You've Got to Find What You Love

Nothing better to start a new year than to hear a wonderful inspirational speech.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Highly recommended!... Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!

The Halo Effect

I was very fortunate to come across this book - so far the best business book I have ever read!

This post contains an excerpt of the review I posted in Amazon.

"We as humans deal poorly with uncertainty. We like explainations (the simpler and the shorter the better), we like (and create) heroes (the superman, superstar CEO) and we like to believe that the world is fair, and that the worthy and the good will succeed and prevail at the end. We also love stories - the drama, the suspense and the happy ending. Above all... our society, our schools, our religions and our media lead us often to forget how to think, specially by ourselves."

Again, do not accept passively what you are told, what you hear and what you read. Always apply your critical thinking and jugdment.

Above all, make up your own mind and think for yourself.

Precious Time

The best things in life are free. Time is the most precious resource which is given to every one and which needs to be carefully managed. Money can buy a lot of things, but it can't buy an extra second.

The concept of time is so pervasive, and yet, it's so hard to define it without resorting to a circular reference. Time is mostly understood by the changes which occur over a given 'time period' (here's the circular reference).

When we choose to spend time doing something - like reading a book, going for a stroll or even doing nothing (what a waste!) - we are implicitly foregoing all the other possible alternatives to spend the same time - and there's no return. You can't turn back the clock. What a tough choice! That makes time so most precious!

Time is also one of the most precious gift one can give to anybody. Our time, our full attention and our dedication is priceless!

It seems to me, that most people live their lives like they would live forever. Fear and pride often lead us to do nothing, to say nothing... and therefore we miss many opportunities... that are gone forever and that we later regret. How different it would be if we would learn that we have only a small amount of time to live.

In terms of scale, when compared to the age of the universe - currently estimated around 14 billion years - a human life is less than a fraction of a second...

Personally, I feel that time moves faster as I got older. When I was young, days were endless and countless... and I could hardly wait to become eighteen. But nowadays, time move so fast... days quickly turn into weeks, months and years...

Well... spend your time well, and above all, make each moment count!

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

Success And Failure, In A New Light

I recently read the book 'The Innovation Paradox : The Success of Failure, the Failure of Success' by Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes. It has some interesting key points.

We as humans tend to polarize things. Everything needs to be either black or white. We tend to see success as very good thing and failure as a very bad thing.

The fact is, that success and failure are very close to each other, like two sides of the same coin. In fact, people (or companies) who succeed in the short term may fail in the mid-long term and vice-versa. Failure is not a failure if everything was done and prepared right, and most important of all, if we are able to learn something from it. A failure must then be seen, as a stepping stone in the way to success.

The only true failure, is in failing to try. Courage is to act not by lack of fear, but in spite of fear. The most exhilirating and exciting moments that we as humans can experience, is in the pursuit of something which we perceive as challenging, difficult, unattainable... even impossible. The sweetness is in the hunt, not in the achievement itself. Once the goal is achieved, we are immediately filled with a void, and we immediately look for another more ambitious goal...

That's one of the greatest mysteries and beauty of the Human kind - an eternal discomfort, an eternal hunger, an eternal search for higher goals and dreams.

We are far more likely to regret the things we didn't do than the things we did, specially because we will never know the outcome of the things we didn't do.

So don't be afraid to fail, don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Try and fail, and learn, and try again,,, fail some more and try yet again... that is, my friend, the secret to a successful fulfilling life.

Tinnitus - Protect Your Ears

If you were like me, you would never have heard of 'Tinnitus' before. Tinnitus is a condition also known as 'ringing in the ears' since people suffering from it - including myself - hear a constant buzz in the ear 24 hours a day. It's not painful but it is extremely annoying, and it affects your ability to sleep and to concentrate.

The cause and mechanism of Tinnitus is still not fully understood, but it's believed that it involves both the physical ear and the brain in a complex circuit which creates a phantom sensation, in this case, a non-existing sound.

Over 50 million in the USA and over 6 million people in the UK suffer from this condition.

The best way for you to avoid this condition is to avoid or to wear ear plugs everytime you are exposed to loud sounds, specially for long periods of time.

Take care, and enjoy the silence (I still can't - but I hope to enjoy it one day).

Changing Jobs

Today is my last day at my current job. Next week I'm starting a new one.

I've stayed with this company for more than 12 years. I've seen it grow from a small rented office to the largest exporter of my country. I've lived through its complete rise and fall.

I'm filled with mixed feelings, but I look back over the past 12 years with gratitude and appreciation for the rich professional and personal experience. I also look with hope and confidence in the future. It's very important to always strive to be a better man and a better worker. And to the colleagues and friends I leave behind, I wish them all the best.

I close this post with the quote: "Every end is a new beginning".

Global Management Challenge

I'm a member of the team that will represent Portugal next week, 22-23 of April 2009, in the International Final of the Global Management Challenge competition.

The Global Management Challenge is the world's largest strategy and management competition which includes 30 countries. It was actually started in Portugal back in 1980 and it's continuously spreading around the world.

The competition itself consists of 8 virtual companies, one company per team, competing against each other for the highest share value at the end of five rounds. There are many decisions to be made: how much to produce of each product, how much to spend in research & development and advertising, the configuration of the distribution network, how many workers to hire with which salary and so forth.

The simulator itself is quite complex, and the fact that the development of the economical environment is not known, and that you are competing against other 7 teams makes it even more complex.

For more information on the competition, please follow the links below:

• Global Management Challenge - Portuguese Site
• Global Management Challenge - International Site
  

I'm looking forward to meet and compete with the other 29 countries, and I'll do my best to properly represent Portugal. Wish me luck!

Quick update: Russia won the International final! Portugal (my team) finished in 8th among 30 countries.