Thanksgiving Is Not Over Yet

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was thinking how much we all went through over the last 7-10 days and what we should look forward in the coming weeks.

We all had to deal with the Thanksgiving food shopping. We had to deal with the returning kids and their travel schedules. In our case we had to deal with the families that came from long distances and stayed with us for few days. A lot of airport runs and a lot of clean up afterward.

Then we had to go through the Black Friday which this year actually started on Thanksgiving evening just as we were finishing our Thanksgiving pies. Luckily the traffic at the malls were much lighter on Friday and wasn’t as bad as previous years.

Next came Cyber Monday with all the great deals we can get online. Actually there were many good deals and I found the next laptop I want to buy.

So as you see, we had to go through a lot in the last few days and now it’s all done. Or is it?

If you pay attention to what we did in the last 7-10 days you will notice that we did a lot of things that relates to our family and friends such as the Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas gift buying. The total sales for the Black Friday weekend was $57.4 billion and Cyber Monday added another $2.3 billion. That equates to over $420 that each shopper spent on gifts presumably for family and friends.

In the next few weeks, there are no major events other than a few Christmas parties. I suggest after all the things we did for our family and friends, we take some time and give to others who may need some help.

This is the time of the year that we are in a giving mood and our communities need our help. The recent economy has not helped and there are many people who at no fault of themselves have become less fortunate and are in the need of some help.

I know many of you help various charities and groups and I hope you spread the word with others and get more people involved. Let’s make this holiday a happy one for more people.

My Thanksgiving

I thought for this week’s blog, it would be fitting to write about Thanksgiving. Then I quickly figured out there isn’t much I can write that hasn’t been written before. So I am going to tell you what this holiday means to me and what I like about it.

This is an adopted holiday for me since I migrated to this country about 40 years ago. I didn’t grow up with Thanksgiving traditions and didn’t experience my first Thanksgiving until the age of 18 when I came here. Once I formed our family and we had our kids, this holiday became even more important to me.

We always have tried to have Thanksgiving at our house and make it a big occasion with family and friends. I took the role of cooking all the foods and Sheri has taken the role of making our home beautiful and comfortable for the visiting guests. Yes, most of our family stays for a few days and she has to feed them other meals as well!

In recent years, my daughter has started to help with the food and enjoys it as much as I do. In the last 5-6 years, our turkey has become a deep fried turkey, which I cook in front of everyone on our patio. The act of dropping the turkey (actually lowering it gently) in the fryer has become a part of the tradition of this holiday for us. My sausage and artichoke stuffing is a must have and my son loves my corn chowder soup.

I also ask my kids and/or one of the younger people to specifically talk about what we are thankful for before we eat.

As you see, we have learned to celebrate this wonderful holiday as it has many traditions and the great purpose of bringing family and friends together. We mainly celebrate it to remind ourselves, our kids, our family, and our friends why we are thankful. I personally like to use the word “grateful” to express my thanks and gratitude.

• I am grateful that my parents sent me here to better myself.
• I am grateful that I was able to become successful and have a wonderful life.
• I am grateful for my wonderful wife and kids.
• I am grateful for our health.
• I am grateful to have all of you as family and friends.
• I am grateful that after 31 years of work I can have the time to do the fun things in my life.

It’s easy to be ungrateful for the bad things that happen to us (like cancellation of my medical insurance due to Obamacare) but being grateful for the good things create a positive energy that can change our attitude towards our family, our work, and life in general. As Jon Gordon says: “We can't be stressed and thankful at the same time. If we are feeling blessed we can't be stressed.”

So on Thursday, no matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving, what kind of foods you make, and how you prepare your turkey, take the time to pause and think of all the things that you are thankful and grateful. I am sure you could come up with many no matter what your situation is.

Bossing or Leading?

I have a magazine clipping in front of me under my PC screen which I have had for many years. Before I retired, I used to have it at work in front of me as an important reminder.

I don’t remember where I got this clipping but it has provided inspiration and guidance to me for many years. I still look at it from time to time to make sure I am following the advice.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember where I got this and there is no name on it to give the author the credit.

This small clipping has 15 observations relating to leadership. It specifically differentiate a Leader from a Boss. You may find them cliché but I think they are valuable if practiced.

