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So You Want To Start A Social Venture?

Be my own boss. Start something unique and meaningful. Contribute to the bigger picture. They're all good reasons to start a social venture, but, don't forget the work. . .

It's 11:14 pm. I've been up since 6 am (late start, actually) emailing, meeting, typing- you name it. All in a day's work for this startup founder. My contacts are dry, I broke my own meeting rule (never go over one hour) and I missed the only current reality tv show worth watching (yeah, that's your show "Mr.Trump"). Did I mention the 8 am France phone call I have to take in the morning? There goes my second rule- no meetings before 10 am (thanks JC for reminding me).

All is not in vain. I learned some things in the process. Ask yourself/consider:

1. Coachability- how coachable are you?

2. You don't have to convince people to join your team. The right ones will find you and you will find them. You'll know it when you see it.

3. Remember what it is like to be young and "inexperienced". In turn, be patient with those behind you.

4. Learn. Keep your ears and eyes open. Cherish lessons from others. Cherish sharing what you know.

5. Shut up and listen to those older and ahead of you. Value their input whether you follow it or not.

6. Believe that everything will be alright and THAT truly is life.

7. Be patient with the journey.

8. Value friends and family. What love there is in their kind of support!

9. Do what makes you happy to wake up early in the morning and not get to go to sleep until those very same hours.

10. Understand that you can learn a lot from those that seem to annoy you the most.

11. Without offering love, how can you expect to receive it?

12. Take care of your whole being- mind, body and soul.

13. Become a philanthropist- "Love thy neighbor, love people".

14. Remember the kwan (hint: think Jerry Maguire).

15. Be unafraid of foolish conventions like superstition and playing it "safe" due to fear of failure.

God Bless,

-D

"Wisdom is better than weapons of war. . ."

Ecclesiastes 9:18

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The Which Way Blog

When I was a kid, I loved reading those "which way" books. You had to choose a direction you wanted to go in, turn to the page corresponding with your decision, and from there find out your fate. Often times, the road either led to a horrendous death or a lucky twist of fate to keep going for a few more pages. Rarely were there fates in the medium.

Sometimes life seems similar. There comes a point in most people's lives when most everything seems like a fire (not a fire drill). What to do? Some of the best advice I have ever received came from my mom (aren't they great?). She reminded me that no matter what fork in the road I faced, things would turn out for the best. What might have been mistaken for sheer, naive, optimism by some became truly sage advice by experience for me. If you really think about it, it is probably the same for you. Before you mumble your utterances of doubt, try thinking of one of the most pressing issues you have ever had to deal with. If you are reading this today, the point should be clear to you by now. There really is a bright side to the end of the tunnel.

To chase someone else's dollar or to pursue your dreams, that truly is the question. I am standing at the fork in the road right now and in the not-too-far distance, I can see the light. . .

God Bless,

-D

"Wisdom is better than weapons of war. . ."

Ecclesiastes 9:18

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Food For Thought

Cell Behavior

A student sat in the office of her college professor seeking help in her Biology 101 class. It was April 22 and many students had skipped classes and left campus to celebrate Earth Day. The student took advantage of the professor’s unusual availability and asked for her assistance.

Professor: “OK, put it this way”, the professor said. “In the domain of the body there are several types of cells.”

Student: “OK”, said the student.

Professor: “Each cell is similar fundamentally but demonstrates certain traits that distinguish it from others.”

Student: “As an individual cell?” asked the student.

Professor: “Well, sure in terms of individuality, but I am talking about groups- sets of cells that share these traits with each other but not other groups of cells”, the professor clarified.

Student: “Oh, well how many groups are there?”

Professor: “Three.”

Student: “Three?”

Professor: “Three.”

The student waited for an explanation.

The professor continued:

Professor: “You see, there is one group that acts aggressively. This is fine when a foreign agent enters the cells’ domain- the body- and threatens it and their health. But when they act aggressively due to false threats or without the presence of any threats they become a threat to both the domain and the other cells.”

Student: “Sure. I’ve studied that”, the student remarked.

Professor: In such cases, the aggressive cell attack the other cells which they perceive as some threat despite signs and evidence to the contrary.”

Student: “What constitutes as signs and evidence?”

The professor spent some time explaining. 

Student: “I see.”

Professor: “The second group of cells recognizes they are wrongly being attacked and takes action to defend themselves. The problem is some of them grow weary and begin to break down and attack themselves. It is as if they can not distinguish the enemy.”

Student: “Whoa, I’ve seen some cases of that as well in lab”, replied the student. “What about the third group?”

Professor: “The third group actually recognizes both of the other cells as part of the normal domain, but here is the kicker-“

The professor leaned over in her chair, edging closer to the student as if to whisper something too incredulous to speak aloud.

Professor: “This group reacts in either of two ways: ether they steer clear of both of the two groups mentioned, conducting normal functions like delivering oxygen or they attempt to mimic one of the two cell groups’ actions and are attacked by the same two groups. Either way, many of the cells in the third group do not survive because they are weaker than cells in the other two groups.”

Student: “Geesh!” gasped the student. “So what happens then? I can’t imagine that such behavior can continue without adversely impacting the body- er- domain.”

Professor: “Absolutely!” chimed the professor. “The cells begin to die off because they are either attacking and being attacked in self defense; attacking themselves due to incoherency or lack of ability to distinguish the enemy; or die from an increasingly polluted and weakened domain; or die from weakness and inability to ward off the warring cells.”

Student: “So, without a change in behavior, ultimately both the cells and the domain die”, reasoned the student.

Professor: “You’ve got it”, the professor confirmed.

Student: “Really! When you put it that way, it all seems so plain- so familiar”, the student stated.

Professor: “It should. Humans behave similarly. Like human, like cell.”

As you celebrate days like Earth Day remember that consideration of your fellow man and well being of our planet is a 365-day duty. You cannot save or heal if you do not act positively or do not act at all.

Domain= Earth

Cells (group 1)= human attackers

Cells (group 2)= humans that get lost on the way or are wrongly attacked

Cells (group 3)= apathetic humans

God Bless,

-D

"Wisdom is better than weapons of war. . ."

Ecclesiastes 9:18

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What's It Like To Be In Your Late Twenties?

This question was directed to me by an early twenty-something man. I am not sure what he was trying to get at, but I do realize one thing (Okay, perhaps more)- this can be a confusing time in which many of the self-esteem issues of teenage years can resurface. Quarter life crises is one thing I didn't count on being a common factor amongst some of my peer-age associates. In part, I think it is due to the expectations of being a twenty-something professional in the 21st century. Stock options, later-stage marriages and families, career hopping, professional school before 30, running your own business and becoming a zillionaire before 30. We all know of someone (personally or not) who has participated in at least one of these things and we all know of at least one twenty-something person who has experienced a quarter-life crisis because they haven't "achieved" all of these things yet. What is this nonsense? How did it get to be such that I am looking forward to my forties as I expected to have things "made" by then; to know the secrets of being content professionally and personally? Oh, please! We're learning and adjusting until the day we die. Perhaps that is my accomplishment for my era of the twenties- I recognize it now and not as I am pressing 40. What a disappointment it would have been.

How did I respond to my junior peer? I smiled and replied: "It's great. How does it feel to be in your early twenties?" It's a hoot to know that at some point in just a few years, he may be typing a post similar to this one. Better yet, he might read this post and choose to avoid the hype in the first place.

God Bless,

-D

"Wisdom is better than weapons of war. . ."

Ecclesiastes 9:18

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