I don’t think you need to be rich to have enough. I am not a rich person, I don’t have a ton of money, but I have enough. What is enough? My argument is enough is what you have right now. If you have what you need to maintain your existence, you may have enough. The mileage in my argument may vary — you might disagree. Why think about it?I have an idea that when we start to believe we don’t have enough, we begin to believe we deserve more. When we begin to believe we deserve too strongly, we begin to see the world as unfair or unjust. “Why does someone else have what I don’t? I deserve that! I deserve more!” I don’t think that’s a uniquely human trait. Well, if that makes sense, then it might mean that realizing that you have enough might be antidote. Perhaps that’s why there’s so much literature on gratitude?

Liz, a supervisor on the team I lead, commented to a person on her team that they needed to create a case for their best next step. I loved the idea. What’s a case?The earliest uses of the word “case” come from French and Latin. The word, a long time ago, generally meant “a chance, occasion, situation, opportunity” and in Latin the word’s general meaning meant “to fall” as in “to fall in place.” I, very generally, see the word as “to create conditions to pounce when preparation meets opportunity.”If that’s a useful definition, the implication is that we should spend our time in preparation so that we are in the best position possible to meet opportunity. Put another way: If you want to sustain yourself with a career in music, show up and act like someone who already sustains themselves with a career in music. Thanks for the inspiration, Liz!Note for managers: create conditions for your teams to do the work of someone who is in a higher salary band or a higher promotion. As much as possible, give your team opportunities to stretch themselves and become who they believe themselves to be. A gardener makes the conditions right for a seed to germinate and reach its fullest potential.

Here are 7 things not worth fighting.City Hall.Slow Internet.Parallel Parking.Voice Systems that force you to press 0 a thousand times to speak to someone.Thanos - he’s inevitable.Your stomach. Your Inner Night Owl.Your jet lag.Time is relative. You only have now. Don’t fight the inevitable.

I got back to the states the other day. Here are the lessons learned from this trip overseas:If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. Mentally prepare for every possibility. Enjoy being surprised when things go right.Markets reflect taste. If you want to know how a food should taste, visit a local market. Bigger cars don’t always mean bigger parking spots. How much of life is about cramming a ton of things into a tiny window of time? Seeing the people who are in your charge as a total person first always creates trust. Your team wants to see you doing things alongside them. Admired leaders don’t need to get angry or be annoying to make a point. Aggression is no substitute for being assertive. Nobody wins from overreaction. Good quality sleep is critical for health. I have a bucket list of things I want to do next time I arrive.Climb Mount ArayatA number of coffee places.Visit a coffee farm in Cavite.Visit a few restaurants that have been added to my map.Visit Ilo Ilo and enjoy Kansi with a friend.Find the best Mexican food in the Philippines. It’s a fun challenge!Travel and being in uncomfortable situations are the best forms of teachers. Period.

“Despite customer orders being right only 63% of the time, 99% of the customers leave the restaurant feeling happy.”https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1750814607545868611?t=gefmhscjm4RmSTlElCt5QwIf you know someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, that video may strike a chord.

What does it mean to be a strong self-advocate? I imagine some might believe it means to “fight” and “advocate aggressively” for your interests. Others might view self-advocacy as a more passive act. I’m attempting to form an idea of what it means for me. Loosely, I think it’s this:Knowing who you are and therefore what matters to you. Knowing what matters to you and therefore how you must show up in the world to make that happen.Knowing how you must show up in the world to make change happen and therefore why others will benefit from your work. With that knowledge, you can always keep yourself in the best position possible to advance yourself and react to life’s challenges.

Overreaction only startles and stresses the people in your charge. Is it worth it? Perhaps the point of an overreaction is to motivate action. But are those actions out of motivation to achieve or out of fear of reprisal?A leader might operate with this golden rule: everything bad that can happen will happen. Because of that, the best thing a leader can do is prepare the team for disaster response. Drill relentlessly. Fortify the team’s mind not to react negatively to another person’s overreaction. But instead, have a clear-minded set of protocols for what to do next.

I was without wi-fi a few days ago, that’s why you’re seeing a few more blog posts than usual in one period of time. I’m heading back to the states today. I have a few reflections from my time here.Time is a concept and a measure that is unique to each person. How one person quantifies and measures there time may or may not be similar to the next. Those who become your friends because it pays may stop because it pays. The Philippines plays an important geopolitical role in SE Asia to a number of countries. Many large states compete for dominance in the region. Do countries like the Philippines benefit from these large power plays? I don’t know, and the answer may vary depending on who you ask. From my experience, it’s a question that many Filipinos I’ve spoke with think about. Everything is possible. The Philippines is an example where nearly anything is possible with enough money or ingenuity. I admire the people for their innovative mindset and ability to adapt. Everything is possible. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. So prepare for every eventuality and move through life relaxed knowing you’re prepared.

I now have the forming opinion that Wisconsinites like talking on elevators. How do I know this? Because in my attempts to blend in with the culture that I’m staying, I notice a strong desire to talk in the elevators. Nobody talks in elevators here.I think it’s good for more people to spend time in cultures far outside of their primary ones. You learn so much about yourself — pros and flaws — by having another culture reflect yourself back at you. What might I do differently back at home from what I’ve learned here? Unsure. I need to think on it more.

Abe’s Farm, in Magalang, Pampanga, is quiet and natural. The farm is not a farm; it’s a resort and restaurant. The rooms in the resort are small huts that spot a hillside. Lush ferns, succulents, and bougainvilleas cover the grounds. The main building is a large wood structure. Plenty of screened windows to allow air to move freely throughout. There’s a restaurant and a dining room. The dining room has small wooden tables with small wooden chairs. I sat with a white cup of benget coffee and enjoyed a cool breeze from the air exchange this morning. I sat by myself. I wasn’t thinking “this is the good life.” I was thinking about how people found comfort in tropical countries before air conditioning. During this trip I spend more time wondering about how and why we do things than I’ve ever done in the past. I think that comes from my work in Customer Success — which is the work of helping customers perceive value so that they decide to renew our products. My work demands I spend time contemplating questions about how and why. I love it when professions and life intersect in this beautiful way — with a cup of coffee and a cool breeze.