6 Lessons From a Dad to His Daughter

I have read an article recently by Elliot Begoun on what he planned to impart on his daughter as she entered the next chapter in her life(she just graduated from her college). I found it interesting and would be useful to every fresh graduates. Thus, I would like to share in my blog.

1. Find a mentor, someone who embodies what you aspire to become
Approach them and ask them to serve as your mentor, formalize the relationship. Don't choose the individual merely by their position on the organizational chart. The best teachers aren't always the current leaders. It is so important to have someone who will take you under his or her wings, support you when you feel insecure, serve as a teacher and a coach.

Maybe the most important gift a mentor can offer is that of a mirror. To reflect back how your actions are being viewed and provide you with the insight needed to make adjustments.

2. Be a lifetime learner
Surround yourself with smart people who challenge you. Enter situations with beginner's mind. Be open and embrace the thinking of others. Don't succumb to the default of identifying why things won't work, instead always take the perspective of why they will. It is okay to be meddlesome, ask and inquire.

Teachers surround you at every level of an organization. Read, build your knowledge continually and grow your competencies. For what you are truly taught in college is how to learn, to critically consume, assimilate and act upon information.

3. Find the passion in what you do.
Too often people spend their careers seeking that perfect job, trying to find that missing passion. Every job has aspects that you will find both enjoyable and that you will abhor. But find the passion in what you do, recognize the things you love, and find a way to spend more of your time doing them!

If you love to create, become that creative force that can be applied to any challenge. If you find enjoyment in helping others, connect with that at work. Just don't waste time trying to seek that perfect job, it is a fantasy, rather find happiness right here and now.

4. Care about the quality of your work and the impact you make on the organization
Make sure you understand the organization's purpose and vision and then work everyday to add value and contribute to its achievement. Find the pride in doing your best. Make mistakes, but not out of laziness or by traveling the path of least resistance. Rather, make them because you are pushing yourself to grow and expand your horizons.

5. Be true to who you are
Know those values that are most important to you and commit to never compromising or bending them for anyone. Work to make others feel heard, cared for, valued and respected and expect the same in return. Embrace your idiosyncrasies, it is the differences in approaches and mindsets that when combined, in the form of the collective intelligence, that yields the best outcomes.

6. Finally and most importantly, find a great life partner, build a family and always remember that work is truly a means to an end. 
Create a life outside of work that makes you excited to go home everyday and when you get there give of yourself fully. Work is not separate from life, it is a part of life. So enjoy life fully, each and every aspect of what is often messy, stressful and chaotic, but is equally rich, rewarding and amazing.

Keukenhof, Holland

 Flowers are the music of the ground
From earth's lips spoken without sound.
                                               -Edwin Curran

First day in Amsterdam

The fourth country I have been to in Europe-Netherland. We reached the capital-Amsterdam in the afternoon and we took the bus from Schilpol airport to the accommodation that we booked through Airbnb. It was an aweful experience because the owner of the house from Airbnb was not putting house number on the address on the Airbnb website and we couldn't reach her in the call since her mobile phone was out of battery. We asked for help in the restaurant along the street. We ended up eating in the restaurant as the restaurant owner has been really helpful and we felt like repaying him by having our dinner in the restaurant. After having our dinner, the owner managed to call back to us and we were relieved since we thought she had lied to us.(HAHA) We then headed to the I amsterdam sign to take wefies. Below are some of the pictures taken on the first day spent in Amsterdam. 

Stress-Relief Toolbox

Have been reading across Reader's Digest recently. Would like to share the stress-relief toolbox here.

Use at least one tool every day, even if you are not feeling stressed.

1. Hug your partner
2. Spend time in nature
3. Get a massage
4. Listen to music
5. Do some colouring-in
6. Work in your garden
7. Talk to a good friend
8. Play with a pet
9. Watch a funny movie
10. Meditate