What is your motivation?

"Man's greatest motivation in life is Fear and Greed." 

According to Phil Jackson's book "Sacred Hoops", that is what his CEO of Chicago Bulls believe. And how true is that and how untrue is that?

Being a marketing and advertising person, it's not uncommon that we try to go into the head of our target and think from their perspective. How will I make them buy my product? How will I make them join my contest? Basically, what are the consumers' behavior towards our product. We might not be psychiatrist but we do spend a lot of time doing that and sometimes the answer we get is pretty good. So how often do we use greed and fear to motivate them and does it work?

Fear 

Honestly, this use to be my bread and butter as a sales man selling events and planning services. We will always make event planning sounds so difficult. The trouble of getting the right licensing for the right kind of show. PELU, Compass, NEA, BCA, SPF and many more. It is so mind blowing that the client will say it in his mind "Wah, so many things to do just for a roadshow? Damn, I always thought I just need some girls in bikinis to give away my flyers." Thanks to all these ruling in Singapore, it makes events planning kinda intimidating and that's where I come in to help you with getting the paper work done and best of all we do it all the time and it is like a snap of a fingers to me.

I guess it works the same for many other sales man from insurance to the guy who sells magic mop or some super sharp knives or even the property agent. One of the classic would be " I've got another person viewing this unit too. So let me know if you are interested else the other person might want to put the down payment 1st." Tar dar. And more often than not people fall into such "motivational traps". All you need is someone to push you over the top on saying yes.

Greed

Looking at this two motivational source, they sounded more like vice and sins to me than anything else and the bad news is that they are something that I work around.

How do I use greed? Familiar with these terms?

"50% Discount"
"Was $299 now $149 ONLY"
"Buy 1 get 1 free"
"LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE AND GET A FREE APPLE PIE!"

So I guess that rest are self-explanatory isn't it. Greed has always been the easiest form of motivation even in day to day case. "I buy you lunch if you...." "I give you this if you...." And our basic performance bonuses, year end bonus and what not bonuses at work. But are all this monetary bonus something that keep people in companies and making them happy and work in 100% effort or even 110% effort?

Zen master says... 
it's love and community. That is what Phil Jackson believes. He believes that the power of community and love beats Greed and Fear anytime. And he wrote that book in the 90s. And do you know what he just said? He just pointed out at us the beauty of social media - which is Love and Community.

Community and Love

The best motivation as pointed out by Phil. Greed and Fear and only bring you this far but a good community brings you further. This is what social media is. Viral. How someone shares something and everyone else buy. The logic of why we prefer to read blogs and try things that are being talked about online. The community. The basic logic of "when everyone is trying it out, it can't be wrong." The Love when your friends ask you to do things as a team when you feel accepted as something as a team - Oneness.

I remember how I spent my money like water thanks to community love. Forums. I used to collect toys, I still do but not as crazy and how did things got out of hand? Mass orders at forum, people sharing what they just gotten and what is a must buy. You have no idea how many of those toys I got just because everyone else has it and sometimes because they needed one more person to buy as a group before they deliver it to Singapore.

How did some girls start losing weight on internet? The motivation of community. Challenging each other who loses more, the comments on Instagram that goes "Looking good XXXX".

How did some people started cycling. running or any other form of hobbies? The power of community. Word of mouth. And this is exactly how Facebook and other platforms are doing it isn't it? Sharing the latest food or the latest happenings.

In a good office environment, we have heard something like this too often, "The job sucks but a job is just a job and having good colleagues is important and make things worth it. We laugh and cry together as a team." That is always why HR experts always stress on the importance of team building, company trips, dinners and dance which will allow organization to create better results. It's not just about another day running under the sun trying to find clues or doing trust falls. Those are just activities to help speed up community building. Solving problems together, achieving something as a team. These rewards are priceless and it is something that will keep building. And this is the power of community and love.



So what is your motivation? Choose your poison.

Mr.Smith, come come, kor kor give you love.

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Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith.

This is not exactly a book review cause I haven't really finished the book. There is something weird about this blogpost for a few things:

1. I don't normally read books.
2. I am not a Christian.
3. I am not a fan of fans of Christ.
4. I don't read books. (Just to prove my point.)
5. I am currently an atheist.

I'm the cool one in this story.

I started reading Mitch's book since "The 5 person you met in heaven". I like his style as he teach one things through his stories. He doesn't just put it in your face but he slowly delivers it to you and let you explore and understand it. In another words, he puts me thinking. Maybe 50 shades of grey will put me thinking but I guess it's just different. :p

I'm half way through the book and I must say I am touched. It's funny as this books, as the name suggests talks about faith. About Mitch, himself who slowly lost God to time, and the gap between him and God got larger due to time. Another man who turned his back on God times and again but God still took him back. And an old Jewish Rabbis who wanted Mitch to write his eulogy. And this stories was built around how Mitch got closer to God through the journey of knowing Mitch better.

To me, religion is just a set of rules to make people a better person. God is "something" that give people hope, faith and a piece of mind. Especially at wits end. And at the same time, that's the reason why I call myself an Atheist now, cause my prayer was left unanswered.