As you know, I also advocate good leadership not only in business but also in our personal lives with our family, friends and society. These observations can also apply to anyone in any situation.

Let me list them for you first before I go on.

• The boss drives people; the leader coaches them.
  
• The boss depends on authority; the leader on goodwill.
  
• The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.
  
• The boss says “I”; the leader says “WE.”
  
• The boss says “Get here on time”; the leader gets there ahead of time.
  
• The boss fixes blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown.
  
• The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how.
  
• The boss says “Go”; the leader says “LET’S GO.”
  
• The boss uses people; the leader develops them.
  
• The boss sees today; the leader also looks at tomorrow.
  
• The boss commands; the leader asks.
  
• The boss never has enough time; the leader makes time for things that count.
  
• The boss is concerned with things; the leader is concerned with people.
  
• The boss works hard to produce; the leader works hard to help people to produce.
  
• The boss takes the credit, the leader gives it.

Again, they may sound simple or cliché but they are very powerful in shaping our character and behavior. I think the challenge is when you are in the moment, which side you tend to gravitate to. We can all agree with these observations but doing them consistently on a sustained basis takes a lot of discipline and courage.

Do you agree?

Automate your Tasks

My last blog was a technology related blog and was about Philips’ Hue. Since some of you were interested in it, I am going to follow it up with another cool technology which also relates to Hue.

This week’s blog is about a software and an app that you can install on your computer or iPhone (not on Android yet) and it will perform some interesting tasks.

It’s called IFTT, which is an acronym for “If This, Then That.” It’s also pronounced like “gift” without the letter “g”.

IFTTT is a service that enables users to connect different web applications (e.g., Facebook, Evernote, Weather, Stocks, Dropbox, etc.) together through simple conditional statements known as "Recipes."

IFTTT enables users to create and share "Recipes" that fit the simple statement: "if this then that." The “this” part of a Recipe is called a Trigger. The “that” part of a Recipe is called an Action. The combination of a Trigger and an Action from a user's active channels are called Recipes. The service offers Triggers and Actions for 73 channels (as of now), such as Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, ESPN, Flickr, Evernote, and Microsoft SkyDrive. It also integrates with Belkin WeMo devices and Philips HUE allowing Recipes to interact with the physical world.

I have started using it to see how it works and how helpful it can be. I have set up all of my recipes on my PC which was very easy and quick. For example, I created a recipe that states: If today's stock price for Twitter rises by 1%, then send me an email. You can also pick from a list of thousands of recipes that are created by other users.

Here are a few examples of what you can create:

• When a new book is added to Kindle Top 100 Free eBooks, send me an email.
  
• If it’s going to rain tomorrow, remind me by text to take an umbrella.
  
• When a new pictures is taken on my iPhone, then upload it my Google Drive.
  
• When it’s time for the kids to go to bed, turn the Philips Hue lights into a rainbow colors.
  
• When a new apartment (or anything else based on your criteria) is listed on Craigslist, send me a text.
  
• Every year post a new Facebook status wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
  
• If I'm tagged in a photo on Facebook, then blink the Philips Hue lights to let me know.
  
• When Facebook profile picture changes, update Twitter profile picture too.
  
• Upload new Instagram photos to Flickr.
  
• Turn a device on or off from anywhere. (Needs Belkin switches in your house.)
  
• Call my phone at a specified time as a wakeup call.
  
• When I text “help”, call my phone so I can get out of a meeting or a tricky situation.
  
• Keep track of a particular stock's daily closing price in a spreadsheet.

I think you get the idea. This is a fun service which can do many things and it can become more useful as more channels are added and more physical things can be controlled. I like to see a GPS service added so based on my location I can have different actions happen. It would be interesting to get a text between noon and 1:00 PM whenever I am close to an In-n-Out Burger. :)

Give it a try, it’s fun.

Is Hue in Your Future?

This week, I am going to change direction and write about something a bit lighter. With all of the problems our country’s leadership is having, I don’t want to add any more frustration and anxiety onto you.

So this week I am going to write about a new technology that I find it very interesting.

Since Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent light bulb in 1879, not much has changed until recent years. Sure, there have been better and longer lasting incandescent light bulbs in all sizes and shapes but nothing major has happened until recently.

