SHA NACINO

About This Book

June 2020

A few weeks ago, 55 members of our association each agreed to write a short article that
could offer help, ideas, comfort, perspective, solutions, or just a friendly word to someone
out there in the world. A person like you, going through this global pandemic with us. You
received 19 of those articles, carefully curated by the person who sent it to you. I truly hope
this collection inspires you. Because how my community made this has truly inspired me.

Hi, I’m Cathy Johnson, the 2019-20 President of Asia Professional Speakers Singapore. We
are a community of speakers, trainers and subject matter experts who speak for a living.
Many of our members speak at conventions or train large groups in organisations around the
world. And Covid-19 has decimated that part of their business. Yet they are continuing to
help, serve, encourage, support, guide and inspire.

Times like these can reveal the true character of a person. And I am so proud of the
character displayed by these people and this community.

It’s been a tough time to be the President of this association. It’s a tough time to be a leader
anywhere. But it’s the storm that makes the sailor. What makes it rewarding during the storm
is the community rallying around you.

I’d like you to know that our community is rallying around you. We wrote 55 articles. You’ve
received 19 of them here. If you’d like to read the others, come and visit us online where
you’ll find all 55. While you’re there, you can learn more about our amazing members who
are all worth connecting with.

If you’re a business leader, our speakers may have solutions for your challenges right now.

If you’re interested in professional speaking, it's a tough time right now! But we do have a
wonderful community, monthly meetings, virtual training, coaching, mentoring, an upcoming
virtual convention and an amazing global community that can support your development.

We’re here for you. We’re rallying around you.

Cathy Johnson
President (2019-2020)
Asia Professional Speakers Singapore

www.asiaspeakers.org

[email protected]
Be Extra Compassionate With Yourself
by Sha Nacino

How are you during this coronavirus global pandemic?

Maybe you are not as productive as you were prior to the coronavirus crisis. That’s okay.

Maybe you’re anxious and worried about the future.

Maybe you’re feeling a little sad, or maybe you’re really sad.

Maybe you even feel like crying.

Maybe you feel disappointed.

Whatever it is you’re feeling, be extra kind and compassionate with yourself.

Cry if you feel like crying. Sit with your emotions.

A Familiar Pain

A few Sundays ago, I was in so much emotional pain. I felt so uncomfortable. I didn’t under-
stand what I was feeling.

Normally, I’d snap out and distract myself by watching a movie or talking to a friend or doing
something else.

But that Sunday night, I sat through my emotions. I honestly didn’t know why I was feeling
what I was feeling. But I sat through the pain and discomfort.

After probably two hours of crying, I felt so much better.

I also had a breakthrough. I now understood what I’ve been trying to understand for years! I
wouldn’t have reached that if I didn’t sit with my emotions and I didn’t feel my feelings.

Feel your emotions no matter how painful and uncomfortable they are. That maybe the child
in you that is in pain and is afraid. Then speak to yourself as lovingly as you can. You can
say something like,

“I love you, my love. We’ll get through this. I trust you. I believe in you. I’m here for you.”

Give yourself a hug.

You are doing the best you can.

You don’t need to figure everything out right now.

Celebrate Your Milestones

Celebrate the fact that you woke up and you’re still breathing.

Celebrate the fact that you took a bath today. (Did you? Hehe)

Celebrate the sun!

Celebrate how you’re becoming a better cook as each day goes by.

Celebrate how you love your family or how your family loves you.

Celebrate yourself!

Give yourself a little treat here and there.

Take care of yourself.

When you’re okay, you unleash your creativity and your true potential.

The pandemic hit me emotionally. Because I took time to care for myself, I slowly got back
on my feet and I was able to lead my team into launching the HR Summit Global in April
2020. It was a huge success and we and the speakers were able to give value to over
10,000+ participants from 32 countries globally.

Everything will be fine.

Take care of the most important person in your life - yourself.

I wish you love, joy, and peace today and every day!

Sha Nacino
Sha is an author of 12 books and a keynote speaker on gratitude and
creativity. She is the founder of the HR Summit Global™, World
Gratitude Summit™, and Global Authors Summit™, among others.
She helps organizations develop a culture of gratitude and creativity
to increase their team’s engagement and productivity.

www.shanacino.com

[email protected]
Why Let A Good Pandemic Go To Waste?
by Scott Friedman

As news about Covid-19 spread across Asia in mid-February, my mother pleaded with me.
“Please don’t go and take the risk. Stay in the US and be safe. Don’t make me ground you
like I did when you were a kid.”

“Mom, I have to honor my commitments and speak to the groups that hired me.”

“You’ll see, they will all cancel,” Mom replied. And sure enough, my Mom jinxed the trip! All
but one cancelled. And on March 18, after my one and only speech, I flew back to Colorado.

One thing I’m grateful for is that every time I face a challenge in my life, my thoughts always
turn to what I’m grateful for. When my car was stolen, I thought how lucky I was to have a
car and so many of life’s luxuries. When I had a heart attack while at the hospital, I was
grateful to actually be in the hospital when I had the heart attack. And very grateful to get a
second chance at life. And now this: Covid-19! What’s the silver lining? What’s the blessing?

The Silver Lining

What is it we are supposed to learn? The gift will be different for

every person. A good place to start is to realize that things happen Things happen the
the best for the people who make the best out of the things that best for the people
happen. If you come from the perspective of knowing that there are who make the best
many gifts in this pandemic, then your focus will be on finding the out of the things
gifts and making the most of them, instead of playing the self-pity that happen.
game and longing for the way life used to be.

So, let’s look for the gifts! What is it for you? What did you learn about your values? What
will be different about you moving forward? As we look to create a more meaningful future,
I’m reminded of one of my favorite Buddhist prayers:

“Grant that I may be given appropriate difficulties and sufferings on this journey, so that
my heart may be truly awakened and my practice of liberation and universal compassion
may be truly filled. For it is felt that if we have no struggles in life, we have no
opportunity for genuine growth.”

Do you feel you’ve had too much opportunity for genuine growth in the past few months?

Turn On Your GPS

As you’re creating your desired future, keep your GPS turned on.

Gratitude

Appreciate the life we have and those with whom we want to share it. Feel the gratitude of
making a difference in the lives of others. One idea that I have found helpful in keeping your
focus outward and not inward is what I call, “Hero of the day.”
Reach out to one person every day and let them know how grateful you
are for them being in your life. You can use the actual term “hero of the Fragrance
day” or just let them know you are grateful. Get creative about the way always clings to
you honor them. If once a day is too much for you, try doing it once a the hand that
week. It is guaranteed to make them feel better and you as well. gives roses.

Play

Play starts with accepting our current reality - all the pressure, stress, anxiety, and heartache
we may have at any given time. It’s the ability to let go of anger, resentment, blame, and all
negative emotions of the past. Focus positively on the present. Play is being in the state of
flow, accepting the current moment, and making the most of it.

Play starts with a good sense of humor. It’s learning to laugh at ourselves. If you can laugh
at yourself, you will always be amused. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, when
asked how he created such an amazing learning environment at General Electric, replied
that he encouraged his employees to take their work seriously and take themselves lightly.
Good advice for all.

Ask yourself the question, “Do you want it to be fun?” Hopefully, the answer is yes. Then the
next question is, “How can I make this more fun?” Create opportunities and take
responsibility for making it more fun.

Surprise

This is the element of the unexpected. It’s serving with kindness and empathy. It’s catching
people doing something good and rewarding them with something they would appreciate.
It’s finding out what’s high on their joy list and honoring them with that. It can be something
as simple as finding out their favorite candy or snack and hiding it in their workspace or
where they are sure to find it. One of my favorite ways to surprise others is by capturing a
photo from Facebook and getting it printed on a mug. Then I will either hide the mug where
they will eventually discover it, or drink out of the mug when we are together and see how
long it takes them to notice. I’ve had wait staff serve my honorees coffee or tea in those
photo mugs, which always brings a laugh when they finally figure it out. Recently, I sent
pizza to my six neighbors as a surprise, and to have some fun and lighten up the pandemic
a little. We received some fun gifts back, and it seems there are more smiles around the
neighborhood because of it.

As you’re creating the desired destination for you and your organization, I highly
recommend turning on your GPS - and you’re guaranteed to enjoy more of the journey.

Scott Friedman, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow

Former President of the National Speakers Association, Scott
speaks over 50 times a year on employee innovation and
engagement, customer experience and how to create a happier,
healthier workplace. Scott is author of many books, including
Celebrate! Lessons Learned from the World’s Most Admired
Organizations, A Celebration a Day! 365 Ways to a Happier,
Healthier Workplace, and Happily Ever Laughter - How to
Engage Any Audience.

www.ScottFriedman.net

[email protected]
Four Keys To Thriving In Tough Times
by Karolina Gwinner

If someone told you a few months ago that soon the world as we know it was going to press
pause on significant human activity, would you have believed them? Would you have
listened to a story of how humans had to stop travelling, going to the office, or even
socializing with one another, their own families included?

What sounded like a scene from the thriller movie Contagion suddenly became our new
reality; a reality so different from what we’re used to. It’s been unsettling, challenging and
hard to predict, as no one knows what the ultimate impact of this pandemic will be, or how
long it will truly impact our lives.

Does it mean we should put our lives on hold and wait for better times? Or is there
something we can do to thrive in this new reality? From my experience working with
incredible leaders, I observed that they perceive challenging times as an opportunity to step
up and put their leadership skills to test. They focus on what they can change and take
action on their ideas, instead of dwelling on things they cannot change.

As a result, these leaders become wiser, embrace change faster, and shape the new reality
for themselves and everyone around them.

