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Jim’s Learning & Inspirational Moments (Feb 2008)

The Choice to Act

Hi my friends,

I am back! For those of you celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, a
very happy and healthy 2008! I hope you like this PDF format.

2. Thanks for all the appreciation e-mails and your reflections after reading
my Learning and Inspirational moments last month. From all your responses, it
reinforces my belief that majority of the people in this world are good people
doing good things, and we should not let the noise of the negative minority
drown out the steady sound of good around us.

3. I like to approach life with the belief that my important work is always
ahead of me, not behind me, my personal motto in life is “Live life in
crescendo.” With this mental model, I feel a persisting desire to stretch myself
in new directions, learn new things, take up new responsibilities and look for
worthy ways to make a contribution or a difference to the people around me. I
constantly strive to be a transition person both in my private and professional
capacity.

4. Those of you who have attended my 7 Habits sessions would probably

have some idea what is a transition person. A transition person is one who
breaks the flow of bad- negative traditions or harmful practices that get passed
from generation to generation, or from situation to situation, whether in a family, a
workplace, or a community. In times of darkness, they are lights, not judges,
models, not critics. In period of discord, they are change catalysts, not victims;
healers, not carriers. In my opinion, today’ s world needs more transition persons.

5. To be a true transition person, we must always have this mental model

that we always have a choice to choose how we want to respond to any
circumstances or situations every moment! Choices are very important in life. In
fact, the quality of our life is about the daily choices we make (what to eat, what
clothes to wear, etc).

6. To lead a life of contribution, we need to make the right choices. After

going through life for the past 38 yrs, I am convinced that there is one
important choice we have to make daily , whether we are consciously
aware of them or not. This month’ s sharing… I will share with you briefly this one
important Choice which I feel is the most fundamental and foundational.

1
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#1: The Choice to Act (Be Proactive)

7. The first choice we make each and everyday is, Will we act upon life,
or Will we merely be acted upon?

8. Clearly we cannot control everything that happens to us. Sometimes life

hits like the waves of the ocean as events unfolds one after another. Although
some events are less significant than others, but some do have tremendous
impact on us. But each day we make the choice: Will we be as driftwood that
passively floats with the tides and currents of the day, or will we instead take
proactive responsibility for determining our actions and destination?

9. On the surface, the choice is an easy one. After all, who would not prefer
to act upon life rather than be acted upon? Easier said than done my friends.
But at the end of the day, only our actions provide the truest answers.

10. During my lifetime (so far), I have seen or heard many people say they
want to be in charge of their life. During my training sessions, many of my
participants and learners share major plans to bring their life back on track, but
then, when they go home, they turn their evening schedule over to their TV
to determine when and what they will do. Many of my participants shared
during my training sessions that they have lofty career dreams and goals, but
then they turn the responsibility for their skill development over to the Staff
Development Division when they go back to their institutions. Some say
they want to stand by firm values, but then they let their integrity shrivel under
slightest bit of opposition (anyway, I can understand this, we are in a
uniformed organisation after all, to some, the bosses are always right… to speak
up is career suicide… ha ha… it boils down to trust and courage at the end of the
day).

11. Yes, many of us say we want to act upon life, but at the end of the day it
appears more that life is acting upon us! In reality, in some situations, we must
recognize that we cannot always choose what happens to us, we can
however, choose our responses!

12. In essence, we should become the creative force of our own lives- and of
our own futures. The choice to act represents the energy we bring to life- our will
power. Let Jimmy pose you this question to reflect on this month…

Is your life like driftwood being tossed to and fro,

or are you instead making your own waves and going
in directions you – by choice- want to go?

13. My contribution this month to your Learning & Growth!

Love. JIMMY LEE