“Talent”

Lately, I’ve been so frustrated – deeply frustrated while working with certain people. They’re introduced to me as very “talented” folks (among them, one is a team lead; the others come here to work – meaning they’re top of their fields in their respective company). In fact, most of them are – well, at least better than I am technically. I was so excited to work with them. But it mostly ends up quite disappointing…

It turns out they all have some very similar problems. Guess what they are? Hint: it’s (un)surprisingly not technical skills:

• Communication (when to give updates, say “wait”)
• Accountability
• Planning
• Time management..

Communication is the most common, which I and many have had that problem too, but not the biggest issue here… It is that they can’t get things done on time. Even worse, they simply can’t even deliver what they promise. Somehow they don’t ever ever take their words seriously. Weird!

– dskin (failed intro – no communication just sorry)
– AAG
– HSS landing page (a team lead who was introduced to only do ‘challenging stuff’ – he’s not interested in easy & trivia ones :O)
– Autospot (‘good track’ freelancer – kinda ‘arrogant’ to communicate, couldn’t get things done. stop the project. irresponsible.)

Cậu

Ở tuổi 73, Cậu đi không phải là trẻ chỉ là các dì lớn tuổi rồi mà vẫn còn quá khỏe mạnh…

Cậu vẫn lạc quan, vẫn kiên cường, vẫn đùa vui như bản tính của Cậu đến những giờ phút cuối cùng… Hôm 27 Tết lúc cậu đã đau lắm rồi mà vẫn gắng ngồi dậy nói chuyện với 2 đứa cháu đi xa về.
– “Con nớ nó hiền giống ba nó rứa” – Cậu đùa khi nói về chi công việc & lương bỗng của chị Anh – con Cậu.
Gặp Cậu lần đầu tiên sau cơn bạo bệnh, đứa cháu này không thể không thương. Cậu gầy đi quá nhiều; những cơn đau triền miên lại hành hạ Cậu đến xương tủy. Nhìn những miễn dán salampas khắp đầy người Cậu, người cháu này không thể không xót. Nhìn mẹ buồn, mẹ gầy, mẹ lo cho Cậu, người con này không thể không đau…

Người cháu này sẽ không quên được câu nói cuối cùng của Cậu trong cái ngày mà mẹ bảo “chắc đây là lần cuối cùng Thịnh gặp Cậu Lâm. Cậu chắc cũng không sống được bao lâu nữa.”

Thật vậy, người cháu này mới qua lại được tròn 2 tuần – trong đó tuần đầu tiên la liệt vì ăn chơi quá độ lúc Tết, thì được tin Cậu mất. Buồn, lạnh cả người…

Thanks XH for this. Thanks Lem, Lam, Tio, Ngoc, Ni all the good friends for your great support at this difficult moments. Appreciate it 🙂

Người cháu vẫn còn nhớ ít nhiều những kỉ niệm với Cậu:

• Suốt 4-5 năm nay Cậu luôn là người ‘đạp đất’ nhà cháu. Ba luôn gọi & hẹn cậu chiều, tối 30. “Nó mới điện tau hẹn sáng mai đó” – Cậu đùa.
• …
• Tối đỗ xăm hường lần đầu tiền với mấy anh chi em sau biết bao năm không ngồi lại với nhau (cách đây 2-3 năm; Tết nay mới là lần thứ 2). Chơi đến khuya. Sáng đó, Cậu chở cháu về.
• Lần cuối cùng, Cậu mời cháu ly bia khi gặp Cậu ở ngoài nha. Cháu kiếm cớ chở mẹ, từ chối dù chỉ là 1 ly nhỏ.

Ngày biết tin Cậu phát hiện ung thư, người cháu này sốc lắm, hỏi ngược xui cho Cậu… Nhưng cũng nhờ cái đưa đẩy này của số phận mà người cháu này được biết đến Thích Nhất Hạnh (It can be considered as a life turn of my life). Có những đêm thức đến 2, 3h sáng để nghe những bài giảng của thầy. Thầy giảng hay & sâu lắm Cậu à. Nhưng cái cháu thích nhất là sự trầm tỉnh, chậm rãnh và uy nghi của thầy.

