Education vs. Learning

By Shazad

You may have heard this before but it’s worth a review.  Education is not the same thing as learning.  The former is part of life and a requirement to advance in life. The latter is what makes life fulfilling and enables a person to excel in life.

Education is about attending a school or some program to achieve a desired outcome like a diploma, degree or a certificate.  Some of these may expire and others are good for the lifespan of the student who completed the education.  It’s important but it’s just a foundational skill we need to have to build a life on top of the many things school teaches us.

Learning is the act of formal and informal acquisition of knowledge which is applied.  When you learn something in an authentic way, you are not just listening to data or facts and making notes about something. You are actually processing the information and making sense of this. You are forming an opinion or point of view about the knowledge. It should inspire you to make some life changes based on the learning.  These can be very profound and will definitely have a lasting impression on the rest of your life starting with the day you learn something.

The most Awesome thing about Learning is that anyone can do it. You don’t need a formal classroom, tuition fees or even a world class professor.  You just need to be willing to observe, think and make decisions about the world around you. Every day is a learning opportunity because there is something going on every day in our home and the community. You just need to pay attention, learn how to look up relevant information in books or online and possess critical thinking skills to sort through what is relevant vs what is incorrect or unnecessary info.

Your formal education may have ended 20 years ago when you finished that Bachelors or Masters degree.  Your learning never stops as long as you are alive.  I personally believe my University experience was the training ground to lifelong learning.  I’m grateful I had an opportunity for formal education at 2 Universities and a Community College. I’m even more grateful for the passion I have learning many more things, correcting my thinking, and being a better person every year.  Never stop learning!

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Crisis As A Gift

By Shazad

We can take the current moment or any other time of disruption and confusion as a tragedy to be avoided or something else. I challenge you all to see it as a time of opportunity to help others get back to business, work, and life in general.  There are at least 3 tools to employ if you want to make the most of a crisis and I’ll share describe each of them below.

The first thing that should come to mind is Creativity. How can you do more with less? How can you get around the obstacles and challenges of the current moment? Make a list of all the new business opportunities or just simple ideas to solve problems that come to mind each day.

The second thing is your inner strength and Resolve to succeed despite the odds. How committed are you to what you believe is your mission at work, business, and life?  Write out your mission statement by hand on paper and review it when you start your day or a new project for work. Your actions will be tempered with your mission statement and you will likely find more inner strength each day to keep going.

The third tool related to both of the above is Personal Growth. This is a theme of Awesome Life and our overall mission with all like-minded followers of our content.  See the current moment as an opportunity to stretch and grow even more than you could if everything was ‘normal’ or running as expected in the work, at school, or in society in general.  Take the challenge to grow yourself by treating the crisis as a gym for your mind, body, and soul where you go each day to work out and develop the muscles you need for tomorrow and the next day.  Humans have always risen to the challenges of their times and become smarter, better, and more self-aware when they chose to grow through the circumstances rather than shrink and give up.

So, how are you going to use these tools to make sure you come out of 2020 a more creative, resilient, and stronger person than you ever thought you could be?  The time for Awesome is now!

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Define What Awesome Looks Like

By Shazad

We all want to have something awesome or be part of something awesome, but what does that mean?

The truth is that it’s going to be different for different people. It will likely change for you depending on your age and life circumstances. So what can you do if you really want more awesomeness in your life?

First and foremost, you need to define what that Awesome is for you in as much detail as possible.  Next, explain why it’s so Awesome for you with 3-5 qualifying statements. Third, what are you going to do about it now that you know what it is and why it matters to you? This is where you get to plan your next steps to make your definition of Awesome come into reality.

Now get out there and make Awesome happen for you!

Plant Some Seeds

By Shazad

It may not be the time to actually plant any fruit or vegetable seed right now but you can still plant seeds.  Ideas, good deeds and good works are all seeds you can start “planting” every day.

Now more than ever, we need more positivity and goodness in the world.  It starts with you and your habits. How you talk, think and act are the ‘seeds’ you are sowing every day. Making choices about how you behave with other people is like creating a garden for you and others to interact with.

The better you care for your garden and the things planted within it, the better your experience will be.  Overtime, you will need to water this garden and protect from harmful insects and disease.  The act of caring for your garden on a regular basis is the necessary daily work in order to have a healthy garden. In the same way, having a healthy life requires your daily work in your personal ‘garden’.  

So, what seeds are you planting today for a beautiful garden?

Can You Find Happiness Or Does Happiness Find You?

“Happiness is like trying to catch a  butterfly. That butterfly is not going to land on your shoulder and jump in your hand. But if you try to capture it with a butterfly net, you can do it!”⎯Bilal Ahmad

By Ahsan

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was born into the most adverse time of history and who had no advantages of circumstance. He grew up amidst tough people and never received any help other than a kind word. Those who knew the little boy were certain that he would live a life of hardships and disappointments.

The reality of his life was adversity, but the outcome was prosperity. The little boy grew up to be among the most honoured of men and remarkably, the happiest too. 