Sounds compelling, right? Here are four keys to getting you started on this path:

1. Reflect

All too often we forget to reflect on what really matters to us. As a result, we might be
moving ahead, but in the wrong direction. Now, as our life takes an unexpected turn, it’s
an opportunity to recalibrate our direction. To do that, let’s ask ourselves, “what truly
matters to me?” Getting some clarity on this enables us to become more intentional
about where we’re heading, and how to lead our life to get there. Consequently, we start
investing more time, energy and attention into things that matter, and ultimately, learn
how to let go of things that don’t.

Invest more time, energy and attention into what truly matters to you.

2. Reconnect

Humans are social. Our earliest ancestors organized themselves into tribes and
communities at the dawn of humanity. It’s not natural for us to go through self-isolation,
lockdown and physical distancing from each other. Is it any wonder that, when
confronted with the new stay-at-home reality, many feel stressed, overwhelmed and
even depressed.

However, as we reconnect (virtually of course) with others, we quickly realise that we’re
all in this together, more dependent on one another than ever before, and that we can
empower each other to adapt to the new reality, see new opportunities, and keep our
spirits up, despite the lockdown.
3. Recharge

In challenging times, the demand for our support is likely to rise,

so we must not forget that our own batteries have limits and If you don’t stop
need regular recharging to keep us going. There is nothing regularly to refuel,
egotistical about making time for yourself in your daily routine.
the lack of fuel will
In fact, successful people emphasize how essential their “me
time” is to ensure they can give their best to others, as well as ultimately stop you.
in everything else they do. It also helps them to sustain their
performance over time.

4. Reinvent

Some people keep referring to, “when things go back to normal.” What does that mean?
Do we really want to go back to the ‘old normal’, after all we’ve been through? If we did
that, wouldn’t it show that we didn’t learn any lessons from this challenging experience?

Before the pandemic, our world was spinning out of control. We were all lost in
busyness, we let our egos grow out of proportion, and our feelings fooled us into
believing we were invincible. Suddenly the world slowed us down, so we had to face the
reality we created, and it’s given us a huge nudge to change what hasn’t been working
for a long time. It’s tested our humanity, and reports around the world indicate we are
kinder, more authentic and thoughtful because of this experience. Let’s not go back to
where we were - mindless and lost. Let’s use this shift as a stepping stone to reinvent
the future, benefitting all life on earth.

Stepping Up And Thriving In Tough Times

I believe that tough times are here for a reason. They have the power to teach us some
long-forgotten values, like humility, respect for ourselves and the world we live in. They help
us to connect on a deeper level with more care, authenticity and compassion.

Let’s learn these lessons and step up to the challenge of

leading the world to a brighter and more sustainable future
for ourselves and our children. Let’s ask ourselves: what if What if the current
the current pandemic is not a threat, but a golden pandemic is not a threat,
opportunity for us to recalibrate our direction and reinvent but a golden opportunity
our future?
for us to recalibrate our
Let’s keep searching for ideas that will make us energised, direction and reinvent
empowered and inspired to take value-driven action. This is our future?
how we start thriving in tough times and make a positive
impact on the world around us!

Karolina Gwinner
Karolina is a high-energy and performance-driven leadership
trainer and speaker. She empowers leaders to thrive in
uncertainty, maximise their performance and become more
influential. In 2019 Karolina was nominated as the Knowledge
Partner of Women Leaders Institute. She is also the Speaker
Training Lead for KeyNote Women Speakers.

www.karolinagwinner.com

[email protected]
How I Uncovered My Gift In Crisis
by Coen Tan

Covid-19 is a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands and has infected millions,
disrupted lives, and upended economies and businesses around the world. As a speaker
and trainer, I’ve had income loss, cancellations and deferment of speeches and training
workshops. However, for me, it brought about another enormous challenge.

My Unique Challenge Posed By Covid-19

Since I was a small child, I have been aware that I was highly sensitive to the emotions of
people around me, and I would often internalise the emotions. Not only would I cry when
watching sad movies, I would often feel prolonged feelings of sadness, fear and anger after
interacting with other people, and not even know where those feelings came from. When I
was younger, I would struggle to deal with all the emotional information that I had unwittingly
collected. Whenever I expressed my feelings and observations, I would often be dismissed
as being “overly sensitive” and “thinking too much.”

It was not until I had grown up and became more aware and exposed, that I’ve understood
that I am an empath. According to Dr. Judith Orloff, author of The Empath’s Survival Guide,
empaths are highly aware of the emotions of those around them, to the point of feeling those
emotions themselves. They often lack the filters most people use to protect themselves from
excessive stimulation.

As an empath, I really struggled with the pervading negativity that the Covid-19 pandemic
brought about. Every day, the news and social media are full of updates about the Covid-19
situation. I see people going into a frenzy of panic buying, fear of losing their jobs, their
income and business, grief and sadness from losing loved ones. I’ve even read articles of
the rising incidences of domestic violence brought about by victims being locked down at
home with their abusers. I realized that to protect my emotional garden, I’ve had to give
myself a break from the news, and from scrolling through social media feeds.

During that much needed break, I asked myself the question, “what is the opportunity here to
offer my unique gifts?”

Uncovering The Gifts Within

I realized that as an empath I could use the one gift that I possess in abundance: empathy.

In the tremendously insightful book The Power of Moments, authors Dan and Chip Heath
share that we do not remember every single moment of our lives. We recall moments that
are both memorable and meaningful, moments when we experienced intense emotions.
They further broke down these moments into three types: Peaks, Pits and Transitions.

• Peaks: moments of elevated joy, pride, connections and insights (e.g. wedding, receiving
a prize, a promotion)

• Pits: moments of hardship, pain or anxiety (e.g. family bereavement, divorce,

retrenchment)

• Transitions: moments where people make intellectual (e.g. new work), social (e.g. new
community), and environment (e.g. new home) changes
The ways we can deepen our relationships and strengthen our heart-share and mind-share
in the minds of our clients, suppliers, colleagues and loved ones, are to:

• Commemorate and celebrate the Peaks

“We can deepen our relationships and
• Fill the Pits strengthen our heart-share and mind-
share in the minds of our clients,
• Smoothen the Transitions suppliers, colleagues and loved ones.”

Offering My Gift

That was what I did. I realized that many people are panicking from how their lives will be
affected by Covid-19, and many others are making the transitions to working from home,
especially those who have to care for their children who are learning from home too. It was
the perfect opportunity for me to reach out to them.

I was glad I did just that. I’ve found that people, while still staying busy, are more open to just
catching up. It’s become easier because instead of having to sync up time to catch up over
coffee, people are happy to just take pockets of thirty minutes to an hour here and there to
simply catch up over Zoom calls. What’s even more surprising for me was also how these
short catch-up calls turn into deeper connections. While I used to feel in the past that people
were more focused on talking about goals and successes, I’ve found that people are now
more open to sharing their struggles and challenges. All I’ve needed to do was ask simple
questions like, “How have you been coping? What is challenging in your life? How may I
help?”

A Surprising Outcome

As a result of simply reaching out to catch up, and offering a listening

ear and companionship, I’ve strengthened my relationships with my
existing clients, forged connections with new business collaborators.
Through these conversations, I was also able to uncover problem If we can connect
areas and needs of clients that my clients and I previously never to our gifts of
knew existed. That has also led to me clinching new consulting and deeper humanity,
coaching projects. In fact, some of these projects are more aligned to we will be
my areas of expertise, and have resulted in me having the best first relevant to the
five months of a calendar year in terms of business revenue. new normal.

The post-Covid-19 environment may be drastically different from what

we’ve been used to in the past. If we can connect to our gifts of
deeper humanity, we will be relevant to the new normal.

It is time to “human up!”

Coen Tan
Over the last 10 years, Coen has inspired more than 20,000
individuals in over 10 countries through speaking, training and
coaching in the areas of executive communications, and business
storytelling.

www.coentan.com

[email protected]
Leadership During Crisis -
Lessons Learnt
by Janet Yung

I had the privilege to interview a very experienced business leader who has weathered the
Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, the SARS crisis in 2003, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008
and is tackling the Covid-19 pandemic head-on with his global organization.

To him, leveraging the power of people rather than hunkering down in such times is critical.
The following is an excerpt of his answers to my questions during an interview for the
Leadership During Crisis online summit series. In particular I asked him, “Based on your
experience, what are the crucial aspects a leader should look into during a crisis?” Here is
the wisdom he shared.

There are 6 areas a leader should look into when leading an organization through a crisis.

1. Crisis Strategy

The leader first needs to accept that there is a crisis

situation and show a sense of urgency when managing the
crisis. It is also crucial for the leader to acknowledge that
he may not be the expert and is willing to work with his
team to gain knowledge and understand the issues that
the organization is facing and how to address it as a team.

2. Personal Leadership

It is crucial that a leader does not delay action but takes ownership to gather the
necessary information and resources while gathering his/ her team members to address
the situation immediately in a crisis situation.

3. Crisis Response Team

In a larger organization, especially one with presence regionally, it is crucial that there is
a Crisis Response Team which will coordinate efforts and share success stories where
everyone can learn from. In addition, this will quicken the learning process for the entire
organization as each front facing team implements, adapts and evaluate the steps taken
during the crisis.

4. Communication

During a crisis situation, communication within the team and with all relevant
stakeholders are crucial. It is better to over-communicate than under-communicate in
such times. As mentioned above, sharing of each other’s successes will motivate the
team to be creative and innovate in such times.

5. Monitoring The Health Of The Business

In a pandemic situation, the first focus will be the health of your team members both
physically and emotionally.
 In addition, the constant monitoring of the given situation will allow you to re-allocate
your assets in terms of people, technology and equipment according to the needs of the
situation. This will allow a business to make itself more efficient and improve productivity
while adapting to the situation. Critical questions to ask especially when the crisis
situation prolongs are: How would you reshape or adapt your organization to improve
productivity? Does your organization need to operate in a different way to adapt to the
new external environment? What are the things that impact your customers and how can
you help resolve them?

