and aspirations. Sometimes disfiguring our dream, sometimes ameliorating it. This is the outside-in influence on who we are.
The beautiful, innocent, pure childhood dream (inner self-portrait) is often disfigured by responsibility and reality. Responsibility to self, to family. The reality that one can't have everything they want.
The nightmare begins.
Living the dreams of others or living a dream out of obligation to others is a painful thing.
Being brought up in a traditional Chinese family, I was always forced-fed the idea that I must become a successful professional that earns a boatload of money. In my earlier years, I'd go to my parents and tell them I wanted to be a firefighter, a policeman, an artist, etc. But each response I got was, "Those don't make money" or "they're not a suitable career for you". Occasionally I'd get the "Being the male of the household, I'd eventually have to support my parents along with my own (future) family". It's a lot of pressure. Soon I found myself giving up my dreams and pursuing dreams that were pushed down to me.
The horror of realizing things don't work out quite like how you envisioned is disheartening. The day I realized being a chess grandmaster doesn't quite pay the bills was also the day my love and passion for the game died.
The truth is, dreams can evolve and change, just as a person can change. I've learned to accept the morphed dreams. It's not bad, as long as you make the dreams your own. Now I view each experience I encounter as one step closer to my ultimate goal, my dream.
Yes, working in certain jobs is totally unrelated to being an architect or a marketing superstar but I know that eventually this path will take me to that destination.
I now issue an open challenge, a dare, to each one of you. Don't lose sight of what you're ultimate dream is. Each situation you're in (whether related to your dream or not), can be used to achieve your own dream.
Live for it but also be accountable to those you care about.
Never give up.
Ask for help when you need, because those who care about you will want to help you achieve your dreams.
Believe in yourself. Know you can make your dream a reality.
Never, NEVER give up.

Your dream in your own hands

A little video bonus:

birth, death and everything in between

Sorry folks, been working on two fairly long posts. Lots of background research and writing. I will be posting those live shortly.

Just going to post something short for today so I don't go MIA for too long.

I know many people who are searching for a meaning in life or life's purpose. It's way too complicated to sum up in one sentence. But I'll still try to summarize everything that happens in between birth and death. After a long time giving this some (read: a lot of) thought, I've come up with something equally complex as a summary. This concept is, in my opinion, involved in every stage of life and without it, life is meaningless.

Love

It pretty much fills all the gaps in life.

At the very beginning of our lives, in fact, before we even existed as a zygote, we are surrounded by love.

Tragic family stories aside, we are the culmination of our parents' love for each other. (Yes kids, that's where babies come from.)

As we grow in size and cognitive ability we learn to love certain things. I loved candies and sweets. I loved little or big toy robots and trucks.

Then came falling in love with a new home, Canada.

This beautiful piece of land is what I call home. Really fills me with patriotism and love for country upon hearing the national anthem or seeing my country's flag.

Along the way to the present, there are numerous times I've encountered love. Be it love for achievement, love between siblings, friends.

Love is an essential part of life.
Be brave and start loving life.

focused minds and finish lines

Yesterday night I was staying up late to watch TV. Well more like killing time before I went to bed. I came across a program called Best Trip Ever. This show chronicles the 6-day trip of gold medalist Jon Montgomery and three of his close friends. Throughout the trip, they took on challenges that tests their physical and mental limits. The culminating challenge of the episode was slack-lining across a chasm atop a 800-feet drop.

Photo credit: http://www.discoverychannel.ca/showpage.aspx?sid=28993

Of course it was inspiring to see people breakthrough their comfort zones and overcoming their fears (I absolutely cannot imagine the adrenaline rush/pissing-your-pants factor). What was truly inspiring was the instruction given by the slack-lining coach. The one piece of advice he gave to each of the adventurers was to "just focus on the end of the line and tune out everything else".
I like this advice but I don't love it.
Here's why I like it. It teaches people to focus on one thing, the finish line. It's important that in our journey to drive change we focus on the finish line. Often when we're walking this path we encounter speed bumps and detours (sometimes even road blocks). Don't let this hindrances discourage you. This is when you take that advice and hold on to it for dear life (very similar to the individuals that were holding on to the safety line when they fell off the slack line). When you focus on the finish line, these hindrances start to seem so insignificant.
At the same time, this piece of advice tends to give people the wrong ideas. It can lead people to interpret it as "the ends justify the means", which isn't what it's trying to convey. Another hazard of this advice is that people heeding it might lose sight of the process. Often the process is just as enjoyable as the outcome (or regardless of the outcome).