What did he do to end up this way?

Did he find happiness, or did happiness find him?

The answer lies in how he approached his life and may inspire you to do the same.

In his mind, he instinctively knew that he was not to blame for his circumstances and that all he could do was try to improve them. So, he looked around to see what other successful and happy people did in times before, and he simply copied their recipes.

Another way of thinking he developed was that happiness is something a person creates as opposed to something you get when everything is going your way. He learned this from watching his neighbors that were even poorer than him but always happy with whatever they had.

Finally, in his life, many things occurred that were entirely outside his control, and he noticed that the “old normal” never came back. He saw that the people who thrived in the “new normal” were people who adapted, learned new skills and made themselves emotionally strong.

Action Steps:

1. Have a purpose in life, a vision and a plan. Work on this a little bit every day of your life. You may like to also pray to your Creator for guidance, help, and resolve.

2. Identify happy people and use their example and mindset for yourself. If they can see the silver lining, so can you.

3. View change as the seed of new growth. Life is not in your control. The reason we have hardship, natural disasters and loss is so we might develop individually or even collectively.

4. Ask yourself if you are taking responsibility for your happiness or expecting it to land on your shoulder.

You see, the notion that you will be happy when this happens or when a particular person does that is never going to work. 

Happiness is not an outcome that finds you! You find happiness by adopting the ways mentioned in this helpful article. Feel free to add a few ideas of your own to the list and keep them on your bathroom mirror to review every day!

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP  A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”

If You Can Do This⎯Your Life Will Change!

By: Ahsan

Many wise people have said that if you can focus your attention on something with proper concentration, you will achieve extraordinary results.

How good is your ability to focus?

All of us have had plenty of time to think about our lives and our goals more than usual as we try to stay safe in these uncertain times. 

When things get back to normal, we will be able to really “go for it” and achieve our big important goals. 

Or will we?

There will be those that do and those that don’t. 

Increasingly, you will hear about people who wasted their lock-down time because they got caught up with too many distractions. They were unable to sit down and put their minds on a task or project for any length of time. As a result, their goals remained wishes and mere dreams.

In other words, they lacked FOCUS.

Many super successful people will tell you that they attribute their success to their ability to FOCUS. 

If you think multitasking and checking emails and Instagram while you are supposed to be working on a project, working on your plan or even working out is harmless, you, my friend, should try staying focused. 

Focus is perhaps the most critical ingredient for success, yet most folks are not aware of its power. People might think otherwise if they understood F.O.C.U.S.

Fanatic. Optimization. Creating. Unlimited. Success.

Here are three things that combine in making FOCUS your ally in achieving your big important goals BIGs and making you a legend!

The first is knowing your rocks in the jar. By now, you may have heard about how the teacher asked the students to fill a jar with rocks, then some pebbles after the rocks, then some sand after the pebbles, then some water after sand to prove that the jar was not full when the rocks were added. Using the visual demonstration, the teacher made the point that we need to fill our day with the big and important rocks and not the small pebbles or grains of sand if we want to get ahead in life.

So, know what rocks you need to fill in your jar of life and work on those a bit every day.

The second thing to do is refine your To-Do list. We all have a list, but it may be filled with fluff and nonsense that is not helping us achieve our larger goals in life. Make sure your To-Do list is at least 80% geared to things that are aligned with your BIGs. Otherwise, you will be dealing with the grains of sand and never get to the rocks.

The third thing to bring in focus is FOCUS. 

When you have a To-Do list, you will naturally want to start knocking things off the list. When you do, you get a feeling of satisfaction and happiness (dopamine hits). However, if you start something on the list, you know, and I know that it is better to stay with the task/project and not let yourself get distracted. Stay focused so that you will get things done. 

FOCUS will be the fuel that ignites the rocket into orbit. FOCUS will separate you from the masses of dreamers and talkers. FOCUS is the secret behind living life to the fullest with fanatical optimization creating unlimited success!

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP  A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”

What Mode Are You In?

By: Shazad

Quick! What are you doing right now and what ‘mode’ are you in? Could you answer this clearly and with just a few words? How about a single word? To answer this, let me define mode as the combination of thinking and behaving that you are engaged in. Another way to think of this is a pattern of behaviour or way of being.

So, what mode are you in?

To answer this, consider that we are always in some kind of mode at all times. We can be in multiple modes throughout the day whether we are working, playing, relaxing, or volunteering.  We are in a certain state of mind that can be identified.  Some of the many modes you could be are, the Caregiver, the Problem Solver, the Empathizer, the Thinker, the Marketer, the Preacher, and the Ruler.  If you examine your life and try to summarize most, if not all,  of your days, could you come up with just 3 modes that describe what you are doing at any given time?  I tried this and came up with Thinker, Teacher, Coach or TTC for short.  I believe I’m doing any one of these things whether I’m awake or asleep.  

Why bother doing this?

Knowing your own ‘operating mode’ helps you to align your actions, words, and thinking, as well as your schedule.  It creates clarity and gives you specific ways to look at a problem without necessarily having strict boundaries that hamper creativity.