6. Financial Health Of The Organization

In any crisis, the liquidity and working capital of the organization is critical to ensure
continued operations. Focus on ensuring adequate cash flow through reducing non-
essential expenses, increasing the rate of debt collection, etc.

Through the past crises, he learnt that staying calm with a different sense of urgency,
leading by example with the ability to change and adapt, the importance of constant
communication and the right communication strategies both internally and externally with
stakeholders.

During a crisis, leaders should focus on staying calm, leading by example, adaptability,
constant communication, and the right communication strategies with stakeholders.

He generously shared his views on these additional areas:

• How should one prepare themselves and their organizations to tap on the opportunities
that will present from this Covid-19 crisis?

• How can one future-proof or crisis-proof their organization?

Click on this link to read the full article: Leadership during Crisis – Lessons Learnt By An
Experienced and Veteran Business Leader From Past Crises

With the current Covid-19 crisis creating turmoil not only for businesses but also for
individuals who may be thrown into financial or emotional turmoil, I interviewed 30
outstanding individuals, entrepreneurs and business leaders across 10 countries and
created the free Leadership During Crisis online summit series to share inspiring stories of
how individuals and leaders overcame their emotional, business and financial issues. We
also learn from entrepreneurs and business leaders on leadership and communication
strategies and how they are leading their teams forward in these uncertain times to help get
through this crisis together.

Janet Yung
With 3 decades of corporate and business experience and as a
Standards of Leadership award winner, Janet is known for her
thought leadership in bringing clarity to personal and
organizational growth, leadership and engagement through her
customized training and consultations.

www.janetyung.com

[email protected]
The Fruit Lies In The Roots
by Brigadier Sushil Bhasin

The Chinese classic The Art of War mentions how wars are won before a single arrow is
shot. Such is the power of preparation. Who survives and who thrives or dies in a particular
market situation depends not just on how they respond to the challenge in the particular
situation, but also how well they have prepared to face a crisis. In other words, one can
create a crisis-ready company that not only survives but uses the waves of change as an
opportunity to grow in surprising ways.

Earlier, size was considered to be a factor that made companies

flabby and slow at responding. Today, the biggest companies on the
planet, like Amazon and Facebook, are at the front lines of disruptive
digital renovation.

This happens because these are companies that are crisis-ready,

which may seem to be a term fraught with contradictions but is a very
sensible expression for what these companies stand for. They not only
thrive in a state of chaos; they add to it by rewriting the rules every
single day. My point is that you cannot fly if you don't have roots. You
need to have certain values in your very DNA to be crisis-ready.

The first condition required for both surviving and thriving is the quality of rootedness.
Shakespeare makes the ghost of Hamlet's father advise his son to treat the two imposters of
success and failure the same. The Indian wisdom tradition says the evolved being is one
whose actions remain rooted in his or her ethical foundations, despite the highs and lows of
fortune. He or she appears unruffled to the outward eye, despite adversity.

Nice Words But What Do They Mean?

Change is a wave in the ocean of time. There are cyclical changes Change is a
that can be predicted and therefore responded to our advantage. wave in the
There are also tsunamis and cyclones that take us by surprise. ocean of time.
You have to be what I call a time-surfer. You cannot control the waves.
You have to learn how to surf those waves and stay at the top. And
just as nobody becomes a surfer of the high waves in a day, becoming
a time-surfer calls for training of your time-entrepreneurship muscles
much before the highs as well as lows toss you around.

There is an old saying among the ancient trading community of You have to be
Marwar in India, that declares that one can't really be called a a time-surfer.
seasoned trader unless one has experienced bankruptcy thrice.
Another variant replaces the word bankruptcy with recession.

I am sure you get the idea.

So, the best practice for handling failure is to have failed often in the past in small ways as
well as spectacularly.

And when these failures happen, it is important to stay rooted within and push oneself to
take a different approach towards the problem you are facing.
I am reminded here of a hereditary jeweller and moneylender who inherited a 450-year-old
jewellery business only to lose it all. Years of drought had dented the ability of his clients to
service the loans. After much thinking, he decided to wind up his business and move to
Mumbai, India's commercial capital. He explained how he emerged from his debt-ridden
state to create a new business at the age of 45:

"Never borrow from family or friends unless it is a life and death situation. People stop
respecting you. Everyone in my wide circle of contacts knew the card that fate had
handed me. I visited my rich relatives and told them, 'I may not have the money I used to
have, but the doors of my home and office are always open to you. I can still serve you a
cup of tea with love.' These people respected the fact that I was holding my fort with
quiet dignity.

“One of these relatives directed me to an opportunity. I did not have the required capital,
but the relative called a few people and said he would pay if they incurred a loss. The
man is very rich, well-connected and influential. The cost of raw materials was a minor
sum. However, I did not ask for cash and he did not offer it. I finished the job and in two
years I was back on my feet with my dignity intact.”

This man, who did not have any formal education beyond primary school, taught me some
important lessons about surviving and thriving when life hits you with a tsunami-size
whopper like Covid-19. Here are some of them:

1. Downsize to the point that you cannot downsize anymore.

2. Economize by walking the extra mile. Sacrifice convenience for lower costs.

3. Hustle, and use your reflexes fast to deal with opportunities as well as threats.

4. Keep doing this till you reach the save-invest-thrive stage.

5. Always stay connected with your tribe, your network, your mentors, and stay rooted in
the knowledge that tough times don't last, the woke hustlers do.

Happy surviving and thriving!

Brigadier Sushil Bhasin

Brigadier Sushin Bhasin is a time-investment strategist, global
speaker, and author of three books including Million Dollar Second
published by CNBC. A TEDx speaker and corporate trainer, he has
a mission to create a world that is conscious of time as a vital
resource. He delivers high-impact virtual engagement webinars.

www.BrigSushilBhasin.com

[email protected]
Pockets Of Peace
by Dr. Gary Tho

Life was a blur. I was numb. Instead of facing reality, I was blocking it out. I was in survival
mode. Thanks to Covid-19, my clinic, ChiroWorks, closed. Income stopped, but expenses
continued. I needed to find my peace, without having to travel overseas to a hidden beach or
mountain top. Even if that had been an option.

But crisis or no crisis, there will always be stress and worries. Short
term stress that comes and goes can be beneficial. But persistent,
consistent stress? That leads down a dark road, and we wouldn’t
wish it on our enemies.

I asked myself, “Is there a way to make stress slide off me like a
fried egg on Teflon?” Is there a way to live each day happy and
peaceful? This was what I set out to accomplish.

Survival Mode

Whether it’s stress from Covid-19 or daily life, survival mode manifests in different ways.
Some feel irritability, lose their temper, become defensive, anxious, restless or confused.
Others exhibit avoidance, numbing or escaping behaviours. Other common ones are
insomnia, numbing, and giving up. As experts like Daniel Goleman, Daniel Kahnemann and
Joseph LeDoux explain, survival mode is an automatic reaction to stress. Like being hunted
by a lion, survival mode helps us get by right now, but it is not a good long-term strategy.

Are you living primarily with automatic reactions? Acknowledging our survival strategies
allows us to transition from survival, into growth and happiness. This is what saved me from
my numbed reality.

When we realise that we are not alone or that we are not in a scarce competitive world,
our thoughts and emotions change.

Connection

Because of the hormone oxytocin, a female’s automatic survival reaction may be to reach
out to build connections and support systems. Humans are wired for connection, but our
busyness and daily demands often create a disconnect. Thankfully, stay-at-home measures
have made connecting desirable. And this beautiful human trait helps us snap out of survival
mode.

When we realise that we are not alone or that we are not in a scarce competitive world, our
thoughts and emotions change. Talking with others helps shift our perspective and reassures
us that others are willing and able to help.

Who can you connect with to help bring out a better you? For me, I reconnected with an old
friend, and it was through that conversation, my passion was re-ignited, and I was inspired to
own my knowledge and own my future.
Achievable Actions

Owning my future and doing something about it are completely different things, so I adopted
the “Princess Anna method”: “Break it down to this next breath, this next step, this next
choice, one that I can make” (from the movie Frozen 2). I do a little, because that’s all it
takes. If we aim for the lowest hanging fruit and get it done, then repeat it, we build
momentum. And when we celebrate each little accomplishment, we gain confidence, clarity
and motivation. We learn what drives us, what we like, and if we need to pivot.

I know I’m definitely on the path to my goals. What have you been working on? What are
your little wins? What are you learning from them? And how is your learning shaping your
future?

Choices

I received this feedback from a webinar I conducted: “I find most points he mentioned are
fundamental and important, yet the most neglected practices of people.” It’s so true. We
have all the answers. We know what to do. It’s not about more books, courses and
workshops. What matters most is what we do between opening our eyes in the morning and
closing them at night. What we focus on we get good at, and we get more of. Always
complain and we become experts in finding fault. Always appreciate and we receive more
wonderful things in our life.

Where do you spend your time and attention? What are your intentions when doing these
activities? What daily choices support what you want in life?

Pockets Of Peace
Every time we realign our
I realised that stress is the fried egg and we are Teflon. If
thoughts, emotions,
we can acknowledge and appreciate ourselves and where
behaviours, actions and
we are at, connect with the right people, do little by little,
intentions we gain another
and celebrate and maintain perspective of what we do and
piece of peace.
why we do it, there’s no way we will be stuck in survival
mode. Stress can’t stick to us.

Every time we release a habit or thought that doesn’t serve us, we receive a little pocket of
peace. Every time we realign our thoughts, emotions, behaviours, actions and intentions, we
gain another pocket of peace. Every time we renew our perspectives and relationships with
ourselves and others, we receive even more peace.

We can create pockets of peace in our day-to-day life. Everywhere. We are allowed to be
happy and we can calm the chaos, Covid-19 or not. And the more we find these pockets of
peace, the more we gain, the more our loved ones gain, and the more we can be our best
selves.

Dr. Gary Tho, B.App.Sc. (clin). and B.C.Sc.