Moral of the story: when encountering difficulties and trying to overcome inhibitions, focus on the finish line, it'll help you pull through.
When things are coasting smoothly, slow down and enjoy the process.
Never have the ends justify the means, measure everything against your conscience.

Cheers to change.

support

We each have dreams.
We each have a path we must travel to achieve that dream.
Whether it's a straight line, rugged road or a meandering path, we travel along our life journey in search of our dreams.
Along the way, we meet people; some are helpful and others are not so much. Along the way, we may fall, or we may lose our bearings. Along the way we discover who we are.
It's during the moments of going astray that we rely on our friends to lead us back. Their support is paramount to our dreams.
I came across a picture that depicts, quite literally, why we need friends for support.
With the kind permission of the individuals in the picture, I'm proud to share this with you.

We often can only reach new heights with the support and push of those around us. Their shoulders, kind words, criticism and support is what keeps pushing us forward.
When striving for our dreams there will be times of trials and pains. Time where you'd want to give up or your dreams seem far-fetched and unattainable. It's time like this that you must rely on your support network of friends. These friends, just like in the picture, will help prop you up and help you reach higher than you alone can. Just like in the picture, they will be the strong base on which you can stand in precarious situations. They will uphold you until you've reached the highest you can achieve.

I've been fortunate to have a great network of friends who have helped me so much and continue to be reliable when called upon. It's great to know there are people out there that are looking out for your best interest.
To repay them, I give 100% every time they require anything from me. When I'm asked for opinions, comments and suggestions, I offer uncensored and unfiltered words that they may not hear from others.
It's important to build a good network of friends that aren't afraid to sell it straight (tell it as it is, be frank etc). It's often the harshest critical words that improves who we are and what we are doing.

I'm here only because I have had you guys to lead me here (you know who you are: TW KC LiFe to name a few).

Cheers to friends and their support.
I hope I can be just as supportive to those around me.

To S.M.,
I'm so happy that you got accepted! You're moving one step closer to your dream!
Don't ever forget the wonderful things you're trying to achieve. I know you can realize everything one day.
I'll say it here once again, you're changing the world!

investing in people

I was sitting in an economics class last night. I know, it's horrible to have a late-night class.
We were talking about economic value and economic costs.
Economic costs, by definition, includes actual cost (out-of-pocket) and opportunity costs (the cost of the next best foregone opportunity).
For example, what is the economic cost of sending a 12 year-old girl to school in rural India?
It is the cost of tuition and the additional cost of lost production from the young girl on the family farm (or possibly other forms of labour-intensive work).
What is the determinant of the fate of the girl?
It all depends whether the out-of-pocket costs is higher than the opportunity costs of the girl.
Often the opportunity cost is higher than the actual cost for this situation. The returns for the manual labour is easy to realize and more immediate. But how would the world change if we started investing in people?
It's a hard concept to grasp.
When investing in bonds and equity, the returns have a defined horizon. The risk is finite and often calculable within certain margins. When investing in people, there are no set horizons for realizing the returns. The risks are much more variable (but in some regard, also much more manageable).

It's hard to gauge the return on investment when you're investing in people. The economic value they create are very small and hard to track and calculate. Often, the return isn't fully realized until generations later.
The risks involved is also harder (and easier at the same time) to control. Harder in the sense that people change all the time. People's potential and behaviour have many more variables to consider compared to equity and bonds. At times, their behaviour can be random (no statistical precedence/foreshadowing). Compound all that variability with the behaviours of others. We then will have a huge problem.
However, on the flip side, people can be nurtured and taken care of and thereby eliminating many variables. The person (or people) we are investing in can be guided to success and empowered to bring success to many generations afterwards.

If we consider the economic value of lowered welfare costs, lower crime rates (and lower crime-related costs) and many other positives brought about with an empowered generation (and generations after), this pales in comparison with the out-of-pocket costs. Soon the opportunity cost for the girl in this example becomes a short-term investment, a relatively insignificant one. The economical value she will bring to, not only her family, but also her community and society at large is many folds the opportunity cost.