A person who has too many modes often lacks focus and peace of mind. A person with too few modes may lack fulfillment and purpose in life.  Having just the right amount - about 3-5 modes as a maximum, means you will likely achieve all of your life goals in a meaningful way.
It’s ok to change modes as you change roles in life and generally get older.  Having more life experience, wisdom and self-awareness will definitely change how you think about life and what you consider important. Naturally, your modes will change through the refinement of ideas or completely changing your mind and having entirely new modes to be in.

So, give it some thought and be prepared to stop yourself at any point and ask, “What Mode am I in?”.

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I'm CURIOUS...What Would Steve Think?

By: Shazad

A friend of mine, who I met through some Executive Coaching classes at the office also has a very interesting podcast. It’s called the Natural Curiosity Project and Dr. Steven Shepard is the creator. Steve is an author, photographer, public speaker, and also a great storyteller. You can find out more about Steve here: www.shepardcomm.com

Within hours of being in Steve’s first training session, I was hooked on the way he explained things and the diverse life experiences he spoke about. I become seriously curious and wanted to know more about this man who I consider a true Polymath.  He inspired me to also be more curious about things and it started with being more curious about him. I was fascinated to learn of the many places Steve has been to and the various projects he’s worked on. He reminds me of Indiana Jones, David Attenborough, and Simon Sinek all rolled into one. This is perhaps why I find Steve to be so fascinating as a human being.

As children, we are very curious and it makes learning possible. At some point in our teens or after college, we stop being so curious about things and that’s a shame.  By ending our natural curiosity of things in adulthood, we nearly cut-off the ability to have creative thoughts, empathy towards another person’s point of view and, the ability to experience profound personal development.  In short, we stop living a full and rich life.

If you aren’t curious about people with different points of view, the origin of current customs and beliefs, or the reason people behave the way they do, you aren’t really getting the most out of life. If you want to understand the present and know what the future could look like, you need to be curious about people, history, geography, and nature. There are clues everywhere!

I meet a number of interesting people in life through work and my hobbies but not so many real polymaths who demonstrate a sincere wonder about the world and how it works. Anytime I’ve been feeling a little stuck or lacking in growth, I remember my friend Steve and ask myself, “What would Steve think about this issue?”.  It’s because of his vast experience, wisdom and practical advice that I often think of what his point of view may be on a topic. When I do, I am compelled to open my mind and let my curiosity flow.  This has often resulted in more compassion, understanding, and awareness. Aren’t you curious to know how much better your life could be?

Why Changing Your Mind is a Good Thing

By Shazad

“I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you want to make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change” 

Lyrics from Michael Jackson, “Man in the Mirror”

Children do it, World Leaders do it and everyone in between does it too.  Having a preference or opinion and then changing that at some later time is a perfectly natural thing and should be welcomed under the right circumstances. I’m going to explain that and let you decide if you have changed your mind about your opinions in the past and if you think that’s ok.

The first good reason to change one’s mind about something is new information. When we know better, we should do better and talk better as well as thinking better. We should never be stubbornly stuck on a path because we found our forefathers doing it or because everyone in our circle of friends is doing something. Get out of groupthink and become an independent Thought Leader when you have the best information.

The second good reason to change your mind is when the situation changes. For example, due to recent COVID19 pandemic, we should all be washing our hands more often and keeping some distance from people. This is precaution to prevent the spread of the virus and is a temporary condition. Other times, a change of action is more permanent due to a more dramatic  event such as Climate Change. In this case, we should all consider our impact on the environment in our lifetime and act to improve the planet instead of behaving as we did before we knew about Climate Change.

The third good reason to change is when you are no longer the same person as before.  When you are a teenager, your thoughts are different than when you are a mature adult with life experience.  The same goes for when you are married vs single or employed vs. Being in business for yourself.  There are so many times when we have a fundamental identity change due to time or the roles we have in life. It’s perfectly reasonable to have a mindset shift when your role changes. In fact, it should be required to change and develop yourself further.

So there you have it.  Changing your mind is neither bad, harmful, or something to be afraid of.  It’s proof of your growth and self-awareness developing in this journey called life. Make that change!

Here Is The Most Amazing Yet Most Dangerous Story Ever!

By Ahsan

No one could explain the reason why she started crying in the middle of the country fair. 

It was a beautiful sunny day. There was a rush of people all around, children laughing and families enjoying the rides and delicious treats like mango milkshakes, spicy corn on the cob, and funnel cakes, topped with strawberries and drizzled with maple syrup. 

Elanor was a beautiful young woman. She had big expressive eyes, curly hair, a radiant smile, and she came from a mixed heritage, half Italian and half Japanese. And she had a great personality on top of it all. From the outside in, you could say she was blessed: an excellent reputation as a person, family, friends, a decent career and interests, and hobbies that gave her meaning. 

But that was not the real story.