For the last 14 years, Dr. Gary Tho has inspired, influenced and
impacted thousands of people to feel great, play big and live life
without limits through ChiroWorks, his pain relief and peak
performance chiropractic clinic, and his talks and workshops on
building physical and mental resilience.

www.drgarytho.com

[email protected]
Ready To Reflect For Mother Earth?
by Andrea T Edwards, CSP

We all have a chance, a beautiful opportunity, to create the world anew. While it’s a very
challenging time, we have been given a gift from Mother Earth – the gift of time to deeply
reflect. A time to reconsider how we live our lives and how we shape our collective future. It
feels like we’ve been given a big time out and sent to our rooms, asked to reflect and consider
the world we create at the other side of this crisis.

Will humanity take this chance to reflect and change our ways? Or will we miss it, waiting for
the next crisis to hit, and the next, and the next? Because with the climate crisis and deepening
global inequality, if we do not change, we are ensuring a permanent state of crisis. Do you
want that? I certainly don’t.

“We’ve all been sent to our bedrooms for a time out, where we are being asked to reflect
and consider our actions.”

We can no longer ignore the peril we are in. It’s predicted that major ecosystems will start
collapsing before 2030 – yes, in our lifetime! Yet we continue to chop down life-giving trees,
and we glory in excessive consumption, all while the world gets warmer, the oceans too, with
emissions going in one direction – up! We continue to pass nature’s tipping points and don’t
seem capable of grasping the impact it will have on all of our lives.

Young People Are Frightened

When my son was 11, he told me, “Mum, if it gets too hot to be outside because of global
warming, I am going to commit suicide.”

That devastated me! Our children know. They see a future of unbearable hardship. Is that all
we are prepared to offer them? We cannot wait for our children to grow up and act. We don’t
have time. The time to act – and the opportunity – is now.

Deepening Inequality Is A Huge Issue

We have other huge challenges too. Deepening inequality is “The only way to get
accelerating due to Covid-19. This puts women and children in out of permanent
greater danger of human slavery and abuse, with millions of jobs at crisis is for us ALL to
risk or gone. We have an enormous human crisis on our hands,
reflect on what must
with The World Food Program stating 30 million people face
famine, while the World Bank claim that 60 million more people change.”
have been pushed into extreme poverty.

This pandemic and the economic fall-out is a terrible experience to live through. However, we
must claim this unique opportunity to rewrite our collective future. A future where the
sustainability and health of all life on Planet Earth is at the centre of our plans.
Questions For Reflection

With this gift of time, let’s ask ourselves some searching questions
and find the answers, together.

1. Are you happy with your life – family, home, community, sense
of achievement and contribution? Is it time for new directions?

2. Are you questioning the frantic pace of life we left behind? Do

we want it to continue?

3. Are you proud of the company you work for? Is it contributing positively towards all life on
earth, or is shareholder value more important?

4. Is it time we demand business to change dramatically, versus the lack of consideration of

earth’s finite resources, with no responsibility for the waste left behind?

5. Are we individually ready to face up to our part in devastation and suffering? Do we

continue to accept children suffering in mines to make our phones or computers? Women
suffering in the garment industry for fast fashion? Companies like Ikea producing
#FastFurniture, made from illegal logging, to feed our insatiable appetites for new?

6. Are you wasting less, buying less, saying no to #SingleUsePlastic, consuming less meat,
shopping locally, making plans to reduce your emissions?

7. Is your country polluted and full of rubbish? Are you ready to demand action from the
businesses who have profited from it for decades?

8. Is it time to close the wildlife markets, while creating new livelihoods for those reliant on
their income?

9. What about overfishing and destruction in the seas? What’s the real impact? What’s the
risk to us?

10. Are you working to be part of the solution to end inequality, in all its forms?

11. What parts of life from before should we get rid of? I want the false, ego-centric, hero-
worshipping, sales-funnel-pushing nonsense gone. I want us to be real. To be meaningful.
You?

12. And to the parents, are we acting to ensure our children have a beautiful future?

We face big challenges. Will you join me? Will you reflect and raise your voice to demand
change - on social media, in your communities, your company, and on stage? Will you join a
rising chorus demanding better for all life on Planet Earth?

Andrea T Edwards, CSP, The Digital Conversationalist

A globally award-winning B2B communications professional, and
expert in social leadership, content marketing, and employee
advocacy, Andrea works with the world’s largest companies on the
transformation needed within to maximize business growth digitally.
Own your voice, own your future.

www.andreatedwards.com

[email protected]
Angel Of Delight
by Avi Liran

I could not fall asleep; I had been invited to conduct a workshop for cancer patients and their
family at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital. I tossed and turned throughout the night, suffering from
a severe attack of imposter syndrome: “Who am I to deliver our light-hearted messages to
people who are in combat with death? I was afraid my message of joy might be offensive and
hurt their feelings?

If I were a phone, my screen would be signalling a low charge warning. Driving to the hospital,
I was praying for energy, for a sign to ensure me that I could pull this off. I thought about calling
in to say that I am sick, then found myself already parking the car at the hospital.

Exhausted and worried I had one more issue. My anxiety was churning my gut to produce a
lot of gas. I headed straight for the toilet, opened the door, and saw an incredible sight; an
Asian looking man in his thirties peeing and singing a gospel song out loud. “The Joy of the
Lord is my strength…” I started laughing and could not stop, it was hilarious. The funny man
started to laugh too and for a few minutes we were both laughing like crazy.

I introduced myself and asked, “Do you always sing when you pee?”. He answered with a
smile “My name is Onassis. I am a hand therapist and a pastor. I am singing the song that I
will be singing for my congregation this Sunday. I work in a very stressful environment. I see
patients after trauma, many of them are depressed and exude negativities. Singing also
refuels the joy within me, it gives me the strength to continue giving from my Heart to others.”

Our joyous meeting had charged my battery, but I still needed an

espresso, so I offered to treat my new friend to a coffee. Onassis “Once the patients
politely refused, then insisted that I follow him to his clinic so that believe, healing is
he may brew me a coffee in his pantry! I shared with him my exponentially faster.”
insecure fears about performing to a group of terminally ill people
and my weariness from sleeplessness.

I noticed a few wooden cylinder sticks like mini ice-cream cones on his table. Each one had
different type of surface, “What are these?” I asked. “I use these to help people re-learn to feel
and decode different kinds of surfaces.”

I asked, “What is the portion of motivation and physical therapy in your practice?”
“80/20”, he replied. “When people come to me, they usually relive in their heads the critical
moment when their hand was cut. Many of them blame themselves for their stupidity and cling
to the agony of their loss. In that state, they make very little progress even if my therapy
session is the best. You see, Avi, many of them are in a very bad emotional state of mind.
They are stuck in victimhood, denial, frustration, and depression. Some lose the sense of
hope. Their system produces stress hormones which suppress the effectiveness of their
immune system. I motivate them by telling them that the light at the end of the dark tunnel is
near because there is a curve. Once they pass it, they will see the big light. Now they need to
put their other hand on my shoulder and walk after me. You see, Avi, motivation is 80% of
what we really do. Once the patients believe, healing is exponentially faster. Now you go to
the second floor and do your workshop. You will rock”.
I showered Onassis with thanks, then dashed down to fearlessly
deliver one of my best workshops so far. At the end of the “… but when I can
workshop, a beautiful lady approached me with her two young laugh and smile like
daughters and said: “Avi, over six months ago, doctors told me I today, much of the
had only three to six months more to live. Today, in your workshop, pain subsides, then I
I smiled, learned, and laughed with my daughters. The ability for am able to sleep
the girls to see me happy and not suffering is a precious gift that without medication.”
you gave us. I hope they will always remember these delightful
moments with me today.” Tenderly she then took off her shoe to reveal a blister that almost
covered almost her entire foot and said. “When cancer pain presents, it can seem unbearable,
and this is the result of the medication, but when I can laugh and smile like today, much of the
pain subsides, then I am able to sleep without medication. Thank you, Avi, for what you shared
with all of us today.”

Onassis was my ‘Angel of Delight’. Whether our restroom meeting

was divine intervention or coincidence, his compassion,
hospitality, generosity, support, and spontaneous coaching made
a difference in my life and transmitted an immediate positive ripple
effect on to others.

Each one of us has the capacity to delight. Do not underestimate

your ability to delightfully contribute. Every action of delight does
make a difference.

During the pandemic crisis, millions of people around the world made the choice to contribute
to others in need. Their generosity transformed ubiquitous feelings of helplessness, worries
and fear into being useful, helpful, and hopeful.

The question is: for whom will you be an angel of delight for today? There is no better time
than now to grow your angel wings, to soar and make a difference.

Avi Liran
Chief Delighting Officer
On a mission to delight the world.
One person, one organisation, one community at a time

[email protected]
www.aviliran.com
Tips To Boost Your Creative Mindset
by Cyriel Kortleven

Atetniton! The wlord has cahgend dratsiaclly. Bosoting yuor cretaive slkils beocmes mroe
and more imopratnt to saty aehad of the compteition. Cireatvity can hlep you to barek yuor
fxied tihnknig patetrns so raed fuerthr if you wnat to acecss an abunadnce of iedas, an
oepn atitutde and a new wolrd of psosibiilites.

Welcome To The Never Normal

The world is different. Think on your feet. Adapt to new situations. Keep learning new
things on a daily basis. Continuous learning and adapting to new situations has become
essential for survival. Creativity and innovation are becoming very important sources of
added value. Welcome to the never normal.

Out of the Box or Out of Business?

Move From Idea-killers To “Yes And…”

I have to disappoint you because there isn’t a magic formula to get new ideas. A lot of
times, new ideas arise on moments when you don’t expect them (in the shower, in bed, in
a traffic jam). But structured creativity is often hard work. There are a few simple skills that
will help you to generate lots of ideas when you need them. For me, the two most
important words to develop an open, creative mindset are “Yes, and…”
These words combine several values: a positive attitude, openness to possibilities and
suspending judgement.



