Act like who we want to be

“Circumstances do not determine your state of being.
Your state of being determines your circumstances.”
― Bashar

I noticed a lot of small business owners like to say ‘we are not corporate so we don’t manage our projects like them’. This they say to the clients, how “smart” right? It is as described as Bashar quoted above – they have determine their circumstances already in their mind.

Yes, our business is small, only 20 of us but that should not be the reason that we shouldn’t run the business like “corporates”. If we have the mentality that because we are small so we therefore will provide services like one – then I guess we will never be able to scale. There are so many ‘corporates’ best practices that small businesses can use and usually so applicable which is almost always the reason small businesses are able to thrive & grow.

Even if I were to run a one-man business, I sure will try my darnest to provide by service like a 100-man business! So much free information out there in the www, I learn so much by just reading those information.

My point is – let’s ACT like who we want to be not act based on our circumstances because I want to play in the infinite game & not a finite game in the business world.

Top skills of 2025

The latest top skills most company looked for as published by World Economic Forum (see below picture)

I agree totally because even if I am looking for a candidate : this is what I would look for. As for people looking for a job – how do we even ‘showcase’ these abilities in a ‘not more than 2 page’ resume that’s being scanned through by the ATS (Application Tracking System)? Of course, we just need to put in these ‘keywords’ in the resume so ATS will select your resume & you then get tested on either in logical /programming/math tests or characteristics test. More often than not (at least what I have went through in my lifetime) ; aptitude tests are done first vs character. And it is precisely that 7 skills out of the 10 skills just slipped through these ‘tests’.

I remember I didn’t do well in one of my 1st job of an MNC (I probably just borderline passed) and I was granted an interview followed by another 2 interviews conducted by real humans & leaders. Yes I am not the ‘top’ in the aptitude test on 50 questions on math / algebra / english tests ; but I sure did performed by role well enough to get increment every 10 months & remained the top candidate (top band) among my peers. I am guessing I have displayed at least 5 of these top skills. {note: this is 20 odd years ago where ATS & smart phones have not existed}

Perhaps the companies that harps on these top skills need to relook at their hiring strategy. While I understand the world is so much more complex (because we made it so!) Verses we send the amount of ‘resumes’ with the keywords; how about just send the link for the skills tests for those top skills, streamline the ones that ‘fit’ the ideal profile THEN ask chosen applicant/s to send in their resume (base on HOW they would love to showcase their past achievements and what they contribute) before one does a final human interview?

Why I say this is better?

1) You streamline exactly to what you want first not just applicants putting in the ‘keywords’ in the resume to get the ‘hits’ with the ATS

2) Hirer save time from scanning through the “ATS” sorted resumes

3) The resume would probably be more genuine

4) The applicant can show the real words they can describe their work or themselves vs the ‘keywords’ needed for ATS!

How’s that as my “creativity, originality, critical thinking” skill ? 😀

of time and why

It is amazing what time can buy for us human if we do not squander them away carelessly. I am obviously human and obviously guilty of squandering time when I am not feeling motivated or need to ‘run’ away from the reality (which seems depressing to me at times).

Anyway.. I digress, as I was saying, thankfully I do (from time to time) make use of the precious time for some mindful self development.

So, was reading a book on ‘How to be everything’ – basically suitable for people like me who is still looking for ‘purpose’ in life or in the author’s own words ” guide for those who “STILL” don’t know what they want to be when they grow up”. Now now, I am 45 afterall, I am not saying I am still staying with my parents, I think I managed my life decently so far – debt free, acheived my 20year goals, in a healthy and still work in progress relationship, a loving child, some income of sort and plenty of soft skills learnt from my 4 decades of living. I decided to pick this book up is just because I felt I haven’t found what I am truly passionate about, truly excited about that I am willing to give up my sleep & my precious time up for them.

I like how the author uses the dreaded “M” word (money). Many self help books seem to talk a lot of self love yadda yadda yadda, but really – let’s be realistic here, without money, its hard to take care of oneself properly.

Money, meaning and motivation are inherently link, whether you like it or not. Sometimes we try to de-link money from meaning but we are not being honest here. We need money to fund our meaning and motivation. If I have no money now, I don’t think I would even be reading the book! I would probably be trying looking for a job every minute vs searching what ‘I truly’ love to do.