We are a powerful generation (youths of today). We can change perception of economical value. We can create value through social entrepreneurship. We can drive change today.

Tomorrow, we will become older. We will be in affluent positions (not that we aren't already). We will eliminate the issues and problems that have plagued past generations.

Photo credit: screen capture from http://www.girleffect.org/video 

Together, let's drive change.

http://www.girleffect.org/video
Special thanks to and inspired by S.M.

Pure Imagination

If a chocolate factory can have a river and waterfall of chocolate (or chocofall), imagine what else is possible.

Hold your breath

Make a wish

Count to three

If you want to view paradise

Simply look around and view it

Anything you want to, do it

Wanta change the world?

There's nothing

To it

(Lyrics from "Pure Imagination"; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Changing the world isn't hard, just needs a little imagination and stubbornness.

Don't listen to the all the nay-sayers.

To infinity and BEYOND!

To infinity and beyond!
The most memorable quotes from pixar's famous trilogy. But this can also be a part of your philosophy of change and innovation.
I find that, most often, limitation and restrictions are self-imposed or even imposed upon ourselves by preconceptions and society. To start my own creative process, I often ask myself what if there were no limitations, what if all things were possible. What if even the laws of physics doesn't apply. The craziest, most innovative ideas usually starts off as impractical dreams.
It's important to realize that the potential of imagination and creativity of oneself can only flourish once limitations, barriers and restrictions are lifted. Budding ideas and aspirations can blossom only when nourished and nurtured with eccentricity (of the good kind) and disregard to what can't be done.
Do you want to be innovative?
Do you want to change the world?
Break free from anything that hinders your mind from being free.

Dream big.
Dream wild.
Just dream.


Follow-up post: http://ideadrivr.blogspot.com/2010/11/pure-imagination.html

relativity and creativity

It's the most famous scientific equation of all time.

Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass-energy_equivalence

E=mc²

What are its implications? Take a look at the increased amounts of (radioactive) C14, the atomic bombs, the nuclear reactors and the possibility of time travel. 

It’s such a beautiful equation.

Let’s talk briefly about the variables:

E is the energy

m is the mass

c is the speed of light (if squared, it is a really, really large number)

This equation tells us that a massive amount of energy can be obtained from small quantities of matter.

But it’s also not entirely correct. The real (or extended version of the) equation is E²=m²c⁴+p²c², this version accounts for momentum (the p part). The famous version’s variable for mass actually is the static mass. That is to say, the amount of energy that can be obtained from an object is equivalent to its static mass multiplied by a really, really large number.

Wait, does that mean mass can change? Well, yes. Mass of an object can change depending on the speed the object is traveling at, yet another implication of Einstein’s theory of relativity.

The idea is, once you get things moving, it’ll grow. There’s science behind this! Once you have an idea, slowly push it forward. As it moves, it will start gaining mass. It will grow bigger and bigger.

As the idea develops and grows, there will be an increase in mass. That mass along with the movement you’ve given it earlier will become momentum (p=mv; where m is mass, and v is velocity). Gather as much (or as little) momentum as you want. Your idea will move forward, your idea will grow and your idea will bring momentum to the world. Your idea will thrive.

scenes from a dream: just a country girl and a city boy

Note: I stole this title from a friend of mine (his blog here: http://sfad.wordpress.com/)
This blog post is a bit of creative fiction and a bit of truth, which part is which? That's a secret.
The mystery adds to the charm.


Do you believe in fate?
That there is an invisible hand guiding us along around path?
I don't.
I believe in God. Similar concept, but more powerful.
Recently I've been thinking of how stories always describes two complete strangers being brought together under unassuming circumstances.
Enough babbling, here's the dream:
Country girl meets city boy. Both, under normal circumstances, would probably never have met. However, coming from completely two different worlds, they share the same dream. It's amazing how similar their aspirations are.
Was it the sparkle in her eye when talking about her dreams, or that cute but silly smile when she gets embarrassed? No matter how you look at it, he's fallen for her.
City boy falls in love with country girl.
He knows he shouldn't. He knows things won't work out - in no time at all, they'd be separated, perhaps never seeing each other again. Maybe a kayak will solve their problems. The logical side tells him to break it off before it's too late. His heart tells him it's already too late. "Doesn't matter, I just enjoy spending time with her. I don't need her commitment or a relationship" he keeps telling himself. Maybe it's true. If he repeats it often enough, he'll start believing it. In a month's time, it'll be back to reality.
Is it time to wake up from the dream?
No, he needs to dream a little more.
Maybe it's time to be a rocketeer.