If you can go from a “Yes but” to a “Yes and” attitude then you’ve already conquered the
biggest challenge. And I’ve made an acronym of the letters “Yes and” with the other basic
principles to give a boost to your creative power.

Yes And… Suspend Judgement

Judgement is very important. Your judgement helps you to make thousands of decisions
daily. Your judgement is based on your previous experiences and knowledge. By
definition, new ideas don’t fit into existing schemes of thought so the danger is that
judgement very often occurs too fast when a new idea is launched. That’s what we call
the idea-killers – expressions like “yes, but… no money, no time, it already exists…” In
order to process original ideas, we will need to develop a more subtle use of judgement –
postpone your judgement and go into a “yes, and” mindset.

Explore: Discover The World With Different Eyes

We trust our perception in order to explore and interpret the world around us. And
changing perception is not easy because, patterns creep in. Furthermore, often-repeated
patterns tend to become more and more dominant. We can only see what we think is
there and science proofs that perception consists of information gathered from outside
only for 20%; consequently 80% is produced in the brain itself. Exploration or creative
perception is recognizing patterns in your own perception and setting yourself free from
these. Many changes begin with a new way of looking at things.
Suppose: Use Your Imagination

Visual language is generally less respected than verbal language because most school
education strongly emphasises the language of words. This is reflected in companies and
organisations where we often notice a lack of visually imaginative skills. But imagination is
a crucial skill for a creative thinker. Imagination is the capacity to represent in the mind
something that cannot be seen at that moment. It’s not only a visual image but also
sounds, smell, taste and touch as well as abstract notions such as ideas and concepts.
Imagination can be stimulated by asking a lot of questions.

Associate: Create Flexible Connections

Our brain cells are interconnected and continuously transmit signals to one another.
Association happens when one thought generates another “this makes me think of…”
connection. There’s a danger that some connections are stronger than others because
they are repeated several times and every repetition reinforces the connection. Forcing
yourself to create new connections and associations helps to find less obvious tracks and
can generate new ideas. Speeding up while making associations is a good method to find
less obvious connections.

Next Idea: Diverge

The first thoughts that arise are based on common sense. That’s very efficient and when
searching for a solution, we tend to stop when we have found a reasonable solution.
Diverging is switching off our spontaneous tendency to stop when a common sense
solution has arrived and continuing to come up with ideas. You automatically reach the
limits of what you can spontaneously think of and go beyond them. Giving yourself a
limited amount of time to diverge is a better way instead of limiting the number of ideas
that you want to generate.

Do It Now: Making Ideas Happen

An idea is just a thought of the mind (or some words on a post-it). The real challenge is
realizing ideas and making them happen. Making ideas happen is very hard work and
having the guts to break some fixed thinking patterns. And you will come across a lot of
nearlings. A nearling is a positive word for something new that you did with the right
intentions, which has not (yet) led to the right result.

Don’t Mind the Change. Change Your Mind.

Cyriel Kortleven
Cyriel Kortleven is an award-winning global keynote speaker on the
change mindset. He inspires organisations like Bayer, Nike, IKEA,
NASA, and Unilever in 33 different countries on 5 continents. Cyriel is
the living embodiment of engagement, using a lot of interaction and
humour. Ready for a Belgian boost of creativity?

www.cyrielkortleven.com

[email protected]
Communicate With Empathy
by Glenn van Zutphen

Communication can be challenging in the best of times. We need to get the right message to
the right person (or people) in an environment that is packed with other people trying to do
the same thing. It is a figurative minefield of possible mistakes that can be, and often are,
made.

We know that expressing genuine empathy is a great place to start any conversation when
someone is impacted by events beyond their control. Whether it’s a personal moment like
losing a loved one, or a public event like the Covid-19 pandemic, anyone who is impacted by
events around them deserves empathy.

Expressing genuine empathy is a great place to start any conversation when

someone is impacted by events beyond their control.

But all audiences are not alike. For example, we do not generally communicate the same
way with family members, coworkers, or complete strangers. Nor should we. At our core,
we’re (hopefully) authentically reaching out no matter who we’re speaking to. We need to
adjust our communication style and message for specific moments and the specific needs of
each audience.

Ask most people who are about to go on stage for a keynote speech or go in front of a
journalist for an interview, “who’s your audience today?” They may give a general description
like, “business people,” or “HR professionals.” This generic reading of them is simply not
good enough. In my experience, they have likely not thought deeply about the people who
are listening. To be truly appropriate to the audience, there are a number of questions that
we can ask in advance.

Consider Specific Audience Needs

1. Specific traits like age, gender, common experience.

2. The relationship they have with the speaker (you); how much do they know (or care)
about you?

3. Why are they listening to you; what’s in it for them?

4. What are their needs or concerns relating to the topic?

5. Is there some element of their culture, status or relationship to you that will impact the
way that you connect with them?

Tailor The Message

It’s only when we consider these points for our audience that we can truly tailor our message
to reach them. I had a client who was about to do a townhall meeting with his 200+ staff. He
was focused on a new plan to boost productivity (i.e. everyone gets to work harder with no
additional pay). He thought the team would love it, as they would see more satisfaction from
doing a good job, and help the company to become more successful.
By asking him a few questions, I soon found out that the recent hot topics in the office were:
when will the broken coffee machine be fixed, and what was the plan for end-of-year
vacation allocation? He hadn’t planned to address these topics that his staff considered all-
important. I strongly suggested that he start with those and then move on to his agenda.

Be conscious of what your audience wants and blend it with what you think is important to
say.

Become An ACE Speaker

Master the art of being relevant to your audience. Becoming a confident and trusted speaker
doesn’t happen overnight. It can easily take years to develop the traits that are necessary:

• Authenticity

• Connection

• Expertise

These ACE traits may appear to be obvious at first glance. But developing them often takes
years of working in a business or industry. It takes time to get to know colleagues, and time
to build a reputation for excellence and caring. The notions of leadership and executive
presence are very much entwined in these three qualities.

Getting There From Here

How do we get there? No magic pill or elixir exists. Rather, it is the At the end of the
deliberate process of positivity and connecting. At the end of the day, day, people need to
people need to feel that they are important and that they matter. The feel that they are
first step is to show empathy towards them in our conversations and important and that
approach. Put aside your own concerns, and make a deposit into the they matter.
bank of goodwill and positive communication.

Watch the results multiply for your audience.

Glenn van Zutphen

A communication expert, executive coach, and keynote speaker,
Glenn brings over 25 years’ experience as an international journalist
with the likes of CNN International and CNBC Asia to help his clients
become confident, concise, and clear. He also hosts the Weekend
Mornings radio show on MoneyFM in Singapore.

www.linkedin.com/in/glennvanzutphen

[email protected]
Trust – The Core Enabler That
Influences And Inspires Your Team
by Jonathan Low CSP PCC

These are certainly extraordinary times for leaders.

What Do Employees Need From Leaders?

In a recent survey, Gallup gathered the Covid-19 strategies and policies from the CHROs of
100 of the world's largest organizations and employees who were asked, “what do they need
from leaders right now?” The results showed that the four areas employees are currently
looking for in leaders are trust, compassion, stability and hope. (Source: here)

Foundation Of Trust

Many would agree that trust is the core that drives motivation, fosters teamwork, influences
change and empowers execution for improved performance. This is validated through the
Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Leadership Vital Sign (LVS) Assessment.

The foundation of trust is built on the competence (your knowledge, skills and attitude),
commitment (what you say and do), consistency (how you walk the talk) and care (how do
you show care and compassion).

This unprecedented time of crisis due to Covid-19 has

certainly been a testing time for leaders. While some
leaders may find it challenging, it is also great opportunity
for many to shine during this time, especially post circuit
breaker/lockdown. Your employees, associates and teams
will be looking at you for the direction into the future.

The research by Dennis and Michelle Reina, PhD goes

even deeper into the area of trust building. It is fascinating
to work with leaders as we raise their awareness and
impact on the 16 behaviours that will build or break trust,
in the trust of character, trust of communication and trust
of capability. Trust builds the bridge between the
organization’s need for results and the human need for
connection. Trust builds the
bridge between the
How To Inspire Trust organization’s need
for results and the
Here are my tips on how you as a leader can demonstrate
human need for
greater compassion to inspire trust:
connection.
1. Communicate transparently at regular intervals to your
team. Listen, learn and show your support.

2. Be kind to yourself – self compassion.

3. Raise your personal self-awareness in the area of emotional intelligence. Recognize
your personal and professional trigger points. This will help you respond and navigate
better at home and at work.

4. Connect with your clients and business stakeholders. Communicate, listen and care.

5. Strengthen your mental toughness resilience in the five core areas of composure,
concentration, confidence, cope-ability and cohesion.

6. Develop real stories of trust, resilience, courage, optimism and unity for your brand and
establishment. This will develop trust among your teams with the recognition.

Tough times do not last, but trustworthy, compassionate and resilient leaders do. This will
lead to stability and hope so desired by many.

Final Reflection - Power Self Coaching Questions

Here are three self-coaching questions for you as leaders as you Tough times do not
continue to develop trust: last, but trustworthy,
compassionate and
1. What would you like to start doing more of? resilient leaders do.
2. What would you like to start doing less of?

3. What would you like to continue doing?

The future will be great for those who are ready. Preparation starts now. Take action to make
it amazing, for you, your team and family!

Jonathan Low CSP PCC

Jonathan centres his conference speaking, training programs and
leadership coaching work with leaders and organizations to
measurably improve their business performance, sales success,
service quality and leadership effectiveness. Having inspired more
than 500,000 professionals in over 30 countries, Jonathan
believes that increased self-awareness accelerates professional
relations and business success.

www.GlobalSuccessLearning.net

[email protected]
Open Your Eyes: Answers To Your
Covid-19 Issues Are All Around You
by Dr. Philip Merry

At this time all of us are looking for answers to the issues that we face in the era of Covid-19.
Issues like:

• Why did it happen?

