6,000 years ago, we measured time by the phase of the moon. In 1,500 B.C., Egyptians created the sundial. And in the last 10 years, we refer to our smartphones. Remember that the time you have is yours. It’s nobody else’s. You can do with it as you wish. The question never is, how much time do we have left? The question is, what will you do with the moment you’re in? 

My cousin and I decided to create a podcast for no other reason than we wanted to be creative.  Did it take much to set it up? No. Super easy. We did it over Zoom.Have you ever done this before? No. Never. First time. We probably made a ton of mistakes, but we’re going to learn.  Why? Because we can. Because we had ideas to share. Because sharing ideas is generous.  It’s nice when others want to share the experience with you as well.  I love you, cuz!

Not an easy thing to do!  And it’s something I’d almost recommend people do at least once in their life.  I never hoped to have the kind of career where I’d be rising up the corporate ladder. If you know me, you know that’s not my personality. I want to be tied to something bigger, a change, a positive impact, a mission.  Reinventing myself has forced me to think about that mission - who am I serving? Why? And how do I serve them?  I’m often wondering how to use intuition and diverse experiences to help people in my current city. oI’ve never had to “pick an industry” before. Now, people want to know what industry (read: tribe) I belong to.  I’ve never had to identify “my ideal role titles.” Now, people want to know what function I want to play in society.  Being eclectic is a privilege.  It’s a privilege to not have to define yourself by such strict measures.  I’m thankful for the life I have had and the one I continued to live. I’m also thankful to be able to work towards helping others.  Reinventing one’s self is hard, generous, and fulfilling work.  If you’re in that stage of your life, don’t give up.

“In writing, habit seems to be a much stronger force than either willpower or inspiration. Consequently there must be some little quality of fierceness until the habit pattern of a certain number of words is established. There is no possibility, in me at least, of saying, ‘I’ll do it if I feel like it.’ One never feels like awaking day after day. In fact, given the smallest excuse, one will not work at all. The rest is nonsense. Perhaps there are people who can work that way, but I cannot. I must get my words down every day whether they are any good or not.” - John Steinbeck The key to doing anything with any degree of skill is to show up.

Extreme tribalism is a danger.  And this form of tribalism is born from hurt.  My sister was recently dumped by a guy.  The reason was that she’s not Hispanic enough.Are you kidding me?She’s not Hispanic at all. Nor is she white. She’s just Maria!  And the person who dumped her wanted to be with someone who was more in touch with their culture.  The problem for Maria, myself, and those like us, is simple. We do not live in our birth culture. We grew up differently. But, the culture we grew up with is ours.  So for someone to say, “You need to be more in touch with your culture,” is inherently false.  ===Here’s another example: have you seen people write on Facebook, “Well if you don’t agree with me, I’m done being your friend. Just un-friend me now!"?  I have seen that, more times than I care to mention. And its a result of hurt.  And, as you can see with my sister, it’s playing out in relationships.  ===To be part of a tribe is to be part of a culture. The extreme version of that is to shun and create war. We’re in a state where many tribes are hurting. And when our tribe is hurt, we come to the defense/offense. And when we do that, we start digging our heels in and creating a wall between us and the others.But you can change that. It doesn’t have to be that way.Keep still, watch, and remember, you create your own culture.  You can create a culture where it’s okay to be different.You can create a culture where the other side matters, too.You can create a culture where to be inclusive means to acknowledge the truths of everyone.Nelson Mandela did this with the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. We can do it , too.

When 3:30 pm / 4:00 pm rolls around, are you tired? I sometimes get that way. Especially if I’ve been productive. That’s a moment to listen to your body. Take a walk. Step away. Recharge. Rest. You did something good today.

And do you really care? If you’re spending 100 hours on “just getting by,” you’re going to be great at surviving, but are you thriving?If you’re spending 100 hours learning a new instrument, you’re going to get pretty good.If you’re spending 100 hours writing your thoughts, you’ll become more skilled at transferring your ideas to others.Where are you spending your 100 hours?Is it something that you really want to master?If it is, keep it up and share!If it’s not, what’s keeping you from the work that matters?

Real Change is a(n):Mindset shift.Endeavor.Effort.Long-game.Difficult conversation.Empathetic ear.Opportunity to see yourself.Opportunity to see others.Open-Minded experience.Uncomfortable situation.You can do all of the “self-help” you want to do. Buy all of the productivity journals. Tell yourself and others that “you’ll change.” But it’s not easy. It’s all uncomfortable.  We’re not made to embrace things that are not comfortable. We want to do what’s easiest. Quickest. Out of sight, out of mind. We avoid.  If you want to change or want to help others change, you’ll need to do the hard, generous, and consistent work required.There are no shortcuts.And it’s worth it.

I’m not always the best at slowing down.I like to have something to do - to “feel” productive.This past weekend I did practically nothing… I read blogs, I watched movies, I made pork adobo.The human-animal has three modes of doing things:WorkRestPlayThis weekend taught me that I work and play too much and rest too little.  Which mode are you stuck on too much?Here’s a simple pork or chicken adobo recipe. If you like Filipino food.Sautee lots of garlic and onions in a fat of your choice.Add meat of your choice.Stew it for 15-30 minutes (your choice)Add soy/toyo sauce.Stew it more.Add vinegar - Don’t TOUCH IT after you’ve added vinegar.Stew it more.Enjoy. Recipes are a metaphor for life. Keep it simple. Take your time, rest, and enjoy. Just like the above mentioned weekend ;-)