Needs the effort. Not just the passion. Always learning.

Attended Passion unleashed seminar talk yesterday. And the conclusion from the speakers is linked to the below article.
David Lim mentioned how passion will not allow you to last in the long run if effort is missing.
Follow where your effort is - If you have a passion in something, but do not want to put effort in making sure it succeed, its not truly your passion. (Very true - because if you really love something, you will put in all your time and strength and think through all possibilities to make it happen)
Most important, start on it.


 

Made me think. What have I placed my effort in?

Then fellow blogger, Grace,  also gave her speech - taking the step into the unknown - blogging world. She shared how she found out she love writing and speaking to people and hence placed this idea into the theme of her blog which today has managed to help her attract publishers who help her launch a book and also sponsors for her holidays and more. She shared its never easy. But discipline is necessary. If you want to be a writer, practice writing. But always remember to give yourself a break. Enjoy the process. Don't make it a chore

And today I came across this piece
Taken from the article by Business Insider :Why Are Hundreds Of Harvard Students Studying Ancient Chinese Philosophy?

Its interesting how different cultures can get 'learnings' from another because of upbringing.

Here's one example
Confucius -Ethics
One of the deepest teachings of Confucius may have been the superiority of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behavior. His moral teachings emphasized self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules


Some interesting quotes that speaks to me
不患人之不己知，患不知人也。  I am not bothered by the fact that I am not understood. I am bothered when I do understand what the other person is thinking.
道千乘之國，敬事而信，節用而愛人，使民以時。If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people. 
學而不思則罔，思而不學則殆。To have knowledge but not think it through is a problem. To have ideas/thinking yet have no knowledge to substantiate is disastrous.
視其所以，觀其所由，察其所安。人焉叟哉？人焉叟哉？See a person's means (of getting things). Observe his actions and you will know his motives. How can a person conceal his character?
多聞闕疑，慎言其餘，則寡尤。多見闕殆，慎行其餘，則寡悔。言寡無，行寡悔，祿在其中矣。Ask questions and remove lack of understanding, know what you are talking about before opening your mouth and your mistakes will be few.



The article pointer that spoke to me

The smallest actions have the most profound ramifications.

urges his students to become more self-aware, to notice how even the most quotidian acts—holding open the door for someone, smiling at the grocery clerk—change the course of the day by affecting how we feel.That rush of good feeling that comes after a daily run, the inspiring conversation with a good friend, or the momentary flash of anger that arises when someone cuts in front of us in line—what could they have to do with big life matters? Everything, actually. From a Chinese philosophical point of view, these small daily experiences provide us endless opportunities to understand ourselves. When we notice and understand what makes us tick, react, feel joyful or angry, we develop a better sense of who we are that helps us when approaching new situations. taught that if you cultivate your better nature in these small ways, you can become an extraordinary person with an incredible influence, altering your own life as well as that of those around you, until finally “you can turn the whole world in the palm of your hand.”

Once they’ve understood themselves better and discovered what they love to do they can then work to become adept at those activities through ample practice and self-cultivation. Self-cultivation: effort is what counts the most, more than talent or aptitude. We aren’t limited to our innate talents; we all have enormous potential to expand our abilities if we cultivate them. You don’t have to be stuck doing what you happen to be good at; merely pay attention to what you love and proceed from there.

Adam Mitchell, was a math and science whiz who went to Harvard intending to major in economics. At Harvard specifically and in society in general, he told me, “we’re expected to think of our future in this rational way: to add up the pros and cons and then make a decision. That leads you down the road of ‘Stick with what you’re good at’”—a road with little risk but little reward. But after his introduction to Chinese philosophy during his sophomore year, he realized this wasn’t the only way to think about the future. Instead, he tried courses he was drawn to but wasn’t naturally adroit at because he had learned how much value lies in working hard to become better at what you love. He became more aware of the way he was affected by those around him, and how they were affected by his own actions in turn. Mitchell threw himself into foreign language learning, feels his relationships have deepened, and is today working towards a master’s degree in regional studies. 

The questions most people ponder about is: What do we love?

Solution: Explore more and discover. 

In summary, lets work together the "we" and not "I"

Step out of your comfort zone.

Learn to appreciate the wonders and opportunities of life.