The Road Not Taken

 

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads onto way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost [1916]

15 Signs That You Are A Brave Leader （Lifehack.org)

 Link to the article on LifeHack.org

1. Brave leaders recognize and appreciate loyalty.

A brave leader is one unafraid to stand up for what is right, and staying loyal to those who share your vision means withstanding some of the hard times. Loyalty is easy when everyone agrees, but brave leaders stay loyal even when it looks like their team may lose.

2. Duty to get the job done.

Quitting is often easy, but giving up always signals weakness because the leaders will adhere to a sense of duty and do what it takes to get the job done. It may not be perfect and it may not even be successful, but duty means doing the job to the best of one’s ability. No one becomes a leader without this quality.

3. Respect the attitudes of your enemies.

The bravest leaders respect their enemies. More than a dedication to “keep your enemies closer,” those who learn from and respect their enemies learn to see things from the other points of view. While you still may disagree, you take on a leadership role that is based in respect, which is admirable and shows strength.

4. Selfless service means serving more than yourself.

Those who strive to be known as brave leaders rarely succeed because the inherent attitude takes away from what makes people rise. Serving others and putting the needs of the many above yourself is a sign of a brave leader. Self sacrifice can mean running into a burning house to rescue a kitten, but it can also mean passing up a promotion to be more available to your children. Acting selflessly in the service of others is a sure sign of leadership.

5. Honor yourself as well as those around you.

Soldiers learn to honor their country and represent its flag by fighting for what is “right,” and while that sounds worthy of chest-pounding, honor at its core means respect. If a leader wants to prove him or herself brave, giving respect is the best way to get it back. Honor your coworkers as well as the community.

6. Act with integrity and go above and beyond.

One of the single most important aspects to leadership is the ability to act with integrity. Doing not only what you say you will do when you say you will do it proves you as a reliable and trustworthy individual. Even when no one is watching, doing the right thing and maintaining that sense of integrity creates leaders from the inside out.

7. Personal courage shows others how to face fear.

Leaders who act with personal courage show others how to face fear because they swallow their pride and find ways to do what has to be done. Some of the most difficult things to do for some can seem easy to others, but when fear stalls action, a leader has failed.

8. Lead by example.

Telling other people what to do, how to do it and when to do it pales in comparison to the brave leaders who take charge and quietly do what needs to be done. Leading by example conquers hypocrisy and though it sometimes take longer to get recognized, those who persevere do rise as leaders simply because all along they’ve done what needed to be done.

9. Take responsibility for your actions.

Truly brave individuals as well as leaders understand that taking responsibility for your actions in both good and bad situations shows strength. Blaming others and throwing coworkers under the metaphorical bus is no way to act as a leader. Cowards blame others.

10. Foster creativity.

Creativity cannot be forced. To foster others’ creativity, leaders relax and allow things to happen. Not in a chaotic way, but an atmosphere that endures the incubation process encourages ideas to come forward.

11. Seek compassion more than perfection.

Perfection and striving for it cause some to stifle. Brave leaders will realize that part of the process is trial and error. Perfection is virtually unattainable, while compassion encourages others to keep trying. Through practice and sharpening of skills, we become more perfect at our craft.

12. Listen to people who work for you as much as those you work for.

Ideas from those on the front lines of any business can create a groundswell that lead your company into the future. Even major corporations have taken ideas for new products and recipes from cashiers. The fact that it doesn’t happen more often means better systems should be instated for gathering the ideas because those working in different aspects of the business have insight that can lead to innovation. Brave leaders will capitalize on that by listening when other executives might criticize.

13. Inspire greatness by never acting small.

No greatness comes without failure. Rarely does something great come from the actions of one person, so remember to treat others in a way that shows their failures are steps on the path to success.

14. Reward confidence in others.

When you notice that others follow your lead and act with confidence, make sure to take the time to reward them. Encouraging others inspires them and leaders are remembered for how they built others up.

15. Provide recognition rather than seek it.

Similarly to rewarding others’ confidence, work toward recognizing their achievements both small and large. Leaders quite often go unsung, but the teachers and mentors who mean the most to those who enjoy success remember. Part of being a brave leader means you are the one to recognize others even when you don’t enjoy the awards personally.