Clarity isn't needed sometimes.

how are you?

Hmm, ever stop to wonder how impacting these three words are?

At the same time, there are people that say it without meaning much. Not really caring whether you're really well or not. If you're guilty of this, it's okay, it happens. Life and work's fast-paced rhythms really hinder us from genuinely caring for people around us. Maybe it's time to slow down and sincerely ask those around us "how are you?".
Sure, you'll get superficial answers such as, "yea, I'm fine" or "I'm fine thanks, and you?". But don't let this stop you from asking time and time again (sincerely) the same question. Find a friend that's close to you and ask how they are doing. Ask smart, probing questions that will get you real answers. Ask from the heart. Sooner or later, you'll start getting answers like, "yea, I'm fine, but _____ is really bothering me".
Lend a caring heart and a free ear. You'll change someone's day.
Cheers to change.

little red rocks

After a week of fruitless research I decided to publish this even though I don't quite remember all the details of the story (later on in the post).
The main portions of the story is still factual, but some small details were changed for creative reasons. Creative bits are highlighted in blue.


Let's face it, in this day and age, your network is a serious competitive advantage. You hear people saying, "it's not what you know, but who you know" and not only does this apply to finding a job, but also applies to developing ideas and identifying opportunities.
Steven Johnson, author of Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, is a proponent of keeping a diverse network that is organic and liquid. Flows from one form to another, never fixed in its composition and at the same time, diverse enough to lend different perspectives for any given individual within the network. I like this idea too.
To highlight the importance of having a liquid, diverse network, let's take a look at a lesson from a little red rock.

One of the biggest investing blunders happened because some guy consulted with the wrong friend. Didn't have the patience to develop or pursue a hunch. And the most damning of all, didn't have a diverse network to fall back onto after consulting the wrong person.
So the story goes, a railroad engineer one day picked up a piece of small red rock along the tracks after a regular maintenance. Later he consulted his friend who was a surveyor for the railroad, he concluded the red rock was worthless and the engineer shouldn't pursue it any further and get back to doing his job.
Later, a geologist went to the site and discovered that the red rocks were actually copper ore. Eventually, this lead to the discovery of the Sudbury Basin, yes, one of the largest copper/nickel deposits in the world (#8 actually). That Sudbury Basin. If the engineer had a nice diverse network of friends to turn to, he may have had the opportunity to consider buying the rights to prospect, explore and mine that plot of land. He may have become one of the richer people in the world nowadays (at least his family would be a rich and powerful one by now).

Don't just stick to what you know. Venture out and create connections and expand your network into groups of people that have knowledge you don't.
Where else are you gonna find diversity if everyone in your network is similar to you?

Note: it might not have been specifically the Sudbury Basin, but from my research it does seem like a very likely candidate for the identity of the mine that I read about a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, the copper/nickel mine that was discover was a rather large one.

rocks and cheetos

Yesterday I went to the AGO, saw an interesting piece. The piece was placed in the middle of a room that displayed a few other pieces on the environment. The interesting thing about this "rocks and cheetos" piece is that the rocks completely cover the cheetos. Well, not completely, the cheetos pieces peek out at little cracks between rocks and you can see the layers of cheetos inside the gap between the rocks and the floor.
I liked the contrast between the hardness of rocks and the brittleness of the cheese sticks. The colour contrast is very eye-catching as well (the teal/blue/grey of the rocks versus the orange and white of the cheese sticks).
Recently I've been trying to rekindle my love for art; so far so good.

belugas (cont'd from "eagles and belugas")

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a coworker's boyfriend.
This guy is a rare breed. Good looks aside, he's an artist and a scientist.
Not many people can pull off the left/right brain balance like that.
He was also the guy who inspired me to write my post titled "eagles and belugas" (see, http://ideadrivr.blogspot.com/2010/11/eagles-and-belugas.html).
Out of that same conversation we discussed his thesis piece. As a biochemist myself, I understand the need for scientists to focus their study. This focus, for a biochemist, could be the interaction between one antigen (lock) and one antibody (key) or, for a marine biologist, this focus could be studying one species at a time.
This is all good for understanding complicated ideas (because of the simplification) but for both these disciplines, there may be higher order interactions that could only happen when you study multiple molecules or species.