Elanor wished she could be someone else. Everyone else she knew enjoyed their lives and liked themselves. She could not bear the emotion of feeling inadequate and not being lovable. The life she lived was mostly one of feeling anxious and awkward with fleeting moments of temporary happiness. 

In her mind, she needed to get away from the people whom she felt never really valued her or truly loved her. 

To her friends, neighbours, and coworkers, she was a polite but timid person. But, in reality, Elanor could never get over how her friends ditched her in the first week of grade 9 and started their campaign of mental abuse. They convinced her that she was weird and that no one could ever like a person like her. And so, Elanor, for obvious reasons, as you will soon see, became the “shy” person that the rest of the world knew her as. 

Perhaps, you can see what Elanor could not see. 

She was the victim of her high school bullies. Emotionally, she was fragile. This much is true. But most importantly, she told herself the story that they wanted her to believe for 14 years, day after day. Had Elanor rewritten the event of her grade 9 life in the second week of grade 9, she would have lived a very different existence. 

Unknown to the vast majority of people, our lives are influenced not by events or people but rather something else.  The challenge we all face is that our lives are ruled by the story or stories we keep telling ourselves and the meaning we attach to them. But why is this so?

Let’s try something together: stay silent and stop reading this article for one minute.

Are you back?

What were you thinking during that one minute? I doubt it was nothing.

We all have a voice in our head that speaks to us non-stop from the time we open our eyes to the time we drift off to sleep. That voice is your constant companion; you cannot turn it off. It keeps talking to you and seems to have a mind of its own (LOL). However, you should understand that 80% of the thoughts it generates are mostly negative or meaningless, and the other 95% of it is predominantly random. 

Unfortunately, people have what is called a “past.” Usually, in childhood or adolescence, something terrible happens that leaves a life-long effect on how we live the rest of our lives. That past becomes our present. By retelling specific stories and the meaning you attach to them, your life can either become heaven or hell. 

These stories rule our life and reinforce their shadow on how we live our life, good or bad.

Ask yourself if this is true for you?

If it is, you will never break free of the story’s grip on your life unless you do something about it.

The positive stories we tell ourselves can lead to amazing things.

The negative stories may become outright dangerous.

Perhaps, all Elanor needed to do was say to herself that these girls are trying to manipulate me and rather than believe them, I will move on and make new friends even if I only find one who genuinely likes me for who I am. In this way, she would have given her mind a new meaning to the event and shrugged off the whole trauma she felt in that first week of grade 9. 

Here is what you might like to do. 

Try to rewrite the meaning of the story that is ruling your life. 

Live the life you truly deserve. Not the one you are stuck within the present moment.

Actions: 

1. Become aware of the voice that talks to you all day long and don’t believe at least 80% of it because most of that dialogue is nonsense.

2. Sit with a journal and write down the stories that you are telling yourself that you know are not preventing you from living in peace and joy.  Identify the story that helps others to live joyfully and consider why can’t you also be that way?

3. Resolve to rewrite the story, especially the meaning of what you attach to it. Get creative and find positives, even if there are traumas and tragedies in the story. What happened 35 years ago, however bad, is now over. It is the past. This is a fact.

4. Repeat that new meaning every day so that you allow your mind to heal and move on. People mostly endure life; very few of us are truly living.

5. Remember that just like taking a shower every day, so that you can refresh your body, you need to also take control of your mind and the stories and their meanings daily. This is how to enjoy the fragrance of life.

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list. As a bonus, they will get our free report “HOW TO DEVELOP  A DIAMOND HARD MINDSET.”

Long Term Thinking

By Shazad

Many people in this world are narrowly focused on what happens today or at most, tomorrow. It’s good to live in the present but we must also be thinking beyond the immediate. There needs to be some planning for what happens after the new job starts, the married life begins or that business launches. So much emphasis is on the interview preparation for a job, the elaborate planning of a wedding function, or the initial stock offering of a new company. We should spend at least as much time on what happens in the many months and years that follow these grand events in life. Being aware and proactive about our lives in the long term helps to keep momentum going and makes life more fulfilling.

We all need to live in the moment each day while also thinking how to make every tomorrow joyful and successful. We do this by fuelling our future life with all the gratitude, love, patience and resilience we can muster.

What Is The Definition Of Insanity?

“I’ve decided to make myself STRONG. As far as I can tell, that’s all I can do.” Haruki Murakami, Japanese writer, author.

By Ahsan

You have no doubt heard the famous saying: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. I have always thought that this makes sense but was never really convinced of its complete veracity. In my books, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is simply a sign of being foolish. Foolish people are not necessarily insane. I’m not. Allow me to shift the meaning towards a more interesting and possibly better answer to this question.

The definition of insanity is basing your personal happiness on what others do and what life throws at you. Dramatic Pause! (Thundering drum beats should be playing in your head) Do you know anyone who says: “I will be happy if so and so would stop doing that” or ‘once I achieve my goal of x or y I will finally be happy?” How foolish! How can you expect other people to behave the way you want them to? How can you expect the weather to be ideal for the picnic you planned? This kind of way of living can only lead to insanity, not happiness. In other words, you need to start accepting reality and face life so that your happiness is not affected.