50 Signs You Might Be An Entrepreneur (Business Insider)

Text originally from Business Insider

Entrepreneurs are a unique group of people. Not only do they think differently; they act differently.

They draw on personality traits, habits and mind-sets to come up with ideas that straddle the line between insanity and genius. But just because you’re an original thinker and came up with an idea to replace gasoline in cars doesn’t mean you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur. 

If you ever wondered if you were an entrepreneur, check out the following list. You may not have all these traits or skills, yet if you have some, this is a pretty good indicator that you have what it takes.  

1. You come from a family of individuals who just couldn't work for someone else. Your parents worked for themselves. Though this isn't true for every entrepreneur (myself included), many have a family history with one or both parents having been self-employed.

2. You hate the status quo. You’re a person who is always questioning why people do the things they do. You strive to make things better and are willing to take action on it.

3. You’re self-confident. Have you ever met an entrepreneur who was pessimistic or self-loathing? After all, if you don’t have confidence, how can others believe in you?  Most entrepreneurs are very optimistic about everything around them.

4. You’re passionate. There will be times when you spend an excessive amount of time and do not make a dollar. It’s your passion that will keep you going.

5. You don’t take no for an answer. An entrepreneur never gives up — ever.

6. You have the ability to create unlikely partnerships from out of nowhere because of your ability to connect the dots. People tend to gravitate toward you because you are likable. Many times this is because of your passion.  

7. You spend more time with your co-founder than your spouse or significant other.

8. You dropped out of college like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg.

9. The daily commute to your office is from the bedroom to the living room.

10. You were always a lousy employee and probably have been fired a lot. Don't worry; you're not alone. I personally have been fired several times in my life. Don't take it as a sign that you're a bad person. Sometimes it's in your DNA.

11. You’ve always resisted authority; that's why you've had a problem holding down a job.

12. You believe that there is more than one definition of job security: You realize that your job is safe as long as you are in control as opposed to relying on a boss who could ruin your career after one swift mistake.

13. Most of your wardrobe consists of T-shirts; some you probably got at SXSW. Others display your company's name or logo.

14. You have a competitive nature and are willing to lose. You always know that you can do something better.

15. You check GitHub when you wake up in the morning.

16. You ask to be paid in game tickets, shoes or whatever else you love. There are just some things that are better than money, right?

17. Your idea of a holiday is a working day without anything interfering with the tasks you really need to get done.

18. You’re unemployable, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Life skills are more valuable than the office politics commonly found at 9-to-5 gigs.

19. You work more than 60 hours a week; yet you earned more money at an hourly job when you were in high school.

20. You want to be in control and in command of your own company. You typically like overseeing most things that go on at your company.

21. You see opportunities everywhere. For example, you walk into a building and are curious about its worth or the companies inside.

22. The word “pitch” no longer has an association with baseball.

23. Your take a personality test, like one offered by the Enneagram Institute, and end up with a result calling you a "reformer type," someone purposeful, self-controlled and perfectionist.

24. You recognize that the best seats at your favorite coffee shops are those closest to power outlets.

25. You’re a logical thinker with ideas about how to correct problems and the overall situation.

26. Speaking of problem solving, have you checked to see if there's an app for that? Perhaps you've already begun to create a business model and the software architecture to see if it’s feasible.

27. You’re a people person. You have no problem communicating with people.

28. You regularly quote Steve Jobs mainly to keep yourself from falling to pieces.

29. You sold stuff as a kid like at a lemonade stand. Heck, when there were class sales, you were probably one of the top sellers. 

30. You get more SMS alerts from people you follow on Twitter than from actual friends listed in your address book.

31. You’re a self-starter, meaning you don’t give up on a project until it’s completed.

32. No matter what you do on a daily basis, you always think of it in terms of delivering a return on investment.

33. Your dress code is shabby chic and your suit is just collecting dust. You prefer T-shirts and jeans over a suit any day.