My key takeaway from this book its ok to have array of projects, some are profitable & some aren’t. There are no rules about whether the activity is meaningul or not, but we usually know it when we feel it. We just need to figure out our WHYs not what the activites were but WHY we enjoyed them.

Yes.. WHY? When we do something and you can connect them to the Why? Things do just drop into it’s place.

Fourty Five !

Wow! I am now 45 today. I tried really hard to think of ‘something’ I want and I couldn’t. So instead, I am going to celebrate the day with 45 events, things, people, friends, work and everything I am grateful for.

1. Grateful to my parents to bringing me into this wondrous world of living and joining their little family unit
2. Grateful for the opportunity to be educated, to be literate and learn from all the super intelligent people out there
3. Grateful for my birth country Malaysia where countless experiences from culture , food to places definitely built my character and behaviours
4. Grateful to my sisters where I learn my first people relationship life skills with. Without the ‘no holds barred’ argument & fights , I would never have learned unconditional forgiveness
5. Grateful to the farmers for all the amazing produce of vegetables, rice, fruits and meats that has been supplied for my meals!
6. Grateful to all the teachers that I have learned from, even if I did sleep through some of the classes, trust me I did LEARN something.
7. Grateful to the pets that I have grown up with where you learn the truest form of living the “now”
8. Grateful for the family that has always been on my side even when I pissed them off
9. Grateful to Michael that he try his darnest to be what I want him to be for me
10. Grateful to the doctor that help to deliver Loh-Relm safely into this world then 7years later another successful op to remove unwanted growth that was in me
11. Grateful for the work experiences I got from working at P&G, the priceless soft skills that I wouldn’t have gained
12. Grateful for all the other work places I have been without which I would not have met all the wonderful friends I have made
13. Grateful for the friends & people I have made from primary to University , without which I would be just a empty boring person
14. Grateful for the safe environment the public authority tries their darnest to keep
15. Grateful that the government do their best with the tax payers money to provide a better place for the citizens to live in
16. Grateful for the business that my parents have built from scratch so we don’t have to
17. Grateful for the customers that continue to use our products and services
18. Grateful for birth of low cost flying! Without which I wouldn’t be able to travel to so many places of awe and wonder
19. Grateful for technology that gives us so much ease in obtaining information and entertainment
20. Grateful for designers that created the beautiful clothes that I can dress up in (let’s not forget the ever essential shoes as well!)
21. Grateful for gift of language – without which we cannot communicate and learn from
22. Grateful for the gift of ‘documenting’ so we have records & history to read from
23. Grateful for the gift of imagination so I could enjoy the wondrous books science fiction & fantasy
24. Grateful for the culinary skill so of all the chefs, without which I would never have eaten so much yummy food!
25. Grateful for the birth of TV, without which I would not have experience virtual real life of people and places that I could not have gone to
26. Grateful for journalists that try their best to deliver the true news to us
27. Grateful for invention of GPS, so we can all drive somewhere with guided help ( less lost people on the road ) 😛
28. Grateful for the people I have worked with, even when I was difficult
29. Grateful for the bosses and managers that I have worked with, I received the best of their advice and help in helping me to grow as a person
30. Grateful to kind strangers that help out even for the tiniest thing.
31. Grateful to my kind neighbours
32. Grateful to my past financial advisers
33. Grateful to my www so I could find out whatever I want easily
34. Grateful to the opportunities I was given at work and with customers, in all, I have gained knowledge and skills
35. Grateful for the encouragement I get from friends and family that helped me ‘bulldozed’ through the difficult perods
36. Grateful for my close friends that I can share my insecurities, frustrations and anger with
37. Grateful that I have a healthy body & I shall cherish it with healthy food and frequent exercise of body & Mind!
38. Grateful for the people who introduced, write, talk & preaches about meditation
39. Grateful for the professionals that guided me in their areas of expertise
40. Grateful to my father that taught me to live simple but generous to others, to not judge others but just act conscientiously ourselves
41. Grateful to my step mother who tries her best she can for us
42. Grateful to my sisters who provide me the unconditional support multiplied by 3
43. Grateful that my one and only daughter that is loving and open to me despite my impatience and not so great temper
44. Grateful to my husband Michael that just silently support my every decision even when he disagrees
45. Last but not least, I am grateful for the beautiful world I am in. So in love with the trees, the sea, the beach, the ponds, the birds, insects and the air.

Now I know why I really couldn’t think of what I want