Life's curveballs and the people in it are not in your control. Believe it or not, your spouse, and even your kids will not act in a way that is always going to make you happy! What happens tomorrow in your life could be pleasing or disappointing. You and I must accept this. The path to a happy life means accepting that life is unfolding and that your job is to handle whatever comes at you. Does this make sense to you? You need to become strong in your ability to handle things and not focus on the outside world. The world is not in your control.

The planet we live on has operated for nearly 5 billion years without your help. There is a plan in operation by an Unseen Hand; don’t bother yourself with trying to figure out why things happen. How you adapt to what happens to you will bring you true happiness. The outside goings-on does not matter as much as the inside goings-on of your mind. So….. What do you do?

Actions Steps:

1. Become a member of the club called: STRONG: Super Thinking Real Optimistic Never Gloomy

2. The price of joining the club is a “$100,000 initiation fee” and “$10,000 monthly dues” worth of strenuous personal commitment to become a STRONG version of yourself.

3. Do the work of making yourself strong inside and accepting what is happening outside as neither in your control or the determinant of your happiness.

4. Set aside twice a day, morning and evening to sit in solitude and either pray, meditate or repeat affirmations of things that are along the lines of "I am strong," "I appreciate living life," "My mind is in my control," "I am a winner" or whatever else empowers your mind and soul.

5. Make it a point to focus on having great days full of love, happiness, joy, and peace. Don’t spend your days wasting it on the lower emotions of fear, worry, anxiety, despair, depression or anger. Uncontrolled thinking will get you into trouble.

And there you go. Admit it. My definition just might redefine what insanity is. If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list.

Create the New Awesome

By Shazad

Many of you are probably wanting things to get back to “normal'“ now. You are tired of lockdown, limited social gatherings and the inability to do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. I hear you!

Whenever you go through a crisis or difficult situation, don’t expect things to go back to the way they were. Many describe their daily routine as the ‘normal’. They often don’t like their daily routine and want to escape to some other way of living…until things change drastically and then those same people want their old life back. Ironic, isn’t it?

Instead of trying to go back in time (which you can’t) and then wishing life would be different, realize that this is your opportunity to be different - right now! Make an Awesome new routine for yourself despite your restrictions and the weirdness of your daily routines with the work from home, study from home, play at home and all the other things you have to do from home. Make a game out of these times and play to win! Be thankful for all the things you still have that you can’t live without. Make a plan to preserve some of those Awesome moments and routines and get rid of the nonsense and wasteful things in your life instead of carrying them forward. Optimize your family and friends time and become more people focused instead of wanting more ‘things’ to impress people you don’t even know online. By now, you should have realized who your real friends are and who you want to spend more time with so reduce time with everyone else.

Let’s come out of this crisis with strength, courage and a new way of living that is the best we have ever experienced! The New Awesome is waiting for you!

How Far Have We Come In The War Against Racism?

By Ahsan

O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another. Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, All is All-knowing, All-Aware. The Holy Qur’an Chapter 49 verse 1

Just like you, I have been following the outrage concerning the needless and tragic death of George Floyd. The image of the police officer’s knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck will never be forgotten.

What happens next in terms of the worldwide acknowledgement of Racism and protest against it remains to be seen.

I have witnessed Racism having grown up in Toronto during the 70s and 80s. I have been called Paki and told to go home. I have also been looked at with disdain. The ideals of being equal may be preached by society at large but not wholly followed and may well never be, unless we move decisively towards a solution.

I am not sure what the overall solution should look like; however, I have a good story to share that may point the way.

In 1990, I visited Los Angeles to see my cousin. During that visit, I met Mr. Rahmat Jamal, the Vice-President of the Los Angeles Muslim Community. He was a 75-year-old black gentleman.

I mention his age so that you know what type of environment he grew up in. He lived through the 1920s as a child, the 1940s as a young adult and the 1960s as a middle-aged "black man in America."

In other words, Mr. Jamal lived through all the atrocities of segregation, whites-only restaurants and water fountains, unquestioned discrimination, sit at the back of the bus because you are "black" rule and the Civil Rights movement. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were making their mark, he was there.

My cousin and I met him on a beautiful sunny day for lunch. As we parked the car and were adding some coins to the parking meter, I asked him: “How many black brothers do we have in L.A.? He immediately answered, “none.”

I was confused for a moment and then realized I must have said something wrong. "None?" I replied. He then told me, pointing to the tire of the car. Have you ever seen anyone who’s skin colour looks like that tire? That tire is black. For that matter, have you ever seen anyone who’s skin is the colour of snow? That is white.

Mr. Jamal went on to say: “that people need to stop referring to colour and labels like black history, black pride and being black or white.”

 In his opinion, this only further divides people and makes the problem of Racism permanent.

According to Mr. Jamal, the best way to address a person is by his name. If you don't know a person's name, you might refer to historical origins, for example, Greek or Pakistani or African. There is no need to use the label of colour.