That is to say, sometimes a clearer picture can be revealed by tackling the problem at a more complex stage. This is the whole premise to his research.
I find this absolutely brilliant. Simplifying things is good and beneficial for the most part, but unfortunately the world isn't a simple model like how most scientists try to distill information to.
Another flaw to this is that scientists studies these animals in isolation - this is a biased, distorted view of reality. I'm all for simplicity, but wouldn't it be easier to just collaborate and combine the data to create a bigger, more truthful picture?

Experiment:
Take a look at each picture in sequence and tell me what you see:

What do you see??

Just some random coloured lines right?

Yea, that's a slanted red line

ohhh, this one is green, I like green

Purple is alright as well.

Creative thinking can be sorta similar. Sometimes by simplifying your thinking too much, you end up losing some perspectives and new ideas that can only be gained by a more involved thinking process. Often you also lose the bigger picture of how these creative ideas can interlink and give rise to bigger, better ideas. Try not to always think simple ideas, venture out of your comfort zone and combine smaller ideas together to create a more complex idea. Who knows, maybe it'll be the next big thing.


btw, this is what the picture is supposed to be:

When you add the different (simple) layers together, you create something more complex, yet more beautiful.

All the yesterdays leads to today; these todays shape the tomorrows

After some talk about reflections yesterday I did some reflecting.
Our yesterdays have a strong impact on our todays. It really does shape who we are and what we're doing. I remember one vice-principal who turned me into a believer of second chances. Made me a more compassionate person. He may not know it, but he helped me become a better man.
Two other person, seemingly insignificant, had affected me for the better. Both are badminton players. The first person was an Asian male in mid-late 20's, never really met him, but all I did was observe him playing. Creepy? A little. But this observation was out of admiration and respect. This guy had a prosthetic left leg. Amputated from the knee down (parts of the shin was still there). He wasn't a spectacular badminton player by any means, but average in skill level. What astonished me was that he was the mere fact he was on the court playing badminton.
I met the other person just yesterday, his name is Clay (name changed). At first I didn't notice anything different from Cliff, he had good technique and his smashes are crisp and powerful passed for a while as a regular badminton player, young university student. It was until I saw him retrieve a bird off the court that I noticed his limp, and his atrophied left arm. His mobility on the court was not the smoothest because of his limp, but he still was able to cover most of the court. I admired his determination to retrieve many of the shots I sent his way. He'd even catch me off guard with a few of his shots.
These two people inspired me to push beyond my limitations and achieve the dreams I have.
These three people have shaped the way I view things in life and live life today.

It's very humbling to learn so much from people you meet. The things I've learned from the people I've encountered thus far is what I use to create my tomorrows. Living day-by-day, I reach one step closer to my dream. Don't underestimate your own influence on other people. You too can become an integral part of building someone else's tomorrows. Smile and continue to drive change.






Dare to dream.
Dream big.
The yesterdays build the todays, and the todays shape the tomorrows.
Let's dream the same dream together.

hey you in the mirror there

I looked in the mirror this morning and asked myself, is this the person that'll make my parents proud?
An emphatic "yes" resounded in my head.
I'm a nice person, polite, and sincerely care about making a positive change in the world. What more can parents want from their child. I do admit that my academics aren't to their standards, but the end goal is to find a job that will help me make a comfortable living. I think I've achieved that much without having need to do spectacular in school.
Often, when aspiring to make change in this world, you'll find yourself unmotivated and lacking momentum or even facing negativities. Look in the mirror and tell yourself, "you're doing what you've set out to do". Staying motivated is an important key to success.
Remember how people keep telling you to do what you love?
That's because that's how you keep yourself motivated. Without motivation, it's hard to move forward. To drive change, you must keep moving forward!

So, do yourself a favour, each time you look in the mirror, remind yourself that you're doing what you've set out to do. Don't lose sight of what the end goal is.

Cheers and look at your beautiful reflection more!

it starts with eye contact, then a smile

Trace back your memory of the first time you met your best friend. I honestly can't remember how we met. So for the purpose of this post, I'll fictionalize that fateful day.
I feel a disclaimer should be in place.
Similar to those cautioning people that the things they're about to witness is a recreation.