34. You’re unrealistic. As an inventor or innovator, you kind of have to be this way.

35. You think outside of the box. If not, what will change?

36. You’re a charming and charismatic person.

37. Rules don’t apply to you. We’re not talking about breaking the law. Instead, you believe in efficiency and will bend rules to make things run smoothly.

38. You realize that you can’t do everything alone. You have an idea and can promote it but also know that you’re not skilled at every task of running a business.

39. You’re very opinionated. That's another reason you got fired a lot.

40. You’re unpredictable. As an entrepreneur, you know how quickly things can change. Thankfully, you're ready and willing to make adjustments.

41. You enjoy being with a group but don't relish much being alone. You probably get most energetic when working with groups of more than four people.

42. You’re determined. You have to make the impossible possible.

43. You have the support of your friends and family. These are the people who get you. And they’ll be there to support you along the way.

44. It’s normal for you to take a nap under your desk to catch up on sleep. After all, getting eight hours of sleep sometime between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is antiquated.

45. You’ve done the market research. You know that just because you have an incredible idea doesn’t mean that it’s profitable. But you’ve already looked into whether customers will make the purchase.

46. You surround yourself with quality people — not leeches who will bring you down.

47. You’re a bit out there. Having the ability to create something out of nothing takes a mad-genius type of person. Remember, people thought Albert Einstein was insane before he proved the theory of relativity.

48. Did you ever ask your family, friends or significant other to send you a calendar invite so that you could talk for all of five minutes?

49. You believe that your time is worth more than money.

50. During your most recent rant about growth hacking, your spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend totally understood what you were saying. 

Link to the article - Business Insider

15 Ways To Be A Highly Remarkable Person (LifeHack.org)

Every person on earth has the ability to be a highly remarkable person. For each person, how to get here is different, just as each snowflake has a shape all its own. There is no definitive guide or plan that must be followed, because each personality, passion and priority can illuminate that special quality in an individual to make them remarkable.

Here are 15 ways to be a highly remarkable person. Find the bits and pieces of these that fit your personality and you can become the person you’ve always wanted to be.

1. Face your fears.

A remarkable person lives inside of you. Face your fears and let that person be seen by the world. Fears squash creativity. They keep us within our comfort zone. If you want to be the best version of yourself, you must break free of your fears, especially those that hold you back.

2. Do what you love.

Remarkable people do what they love. They don’t let the world dictate their life. They take it by the horns and take back their life. Do what you love and you will be happier, healthier, and more remarkable.

3. Be bold.

Take risks. Never settle. When you leave your comfort level you can truly enhance your life and your influence.

4. Listen.

Often times, the best way to be remarkable and interesting is to listen first. If you listen first, you will already know what interests the people you are talking to.

5. Expose yourself.

Learn a language. Love someone fully. Share your story. Take a class in something that interests you. Or go back to school. Expose yourself to a wide variety of topics. You’ll quickly find that you have a much wider breadth of interests than you expect. And with each new opportunity, you need new people who will help shape and mold the best version of yourself.

6. Solve big problems. Or little ones.

Think of solutions to solve problems that are affecting many people. Whether it’s volunteering at your local homeless shelter or taking a mission trip to a foreign country or even building a device that helps make something a little easier, use your skills to solve problems. Remarkable people help others.

7. Tell stories.

Your experiences are unique. Tell others about them. You may find out more about yourself than you think. By reminiscing and connecting with your past, you can move to the future. Tell the good stories, the bad stories, and be vulnerable. You’ll become more comfortable in your own skin.

8. Be Creative

Find your voice. Come up with your own sayings. Find an art form ore creative outlet that fits your personality. Do you like to write? Start a blog. Do you enjoy reading? Join a book club.

9. Learn something new every day.

When you learn something new each day, you have perspective. Whether you learn something as simple as how to tie a tie to a new word or a new way to put on your make-up, you’ll open your views and have more to say.

10. Be funny. Or witty. Or clever.

Easier said than done, I know. But everyone has a side. Show others your sense of humor, what you find funny, and you’ll find that you connect to people on a much more intimate level.

11. Be open.

Take the person that you show to your friends, your family, even your pets… and show it to the world. Keep private what needs to be, but don’t hide your personality.

