William Wu Personal Blog

I have always enjoyed the wisdom from Chinese Zen masters and was intrigued by the Zen stories since I was a kid.  One story included by the popular “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book is called Two Monks.Â

It teaches people how to look forward and not caught in the mishap of the past. 

TWO MONKS
Irmgard Schloegl, The Wisdom of Zen Masters

“Two monks on a pilgrimage came to the ford of a river.  There they saw a girl dressed in all her finery, obviously not knowing what to do since the river was high and she did not want to spoil her clothes.  Without more ado, one of the monks took her on his back, carried her across and put her down on dry ground on the other side.

Then the monks continued on their way.  But the other monk after an hour started complaining, ‘Surely it is not right to touch a woman, it is against the commandments to have close contact with women.  How could you go against the rules of monks?’

The monk who had carried the girl walked along silently, but finally he remarked, ‘I set her down by the river an hour ago, why are you still carrying her?’”

It is true that worrying of the past does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it only empties today of its strength. Perhaps the Two Monks story is what inspired Ralph Waldo Emerson to say, “Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

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Here is a great quote on winner vs. loser, unfortunately the original auther is unknown. 

• A Winner is always part of the answer
  A Loser is always part of the problem
• A Winner always has a program
  A Loser always has an excuse
• A Winner says “let me do it for you”
  A Loser says “that’s not my job“
• A Winner has an answer for every problem
  A Loser has a problem for every answer
• A Winner says “it may be difficult but its possible”
  A Loser says “it may be possible but it’s too difficult“

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Ran into a simple book that other day, it is called “How To Become a Great Boss” by Jeffrey J. Fox.Â

This should be interesting for anyone that wants to become a boss.  It lists out simple success formula in Chapter II:

1. Only hire top-notch, excellent people.
2. Put the right people in the right job.  Weed out the wrong people.
3. Tell the people what needs to be done.
4. Tell the people why it is needed.
5. Leave the job up to the people you’ve chosen to do it.
6. Train the people.
7. Listen to the people.
8. Remove frustration and barriers that fetter the people.
9. Inspect progress.
10. Say “Thank you” publicly and privately.

Some interesting quotes that I enjoyed from this book are:

• “Don’t Hire a Dog And Bark Yourself.” Advise on if you hire an employee to do the job, train the employee and let the employee do the job.
• “Company Do What The Boss Does.” People take cues from their boss, so be sure to lead by example.
• “You Get What You Inspect, Not What You Expect.” Setting great expectation and getting great expectation are two different realities. As the card-sharp proclaims, “Trust everybody, but cut the cards.”
•  “Make a Promise, Keep a Promise.” The great boss makes sure everyone keep every promise.  Like The U.S. Postal service motto “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” is a promise to deliver the mail regardless of challenges.
• “Never Be Little, Never Belittle.” To belittle someone is to be little.  Don’t be little; be big.

Sun Tzu also had something to say for a great boss to avoid:

“There are five character flaws which are dangerous for a general: If he is reckless, his men can be killed.  If he is cowardly, his army can be captured.  If he is short-tempered, he will react in anger.  If he is self-important, he can be deceived.  If he is attached to his men, he will hesitate at a critical moment.  These five flaws are certainly unfortunate for the general, but they cause great destruction in war.  These five flaws cause generals to fail and armies to die.  Consider them well.”
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There are some inspirational quotes that are great to read and follow.  Here are a couple of my favorites.  One from Mother Teresa and one from Dalai Lama:

Mother Teresa “On Life”

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, achieve it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”

Dalai Lama 2005 Speech “Instruction for Life”

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for other’s and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life.  Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.  Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge.  It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
    

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