These days, we have halogen, CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), and LED (Light Emitting Diodes) bulbs. The latter is more efficient and longer lasting than any other type of light source, although still expensive, it is being developed for more and more applications within the home.

Some of the new LED lights have wireless capability that can be controlled with a smartphone. Philips came out with a 3-bulb set and its own communicator (bridge) called Hue that can set you back about $200. The bridge can control up to 50 bulbs and each bulb has a unique Web address for communication on the Internet.

Of course that’s a lot of money for three light bulbs but check out the things you can do with them. These LED bulbs can create 16 million colors which you can easily set with your smartphone or computer.

Once you install the app on your iOS or Android device, you can remotely control your home lighting for added security, personalize your lighting experience with custom settings, or program timers to help manage daily schedules. For example, you can turn on the lights just before you arrive home from work. If you're working late or maybe are out for the night, you can simply turn your lights on or off remotely. You can also set your lights to come on at a set time. Perfect if you're away on vacation but you want people to think you're still home!

Here are some more features. The app has several light recipes for different moods. The Relax setting will change the selected bulbs to a soft, soothing glow. The Energize setting will turn the lights to a bright and vibrant color to give you energy boost. The Concentrate setting tested in schools to a tone and brightness that’ll keep you focused and alert.

You can also set your lights to gradually brighten or dim over time. Kids like their lights on at night and you can dim the lights gradually and automatically as they fall sleep.

These bulbs can be turned into any colors with just a click on your smartphone. Imagine changing the colors for various events such as that deep red color for your romantic Valentine dinner or the multicolored perfect for Disco party you always wanted to throw. :)

In my opinion, the coolest thing you can do is to take a picture of anything or anywhere and have the bulbs match that color. If you want the lights match the color of pumpkin for your Halloween, just take a picture of it and have the bulb match it. You can create the lighting to match that beautiful sunset dinner you had on a vacation. Just upload the picture of it and you will have the same sunset in your house.

Is there a Hue under your Christmas tree this year?

To learn more about it see Philips web site at https://www.meethue.com/en-US.

You can also watch this short video about it.

Dealing with Bad News

Yesterday, I heard some news about the new Health Care website which made me disappointed and infuriated. Apparently the government has hired six companies including a lead Canadian Company to build the Affordable Care Act web site for a total cost of $45,000,000! That’s a lot money but unfortunately they have spent over $300,000,000 of our tax money so far and it still has many issues. Ouch!

I think they should have asked an American company like Amazon to set it up as a store on their website which could have been a lot cheaper and faster. :)

But kidding aside, we get a lot of news every day that is upsetting and can diminish our positive outlook in life. I also got some terrible news today about the health of a close relative that is saddening since I can’t help him very much.

In today’s environment, it’s very easy to find discouraging news which will cause negativity and anxiety in our reactions. Just look at the disagreements and disputes in countries around the world, our own government, the media, markets, corporations, unions, and even in our personal lives. I actually have stopped watching our 10:00 o’clock news (which I liked) as it’s mostly about various murders around the Bay Area.

This is plenty to raise our pessimism and want us to give up hope. So how are we supposed to deal with all of this bad news? Maybe these ideas would help.

Understand what is going on. When you hear bad news, ensure you don't jump to conclusions. Get all of the information surrounding the problem and then you will know how to feel and cope with the news.

Try to stay composed. Don't overreact to bad news, and know that simply worrying about it won’t help either. Understand that one cannot change what has already happened, but only how one responds to it.

Work on solutions. Finding answers and solutions not only will help to correct the problem, but it will also calms you down, which will lower the anxiety level in the long run.

Look for the positives. This may be difficult to do, but with every terrible situation, there may be some positives. When you focus on understanding what’s going on, you will be able to see the positives and the negatives, and know how to deal with the situation.

Don't feel guilty. If the bad news is something that happens to a person, you may feel guilty about it. You want to help but you can't. You should try not to feel like this. Sometimes life is unfair and very surprising. So don't start feeling guilty; instead support the other person, know that it is not your fault, and try to find solutions.