In the book, Mitch asked what's happiness. Reb says

"satisfied n grateful for the love we received and what God has given us. As a baby we came to this world w a clenched fist thinking we could have had it all n we leave this place with our hands opened cause we have learnt that we can bring nothing together with us." 

That made me tear up on the train because I know I'm satisfied and grateful for the love that I've received from you. Although it ended earlier than I wanted but I'm grateful for what I had. With you in my heart, for eternity or till my time is up.

It's a shame there are things that I can't agree with Christianity. I'm stubborn, not convinced and not a believer. Someone once told me that she see that Christian in me and I will do good for the religion one day and to me that is just the typical "sales pitch" a Christian came out with to convert me. This is how skeptical I am. 

Sometimes ago before my brother converted to a Christian, we had a talk about this. A serious talk. Something that we as brothers don't normally do. He asked me how I feel about him converting into a Christian. Although I am not one but I always believe in freedom of choice. I told him that it is his belief and if God is his faith that is his calling and that is where he should head to. He shouldn't worry about mum, dad or even me. The bottom line of the conversation was I hope he was doing it because he wanted it and he felt God and not because of purely influences or stressed by anyone else. He told me he felt God. God saved him. God gave him the sign. – Now, where's mine? 


This song came onto the radio while I was typing this. This song was introduced by Will many years ago as well. 

I tell myself once in awhile that maybe I should go to a church to feel God myself, find peace or at least get closer to you but I've been to services with my friends and it's really too fancy for my liking. All the dancing, singing and fancy stages brings me no peace. It just put me in a position and more question surfaces. Above all, I don't see how I can be a Christian when I'm all tattoo, alcohol, sex, violence and gutter. I just can't see myself being the nice Christian boy that goes "Oh in the name of God.. blah blah blah." or say things like Sex after marriage, no this no that. pffff. 

I was once teased that a pastor might just do some perform some exorcist ritual on me and my foul mouth. 

I just can't find that peace in my mind I guess. Not now, not yet, maybe never. 

Mr.Smith, have a little faith.

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Put things in perspective.

Rule 8.10 from "The Rules Of Work" by Richard Templar

"When all is said and done, it is only a job. It aint't your health, your love life, your family, your children, your life or your soul. If, by the way, it is any of these things then you really have gone badly wrong along the way.

Your job is just a job. Yes,I know you need the money etc., etc. But it is JUST a job and there are others.

Having a bad day at work shouldn't cause you to:

- lose sleep

- go off your food

- lose your sex drive

- smoke more

- drink more

- take drugs

- be more irritable

- get depressed

- get stressed.

But you'd be surprised how often these things are done by people because they have had a bad day. Yes, they may have had a whole series of bad days. But taken one by one , it is just a bad day. You have to learn to switch off, relax, not take it so seriously, enjoy it more , put things into perspective.

Get a hobby, get a life. You must work to live, not live to work. Don't take stuff home with you - learn to be assertive and say no. Put your family first. Spend time with your children - they will grow up so fast you will miss their previous childhood if you work your way through it - believe me I have seen my children grow up and it is so swift it is terrifying. It may seem slow and stressful at the time, but it zips past and then is irrecoverably gone - and you missed it because you were doing paperwork of an evening or attending another boring bloody conference at the weekend.

It is just a job. "

i am not sure how much of the above article that i understand is right. Did Richard just ask us to take it easy or did he just ask us to be not that responsible to our job? Did he said all that because he did or that or did he say all that cause he did the otherwise and felt that it should be done this way. If it's so, would he be less successful a person if he did the above ?

I have been stressing myself alot lately, yes alot. Not by my boss, not my gf not my mom. ( did I subconsciously mention all the 3 important woman in my life? - as of now at least)

- I am stress about not having enough money to get myself back into school.

- I am stress about my upcoming HDB, wedding, renovation, ROM, buying the perfect ring.

- I am stress about my work, which I shall not say too much about as I understand there are people out there reading and I do not wanna get myself into trouble. ( see, even when i post something i feel so stress.

- I am stress about not having my class 3 license yet and I know, I blame this on others as well cause everyone just keep asking me and i do not understand why the whole world just think that class is a fucking compulsory in life? If u seriously want me to have it, GIVE ME THE MONEY TO DO IT.

- I am stress over savings and I am so turn off I do not even have the mood to spent anymore.

- I am stress over the point that I do not want my kids to stress over the same things as I am stressing over now - I have a happy family but I still blame my dad for not being able to put me in a safe zone like some rich kids who can just complete their half fuck studies, get into uni, get a class 3 and even a car all covered by their parents. Trust me, with all these in hand these people are still asking for more and going emo over other stupid things. Yes I am jealous and I am very very jealous about rich kids.

- I felt that I am losing myself, I am not doing things I like to and I am doing things to make others happy or in another words like how @junnie247 put it, a betrayal to your dearest self.

- I can't help it but things are just running in my head and I felt like an under achiever all over again.

- I have hobby, in fact hobbies but I am not good at any of them and I just got my ankle injured again. I guess I might stop playing basketball soon.

AH ! G.Y.M SAVE ME !!!

"And now ladies and gentlemen, that's the ugly truth"

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