• Will I be safe?

• Will my family be safe?

• Will my business survive?

• How can I develop the new skills that I need in the post Covid-19 world?

What if there is a field of energy that you could turn to that gives you help and insight to face
these questions? What if there was a way of “connecting the dots going forward?”

I want to share that you have an inbuilt answering device that you have used many times
before. All of us have had the experience of thinking of somebody, only for that person to
appear in our lives within a short time.

• You get a phone call from the person that you have just been thinking of.

• You come across a book that gives the answers to a tricky business question.

• You meet somebody who is an expert in the subject of your next keynote.

Most people shrug their shoulders and say “well that was interesting or unusual” and then
just go about their daily lives.

Let me advise you to explore these events more carefully, because these unusual
coincidences – I call them messages from the “quantum highway” – are sent to you explicitly
to guide you. For thousands of years, humankind has been harvesting these miracle
answers to support them on life’s journey, and I have spent the last ten years investigating
this phenomenon. It is a process called synchronicity, (or quantum entanglement).
Synchronicity is like an internal GPS that helps you find answers to life’s challenges.

Let me give you a brief outline of the science.

100 years ago, there was a revolution in the field of physics which moved us from a
Newtonian mindset to a quantum mindset. Newton’s view of the world had been the
predominant mindset for 400 years, i.e. that the universe is made up of solid matter which is
separate from other solid matter. In such a world, there is no need for belief in god or
miracles or strange connection between humans; humans are matter and so are separate
from each other. Logic explains everything.

Much progress was made as a result of Newtonian thinking. But the only trouble was that
these strange miraculous events that challenged logic continued to happen. Scientists dealt
with this by keeping quiet, or by saying they were anomalies.
Fast forward 400 years to the advent of quantum physics which now is the accepted wisdom
on how the universe is organised. We are 99% energy and only 1% is matter. And through
the concept of quantum entanglement, we now know that we are energetically connected to
each other. So, it is no wonder that when your sister in London is sick, you can energetically
sense that in Singapore. Quantum physics and quantum entanglement have explained how
this happens.

We are in a world where the understanding of synchronicity has come of age. And the
encouraging thing is that synchronicities happen more in times of change such as the one
we are now experiencing. As our normal view of the world changes in this era of Covid-19
look out for and follow those synchronicities.

For at the end of each synchronicity is a miracle waiting to happen.

Tips To Accelerate The Occurrence Of Synchronicities

1. Be In Flow

Be in the present moment; don’t worry about the past, don’t think about the future.
Synchronicity happens when you are in the here and now.

2. Believe In Support From Spirit

There is a source energy that you cannot see, some call it god and some call it the
quantum field. Believe that it is supporting you.

3. Seize This Time

The time synchronicity happens most is in transition periods. So at this time of Covid-19
keep your eyes open.

4. Set Your Intention

Be clear about your question. It can be a broad question like, “I want to find the way to
function in this time of Covid-19”. Or you can say, “I want 20% profit in the first quarter of
2021.” The clearer you are, the more likely a synchronicity will come your way.

5. Be Curious To Follow Anything Unusual That Happens Out Of The Blue

Synchronistic events occur outside of our usual way of operating in the world.

Philip Merry PhD, MSc, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow

Philip has led global leadership and team cross-cultural events for
41 years in 61 countries, and is passionate about the power of
synchronicity and intuition to transform yourself and your business.
UK born, Singapore based since 1990, Philip holds a MSc in
Business and Research, and a PhD in Synchronicity and
Leadership.

www.PhilipMerry.com

[email protected]
 A Life of Self-Compassion
by Rohit Bassi

Our smile, silence and gratitude are the fuels of compassion, all which is hidden within us. I
have a request that you please do these three short easy powerful exercises. My doctor
teacher whom I call Doc Uncle (Dr. Segu Ramesh) refers to compassion as entering the
unknown anatomy of the heart. The three exercises are:

1. Chant Your Name. Take your hand and place it upon your heart and simply chant your
name slowly three, six or nine times.

2. Your Ho’oponopono. Take your hand and place it upon your heart and at a steady,
calm pace simply say “I love you” three, six or nine times.

3. Gratitude From You. Take your hand and place it upon your heart and simply say thank
you for three, six or nine things that you can give gratitude for today.

While doing these exercises, smile and do your best to be in a “If you knew the
place of silence. If you are unable to find a place of silence, magnificence of the
then remember that by touching your heart, you are simply three, six and nine, you
entering the temple of silence. would have a key to
the universe.”
Why Chant Your Name? - Nikola Tesla

The simple reason being it is the sweetest name that you resonate to. By doing this you are
conducting self-sound therapy.

We hear other people call our name, but we never call ourselves by our own name. Dale
Carnegie once said, “A person's name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound
in any language.”

Please note, this is not necessarily the name given to you at birth; it is the name that
resonates the most with you.

Why Your Ho’oponopono?

Ho'oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian art which means “set things right’” or “to make right.” It
is about letting go, erasing, deleting and cleaning the data (the trash, the bullshit) within us
to get into a state of inspiration, love and excitement.

Many have confused it with being a prayer for forgiveness. Ho’oponopono is way beyond
that. By saying, ”I love you," you are saying “Thank you for bringing this up” (especially when
it comes to those feelings, thoughts and actions we define as negative).

I am thankful for the opportunity to free all of you and me. I am thankful for divine intelligence
and wisdom for removing the obstacles that hold me back. I am thankful for my true self for
giving me another opportunity to be who I am.
Why Gratitude From You?

Saying thank you to all that has happened to you, all that is happening to you and all that will
happen to you allows you to be a more humble person.

Saying thank you to all that you have received, all that you are receiving and all that you will
receive allows you to become more abundant in life.

Saying thank you to all the events that have happened to you, all the events that are
happening to you and all the events that will happen to you allow you to amplify your
awareness of compassion.

"Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul.”
- Holy Quran, Surah Al-Luqman

An article from Forbes.com stated, “A 2006 study published in Behavior Research and
Therapy found that Vietnam War Veterans with higher levels of gratitude experienced lower
rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

My loved ones continue to remind me of the power of gratitude. These people have been
empowering people at all levels for many years. No matter what adversity they go through
their attitude of gratitude is heartfelt, which is evident by their smile. Their actions of
compassion are immeasurable.

Remember that you, all human beings and I have weaknesses and faults. Gratitude allows
us to see beyond such labels of inadequacies and flaws.

The truth is that genuine gratitude is often ignored by most of us on a moment-to-moment

and day-to-day basis. Most see it as an act of fashion and fad, an accessory to please one’s
ego. Ancient cultures, spirituality and modern science promote the cultivation of gratitude. Its
beauty is such that it does not cost anything in terms of time, money and resources.
Research from across the globe reveals gratitude has several benefits for you and the
people around you.

"The creatures that inhabit this earth be they human beings or animals are here
to contribute to the beauty and prosperity of the world. The food we eat, the clothes
we wear have not just dropped from the sky. This is why we should be grateful to
all our fellow creatures."
- Dalai Lama

Rohit Bassi
He is known as the compassionate communication wizard with
experience of 25+ years, is a bestselling author and spoken in 21+
countries. He works with organisations who want their people to
speak with clarity, conviction and compassion resulting in outstanding
leadership.

www.rohitbassi.com

[email protected]
Leading Positively in Crisis
by Sha-En Yeo

News of Covid-19 hit like a huge wave, resulting in closed borders, economic standstill and
countries scrambling to contain the virus. Businesses started to face the stark reality - that
revenue was going to plummet, and tough times would be coming. In the midst of such
crisis, how can leaders continue to lead positively so they can ride atop this wave and
emerge stronger than before?

Brain In Crisis

When we experience stress or a perceived threat to our well-being, blood and oxygen flow
from the thinking part of the brain to the feeling part of the brain - what psychologists
describe as an amygdala hijack. As your body gets into fight or flight mode, you may find
yourself reacting automatically to the stress, affecting your ability to think clearly, make
rational decisions or control your responses.

Be Steady

As a leader, it is important to be able to manage this hijack well and remain steady. Your
employees will be looking up to you, seeking assurance that you will be able to successfully
navigate the crisis. Here's how you can take control of the hijack:

1. Pause

When you notice that you are feeling overwhelmed, pause. Pausing allows you to
recharge and temporarily put down everything that's weighing on your mind, creating
space for you to do a reset. Like a machine, continuing in overdrive could lead to
burnout.

2. Breathe Deeply

Practice box breathing to calm your nervous system.

Breathe in for four seconds, then hold your breath for
four seconds. Next, breathe out for four seconds, then
hold your breath for four seconds. Keep doing this until
you feel calmer.

3. Observe Your Emotions

Observe your emotions - as if you are watching these emotions on the television screen,
without having to claim them as yours. You don't have to take any action, nor judge any
emotion that arises. In this way, you are creating space between you and your emotions,
and they no longer have as much control over you.

4. Name The Emotions

The final step is to name the emotions. Researchers have found that naming your
emotions, for example, "This feels like anger,” can dampen the reactive amygdala, calm
your nervous system and reinstate logical thinking.

Going through the four steps above, you are likely more calm, objective and rational. It is in
this state of mind that you can effectively make decisions.
Lead Positively

Positive leadership in times of crisis does not mean putting on a smiling face and pretending
all will be well. It means providing a light amidst the darkness, assuring your employees that
you will there to guide them. Utilize the following strategies:

1. Communicate Clearly, Factually And Transparently

Be clear on your key message, and share the facts of the situation. Share good and bad
news, what you know and don't know. Such transparency promotes trust, strengthens
relationships, reduces misunderstandings and could lead to problems being solved
faster.