I, for one, agreed then and do now.

We will need a multi-faceted solution to Racism, and we must continue to make this a global initiative. Hopefully, the death of George Floyd will not go in vain and will begin the same enthusiasm as the rush to find a vaccine against the current worldwide pandemic.

All men and women are humans first and created in tribes and sub-tribes, so that we may know each other. The only “best” people among us are those who excel each other in goodness, especially as it relates to helping other human beings. 

Would you agree? You don’t need to be religious to appreciate this wisdom.

We have a long way to go to eliminate Racism. It is not an ideal that we must strive for; it is an absolute imperative—shame on anyone who harbours superior feelings based on their race.

We also need to be respectful of all human beings¾ not be racially tolerant. Tolerating someone based on their race is still a form of saying, "I will put up with you." How does that make sense or solve Racism?

We must personally become the best version of humanity that we can be, and want for our fellow beings what we want for ourselves.

Above all, society at large and governments, in particular, must uphold justice in their mutual dealings. Or else, they will lose this war. 

So, how many black people live in your city?

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ABC - Always Be Curious

By Shazad

I am nearly at the half century point in my life and I am still curious. I want to know more, learn more and become more than I am today. I’m curious how people who lived before me handled stress, leadership challenges and every day life. I think some of the most brilliant people in the world have been the curious ones.

Curious people ask questions like, “How can this be better?” and “What would happen if I did things this way instead of the way it’s been done in the past?”. Curious people challenge current thinking and break out of the mould that many others have been stuck in. Children are curious and they learn much as a result of this. To be fascinated by the possibilities of what could be drives the human spirit forward. Curiosity leads to investigation, research and solutions to many problems in business, science, and many other aspects of life.

When did you stop being curious? That was the point you stopped growing. Get back to that place where you believed in a better way and better life for yourself. We will all benefit when we are more curious.

Recognize That You are an Essential Person

By Shazad

To be “Essential” means to be absolutely necessary or extremely important. We are all important in lives of someone else. Perhaps it’s. a number of people in our family or maybe it’s the team we lead at work or in our community. The point is that we are essential to at least one person out there so take care of yourself and fulfill your responsibilities to them every day. They are counting on you.

What Got You Here Is Not Going To Get You There!

By Ahsan

Have you ever seen a fly trying hard to escape a room by hitting a window? The poor fly tries again and again, while just a few feet away from the window is an open door. All the fly has to do is change course and be free. Silly fly. All he had to do was try a different way, and he would be free! 

I suppose we can't fault the fly because after all, how smart can a fly be. On the other hand, you and I are humans but sometimes we act no better than a typical house fly. We bang our heads over and over again, expecting to get good results from life by following the same path repeatedly.

The number one reason people do not achieve their goals in life is that they fail to adjust course! Don’t let this be you!

Let’s examine 3 crucial concepts to overcome so that we can get from here to there.

1.    Take a good look at what got you here. If you start to analyze this, you should recognize that your mindset (positive) and habits (helpful) had a lot to do with it. However, to go further than you are now, you may need to strengthen or even change your mindset and habits. Build on what you have, but don't say you are done improving.

2.    Consider getting rid of a few things. We all have limited time and resources. You cannot afford to hold on to thinking, or activities or even people who are slowing your progress. In other words, don’t waste time! You may need to jettison some sacred items in order to move ahead.

3.    Never stop thinking about growing and improving. Your life will improve only after you improve yourself. This mindset of lifetime learning and growth will pull you towards your potential. We can and should have the goal to keep growing right up to our last day.

Your life may be going very well. You may be firing on all cylinders. However, we are talking about moving beyond what you have achieved already. Don’t bask in the glory of your recent achievements. You climbed the mountain and reached the summit, but now you must get off the mountain and find a new mountain. Today it was Everest, tomorrow it should be K2 and beyond!

Here is how you might go about doing this:

Take some time for solitude and contemplation. Ask yourself, what shift in mindset and what added habit will help me go from here to there? Only by asking will it be revealed to you. Be honest and get real with yourself. You might be the most qualified person in your life to tell you what your next steps should be! Find the opening and make your move!

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Hindsight in 2020

By Shazad

“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” Pema Chodron

The whole world has been infected and is experiencing some kind of shock, anxiety, and pain due to COVID-19 pandemic. Many people consider this health crisis to be a “black swan” type of event. This term was popularized by author Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his 2007 book, “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable”. Taleb and others have defined a black swan as an unpredictable or unforeseen event, typically one with extreme consequences. But was this health crisis REALLY unpredictable? Were the business disruption, economic decline, and social isolation something people and businesses had no way of predicting or preventing?

For the longest time, I have been hearing so many people offering sage advice about how to work and live well to prepare for whatever the future may bring.  Many of us have at least one wise philosopher practitioner we call “Mom” who repeatedly tells us what we know to be true.  Business professionals also have access to Thought Leaders and Trusted Advisers that keep whispering in our ears and nudging us towards best practices that we want to hear.  Below is a list of all the advice I’ve been hearing in my personal and professional life which would have certainly helped to prepare for the current pandemic and its related impact. How many of these things have you heard, and more importantly, been practicing before this health crisis?

