Doing Like Nike Says

Everyone has a mantra. Mine is a Nike tagline. It might be a telling sign of my age that the company's 1988 slogan, 'Just Do It', is one I apply in my own life. I am not ashamed to say that it is just as meaningful to me now as it was more than two decades ago.

Recently I got to thinking about a new business idea. I admit, it was a stolen idea. While discussing possible new ventures with people over a cup (or 7!) of tea, it occurred to me that some parts of the plan could be taken and modified to suit a very viable almost-similar enterprise, while steering clear of any conflict of interest. 

So I got on it. Research is currently underway; excursions to suppliers have been planned; market surveys are being done- albeit in an extremely casual manner; necessary people have been given a heads-up and asked if they are able to provide services I'll need.  

Am I certain it'll be a success? Not at all. But that's ok. "If you don't try, you've already failed. But if you do, there's a chance you'll succeed." Good advice that was given by a BFF also more than two decades ago. 

And that folks, is how every business in existence today got started. Someone just went ahead and DID IT!

I'm not sure this new baby will even make it from planning to execution, let alone become a success. But I'm sure sitting on my behind and wondering and thinking and twiddling my thumbs aren't going to help it take off either.

What is it? That's not relevant to the story. What *is* is that it's something I feel strongly about. Something I have a passion and drive for. Something I am committed to making work because I believe in it. 

And that's half the battle won. Success comes from achieving what you desire. The hard part is figuring out what that desire is. But once you do, Just Do It!

Hey, that slogan must be something special if it's enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution, right?

What's YOUR passion?

© 2014 Nike, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Everything Has a Price

That's what I used to believe. That everyone has a price, and everything could be bought for the right amount - however big a sum that might amount to. 

But I was wrong. And I'm glad I was wrong. 

Today someone offered me a full-time job. He hadn't said how much he'd be willing to pay me to give up my piano teaching and part-time writing, it was just a simple question. "Would you be willing to take on a full-time position?"

For half a second my mind hollered "YES if you pay me triple my current salary!"

This was immediately followed (pity it wasn't in slow motion!) by a montage of the past week's activities including taking mum to visit her old friends from Cold Storage days, accompanying her to Ikea to buy candles where we ended up sitting for more than an hour just chatting away over tea and siew mai, and telling dad about the stories I was reading on FB while we sat for over an hour in the waiting room of Clinic Q at CGH. 

Just one week. And the week isn't even over. That's all the stuff I've done with them this week. Stuff that I do because I CAN. 

And NO amount of money can convince me to give that up. 

So I said no to the guy offering me the job. There was nothing more to ask. I would never give up what I'm doing now for anything in the world, because the time I spend with them is way too precious to put a price tag on. 

X-men, X-code, X-terminate

I haven't written in years. Ok so I'm prone to x-aggeration.

Here's the update. 

HAWT right?

I watched x-men last night. It was fun, only because it's a Wolverine-is-the-star movie. And I love me my wolverine. But I thought it could have been more fighting and less talking. Altho to be fair I suppose the talking was necessary to the plot. They should just have given us (fine, ME) more crash-boom-bang for my buck. 

Speaking of, did you know if you buy tix online with DBS / POSB cards you get a dollar off per ticket? In this day and age, one's gotta take whatever discounts one can get. After all, we need to start saving to fight against the minimum sum policy no?

Ouch. Yes. That was my tiny reference to the political situation in SG that one reads about on FB everyday. And it HAS to be true, I mean, it's on FB innit? 

On to other things. I've been helping my BFF with her game development business... writing and editing and just all round checking for grammar mistakes and stray apostrophes.  I won't say I'm awesome at it. But I do what I can to help. Recently we were collateral damage (I'm being kind and gentle and mellow) in a report that someone (who claims to be a game industry professional) wrote attacking Asiasoft. It sounds like she has a personal agenda, considering she's admitted to being in a long-term relationship with someone who is part of another indie outfit in SG. And I'm just annoyed. No facts, no numbers. Just this is bad, that is bad, this sucks, that's ugly, and that she was simultaneously horrified and terrified (verbatim). Tsk. You don't like it, that's your problem right?

So I'm thinking of starting up another blog - one that will be affiliated with the company - where I can say all the NICE stuff I want to, and all the BAD stuff I want to (in my super duper snarky not-sure-if-I'm-sliming-them way). All I gotta think of is a really cute and/or catchy name. Always the hardest part eh? 

And then I'll write and I'll write and I'll be satisfied that I got to say my piece. And then I'll be able to sleep easy.