2. Empathize And Reassure

Step into your employee's shoes to identify what they might be experiencing.
Acknowledge their challenges and struggles so they know you care. Reassure them that
you (and the company) are doing all that you can to support them.

3. Show Appreciation

Showing appreciation to your employees will go a long way to boost morale. When you
take time to recognize their contribution and effort, they are likely to go the extra mile,
remain engaged and stay committed to the company. This could be a personalised note,
team shoutout or offering time off so they can be with their family.

4. Convey Hope, Optimism And Unity

Share your vision for getting through this crisis, and engage them “Convey optimism by
on how to achieve it together. This unites them towards a focusing on the
common goal, conveys hope that things will get better and strengths, successes
galvanises them into action. Convey optimism by focusing on the and opportunities.”
strengths, successes and opportunities that exist.

These four strategies can help you maintain the morale of your employees, allowing them
then to spend their energy, time and resources into putting in their best work.

Your Role Is Critical

A leader’s role cannot be underestimated. In times of crisis, your ability to stay steady and
lead positively will make the difference between sinking under its weight or rising strong
above it.

Sha-En Yeo
Sha-En is a TEDx speaker, best-selling author and graduate of the
Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) at the University of
Pennsylvania. Over the last 10 years, she has designed and delivered
corporate wellness programs for over 10,000 people in Singapore and
the Asia Pacific region.

www.happinessscientists.com

[email protected]
Five Lessons I Learned Along The
Nakasendo Trail That Will Help You
Weather The Current Storm
by Su-Yen Wong

As part of our preparation for Everest Base

Camp in support of mental health, my
husband and I hiked the Nakasendo Trail in
J a p a n l a s t M a y. S e v e n d a y s , 1 3 0
kilometres (80 miles), with everything we
needed on our backs.

The Nakasendo ( , Central Mountain

Route) connected Kyoto and Tokyo during
the Edo period (1603-1868) and meanders
its way through 69 post towns which served
as rest areas for travelers along this ancient
route. The trail traverses country roads;
forests of cedar, cypress, and bamboo; and
picturesque villages, A number of these
villages have been beautifully preserved, and some businesses there, including ryokans (or
traditional inns), have been in operation for hundreds of years.

On the seventh and final day of our journey, the weather took a turn for the worse. Instead of
the crisp blue skies we had grown accustomed to, we awoke to a thick cover of grey clouds,
heavy mist, a steady drizzle, and chilly temperatures. That day, as we braved the elements, I
had an abundance of time to contemplate five lessons which I believe are apt metaphors for
how we can weather the storm wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

1. Don’t Let A Little Rain Put You Off

Quite frankly, the day looked miserable from the start.

We had 16 kilometres (10 miles) to cover, including what
appeared to be a strenuous uphill climb to cross the final
mountain pass. It would have been easier to hop on the
next train back to Tokyo. However, we agreed that
having come this far, aborting the mission wasn’t really
an option. And anyway, what’s a few drops of rain?

Life is filled with uncertainties, and we can find a hundred

reasons why we should not wake up early to exercise,
embark on a new project, or reinvent our careers. Rather
than letting obstacles hold us back, half the battle is
about jumping in and giving it our best shot.

2. Push Ahead When The Going Gets Tough

As the hours and minutes ticked by, temperatures fell to a bitter 11 degrees Celsius (51
degrees Fahrenheit) while the incessant rain tested our resilience. Trudging along the
dreary path, in silent contemplation, my backpack felt heavier by the minute.
 We were soaked, and after six straight days of full-on hikes, my muscles were
screaming. And yet we persevered. Don’t let the trials and tribulations along the way
obscure your end game vision. You, too, can do it!

3. Stop To Help

A few hours into our hike, we came across a man - a trauma surgeon from Seattle, we
later learned - who had fallen and clearly was in no position to walk. Lending a hand
would mean re-tracing our steps (twice!) along the same track that led into the thick
forest, which would easily set us back by an hour or more.

We eventually managed to help him get to a road where he was met by a vehicle and
taken to the hospital. My hope is that as we emerge from this pandemic, we remember to
stop and help each other out, even if it results in a temporary detour from our path. After
all, each of us depends on the kindness of strangers.

4. Be Prepared

Over six glorious days of clear skies and

sunshine, each time we had to navigate a
particularly steep portion of the trail, I
wondered (often aloud!) if we ought to
have left our rain gear behind. Every extra
bit of weight makes a difference. But here
we were, day seven, and what had
seemed of dubious value turned out to be
a life saver.

The time to prepare for the future is now.

Reflect on your professional and personal
goals and take action to equip yourself for
the rainy days ahead.

5. Don’t Go It Alone

That day, we hiked in the rain for a total of seven hours. To be honest, I vacillated
between feeling like a soggy puppy and a frosty icicle the entire time! Had I embarked on
this journey alone, odds are that I would have given up early in the day.

Navigating the headwinds on the horizon will not be easy. Make sure you have
somebody by your side who can cheer you on, provide an extra push when you need it,
help work through challenges, or simply serve as an extra pair of hands.

No storm lasts forever. As I learned on the Nakasendo Trail, what matters is showing up,
staying the course, lending a hand, anticipating change, and having a support structure.
Stay strong. Be well.

Su-Yen Wong
For nearly three decades, Su-Yen has helped some of the world’s
largest, most innovative, and complex organisations navigate the
intersection of technology, strategy, and people. She is a professional
speaker and board director, and her firm, Bronze Phoenix, provides
solutions that help organisations and leaders reinvent themselves.

www.bronzephoenix.com | www.theadvisorscollective.com

[email protected]
KISS VUCA With Resilience
by Sunshine Irene Kang

Covid-19 came like a hurricane. Many of us were

caught unprepared, trapped by the fear of Covid-19
and its impact to our lives. I run a visual consulting
c o m p a n y w i t h m y h u s b a n d . We t r a n s c r i b e
conversations into visuals by drawing live in M.I.C.E.
events and we conduct our Visual Facilitation LabTM in
Asia. Covid-19 halted everything. Many events were
cancelled as well as our training programmes. We
were caught by a big wave of requests for
rescheduling, replacements and refunds. Before we
could face the storm, we were hit by a hurricane.

Have you ever felt like that? Let’s take a step back. How could we have faced this Covid-19
hurricane differently and learn to fly with it rather than ran from it? Surviving Covid-19 is
similar to learning to surf the VUCA wave of Volatile, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguous
with resilience. We fail at first, jump back, acknowledge the situation, learn from previous
mistakes, and move forward.

Mother Nature teaches us, the deeper the roots the stronger the tree, and storms force trees
to send their roots even deeper. We can use this Covid-19 storm to deepening our roots to
strengthen ourselves too. Storms transform fear, through strengthening resilience and
resolve, into wisdom. Then every storm is a welcome doorway to additional wisdom.

Resilience will help us to remain positive with the unknown and consistent change. I see
Covid-19 as a fast-forward access card to the future. It pushed us to find new ways of doing
things that we may otherwise have taken us years. It has built resilience in ourselves and
our teams, and opened us to new thinking (wisdom) and ways of operating (strength).

Let’s KISS ! VUCA

Embracing this storm using the KISS model is our way through it. So we mapped the four
KISS elements to the four VUCA elements to navigate this Covid-VUCA world: KISS ! VUCA.

"What's one
thing I know I
can accomplish
today that helps
me move in the
direction I want
to go?”

Keep Calm ! Volatile

How do we manage the volatile and ever-changing circumstances? The pandemic outbreak
has shown us signs to slow down, the world needs to slow down. During Singapore’s circuit
breaker, everything slowed down. Staying calm provided space for me to look at the options,
resources and solutions to manage the sudden cancellation of events (which meant the loss
of jobs/projects). Resilience grounds us, providing us the firm base to keep learning, testing
and building new online solutions for our business. Let’s keep calm, contemplate the
stressful situation in a broader context, and work to keep a long-term perspective. Start by
developing some realistic goals and begin with small accomplishment. Build consistently to
move toward those goals.

Instil Trust ! Uncertainty

What do we do when facing what we don’t know and what we haven’t dealt with before? The
outbreak emancipated the leader inside many of us. It’s time to step up as a confident leader
and remain poised under uncertainty. Trust your ability to solve problems. Every one of us
has conquered obstacles and accumulated experience and knowledge. There is resilience
inside every one of us. Work with your team to have open, collaborative conversations, build
team skills, explore new platforms, encourage one another and build trust. During the first
month of Circuit Breaker, our team faced a lot of uncertainty. Resilience taught us not to
doubt and instead, to trust our team and trust the process! We picked up new skills, learned
new things and developed our work onto new platforms. We worked with new partners and
developed new online programmes. Our webinar attracted people from all over the world
despite the time differences. Our clients are no longer limited to Singapore and Asia.

Simplify ! Complex

What do we do with the known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns?
Resilience drives us to remain positive and not to give up even when we fail. Every failure
can translate to wisdom and a step closer to a new breakthrough. When things get tough
and complicated, break it down and simplify the process. In a recent webinar, I learnt from
Dr Lim Song Guan, former Group President of GIC, that one way to manage complex
situations is to Sense, Analyse, and Respond. Develop your strategic plan. Build your
resilience by working through scenario planning. Respond to the scenario that unfolds. The
process helps to simplify things, to deal with a complex world, and to enhance capacity.
Scenario planning helps us anticipate results, reduce surprise, and reduce project errors.

Seek Clarity ! Ambiguous

How do we address inaccuracy, incompleteness and consistent change? We can use simple
visual tools like 5W&1H to address concerns, clarify ideas, break down complex questions
into simpler chunks, and find solutions to overcome challenges. And we can give clear,
consistent communication. It helps maintain team motivation through many future change
initiatives and shifting priorities, reducing resistance and fear of change in us and our teams.

Covid-19 won’t be the last hurricane. What are we going to do when the next storm comes?
We can play victim and complain or we can acknowledge the situation, learn the lessons
from KISSing the Covid-19 VUCA, grab this fast-forward access card, and fly with it!