Have 3-6 months savings that you can fall back on in case of an emergency.

Live below your means and have little or no debt.

Think long term and not quarterly.

Exercise regularly and keep your immune system healthy all year round.

Wash your hands before eating and after touching things in public places.

Get enough sleep each night.

Digital Transformation is not a fad – it is a necessity for all businesses.

Make time for important things and cut out unnecessary time wasters and money drains.

Plan for the worst-case scenarios before they happen.

Cover your face when you cough or sneeze.

Go to where the puck is going to be not where it has been.

Reduce or eliminate single points of failure in key business functions.

Good Cyber Security is not just for large organizations.

Develop a Business Continuity plan and test it regularly to make changes.

Develop and practice critical thinking with everything you read and watch.

Maintain a stockpile of some food, water, and essential items all year round.

Keep working on your communication skills – verbal and written.

Learn how to effectively use video collaboration tools.

Create a team of leaders instead of followers.

Embrace discomfort on a regular basis so you can develop patience and endurance.

If you are sick, stay away from large gatherings and avoid physical contact with family/friends.

You don’t need a lot to be truly happy in life so focus on the essentials.

The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.

Learn from the past and don’t repeat the same mistakes.

The right mindset in business and life fuels your success in both.

Be grateful for whatever you have since you will miss it once it’s gone.

Invest time and money in people and tools that enable people to become better.

Nobody really cares how smart you are. Show them how much you care.

Take the time to meditate, pray, or generally reflect on your life every single day.

Healthy personal and professional relationships determine our happiness in life.

Be the change you want to see in the world. 

Rather than be shocked and caught off guard in the future by events in the world, we all have the golden opportunity to transform ourselves and businesses. It’s not enough to simply survive or endure the next crisis situation. We must go beyond thinking of people and organizations as Robust/Resilient vs Fragile. Taleb’s other book, the 2014 “Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder” offers a 3’rd mode of living. The author explains that there are some things that actually benefit from shocks and uncertainty and these are described as Antifragile. They thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Isn’t this a better way to respond to life’s challenges and uncertainty? Wouldn’t you rather be antifragile instead of just robust? This could be the difference between a successful transformative business that survives an economic downturn or change in consumer behavior vs. one that doesn’t.  Individuals that embrace the antifragile mindset show up and adapt to their new circumstances rather than being reduced or destroyed by them.

Do you want examples of how to be antifragile? Take your gym workout which causes stress (hormesis) to your system when you push your body. The results of regular exercise are that you become stronger over time because your system is adapting and improving itself to go beyond endurance to that stress. Ironically, I’m writing this as I observe the Muslim month of Fasting (Ramadan) which means abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset along with dropping all non-essential activity to focus on prayer and reflection. This is another kind of hormetic stress which can be classified as Dietary Restriction. The benefits of this include better metabolic function and reduction of possible future health issues along with developing patience and compassion for those who are less fortunate. I also gain the benefit of greater concentration and focus which brings clarity in times of anxiety. Hormetic stressors are accessible to all of us to enable us to rise up during times of extreme uncertainty and anxiety. Let’s listen to and follow the wise words we have been hearing and let us also find ways to make ourselves, our businesses, and our societies more robust so we are never caught off guard with what the future may bring.

3 Skills To Develop and 3 To Avoid

By Shazad Ahmad

I can’t predict the future. No one can and anyone who says then can should be avoided! What I can do is understand history, trends and how businesses operate over time. I can take this understanding to come up with some very likely skills everyone will need for success as an employee or leaders in their own business.  There are 3 key life skills I have identified as absolutely critical for success in the future.

The first necessary skill that is in demand now and will continue to be in great demand will be Critical Thinking.  The ability to analyze a situation and use rational judgement combined with unbiased decision making to address it, is powerful!  The best leaders are those that can see and solve complex problems using this skill while others either ignore or run away from problems. Many organizations will seek out leaders who possess the ability to think critically. Be the person who others are looking for to lead them.

The second necessary skill is Effective Communication in print, on a microphone or video format. Communication is a core human skill and It should be obvious that effective communication will always be important to human life. No great person ever existed who was not able to share a vision, idea or product with someone in such a way that they understood it. Many people focus on just one way of sharing ideas such as in writing or through verbal discussion. To truly become a great leader and successful professional, we must all become comfortable with and persuasive with all kinds of formats. We need to be good on video as well as on a microphone on a moment’s notice. We should be able to write short or long form content with little preparation and always using proper grammar and punctuation.  Such people are the ones who change the minds of people with their words. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your words.