12. Talk to strangers.

We often choose friends in a very odd way. We live near them. Or went to school with them. Or know them through our kids. When you are out and about in your daily life, talk to the people who are in the same place and time that you are. You may find that being neighbors is a much more shallow bond than two people who are madly obsessed with a local artist.

13. Help others.

Find ways to make other lives a little better — things as simple as shoveling your neighbors sidewalk to adopting a child in need. You don’t have to change the world. Just change one person’s life.

14. Be honest.

Stand your ground, understand your morals, and don’t cross that line. Whether someone agrees with your views or not, most will respect your opinion. And those who don’t? You’ll learn humility from their close-mindedness.

15. Be yourself.

You already are a remarkable person. You have the qualities already within you. Know and remember this. You don’t have to change. But don’t stay the same.

Link to the article - Lifehack.org

7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE - Fast Company

It has increasingly become accepted that emotional intelligence is an important factor in our success and happiness, not only at work, but in our relationships and all areas of our lives.

So what sets emotionally intelligent people apart? Here are seven habits that people with high EI have:

1. THEY FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE

While not ignoring the bad news, emotionally intelligent people have made a conscious decision to not spend a lot of time and energy focusing on problems. Rather, they look at what is positive in a situation and look for solutions to a problem. These people focus on what they are able to do and that which is within their control.

2. THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

People with a lot of emotional intelligence don’t spend a lot of time listening to complainers and tend to avoid negative people. They are aware negative people are an energy drain and are not willing to let others exhaust their vitality. Because they always look for solutions and the positive in situations, negative people quickly learn to avoid positive people as misery loves company.

Emotionally intelligent people spend time with others that are positive and look upon the bright side of life. You can spot these folks as they tend to smile and laugh a great deal and attract other positive people. Their warmth, openness, and caring attitude leads others look upon them as more trustworthy.

3. THEY ARE ABLE TO SET BOUNDARIES AND BE ASSERTIVE WHEN NECESSARY

Although their friendly, open nature may make them appear as pushovers to some, people with high EI are able to set boundaries and assert themselves when needed. They demonstrate politeness and consideration but stay firm at the same time.

They do not make needless enemies. Their response to situations, in which there may be conflict, is measured, not inflated, and managed appropriately to the situation. They think before speaking and give themselves time to calm down if their emotions appear to become overwhelming. High EI people guard their time and commitments and know when they need to say no.

4. THEY ARE FORWARD THINKING AND WILLING TO LET GO OF THE PAST

People with high EI are too busy thinking of possibilities in the future to spend a lot of time dwelling upon things that didn’t work out in the past. They take the learning from their past failures and apply it to their actions in the future. They never see failure as permanent or a personal reflection of themselves.

5. THEY LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE LIFE MORE FUN, HAPPY, AND INTERESTING

Whether it is in their workplace, at home, or with friends, high EI people know what makes them happy and look for opportunities to expand the enjoyment. They receive pleasure and satisfaction from seeing others happy and fulfilled, and do whatever they can to brighten someone else’s day.

6. THEY CHOOSE HOW THEY EXPEND THEIR ENERGY WISELY

While these enlightened people are good at moving on from the past when things didn’t work out as expected, they are also able to move on from conflicts involved with others. High EI folks don’t hold on to anger over how others have treated them, rather use the incident to create awareness of how to not let it happen again. “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,” is their motto. While they move on and forgive, they don’t forget and are unlikely to be taken advantage of again in the same set of circumstances.

7. CONTINUALLY LEARNING AND GROWING TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE

Highly emotionally intelligent people are lifelong learners, constantly growing, evolving, open to new ideas, and always willing to learn from others. Being critical thinkers, they are open to changing their minds if someone presents an idea that is a better fit. While they are open to ideas from others, and continuously gathering new information, they ultimately trust themselves and their own judgment to make the best decision for themselves.

Link to the article - Fast Company

The 3-in-1 realization

So today classes started. Yay. Yay.

So I had this class, on intercultural communication research. And, I guess you could say, three theories were given.