Warning: the following is a dramatic reenactment of true events. The names of the characters have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. This is based on a true story.

I've always wanted to do that... hehe

I met one of my best friends in middle school. The school's called James Baron Tyrone Senior Public School. For simplicity's sake, we'll abbreviate to JBT. Life was simple back in JBT. Not a care in the world, especially not having to worry about find a job, or repaying your student loan. At JBT, there was a French program that allowed students to take some core courses in French instead of English - I was in that program. Because of this program, the school was mainly divided into two, the Frenchies and the non-Frenchies. Being in the French program, I was therefore a Frenchie. Oddly enough, my friend wasn't a Frenchie. In fact, I don't quite remember ever seeing him that often in school.
We had some mutual friends, loose connections through friend of friends. Didn't really know him at all because I mostly stuck with the Frenchies.
Being socially awkward and short tempered as I was back in the days, I soon found myself somewhat ostracized by the Frenchies and my group of friends there.
Somehow, I bumped into his crowd of friends. Oh btw, my friend's name is Antonio Warren. I'd imagine he was smiling and welcoming me when I first met the guy. He was a nice kid.
As we graduated from Sr PS to high school we became better friends and closer. We found a common hobby and hung out a lot. Eight years later, after graduating university, we're still very close.

I tried to remember how it was when I first met the guy, but really, memory has a way of leaving out a lot of the details. Doesn't matter. The point I'm trying to make is - generally be a nice person whenever you meet someone.
Make sincere eye contact, smile genuinely and greet people warmly. You never know, they may just become your best friend.
From an acting perspective, many people say you should emanate emotions and feelings from the inside but I think that it is also possible to affect the inner self with the outer self.
Smile, be sincere and genuine and be a warm person, this will help you feel better on the inside.
A by-product of that is to make others feel better on the inside as well.

Win-win, no?

eagles and belugas

People are very intelligent, but it's a pity we're not as free as the birds and the fish.
I had a very intriguing conversation with someone Friday night. He mentioned how constrained humans are. We live in a 3-dimension world but we are limited to roam in two dimensions.
We naturally cannot explore the full potential of our realm of existence. We are physically confined to this two dimensional world, able to only move forward, backward, left and right in straight lines. Oh, we can do loopy, circular movements too.
We should take a note from the eagles and belugas, escape the confines of a two-dimensional world and jump into the third. Realize the full potential of existence.
I believe this can apply to creative and critical thinking. Don't think in straight lines or confining yourself in only two dimensions when you can exercise your potential into loopy lines and three dimensions.

Let's talk loopy lines first.
When I have to incubate a new idea, I try a very fun exercise. Let's call it "tangent drawing". Start with an idea, think about it, develop the idea until near maturation. Then, suddenly, go off on a complete tangent. You can come up with a new idea, an opposing idea, a complementary idea. As long as you're not working on the same idea.
An interesting pattern starts to develop as you work on something like this.
The tangents will actually start converging - even if there are tangents that are opposite ideas.

More on escaping into new dimensions on the next post...

Forgiving, forgetting and remembrance

Remembrance -
Nov 11, 2010:
At 11 am, my coworkers and I missed the moment of silence. We made up for it with a very powerful silent video followed by a wonderful home-made mv of K'naan's "Wavin' flag" after lunch.
As a Canadian, each year I feel a patriotic urge to buy a poppy from the first veteran I see. This year was an exception. Partially due to busier schedule and bad timing (often no cash in my pockets when I do see people selling poppies), I ended up having a bare lapel on my jacket.
I feel a slight tinge of guilt at the sight of people proudly displaying their poppies when I'm not sporting one.

This guilt is a result of my wanting to show support for our troops and to honour those who have given their lives to protect others in the face of war.
It is only when we pass along the lessons and memories from the war that we can truly honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
The greatest honour and legacy one can have is to be remembered for all their actions on earth.
Money can be passed along from generation to generation, but eventually it'll run out. Likewise other similar material goods. Memories is a different thing.
It can change a person; it can affect the soul.


Lest we forget.


ps. By no means do I condone war.
If we don't learn from the mistakes of a dark past afflicted with war, how can we move towards a brighter future imbued with peace?

Forgetting -
On a contrasting note, forgetting is just as important as remembering.
Of course, this applies to forgetting the negativities one is faced in everyday life and in one's past.
For more details refer to yesterday's post (http://ideadrivr.blogspot.com/2010/11/beautiful-day.html).