Sunshine Irene Kang

Sunshine helps individuals and corporates to find confidence, gain
clarity and build capacity. Her strength is in transforming lives. Her
wisdom comes from life storms such as the pain of a previous
marriage that saw her grow her resilience mentally, emotionally and
financially. She is now a successful entrepreneur of a thriving visual
consulting company, a lead facilitator and an inspiring speaker. And
she’s also happily remarried.

www.artofawakeningasia.com

[email protected]
Find A Balance For Your New Reality
by Dr. Tim Errington

Simple Strategies For A Healthy And Productive New Normal

Looking at social media at the moment, you could be forgiven in believing that most people
seem to be having a great time whilst stuck at home; baking, exercising, watching Netflix,
making TikTok videos, organizing photos and all whilst being paid! This really is a hiatus and
for many it’s just about getting through it and remaining amused.

However, perhaps there could be a tinge of jealousy creeping in here, because this is
certainly not the reality for a large section of the working community.

Having spent over a month under ‘Lockdown’ or ‘Circuit Breaker’, some of us are now
feeling the strain, and if you are one of the many who has a job that has to continue under
these unique conditions, there are a whole set of new pressures that have been added to
our already stressed lives.

Before we tried it for an extended period of time, working from home sounded like a breeze,
but now we know better! Of course there are some advantages, but it certainly has its
challenges and many people are now feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

I’m hearing that ‘work from home’ will be a new normal for many with this crisis being
described as a watershed moment as corporates examine the benefits of working remotely.

So how will it work? How do we manage to remain sane and productive within our home
environment? We now know that it’s not as easy as it sounds!

I’ve researched how people are managing and have put together some ideas that appear to
be working for some corporations and individuals. We need a well thought-out strategy to
help us get through this difficult period. Here are my points to consider.

1. We need more awareness of what’s going on around us. You can then make a rational
plan, whatever that looks like. For example, don’t just try and work when you can,
grabbing time here and there.

2. Create a daily schedule, mapping out the day with everything you need to get done,
including breaks. Plan your following day the evening before; you may even sleep better
knowing your tomorrow has a good structure. Feeling unproductive is hugely stressful,
so make that list and make it realistic. There are few things as stress relieving as a fully
‘ticked-off’ jobs list. You are more likely to get everything done and it gives you more
accountability.

3. Make sure you understand exactly what is expected of you. By not being quite sure what
you are meant to be achieving during these times can in itself be a great stress, so
address this one early.

4. Do aim to get each day off to a good start. Check that to-do list, amend it if necessary,
but get some early wins under your belt.

5. When working from home, you will need a flexible routine. Things will disturb you for
sure, so go with the flow, re-jig your schedule a little and get back on track. At least your
day has structure and it keeps you in flow.
6. Nurture an attitude of self-forgiveness. As your schedule becomes disturbed and you
inevitably get knocked off-track, just smile knowingly and reschedule things. Refer back
to point one – maintaining awareness is the key. You simply can’t be at your maximum
productivity all the time.

7. Make sure you drink plenty of water, limit coffee, and every hour stand, move and
stretch. If you are not travelling into the office, it is very easy to do less than 1000 steps a
day, which will soon lead to de-conditioning and illness. Getting enough exercise is non-
negotiable, so write it in your schedule.

8. Create a little more ‘me-time’ than normal. There’s a global crisis playing out and mental
health is at an all-time low. So, look after yourself first and build your resilience.

9. Without the social interaction of a busy office, it is possible to quickly feel disconnected
and lonely. So each day, be aware and maybe schedule some video time with a friend.

10. When you are working from home, you are both at work and at home, and the two merge
into one. This can be dangerous because you never get to separate yourself from work.
Consider creating definite hours that you work to and designate a workspace within your
home. When you are in this space during these hours, you are officially at work and not
to be disturbed.

We are in a new and rapidly changing world. It won’t all be bad, but people are scared and
times of change can be extremely stressful. So if working from home is to be your new life
then make sure you have these simple strategies covered. And, as is usually the case, it will
be your mindset that determines your outcomes.

Dr Tim Errington
A Doctor of Chiropractic for the last 18 years, Dr Tim
describes himself as a spinal engineer and a proponent of
wellness, vitality and longevity. Author of the book Posture
Matters, Dr Tim runs a leading chain of chiropractic wellness
clinics in Singapore called Total Health Chiropractic.

www.totalhealthchiropractic.com.sg

[email protected]
Simplify
by Tim Wade

Work, family, health, connections, volunteer, gym, marketing, home fixes, read, learn, do that
course... There's just not enough time to do it all! If only everything could stop for a few
weeks so I could get stuff done and define my new normal...

ZAP!

And here we are. Then somehow I became busier in different ways, feeling overloaded,
frustrated. The usual solutions didn’t work. “Increase productivity!" ... awesome, but I got
distracted by all the new things I needed to do. “Increase self-discipline!" ... great, but I
couldn't quite discipline myself enough to do it. So here’s an unusual solution: simplify.
Simplifying means removing the overload and creating margin. Then create your new normal
EVAs - Essential Victory Activities.

During our Covid-19 isolation we enforced simplification by closing non-essential

businesses. Could this work on our non-essential stuff? If we delete, donate, trash and
prioritise... we end up with... life alignment. Closing non-essentials in our home, work, and
workload management will keep us focused on our EVAs and living life on purpose;
improving relationships, increasing productivity and… creating margin.

Margin

Like a margin in an exercise book, or around a printed page, there is a space reserved for
nothing. Our lives need that margin too. Space; a buffer of nothing. It's used in design (white
space, negative space), coaching and counselling (active silence), in the structure of the
universe (er… Space), and we need it in our lives too.

Margin requires boundaries; rules so you keep it empty, not filling it with more. Declutter the
physical space and the useless busywork, and that to-do-list mind-chatter that steals your
focus. That "Too Due" list is weighing you down. Lighten up. Eliminate to illuminate. Keep
only essentials: your EVAs. Create margin by removing the overload and the overtime. Own
your load, own your time. Simple.

Remove The Overload

Be ruthless. Imagine you’re at gunpoint: you have to choose what stays, what goes.

• Work projects overloading? Eliminate 20% of them, decide to defer 60% of the less
important ones. What’s left will be the most valuable 20%. Work on value. Simple.

• Social media and websites everywhere? Delete dormant and dead profiles and sites.
Copy useful content before deleting, to republish on the remaining sites. Simple.

• Business systems chaos? Simplify your creation, connection and delivery systems, and
ease of consumption by your audience. Ask IT, or get ruthless yourself. Process review
time. Ask for help if you need it. Simple.

• Staring at clothes you haven’t worn for years? Recognise that a $600 pair of Versace
jeans from 2004 that still don't fit even after losing weight is worth zero in your wardrobe
but a lot to someone else who will give it life. Sell it or donate it to the Salvos. Liberate
your wardrobe. Then resolve to give away two items before buying one new one. Simple!
• Too many books? Donate anything you won't read within 24 months. Buy them on Kindle
if you must. Use the extra space for clarity not for more unused stuff. Simple.

• Unused stuff? Sell or donate it away if it's without real meaning or value, or is long-term
unused. Some unused stuff has value and use, like a fire extinguisher. Obviously keep
those. But for other stuff, like my awards or gifts from speaking clients, I take photos of
them to use on my website (useful) and store or release the item. The wonderful ones
can stay on my shelves. They “spark joy." The generic or thoughtless ones go. Simple.

• Online photos? I consolidated all of them into Google Photos. Amazingly there are over
200,000 in there. Our daughter, Zoe, shouldn’t have to go through over a million blurred
and irrelevant photos to find some good ones after we die. She might delete them all and
miss the good ones. So once a month, my wife and I delete at least 1000 useless photos
from our collection. We turn it into a fun, family activity of going through memories while
deleting the “meh” and the duplicates. Our goal: an essential 5000. A huge job. And time-
consuming. But it needs to be done so we’re chunking it down and making it fun. Simple.

• Online business documents? Same idea as the photos, but for business. Trash archived
nonsense. Create a quarterly Dropbox Delete Day. Make a competition of it. Simple?

I'll share a Resource Pack with more ideas that expand on these (link in my bio below), but
for now: simplify. It's like clearing mental garbage. The result: more clarity, more focus,
aligned results, peace. Thank me later. You’re welcome now.

Completed EVAs Deliver Daily Wins

I love the idea of getting up at 5 a.m. and winning before 8 a.m. … except I'm asleep then.
Besides, some wins can only come after 5 p.m., like family time. Instead ask: what EVA can I
complete NOW? You’ll need to choose your Essential Victory Values, and then add Essential
Victory Activities. For example, my five essential values are Faith, Fitness, Family, Impact
and Growth, all underpinned by Fun. I’ll share my activities in the Resource Pack where,
ironically, I have more space to share my ideas.

Perhaps now is the perfect time for you to define your new normal EVAs. I’m happy to help
you define yours, simply connect! But try doing it yourself first. With your EVAs, every day
can be a victory regardless of project-driven or trigger-driven work (like writing proposals or
delivering speeches). And with margin, you'll find peace, creativity, joy and that me-time
you've been missing. But beware of fake essentials that threaten your margin. Our creative
thinking comes alive within those margins; even the name Eva means ‘life,’ and our EVAs
create our space for our life-alignment.

So... Simplify. Create EVAs. Cherish your margin. And to start: simplify.

Tim Wade
A multiple-award-winning leading change speaker. Trusted by the
world's biggest brands and organisations. And by government
agencies, churches and awesome associations. Tim Wade’s fun,
dynamic, and engaging on-stage and online keynotes, training,
coaching, video solutions, and events help audiences embrace,
lead and motivate positive change. Click to connect (and get the
Resource Pack too) here:

www.timwade.com/ebk20

[email protected]
“We’re here for you. We’re rallying around you.”

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