The third most important skill for a successful person in any field is the ability to keep learning how to learn regardless of age, language, ethnic background or anything else.  This is another key human ability and one that is fundamental to the human race.  It’s also an essential part of having a growth mindset in your professional field. Our potential and ability to keep learning for our entire lives is what you must take advantage of. By always learning about your industry, related fields and also about your own self, you ensure that you are staying current and developing self-awareness.  This powerful combination goes beyond just surviving in the future. You become an influential leader people want to follow and learn from.

In addition to the above, there are also at least 3 attitudes or bad habits that will most certainly keep you stuck or worse, cause you to be out of work now and in the future.  The first is to think you have mastered your field and there is nothing more to know. You are satisfied with your knowledge from 10+ years ago and think everyone should just accept what you say from now one without questioning you. This attitude is harmful for obvious reasons. Never stop learning and staying humble. You don’t know everything and you never will. That is ok and gives you an opportunity to keep learning.

Another way to ensure failure is to simply take courses everyone else is taking because it’s popular and you heard some good jobs need a certain course.  You don’t really understand the course material and barely pass the exams but you continue taking courses that everyone says you should take in multiple categories in the hopes of trying to make a career or start a business with this information.  This approach often fails because the person doing this doesn’t have a vision for their own career and often lacks enough interest in the topics so they never develop the required knowledge to practically apply the information gained from the various courses.  Each person taking a course needs to understand the context of their training with other things they already know and their desired field of interest. The student must be able to have a general idea of how things will connect with other information to become something more relevant. Courses should be taken for the purpose of building upon some level of knowledge combined with interest in a topic.  Whenever a course is completed, the student should make a habit to restate key ideas learned in the course. The student should also identify where this knowledge can be applied to solve a problem or improve an existing business opportunity.

The third of many bad habits to avoid is trying to blend into a group or market segment and just be another person with a similar service or product.  Those who do this become an average cog or part in a big corporate machine. Such people and businesses are no better than the average in a sea of average people and businesses, so nothing about you stands out.  This is perhaps one of the most common things and most dangerous things that may professionals end up doing.  it slowly kills them and keeps them stuck in something they don’t even like doing. Many such people and businesses will get replaced by automation and offshoring of jobs where routine tasks and average work can be done by someone else.  A business professional’s goal should be to stand out and become unlike the rest of the workers or businesses.  By focusing on quality over quantity of work, you can achieve this. A person of high standards, great self-awareness and a passion for doing the right things will always be recognized as someone to watch and listen to.  The average person and companies will be lost in the crowd and easier to ignore. They will be replaced by something or disposed of like an unnecessary commodity item by decision-makers.  By investing our time and energy to improve our skills to be among the best employees or businesses, we ensure we will be heard, followed and even remembered after we leave the position or business role.  The goal of all professionals should be to create a personal success brand that reminds everyone of who you are and you believe in. Constantly developing and refining your personal brand makes you a better professional and person. Until you can become memorable for some great human qualities and skills, you won’t be fully appreciated which means you will not find fulfillment in your life because you know you have more potential than what you are showing to the world.  At the end of the day, we all need to find purpose, fulfillment, and happiness in our working life because we can spend 2/3rd of or adult life in this mode. Success is the outcome you get when you figure these things out. Don’t chase success as your goal. Review the qualities of successful people and those who fail so you can learn from them.

The successful people of the future will be those that can understand and apply the required skills and avoid all the toxic beliefs, bad habits and limited thinking of the majority of people who only wish for success. Don’t be like the people who don’t actually do anything to achieve their personal best. Success can be yours if you are ready to work for it!

It Is Always Darkest Before The Dawn

By Ahsan

As we go through this global situation together, we are concerned on multiple fronts. Our health, wealth and way of life are facing a challenge we did not even imagine. No one would have believed a few weeks ago, that every country of the world would be in the same predicament and in a state of defensive war.

On top of it all, there is no shortage of scary headlines and constant news reports. 

Where are the commentaries of hope and resilience? 

What’s next?

Perhaps, understanding the history of virus impacts will give rise to hope for the future. Humanity is a lot smarter than you might give it credit for. Some adjustments will be made, and a new normal will probably take birth.

Viruses have come and gone. The difference in today’s world is that we are collectively sharing the best ideas and tactics to keep the negative impacts to a minimum. Even prayers are being done together by all faiths in unison. 

Indeed, it is always darkest before the dawn. Things will get better, and we will learn valuable lessons. Some of those lessons will be at a global level, and many will be on a personal level.

Globally, it may make sense to be prepared should a pandemic ever erupt again. Globally, nations may remember this pause for humanity. Perhaps, finally, we will understand that we are all one people and need to work towards mutual benefit and peace.

Personally, here is what I am learning:

I will forever be more in love with life! I will enjoy going for a walk in the shopping mall.  I will look forward to striking up a conversation with a complete stranger rather than move 7 feet away. I will enjoy going to the grocery store to buy eggs on the way home. I will enjoy going to a restaurant to celebrate a family occasion. I intend to enjoy everything…big and small.

How about you? What’s next?

The sun will come up tomorrow and winter is always followed by spring.

This too shall pass.

Remember, it truly is darkest before the dawn. 

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list.