Forgiving -
As a consequence of the idea.drivr from yesterday. The change.drivr for the next few days will be dishing out a hearty helping of forgiveness.
It's easier said than done, that's why it'll be the change.drivr action for the next few days (until Sunday the 14th).
Someone wronged you, hurt you, or just fully annoys you. It's bound to have happened in your life. Find that one incident/person that's recurrently affecting your emotions/mental well-being. Come to peace with the situation. Find that inner strength to forgive. Really forgive. Forgive from the heart and soul.
It may take you some time to find that inner strength or come to terms with the concept of forgiveness, but in the end, you'll find yourself feeling better. It'll lighten the load on the mind and soul, and cause you to be able to exceed and surpass your current self.
Soon you'll be driving ideas and driving change.
If you're a dreamer, believer, enabler, go dream, believe, and do.

beautiful day

What a beautiful day today!
Putting things behind you and looking forward really makes a difference.
The world brightens and your view on things becomes more positive - hopeful even.
Last week was half good/bad. Went on a "date" (not even sure if it was a real date or not) Wednesday, had fun anyways. But then, to finish off the week I got some pretty bad news and criticism from work and also lost a tournament. Creativity and productivity went down dramatically.

When you're held back with negative emotions and thoughts, creativity and insight is hampered. When stressed, or bummed out, try to do something relaxing; try to do something you enjoy. It'll help take your mind off issues that are dragging you down.
For me, I often just hit the gym. When it's me and the weights, my mind is completely blank. After my workout my body and mind feels refreshed; ready to tackle any problems thrown at my way.
This also can help improve brain chemistry and brings more oxygenated blood into your brain.
Taking your mind off negativities will help you refocus on problems and you'll find more innovative solutions. This is a great way to come up with creative, innovative ideas.

make the world a better place... with smiles!

Let's face it, smiles are infectious.
With the wonderful weather outside (in Toronto, Ontario anyways), it's hard not to smile!
Brighten someone's day with your wonderful smile!

Connect with an old friend

Part of being creative and coming up with cool new ideas is all about being inspired by the right people.
It's important to surround yourself with positive people that are diverse in personality, education background and views on life.
This importance is mutual! It can benefit those you're connected with as well.
But most important of all, this can help you develop a good habit asking and genuinely, sincerely caring about those around you. What a great exercise, an idea.drivr and change.drivr all rolled into one.

Today's idea.drivr and change.drivr action is: connect with (an) old friend(s).
You probably have that one friend you were very close with in the past, but due to various reason (school, developed new interests, grew apart, they (or you) moved, etc) haven't stayed in contact recently. Well, now's a great chance to connect once again. Reach out and in all sincerity, ask their well-being. Who knows, maybe they just might need a caring heart and free ear to share their problems with.

This will help you increase your network of friends from which to draw inspiration from and also help you keep in touch (once again) with an old friend. Two birds, one stone. Amazing.

change.drivr

Taking action turns an idea into reality.
It's time to drive change!
This series will feature one simple action a day to help you create a change in the world.
Why should you do this action? If everyone does takes action on this simple idea, it'll become reality.














"A dream you dream alone is only a dream.
A dream you dream together is reality"
- John Lennon

When in doubt....

Ever feel like you're not gonna make it?
Doubting your own ability?
Having an established network of friends, family and mentors to reach out to can be your safety net when you're doubting yourself.
Recently having been faced with poor performance in sporting events, I started doubting my own abilities.
Today, seeing my safety net of friends, really puts things into perspective. Winning isn't all that important when you have other more important things to do in your life.
Also, yesterday's bad-ass Rambo movie cheered me up a little as well.

Where do you find inspiration?

I often think to myself, "How do people come up with these great ideas?"
Personally, there's always a routine I do to get myself into the creative zone.
Whether it is finding a place you can relax or going to your favourite coffee store, you should find yourself a nice routine to get yourself into the mood to do some creative thinking.
Also, keeping a small notebook with you to jot down ideas would be very helpful. Brew and cultivate those ideas in your handy-dandy notebook. Not every one of them will flourish into a brilliant idea, but keep plugging away at it, growing it, and allowing it to morph and change maybe one day, one of them will become a world-changing innovative idea!