One important question we modern people would ask is, “Why is everyone so damn stressed out?”

Modern life is full of ironies. The irony here is how we always plan as attempt to feel more secure and thus make things less stressful. Yet, we get the exact opposite result.

Planning is fine but becomes bad when excessive.

We drown ourselves in all possible scenarios, which are mental images of futures that exist only in our mind. So they are more or less illusions. Then we completely forget that plans are just plans, and thus should change upon changes in us and the environment. While we forge that, we fail to adapt when things turn sour. And then we make even bigger mess when we control and manipulate, scratch and claw to try to force what has become into a future that exists in our mind — as if we are clinging for our dear life.

Attachment to plan. Attachment to accomplishment. Attachment to the thoughts we have of what future should be. Attachment to accomplishment. Attachment to fulfill our ego’s desires.

As humans, we now often fail to change and adapt, like water. We like rigidness. When we are both rigid and fluid.

There is even the field called Risk Analysis, and so every business and individual strive to take the risk out of things. Again, too much is bad. Imagine a life where risk is taken out. Imagine you know everything that is going to happen. What happen to life?

Like the game of tic-tac-toe, because I know it can only end in win or draw. I see no point to play it, unless my goal is to intentionally lose.

Like the game of chess, when we know one of us is going to mate in a few moves, we end the game to start over. There is no point to continue.

What happens to life when there is too much planning? What happens to life when risk is completely removed? I believe, the answer is clear.

A recent commentary in a BusinessWeek talks of a “No Cost Way to Motivate”. In a few words, the suggestion is that if managers start taking an interest in the employees’ personal life (a.k.a. treating them as humans?), they will therefore work harder and with more enthusiasm.

Oh my my, really? We are supposed to treat each other as humans? I did not know that. (Though, if they do it pretentiously, it would mean worse than not doing it… almost insulting.)

To have someone writes such topic in a magazine can only mean that we have failed miserably at it.

It is not difficult for any of us to find examples in our real life. It is not too far fetched to say… most of us at work, treat each other as workers. Personally, I find such difficulty for people to step outside of this framework. We ARE engineers and we work with engineers. Managers see each other as managers, and minions as engineers, etc. When the high level executives look at “us”, we become numbers and headcounts.

Maybe solely for work purpose, it is suffice for us to acknowledge and call each other by our employee serial number. Alright, that’s probably too cynical.

The things I said above, most of us are complying to it. That is why we are such nervous wreck when we need to talk to people “in position”, or people “of seniority”. Note, fear and nervousness is not respect.

A very specific example is a friend who briefly mentioned his recent engagement to manager who took no interest, and not even a second to congratulate. I am not saying we need to have a celebration at work, but no acknowledgement? No wonder we are all miserable workers.

This takes me back to the topic that to truly relate to each others, for us humans to connect, it is a good idea to begin with the basis that we are human beings. We are all connected and that is where compassion arises. With compassion, we are giving each other a hand.

So for both productivity and for our own sake, do we really need to be “more employee” or “more human”?

The question of the day is, do we need more advertising? Is more growing advertising revenue to be?

I have already given up on TV a long time ago. Not only were there few shows that are enjoyable, the ever more increasing commercials during a program has made my decision firm. I think there is one day where commercials take up more minutes than the program itself. Perhaps we are there already? I don’t watch enough TV, can someone tell me? :P

The one show I do still watch now is Daily Show (kudos to Jon Stewart), and I have been watching it online for awhile. During this time, I observe a trend. Between segments, it went from 15 seconds commercial, to 15/30 seconds commercial break, to now, 2-3 10/15/30 seconds commerical break.

Is it just me or are we simply gradually transferring the television advertising method to online programs? What happened gradually to television programs is happening to internet programs. It will be the same beast with another skin.

What is next? What is the next medium of “information watching” where we can avoid commercials before it gets overtaken by commercials? Can there be a next thing after internet? I don’t know.

I have been working for 5+ years, and I have met and worked with people now to make an observation — It is not the majority of people to respect their job, or in the least, not even the work or task at hand.

Let me put it another way — People want reward, whatever it maybe, after doing work, in desperately being so, the reward is prioritized over the work itself. As a result, the quality of the work is often compromised.

I have said that the best thing (quality) happens when we are in the moment. When we are so dead set focused on rewards and “the end”, we are completely away from the moment. It is ironic because reward is dependent on the quality of the work and never the other way around.

Can you be sincere in the moment and give the attention to the task at hand that will create quality?

I try to do that. This is even true when some tasks are not “as important”, when grunt work is forced upon me, and when projects have many not-so-pleasant elements. No, it does not mean I don’t get grumpy and whinny sometimes, but without striving for perfection, without thinking so much about possible rewards, I do my best to perform the task at hand to a certain level of quality.

Sometimes even after doing that, things still don’t turn out great (sometimes due to underlying reluctance… or laziness…), but always, at least I give it a try (even if just a little bit). And by giving it a try always, the frequency of “good work” is naturally higher.

Frankly, some people don’t even try… and it is so obvious. It’s not surprising. What with society mostly telling us “to get rich” and “to be important” etc., and so little teaching about respect, wisdom, etc. Bleh~~

Well, about rewards. I’d love some too. Who doesn’t? Though, perhaps they may never come. I know what is enough. And for the many times that I create decent work, I find the reward in itself. Plus, whatever I do, I find there is always something new to learn.

At this moment, are you waiting for the perfect time and situation to do something? Perhaps something to change your life forever. It’s so important, that you must require the perfect time so that you are guaranteed result.

Well, that’s a bunch of bull.

I am guilty of that myself. Lately, being honest, besides having things to deal with in life, which we all do so it’s not really a good excuse anyways, I am having a difficult time of coming up with post. I am having difficulty because I feel that I do not have great writing (aka. perfection) that I deem presentable, even though I have 4 pages of drafts sitting in wordpress, many of which are quite full of content.

So to get out of the rut, I am just throwing this post out. I take the initiative. I give myself a chance to keep my thoughts alive, or get the flow going.

There will never be perfect timing. There is no perfect result. If there is perfection, wouldn’t we be there already by now and we wouldn’t need to do anything.

Of course, there needs to be a balance between doing nothing and forcing issue, and neither is any good. I “made” myself write this post because I both think and feel that if I don’t, I will keep waiting for a perfect post to be the next post and writing anything now is better than doing nothing still. Of course, I find this relevant for everyone also.

So, are you still waiting for a “good” time to start something? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Your next birthday? New year?