存在論　Ontology

認識論 Epistemology

実践的 Practice (or experience?)

It was interesting to learn about these three theories. Having been living in Japan for 1.5 year, I can say I have, unconsciously used all three. But what I'm about to say, is just an easy self interpretation.

Before coming here I studied japanese and chinese languages and culture.

I knew of some phenomena happening here, but that's it. I knew it existed.

After some time, I started recognizing it. Of course, the physical aspects that everyone can see are easy to identify. The food, buildings, clothes, whatever. But the invisible aspects are harder to realize, at least some. Why? Because there are concepts/notions exclusive to a certain language or culture. Take for instance 気 ki (according to the dictionary 1: spirit; mind; heart; 2: nature; disposition; 3: motivation; intention; 4: mood; feelings; 5: atmosphere; essence), all the results are words we use on a daily basis, right. But in Japan (and China) this complex concept it a lot more deep. Many words - using more than one character - use it. And people can just feel it. Consciously.

In Portugal at least, people aren't as sensitive as Japanese or Chinese people. Thanks to it, I've been feeling a little outcast, but after much reading I am much more self aware. And this as definitely made my life better. Seriously, being able to control feelings, and control the heat that goes up your body when determined feelings arise is great. At least lately I have been successful in it.

So, I knew the words and such, but wasn't truly aware of the complexity of the concept. Until I, though observation and experimentation (being with japanese and chinese people) started suspecting something else was going on. Unfortunately it has even led me to breaking up a relationship as I would like it to continue, because, the my unawareness at the time wouldn't me allow otherwise - don't recognize, don't understand, don't know, don't react) I don't know what other foreigners think about this, I have realized about what I just said because, as I said, I started suspecting and because I have the language skills that allow me to analyze and (try to) understand the invisible phenomena.

Coming here made me truly open my mind, which, unfortunately, as much as people claim to be  claim to have studied, I feel that that's only it. The theory is all there, but the true reality isn't. Still unseen. Just like with me, before coming to Japan. I came here, I knew nothing. I restudied the parts I'm interested the most - those I want to understand, the invisible cultural cues one doesn't realize after a long time, if, and only if, one is truly engaged and motivated to understand them (you definitely need to know the language). They might have experienced it, but if they did, it doesn't seem like it by the way people speak.
But I'm here to learn and regardless of close-mindedness, I want to know other ways of thinking and interpreting things.

So basically, I was unaware of some things, until I put words to them - unexistant in my own language, until I analyzed the words and started realizing about the invisible stuff.

...

So let's work harder this semester!

Qualities Of An Extraordinary Hire (FORBES)

Forbes Link to the article

"There is nothing as important in growing your business as bringing the right people on board. You want people who understand your vision, who fit within the culture you are trying to create, but most importantly you want people who display the set of qualities that will contribute to the culture of your company in a positive way.
The qualities you want to look for are:

Passion
A passionate person is a person full of energy, drive, and creativity. Passion is contagious. People are drawn to those who are excited about building something. Passionate people ignite confidence in others and bring team-members together.
As a leader, one thing to remember is to not dampen others’ passions. It is an invaluable fire that lights up company’s success and when continuously put down can turn into indifference. And indifference is extremely damaging to any culture.

Self-motivation
Self-motivation is one of the most essential qualities you can find in an employee. As a manager, there is nothing as important as being able to delegate a broader problem to someone and know that that someone will come back with a specific strategy or solution. Mentoring your team-members is necessary, but constant hand-holding can put unnecessary stress on the shoulders of a manager. Finding people who are self-motivated to learn / grow is crucial to leader’s success.
A lot of times self-motivation is fueled by passion. Your employees will go above and beyond every time when they care about their work.

Inspiring collaboration
The ability to bring people together and be able to influence their decisions, especially when those people don’t report directly to you, is a fantastic quality. It is easy to put a strategy together and direct people to comply with it. It is a whole other story to be able to collaborate with your stakeholders in a way that will drive them to want to adopt that strategy. This is a sign of a great team-player and a great leader.

