My guitar teacher once told me: „If you practice guitar correctly, it should be easy and it should not take long hours. Why? If you practice in a wrong way, the more you practice the more difficult for you to unlearn the bad habits.“
When I think back, I realize that all the major mile stones in my life were coming without any struggles:
1. I was nominated for a university exchange program to Germany without any efforts from my side.
2. I got my first job without lengthy recruiting process. I contacted a former PhD student of my PhD Professor. And that was it.
3. I met my wife coincidently in my friend apartment in Cologne. I wrote her a letter. Few years later we got married, until today, 25 years later.
4. The chance to go back to Shanghai as Expatriate came without any efforts from my side.
In contrast I put a lot of efforts, energy in some projects which did not succeed as I would have wished. My conclusion is, if you do the things in the right way, it should be easy. It should come naturally to success.
When I observe how people work in some companies, I found out that people who work long hours and unhappy are usually people who often create cost of non-quality. They try to fight in all fronts and try to maximise ambiguous benefits. It is doubtable that they create more value overall for the company and for the customers than other people in the company.
Life should be easy, if your mind, body and soul are in perfect alignment.
Life should be easy, if you extend your boundary as broader as you can image.
Life should be easy, if you have complete clarify about what you want to achieve.
Life should be easy, if you are certain that you will eventually achieve your goals.
Life should be easy, if you live your passion and dreams.
Life should be easy, if you take time to enjoy it.
Life should be easy, if you love everything around you including yourself.
Showing posts with label Success Book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Success Book. Show all posts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Way to Mastery
The week before summer vacation, my guitar teacher requested his students to practice playing guitar three hours daily during the vacation. They should do it in three different time of the day with one hour each time to improve the efficiency.
“Three hours a day? That is impossible”, complained one student.
“I already have difficulties to practice one hour per day now”, said the other.
My guitar teacher smiled and asked: “Do you know how long I practice when I started guitar lessons at age of four?”
He paused and waited for the reaction of his students. They were quiet and curious to learn what their teacher has to say.
“Four hours a day, at age of four.” He emphasized his age.
The students who complained felt ashamed, but were still reluctant to commit the three hours.
The teacher continued: “Four hours a day is just for the beginning. After some experiences my practicing time increased to eight hours a day.”
“Waw.” The students opened the mouths and eyes wildly.
“After some more experiences I increased my practicing time to twelve hours a day.”
By that time I realize how my guitar teacher can work 16 hours with a regular job at the government institute and a full time guitar teaching job.
The room was filled with silence. No one was able to make any tone. The teacher went on: “I know you all want to play the instrument well. You want to make a difference in your life. And you want to have fun playing it. However, any remarkable achievement is tightly linked with efforts and persistence, some times with pain and suffering. This is the way of mastery, maybe the only way.”
“Three hours a day? That is impossible”, complained one student.
“I already have difficulties to practice one hour per day now”, said the other.
My guitar teacher smiled and asked: “Do you know how long I practice when I started guitar lessons at age of four?”
He paused and waited for the reaction of his students. They were quiet and curious to learn what their teacher has to say.
“Four hours a day, at age of four.” He emphasized his age.
The students who complained felt ashamed, but were still reluctant to commit the three hours.
The teacher continued: “Four hours a day is just for the beginning. After some experiences my practicing time increased to eight hours a day.”
“Waw.” The students opened the mouths and eyes wildly.
“After some more experiences I increased my practicing time to twelve hours a day.”
By that time I realize how my guitar teacher can work 16 hours with a regular job at the government institute and a full time guitar teaching job.
The room was filled with silence. No one was able to make any tone. The teacher went on: “I know you all want to play the instrument well. You want to make a difference in your life. And you want to have fun playing it. However, any remarkable achievement is tightly linked with efforts and persistence, some times with pain and suffering. This is the way of mastery, maybe the only way.”
Monday, May 11, 2009
Selective Memories: Improve Your Live Instantly
Years ago I learnt a method to improve my achievements. It is called success book. It tells you to write down every success during a day, big or small. That way you are much aware of your success. You can also create a love book or happiness book.
I know a woman who is very bright. She tells every small or big positive aspect of her life to everyone she likes, when she bought new shoes, new clothes, new jewelry, when she started to learn a new language or new music instrument, when she visited a new bar or restaurant, when she tried a new spa or ate a delicious cake.
On the other side when something negative happened to her, for example a car accident, she tried to remember the good side of it, e.g. the guy was nice or fortunately the cost of the repair was all covered by the insurance.
From above two examples I realize that maybe initially what happened did not really change. But if you emphasize the positive side of the reality, the positive side will have more weight to you. You select the things to remember you like. By any time of your life, it is not what you really have experienced, but what you can remember, will make up your (subjective) reality.
At the second stage however, when you get used to focus on the bright side of your life, your mood will be better, you will have higher energy level and you will have better judgment and make better decisions which will change your quality of live, improve your efficiency and increase your level of happiness.
I know a woman who is very bright. She tells every small or big positive aspect of her life to everyone she likes, when she bought new shoes, new clothes, new jewelry, when she started to learn a new language or new music instrument, when she visited a new bar or restaurant, when she tried a new spa or ate a delicious cake.
On the other side when something negative happened to her, for example a car accident, she tried to remember the good side of it, e.g. the guy was nice or fortunately the cost of the repair was all covered by the insurance.
From above two examples I realize that maybe initially what happened did not really change. But if you emphasize the positive side of the reality, the positive side will have more weight to you. You select the things to remember you like. By any time of your life, it is not what you really have experienced, but what you can remember, will make up your (subjective) reality.
At the second stage however, when you get used to focus on the bright side of your life, your mood will be better, you will have higher energy level and you will have better judgment and make better decisions which will change your quality of live, improve your efficiency and increase your level of happiness.
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