Yes, “What goes round comes round” is a cliche. Yet there is a whole lot of truth to this. If we are indeed the source of our own destiny, then what ever we do, good or bad, will create repercussion ripples which in turn effect our outcomes. That is why in personal mastery, the first place we look (responsibly, not victimy) at when we produce a result is us, the source. Allah knows best.

The choices open to us are numerous indeed and the decision of which one we choose is our sovereignty; no one else’s. So within this three ways of being; getting, having and giving, the choices open to us are:

Choice 1: Getting more yet feeling having less, thus giving out less
Choice 2: Getting more yet feeling having less, but yet giving out more nevertheless.
Choice 3: Getting more and feeling having more, but yet giving out less
Choice 4: Getting more and feeling having more and giving out more.
Choice 5: Getting less and feeling having less, thus giving out less
Choice 6: Getting less and feeling having less, but yet giving out more nevertheless
Choice 7: Getting less yet feeling having more, but yet giving out less.
Choice 8: Getting less yet feeling having more and giving out more.

I call:
Choice 1: being ungrateful and selfish
Choice 2: (is this even possible?)
Choice 3: selfish
Choice 4: grateful and unselfish
Choice 5: entitled, justifies and vengeful
Choice 6: unselfish
Choice 7: grateful and selfish? (is this even possible?)
Choice 8: grateful and unselfish

Based on these thoughts, they point to me that greatfulness (the feeling of having more) is what determines my giving.

One definition of creativity is doing something different. Many a times, when we talked about wanting to change something already in existence that requires creativity, constraints creeps in or pops up immediately.

For me, there is no biggie being creative when there is no precedence or constraints. However, coming up with the new and the different in the face of constraints (or in spite of); well that is truly being creative.

Therefore, my definition of creativity has evolved into:

“CREATIVITY IS ABOUT COMING UP SITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITHIN THE CONSTRAITS PRESENT”

Many a times we apologize for not knowing. Why must we? Instead of being morose about it, shouldn’t we be in a celebratory mood and rejoice that we don’t know.

When posed with a question or a situation where we have no answer to it, the first mode is for us to dig deep to find out if we know or not. This endevour is a phase of introspecting and connecting to many learning and experiences. That itself is a rare occasion that is meaningful for us to freshen up our own learning.

There is no ‘real’ thinking involved in knowing the answers. It is just a mere act of regurgitating

As we realise we don’t know, questions start popping out. This question allows you to open the gates to learning and also is an opportunity for others to learn by teaching you and at the same time an opportunity for others to be in a contribution… Isn’t that wonderful?

Now, are we going to apologize for not knowing what what comes out of all that is just pure value? No. We should say, Thank you I don’t know, not Sorry, I don’t know 🙂

A few mornings ago, Haqqiy (by youngest boy who is 12 years old) declared that we wants a handphone. This is a surprise to me since he is not one to be bothered by having a hand phone even though kids his age (and all around him) already owns one. He is more interested in a smart-phone because of its capability to play video games (which accidentally is his passion). To this end, he made a request for me to hand down my iPhone to him as a birthday present this year (Yes, I know; thrift. I am a lucky father. lol). So hearing this request of his was indeed a surprise for me.

As a coach and being curious naturally I asked him why this sudden desire to own a hand phone?

He, then, nonchalantly, revealed that he has a girlfriend and he would like to chat with his girlfriend. I was amused at this. Putting all judgements aside, this is as practical a reason as any. Now it makes sense.

This is not the A-Ha moment of this whole episode.

What was A-Ha for me was the response of my friend when I related this to him. His response was how open my son was in telling me this piece of information.

I thought about it and it made me realize that what I took for granted is a huge wow for someone.

In retrospect, I guess I have always maintained an open and honest relationship with my boys such that this episode is a mere harvest of that seeding.

I as a parent have never been sure of my parenting, but it is times like this that give me indications that I must have done something right somewhere along the line. Alhamdullilah.

In that sense, I have done quite ok as a parent; I think. < 🙂 + a pat on my shoulder >

This was posed in a recent discourse, I read. A coach feels that the word ‘later’ is just another way of saying I don’t want to do it; a way to avoid because later never comes.

One inspiration I immediately draw upon is the practice of being curious and non-judgmental in coaching. If I was truly non-judgemental in coaching, I will never dream of coming out with this assumption that it is just a declaration that a person made. I will need to have compassion and be curious as to what he/she means with the word ‘later’. I will seek clarity for her and for me as to a definitive time frame for this word later. This I feel is part co-creating action phase of coaching.

Below is the brief discourse; taking out comments in between:

Comment: “Being vague is a way to avoid. For example, when you say “I’ll do it later’ for an important task, you are actually saying “I don’t want to do it’.. However, you will say “I’ll do it later’ instead.. This makes you feel better than saying “I don’t want to do it’… And you don’t have to come to terms with why you don’t want to do it.

My take: “I have a different take to this word later. As I am listening to a person saying later, the only sure thing I know is that the person doesn’t want to do it NOW. Yes, I will do it later is vague and as a listener, I need to have compassion for the one saying, for he/she might just mean that it is not important for her/him to do it now or might also be a way to totally avoid doing it. I will then start to be curious as to why he/she says later. One sure thing is that “I will do it later’ is one of six Speech Acts which falls under a declaration, albeit a vague one. I will then clarify the word later as to be sure it is a declaration to create an action at a forward time or a declaration to avoid. My two cents worth. (Btw, this case study came up in my coaching school assignment)”

Examine the domain of PURPOSE, FORM & FUNCTION to innovate.

Choosing to live with an ‘and’ life over an ‘or’ life is what makes all the difference between a life full of possibilities and a life of compromise.

Mistakes is the portal for improvement, Improvement is the key to mastery. -inspired by Nariza Nor-

As the body needs nourishment, so does the soul. 

The food we consume daily can either be produced & prepared by us, produced by others prepared by us, produced by us, prepared by others or produced & prepared by others.

Some we buy, some are gifted to us and we also give it to others.

Some food are good for our body while some are not. There are those that are grown naturally, cultivated or engineered or made (artificially).

All these not only describes the food that we consume physically but also the nature of our soul food.

Some food are good at different stages of our lives while some are bad at different level of our growth. Guess what, so are soul food.

I see so much co-relation between this two categories of food.

The context of our conventional food applies directly to the context of our soul food.

So, as we watch our physical diet, why not watch and plan our soul diet 🙂