Is What You Have, Not What Others Have
I know I haven’t post in a while, quite a long. But new projects and work load took most of my time. Be sincere, you were happy while having a break from me, don’t lie.
Bad news are, I promise writing more, in Chinese. You want to smash my head, but trust me, its not for the gallery, its simply because I have a Chinese language Band C level exam test. And that would put me in the dark for a while…so I proceed to shut up and talk about today’s post.
I recently saw a video of my nephews that reminded me of something. Something very simple but valuable.
I keep hearing people everywhere saying ‘I want to’, ‘I would like to’, ‘If I had’. Some dream about achieving things but others fall into a desire of having without really knowing ‘why’. [I know why I want my test, and its not to hang it on a wall to take dust].
When talking with clients, many say ‘we still can’t do that because we don’t have’ and then follows either one of these: funds / time / staff and other resources. Then is when I remind them what they have. Then an infinite horizon of opportunities pop-up and turns out that what they though necessary becomes a superficial layer and sometimes an unnecessary layer.
A recent event were I was looking for a light box accessory reminded me of this:
It’s what you have, not what others have, that makes you stronger.
I was looking for a light box and then I found one for US$250. Instead of buying it I just made it myself recycling stuff I have at home -except for the lights (US$14).
I used my tool box, went to the drugstore, search, use my brain, and after trial and error, I made it. I made it! And I saved US$236 on a thing I was considering buying. Best part is not only the money I saved but how I learned about electric circuits and how that’s helping me on other ongoing projects.
Sure, quality might not be as great, it doesn’t fold and it doesn’t look fancy at all -rather chessy- but the thing is I don’t need any of that.
Ok, so cardboard does not make you stronger than the rest but knowing what your skills and resources are is a tremendous lesson you can learn from and have fun with.
Sounds simple and obvious, as a Chinese idiom says 知易行難 (zhī yì xíng nán, easy to understand but difficult to do) but nowadays you just have to take a walk to let yourself be surprised on how many ‘inventions’ and products are out there sold providing ‘smart solutions’ which are completely unnecessary. Unless you are a lazy ass and don’t know which alternatives are still available to waste your money.
And this proves again what a wisdom person once said: ‘Its not the tool what makes the man, its how he uses it’. Which brought to my mind a video.
I know its a terrible way to finish the post, but I couldn’t help but sharing with you something it made me laugh.
Have a nice day!