It's not over till it's over

During the GPF Leader's meeting adventure workshop, we had an interesting experience during one of the hikes that reminds me about the importance of striving for excellence. 

We were hiking all day, and we thought we may have reached our destination, but we couldn't tell for sure. The map was hard to read accurately and all we knew was that we were supposed to reach the highest elevation point in that area. We had reached a rather high point, but it looked like there might be something a little higher further up the trail. What should we do?

My team discussed and we decided that if we were going to shoot for a goal, in this case reaching the highest elevation, we should give our 100% effort to reach that goal with confidence, rather than going back wondering if we had really reached the highest point. 

And so we trekked on and on, uncertain about how long the hike would last. Yet finally, we did reach a clear end-point, and at the moment we reached the final destination, a heavy snow came through the fog and showered us as if celebrating our victory of reaching the real destination. Everyone on our team agreed this was something profound. 

We should always strive to complete our goals completely, and definitely not settle for a half-hearted effort that we'll look back on with regret.

2/25/2015 Wenatchee National Forest:
Snow came down right as we completely accomplished our stated goal.
It lasted just for the 5 minutes we stayed there and as we headed back it stopped.  

Are you an owner or a renter?

Today I realized that I am a renter. Literally, I am renting the house I live in with some other friends.

And because I am a renter, I have a certain attitude that displays itself in how I care for my house.

For the past few months, I and a few of my house-mates noticed that the tap water and shower was not as hot as it used to be. Immediately, my reaction was to tell the house management about the problem, and wait for them to fix it.

Finally after months of pestering, the management suggested we actually look at the boiler for any leaks. So I checked it this evening, and I found no leaks. Yet I also noticed something that I would have seen a lot earlier if I had bothered to look at the boiler previously. The thermostat knob was set to warm. So I turned the thermostat to a higher setting and a few minutes later, we had hot water again!

The problem was the boiler's thermostat was set to warm instead of hot

This slightly embarrassing incident taught me a valuable lesson about the mindset of ownership versus the mindset of a renter. When there is a problem in any situation, an owner immediately takes responsibility to fix it no matter how tired he is or how inconvenient the solution may be. But a renter complains about the problem and waits for someone else to fix it until he's forced to deal with it.

I also realized that even if I am a renter in my house, I should have the attitude of an owner if I want to get problems fixed a little quicker! I guess this applies to any situation where there are problems that need to be fixed. Rather than just complain about it, I should take responsibility if I really want to get anywhere.

A habit of keeping promises

Keeping promises is a good habit to have. But how do we develop that kind of habit?

It starts by keeping our promises we make to ourselves.

Today I promised I would not get distracted from my work with Global Peace Youth and focus at my workplace. It was hard to stay focused, sometimes I disappointed myself, but I didn't give up and felt that at the end of the day I put in my best effort to fulfill my promise.

We received a delivery of GPF 2014 Annual Reports recently at our Mountlake Terrace office.
Stop by our office to take a look or check them out online:
http://www.globalpeace.org/global-peace-foundation-2014-annual-report

This kind of practice helps me develop the habit of keeping my promises, so next time I make someone a promise, I am probably going to naturally make more effort to keep it.

Have you developed a habit of keeping your promises?

Your weakness is your strength - lessons from S Korea's development model

I was glad to participate in the live broadcast of a forum held in D.C. this morning with the title "The United States, South Korea and Civil Society Cooperation in Global Humanitarian Development". It was a very professional forum and broadcast held in collaboration with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Global Peace Foundation.

I was impressed by Ambassador Young-mok Kim's presentation by the extent to which South Korea has expanded its global humanitarian efforts, but especially how they have utilized their unique experience in their reconstruction efforts after the Korean War to offer guidance to underdeveloped countries facing similar challenges in spurring socio-economic growth.

It goes to show that every nation has its times of trials, yet it is in those times that you can see the true spirit of the people and where the greatest innovations can take place that can be an inspiration to all people.

KOICA Pres. Young-mok Kim shared his personal experiences with
Korea's unique development model called "The New Village Movement"

If you get a chance, I recommend you read the summary of highlights from the event on the GPF website to get to know Korea's unique story as one of the few nations that went from being an under-developed country to an official donor country, especially in the span of less than 60 years.

This story also gives me insight into the important role S. Korea should play in relation to the re-unification process with North Korea and how this effort, though sure to be challenging, can be another valuable model for the region and world if the Korean people can demonstrate their noble character once again, which I believe they can.

Trust is most important in business

Today I experienced the importance of trust in doing business. I went to get an oil change at a Grease Monkey in Edmonds and after inspecting my car, the repairman recommended I get my transmission fluid replaced and some other things done that I didn't quite understand. I hesitated because the work would cost over $200. The only thing I really had to rely on was my trust for this man and the reputation of the business.

About a year ago I went there to get my oil changed, and another worker checked my oil and told me that even though my mileage indicated I needed an oil change, the oil looked pretty clear still and he recommended I wait a while longer before changing it. It impressed me that he wasn't just trying to make money but rather was looking out for my best interest.

This influenced me and also from remembering other friends recommend this shop, I decided to go ahead with the work.

This reminds me that in any endeavor, even business, ethical standards are critical to success.

Panera Bread engages in community service as another way to build trust with their customers

Think of the future

A lot of times we get stuck in our present circumstances and forget about our long-term goals, especially when we face challenge. However, a mature person always recognizes that long-term goals are worth striving for and are willing to put in the effort to get there, day by day.

Investment is never wasted

Even when we don't feel like we are making progress, our investment is certainly not wasted. Every step forward will one day allow us to reach our destination. This is what I learned today.