Spoiler alert — it’s not — it’s a win-win!
I am no stranger to adversity, open heart surgery and facial reconstruction have taught me resilience and perseverance.
2020 was a new type of adversity to face and while some of the challenges remain, I remain optimistic!
In every aspect of life, personal and professional, I am always grateful for a helping hand or an open door.
Lately, however, and likely due to the difficulties a lot of small businesses have been facing, I have experienced colleagues and friends, speaking and acting as though business or life is a zero-sum game, i.e. “if you win, then I lose”.
Does the zero-sum game really help?
Being competitive can help us be ambitious, achieve more, always strive to be better than our perceived competition. Healthy competition is not a bad thing! …
You know yourself better than anyone right?
A recent article in HBR titled “4 Pieces of Career Advice It’s Okay to Ignore” really triggered some thoughts from my career coaching experience, primarily about what that means to younger generations that are trying to enter the job market or those that lost their jobs this year.
In summary, the four pieces of career advice he suggests ignoring in the article are as follows:
- “Just be yourself.”
- “Let your achievements speak for themselves.”
- “Focus on your strengths.”
- “Follow your passion.”
And for the most part, the sentiments in the article and what they suggest doing instead are absolutely on the nose, and it really struck me that the main thing missing for many people is self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and owning the choices we make. …
The rise of sustainability in 2020
I watched a documentary in the 2000s called Who Killed the Electric Car. Have you seen it? If you have, you know the story, that the electric car, something so good for the planet, was cannibalized by its very inventors.
Well, good news, it wasn’t killed, it was just in a coma, and it has finally woken up!
What’s new about the electric car?
I recently had the joy of riding in a new brand of the electric car. It’s super silent, it’s sustainable, the benefits are well documented, so this shouldn’t be news.
What is new, however, is this newfound interest in buying an electric car is spurred by not wanting to wear a mask on public transit but still wanting to be environmentally friendly. …
Facing the shadow self.
“I must also have a dark side if I am to be whole.” — Carl Jung
My research into Shadow Self was triggered by a conversation with a friend as we were walking along the river this past week. We were reflecting on our reactions to certain experiences and I said:
“I know I am a pretty good person, kind and supportive most of the time, but I can react poorly and be pretty awful too.”
As a good friend would, her initial response was “no way!” which was very supportive and kind, but you know what? It’s absolutely true. I had recently reacted very poorly during an interaction with a stranger and I wanted to explore what this lack of patience says about me? …
Let’s never let them go
A short reflection.
“That moment when you finish a book, look around, and realize that everyone is just carrying on with their lives…as though you didn’t just experience emotional trauma at the hands of a paperback.” — Jamie Craig
I love books. The stories are gateways to imaginary worlds, historic worlds, and of course, they can be educational.
And yes, we can get the words on an electronic device, and while I love the ability to take a plethora of books with me wherever I go, I miss the old ways.
I used to share my books with friends more frequently, recommend books, loan books, give away books and the Kindle has also prevented this beautiful kind of book and knowledge sharing. …
Will you still have a job in the future?
This is where the journey had to inevitably end up. Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is interesting and all, but what does it mean to me personally? Will I still have a job? What does the future look like?
Truth is, no one knows for sure. But there are a few indicators that help us envision where the Future of Work may lead when it comes to AI. What does AI mean to our livelihoods?
AI in the Future
You unwittingly joined the journey, and there is no escape!
I have been on a 30-day challenge to improve my knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to understand how it works and how it impacts our lives, and this section talks about how not only have we already integrated it in our everyday lives, but in some cases already love it and depend on it.
The inevitable “AI in Application”
In this fifth section, we tackle “AI in Application.” Exploring where AI is prevalent and the data that is being collected already is not surprising but it is humbling how much it has already penetrated our lives and how much we depend on it.
Let’s start with our friend, who is always close by, SIRI
Recently, a friend of mine named her baby Sirius. For those that love the Harry Potter books, the immediate connection is to Sirius Black, so of course being a Harry Potter fan I instantly loved it. …
The TikTok obsession — what is it, and why does it matter?
Ever start a show on Netflix, get addicted, and then watch the whole season in one weekend? Yeah, me too. I’m human. I get addicted to different sorts of entertainment. I watched Breaking Bad in 3 weeks, back in 2015. Now I start shows and seasons that are complete so that I can watch it all in one go!
Well, welcome to TikTok. The new entertainment obsession.
It all started with me downloading the app for business reasons. An expert I hired for YouTube and SEO, suggested we should also do TikTok videos and entertain people. The idea is that if we are entertaining or informative enough, then we can eventually lead people to the YouTube channel. …
Exploring some advantages and disadvantages of AI
I have been on a 30-day challenge to improve my knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to understand how it works and how it impacts our lives, and this portion of the AI journey gets a little apocalyptic. Following is a layman’s view on some of the advantages of AI vs. the disadvantages of AI — space exploration vs. singularity theory.
“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.” — Eliezer Yudkowsky
After the first section, I was able to define AI, the second section led to the revelation that a woman helped spur AI, the third section gave me more resources to learn about AI, and this fourth section is a deep dive. …
AI will inevitably impact every field of study and work
On my journey into understanding Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and it’s applications, I am coming to realize that much like the computers and the internet, there is no escaping AI, because no matter the field, or the industry, AI will be prevalent and impact us all.
“If you can’t beat them, join them.” — Jim Henson
Now you may think I’m joking or exaggerating, but the technology of this magnitude only penetrated our lives in the recent 30 years. …
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