Talk it through. Talking about it with people close to you is one of the best ways to cope with bad news. Share your thoughts with your spouse, friends and co-workers. When you talk about your fears, your hopes, your feelings and your worries with someone, you will feel a lot better. Just make sure you are not complaining and just dumping bad news onto them.

Remember, no matter how terrible you feel about the bad news, there is nothing you can do to change the past. There is no “undo” button on the remote or the people that created the bad news or the people that told you about it. However, by feeling inspired, grateful, positive, supportive, and creating solutions we have the opportunity to convert these low energies into higher ones. That is the best service we can provide for ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities.

As Zig Ziglar said: “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.”

What's your DISC?

Let’s switch from political issues, where there will never be an agreement between the two sides and can make some people irritated, to something more useful.

Since my retirement, I have been reading more books and articles as well as listening to podcasts. All of my readings and podcasts are generally business and management related but I always find something interesting that can be applied to everyday life as well.

I keep coming across the D.I.S.C. profile.

It’s mentioned in a lot of management books and articles and how it can be effectively used. Many companies use it as a way to screen potential employees, with the thought that a certain personality type would be better or worse in certain jobs or positions. The DISC assessment can also be used is leadership. There are different leadership methods and styles that coincide with each personality type, which could help leaders be more effective.

This is not a new concept and some of you may have seen it in a business environment but DISC can also be useful and effective in your personal life. If you have a clue about the profile of your spouse, your kids, your friend and others in your life, it can be very helpful in dealing with them.

This blog is not where I can explain everything about DISC but I will give you a quick overview. You can learn more about it at www.discprofile.com and many other sites on the Internet.

The DISC assessment is a behavior assessment tool based on the DISC theory of psychologist William Marston. Marston's theory centers around four different personality traits abbreviated into D.I.S.C. DISC is non-judgmental and helps people discuss their behavioral differences.

The four personality traits are:

• Dominance – relating to control, power and assertiveness. People who score high in the intensity of the "D" styles factor are very active in dealing with problems and challenges, while low "D" scores are people who want to do more research before committing to a decision. High "D" people are described as demanding, forceful, egocentric, strong willed, driving, determined, ambitious, aggressive, and pioneering. Low D scores describe those who are conservative, low keyed, cooperative, calculating, undemanding, cautious, mild, agreeable, modest, and peaceful. 

• Influence – relating to social situations and communication. People with high "I" scores influence others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. They are described as convincing, magnetic, political, enthusiastic, persuasive, warm, demonstrative, trusting, and optimistic. Those with low "I" scores influence more by data and facts, and not with feelings. They are described as reflective, factual, calculating, skeptical, logical, suspicious, matter of fact, pessimistic, and critical. 

• Steadiness – relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness. People with high "S" styles scores want a steady pace, security, and do not like sudden change. High "S" individuals are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Low "S" intensity scores are those who like change and variety. People with low "S" scores are described as restless, demonstrative, impatient, eager, or even impulsive. 

• Compliance – relating to structure and organization. People with high "C" styles adhere to rules, regulations, and structure. They like to do quality work and do it right the first time. High "C" people are careful, cautious, exacting, neat, systematic, diplomatic, accurate, and tactful. Those with low "C" scores challenge the rules and want independence and are described as self-willed, stubborn, opinionated, unsystematic, arbitrary, and unconcerned with details. 

These four dimensions can be grouped in a grid with "D" and "I" sharing the top row and representing extroverted aspects of the personality, and "C" and "S" below representing introverted aspects. "D" and "C" then share the left column and represent task-focused aspects, and "I" and "S" share the right column and represent social aspects. The graph below shows a visual summary of this concept.

By knowing your DISC profile, you can increase your self-knowledge which helps to understand what motivates you, how you respond to problems, how to get along with others at work and at home, how to lead or mange better, and what you need to be most successful.

There are many DISC tests available online that you can purchase and take. I also found a free version at http://www.tonyrobbins.com/ue/disc-profile.php that takes about 20 minutes to take and will give you a comprehensive report on your profile.

I had taken this test years ago and took it again yesterday. I learned that I am a high “D” and a high “C”. It summarizes me as someone that deals with the problems and the challenges head-on and likes to do quality work and do it right the first time. I tends to agree with that :)

So what’s your DISC profile?