Desire to learn
Without constant learning, questioning if a different solution might be a better fit, and expanding beyond your role into the industry’s latest and greatest trends and discussions, you cannot continue to stay relevant / cutting edge / innovative. There are always new tools, new players, new solutions that you need to know to expand your horizons and to do your job better. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs are self-educated and curious people.

Optimism
We’ve all heard too much of “this can’t be done,” “this is just too hard,” “I don’t think you can pull this off.” I find that optimistic people are the most successful and liked people. Instead of giving up, confident people find creative ways to solve the problem, they bring the right teams together (after all, wouldn’t you want to work with someone who inspires “I can!” attitude?), and infuse necessary passion and positive attitude into the project.

Don’t take no for an answer
The ability to find a solution to any problem is priceless. Optimism pared with persistence always leads to unusual but effective solutions. The employees who truly care don’t take no for an answer and always find creative ways to bridge a gap or find a better way of running business.
It’s your turn. What qualities do you value in your top employees? "



 YESSSSSSS$SSSSSSSSSS!

Emotional Intelligence

Thank you subconscious. 

For somehow being able to manage living in the constant agony I was suffering. I mean, the body acted as it should, despite my emotions telling otherwise. For example, when I started studying japanese. I remember I first started using textbooks only, and it was boring. But still I insisted on doing it. Or yet, despite being against my own will (I might not like doing it, or barely had time to do it, or even didn't trust my skills), to behave accordingly the other person's wishes.

Which leads me to the subject of this post. Emotional control, or Emotional Intelligence.

In my first year in Japan, being surrounded by people from China and people coming from the "Russian empire" I started asking many whys. Because behaviors were different, that I couldn't understand.

When it comes to Japanese and Chinese culture, I have had an interest in it for some years, but it intensified in Japan. And so I started trying to understand my classmates even better. During the first year, I only read on japanese culture. I even read a very famous book, called "Kokoro" (heart-brain) to see how the human relationships developed there (because I knew the story, and had had a similar experience and was having one too). 

Then, when I saw myself alone (right after entering my master's degree) I started getting more bored. And the reading time increased substantially. The main subject of my reading craze is mostly the human being. I have read about the brain, love, drive, chinese and japanese culture, leadership, emotional intelligence, ego, willpower, crime psychology, talent, grit, sex, economics, psychoanalysis, among other things.

Undoubtedly all this reading has given some fundamental life skills, among them, and still in development, Emotional Intelligence. So people, read!

I am now able to understand how my childhood affected me. I understand and think about my behaviors.  I went to Portugal for around 2 months and came back better. How the people around me in Portugal influenced me, and how those people behave and thinking about it, fascinated me. What was supposed to be normal, was now a novelty. The ability to analyze your own and other cultures is perhaps - for those interested at least - the awesomest skill one can gain when going abroad for a long period.

Nevertheless, The most serendipitous discovery is the ability (?) I'm now gaining to hide my true self. If I'm not mistaken, it's like when you keep your own emotions to yourself. Or learning how to control those emotions so that they go away in the moment. I now realize I was in constant emotional disruption, all the time. With everyone. Except with family (with exceptions) and my best friends. Coming to Japan without any ally was monstrous to my emotions. And I didn't even realize it. If I felt the things I felt by that time, now, that I'm more conscious, I'm positive it would feel really, really bad.

What's funny is that, I know myself without that "mask". Without hiding my true self. However, the interesting part is, since this is all new to me, I don't know how I behave with the Emotional Control "mask". In Japan people feel other people's hearts and feelings. And since I was so damaged before, a lot of people knew it, without me even me even realizing. And these feelings were keeping my brain from developing normally. And abstained me from good friendships, with my brain functioning in "people from the outside" mode only. When I see (there's at least one living in the same building as me) people from my Japanese class I feel different. It's like I feel I could be with them without major restraints. Because even though I haven't interacted with them for a while, somehow I trust and miss them.

I think that if I had had been able to go beyond this emotional disability since way earlier (what's the normal age?) I think even during my life in Portugal I could have had much more fun than I did.

But past is past, and what matters is this moment, emotionally wise. And the hope for a good future.

最近。
いきなり、わかってきた。