Cậu đi xa nhưng không mất.
Cậu đã làm được quá nhiều điều mà 1 người bình thường cũng phải mơ ước.

It’s not how long you live. It’s how you live! – Jim Rohn

Cậu cũng đã đi Mỹ, được thăm thú chị em, con cháu. Hai con của Cậu cũng đã lớn và lấy chồng. Cậu cũng đã có cháu – không chỉ một mà tận hai. Cậu cũng đã thăm ngôi trường NTP mới to đẹp mà Cậu đã có công lớn gầy dựng suốt hơn mười năm. Những gì Cậu làm đã được ghi nhận rõ ràng qua những lẵng hoa từ mọi cấp của thành phố; qua những đoàn người kính viếng Cậu trong suốt tang lễ; qua những giọt nước mắt của những người thầy, cô đồng nghiệp và đàn em đã được Cậu dìu dắt qua bao năm.

Chỉ vì tui sinh thằng thứ 3 mà anh mất huy chương lao động hạng nhất – thầy Lương tâm sự
– Tau mà cũng sinh được 1 thằng như m thì t cũng làm rồi!!

Luôn có 1 sự hài hước, hóm hỉnh nhưng sâu sắc và vị tha trong những câu nói của cậu.

…..

Sáng đó mọi người tiễn Cậu đi tiếp một chuyến đi mới…

– “Cố gắng làm việc cho tốt; có tiền.. thì gửi về cho Cậu”.

ps: còn khá nhiều điều để viết thêm, cháu sẽ cập nhật khi có thời gian.

“Splash Page”‘s Reason

This blog should have been my homepage but for the so-called “splash page”. Why?

1. I wanted to build & experiment with something “cool” (html5) on my homepage

2. I don’t wanna everyone to read this blog. Kinda embarrassing actually. Only those who really care should read it. Others shouldn’t. Why? Because it may hurt them, and therefore, me as well. Plus, haters will always hate. They’ll just hate. I don’t want them to suffer more. Most people will leave after the homepage anyway.

3. I am actually not the one who wanna show off – or pretend to show off though I believe this blog has some good stuff. If they want, they will find it.

That was my logic.

Design Problems

I have some design problems. You are an IT guy. I know if I tell you about my problems, you may not solve them, but I still tell you.
As a matter of fact, sometimes I don’t really want to find/know the solutions. I just want someone to listen (to me & my problems).

It’s such a great example of human nature & the importance of attentive listening. Most of cases, people talk about a problem just purely because they want to make excuses, explain & seek understanding, feel better or purely complain (to eventually feel better).

A One-Sentence Journal

The idea of writing a few long (& “quality” that worth reading) articles a week is intimidating for me.

I’ve tried & failed.

In fact, I procrastinate! At one point, there were more drafts than published posts on my blog.

That’s also why the idea of “one-sentence journal” by Gretchen Rubin is so original, refreshing and practical.

Updated on Mar 30, 2016: I’ve kept my one-sentence journal (online – on this blog) since end of 2014 until now. Though I might have missed quite a few days in a month, “one-sentence journal” helps me create a good habit of jotting down my thoughts & keeps me going until now as it’s so easy to summarize my day (what I’ve done, learned and achieved) in one sentence. In 2016 in particular, I’ve forced myself not to skip any single day.

Lately, learning from Steve Pavlina, I’m writing down more about ideas & what I’ve learned than about my daily routines (What I do or Where I go) but the purpose doesn’t change. Update: Learning from Stefan James, I now add about what I’ve achieved (“magic moments”) into my journal too.

A few days ago, I re-read what I wrote for the first time. Guess what? It’s fun & I feel good reading what I wrote – though some of them sounds quite funny & silly to me now.

Since then, I decide I’ll print out the journal at the end of each month (I’ve kept these journals private as it contains some private thoughts that I prefer others not to read). What a way to reflect what happened in my life!

Progress equals Happiness – Tony Robbins

What a piece of advice that I’ve learned! What a habit that I’ve built! Thank you Gretchen & the article (I forget which one) that brings me to your article 🙂

What I love

“- I like pretty, long legged girls!
– I also like to have lots of money.

Opps, sorry this article is about what I love not what I like.

Like vs Love?

Like & Love both describe what we want. But they are different (significantly different!).

For me Like is more about. In terms of time, it’s more like instant, now, at the moment & probably doesn’t last (long). Maybe I’d like to have a beer now (becos it’s hot) but I wouldn’t wanna have it later at night. I may like a tall & pretty PR girl but it doesn’t mean I want to live with her forever.

Love is something with a stronger feeling than like. It usually last longer as well. If I love beer, I would drink it very often (unless I’m sick :D) & would wanna try different kinds of beer to see what’s best. If I love someone, I will want to do lots of things with her (to see what we like best). But if I like someone, I may like to do one thing with different girls (to see who‘s the best).
Don’t blame me, it’s just an example which is probably true as well 😀

We may like to have money but surely we don’t wanna sleep with money. Money is just a old & dirty paper. Money alone doesn’t have or carry any meaning nor feeling… We may hear someone says they love money. Wrong! They don’t love money they love what money may bring them – which they may not know either…

So I think there is a misunderstand & intepretation between LOVE & LIKE.

Okies so What I love?

pretty tough question, isn’t it?
Alright:

I love numbers
Don’t tell me that you don’t. Get it? 😛

I love stats & probability
that’s why sometimes I’m tempted to my “knowledge” & luck in gambling 😀

I love traveling

I love beaches
I’ve visited quite a few beautiful beaches so far

I love meeting & talking to new people
though actually I’m really not good at it.

In a broader view,

I <3 History

Yea I know. History is such a boring subject. You would say. But I think otherwise. Born in Hue – the last imperial capital of Vietnam – where one of the most devastating & longest American war took place; My great great grandfather & his children were also like minister & mayor (Thuong Thu) under the Nguyen Dynasty; Growing up watching (& being influenced by) many Chinese imperial movies,… So I can’t do anything & but fall in love with history.
Most of all, I’m forever curious – I’d love to know what really happened in the past…

I <3 Psychology

Have you ever loved someone so much that you feel like you would die if you lose him/her? Have you ever seen girls who always claim her Mr. Right must be a good & nice guy would eventually fall in love with a bad & playboy-kind of guy? Have you ever noticed some guys with some seemingly born-traits that could enable him to get anything he/she wants while the rest of us can’t?
Have you ever wondered why it happens?
90% of those “magic” things would be attributed to “psychology” – which is fun, practical, learn-able & useful if not utterly important. That’s why I just love it!

I <3 Personal Development

If I would ever be successful (which I believe I will :D), I will attribute all to PD. There are many born gifted people but so do poor-to-rich people who overcome their terrible environment, conditions,.. to be great. These stories are just forever inspiring for all of us!

I <3 Teaching & Inspiring

I started “teaching” others since very young but the real & official teaching would only start in high school when I made some money (sometimes in form of free breakfast or drinks :D) teaching my friends English, Maths (?)…  Teaching is the ultimate form of learning & inspiring.

If we can’t teach & empower our friends, our employees & especially our kids to be better than us, we may be considered failures because our success (wealth, happiness, etc. if there is) is not sustainable. I remember I taught & guided my ex in some subjects that she ignored, which eventually helped her to have excellent & even better grades than mine in our graduation exam. Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing 😀 but I realise when my “students” are better than me, I know I’ve succeeded (whether they acknowledge it or not) 🙂

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to be cont…

What about you? What do you love? Please share with me your list in the comment below. Please.

Thỏi vàng & bãi đất

Một thỏi vàng, một bãi đất.
Cái nào có ích hơn? (!?)
– Chụ trì Shaolin, tân TLT

hả bạn!?..