WHY

I work for a company which is constantly analyzing what  "market rivals" are doing. Day by day, my company tries to beat, to overcome its rivals. The funny thing is that they are always one step further than my company. Even if in some moment my company is the #1 position, it doesn't last too long. So, this makes me think about what is happening there. 

After watching one of Simon's Sinek speech, I finally had a glimpse of what would be the problem. Simon said something about the differences between the way that Apple and Microsoft run their businesses. While, one is looking forward, trying to "beat" themselves, trying to be constantly better and in consequence overlap the competitors, the other is always trying to beat the first one.

The aftermath is that while Apple is moving forward and most important, beating itself, Microsoft is in second place, always one step behind.

Bringing this allusion to my reality, the company where I work is doing exactly what Microsoft is doing. Both are working with their WHAT, their HOW, instead of their WHY.

Only when you know exactly WHY you do what you do every single day, you find WHAT an HOW you do what you do. 

In other words, only finding your purpose (WHY) you will be the first, but the first to yourself, not for someone else.

Simon Sinek: CHANGE YOUR FUTURE - Life Changing Motivational Speech

Toy Story (1995) - Review

In 1995 Disney releases what would be considered a landmark for the animation's industry. Toy Story, a CGI (computer-generated imagery) movie, underlines Disney's greatest technological advance in decades. 

 

Toy Story brings a new world seen through the eyes of the toys of a six-year-old boy, Andy. Living in his bedroom the toys come to life when Andy is not there. Woody, an old-fashioned cowboy toy, and his friends have to deal with the arrival of a new toy, Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger. With a better design and technology, Buzz represents a threat for Woody who tries to keep his position of Andy's favorite toy. The plot hits its highlight when Andy's family decides to move. Woody and Buzz are left behind and are caught in Sid's bedroom, a terrible neighbor boy who likes to transform toys into nightmare creatures.

The animation succeeds mixing technology with a well-written script. Sometimes hilarious but original, it's almost impossible not to have the feeling that the characters are in fact real. This was only able by the excellent animation technology applied to the film. The result proves so breathtaking that the regular cartoons look like will never seem the same again.

Watching the film, I felt I was in at the beginning of a new era of movie animation, which draws on the best of cartoons and reality, creating a world somewhere in between them. It's improbable not to think that I will watch and rewatch Toy Story as many times as possible. Definitely, in the future, it will be remembered for all, adults and kids, as a classic, a turning point in what once was known as a cartoon.

Vision Board - Where I want to work.

Letter for a Friend

If I am right, I did like 3708 photos (so far) of your Instagram. People who live with me, use to say that I have some problems when I am speaking with someone else. It's like I consider that the other person involved in a conversation with me, would have access in advance to my mind. Actually, people have no idea of what I am speaking about. Thus, the best way that I've found to communicate effectively was writing. This is why I write so much, and I'm going to write about this amazing experience.

Around my 300º like I realized that my goal was even bigger than I'd first thought. There was a history behind every photo posted and it would be unfair to give a like without even knowing what the photo was trying to reveal. At that moment, I realized that I had already won the jackpot.

I will try in a simple way describe what I felt through this trip from 2010 to 2018.

Firstly,  I have to say that your professional evolution is clear, as well as the evolution of your photos and the way you work. The Japanese say that if you want to be outstanding in something you need to repeat that 1000 times. Indeed, repetition leads you to excellence, but it's impossible to reach that without discipline, without the willingness to become outstanding. I believe that you do your work with excellence, and the only reason you have reached success was throughout a lot of discipline, the desire to be always better and the desire to learn and find something new. Keep doing this buddy. Don't be afraid of the unpredictable, don't be afraid to take decisions, only the most prepared people are capable of leave their footprints on this planet. You are one of them.

It was amazing to see how your "models" were changing during this time. For necessity, to fill the gap or to supply the absence of someone. Or, to supply the need of the one who did not even exist. I loved when Frankie was your main model and he was your son and you were his daddy. Also, I could see all you love with your nephews and all your happiness. Although I could see your sadness when they stopped appearing in your photos. Fortunately, as this universe is wise, soon another model started to show up in your photos. Your son was born and with him, all that happiness were back, your photos were more vivid, the light was different. In some way, they were reflecting all of your love and joy for your paternity. I couldn't forget to mention, your model number one, your wife. Always supporting you, she has a paramount role in the achievement of that excellence that I mentioned before.

Congratulations to value your mother and by the dozens of kisses and hugs that I could see through your photos. Be aware that when everything is falling apart and there is only hopeless, she will be there, ready to have you and help you in some way, here in this world or in any other place in this universe. Be a son is wonderful, and I am glad to know that you are a really good son. Only when we are good sons for our parents we are capable of being good fathers for our sons.

I thought amazing that you, a world-class photographer, also used to put "boards" in your photos on Instagram. I believed that I was the only one who liked to do that. I loved to know that I was on the right path. Also, I loved to testify your celebrations when your heart's team, Avai, did win games. I don't know where is your bike anymore, there were only two photos of it. I am so sad that there is no more Orkut because your mother can't look after her "farm" anymore. Fortunately, Candy Crush is over, so you can have your "wife back" ( but today there is the “train city”).

It's amazing how the success is not capable of changing the essence of certain people. You are one of them. There are people who didn't travel half of you have done, who don't know half of the people that you know, who didn't achieve 1/10 of your success but has no education enough to say one simple "good morning" to you.

The reason for those achievements is that you are humble, just, with untouched values, and I am very proud to call you as my friend. A person who embraces and kisses my son as if he were his own son,  will never be tempted to change, no matter how much success he has achieved in life.

It's a privilege for me to say to everyone that I know you. It's a privilege for me to call you my friend. I want to say thank you for had given me this prize in advance. Have the chance to follow your history was one of the good things that happened to me. I feel like a winner.

May God continue to bless you and your family. May the clicks of your camera continue to accompany the beating of your heart forever and ever.

See you my friend.

Instant Gratification

There were 6 people waiting for the Pet shop opening on Sunday morning. They had to wait for 15 minutes until the opening. Three of them without mobiles and the others with mobiles in their hands. Guess who interacted each other?

Without mobiles were a little girl, an old lady and I. 

With the mobile were the little girl daddy, a guy, and a woman. 

We are losing our interaction ability. Nobody cares about each other anymore.

To sum up, we (the three free hands) talked for 15 minutes about many subjects. Real people in a real world. And I have a clear recollection of their faces.

The other three? Hmmm, let me think? No, I can't. Were they really real?

'Cambridge Analytica planted fake news' - BBC News

Human life

If you think god enough, human life has all the odds to not occur. Nevertheless, we keep challenging the universe every time we breathe.  

Going deeper, the world as it is was not shaped to have us. But, we insist on thinking that we are the supremacist race in this gigantic collection of atoms made up of smaller particles like protons and neutrons.

Even with all this complexity we still think that the universe's purpose is to serve us. We should be humble as the water. Actually, water is far more important than us in this equivalence. At least it can live without us.

So, when you think that you are the center of the universe, re-think. You are not. Grab yourself to this weak line called life and respect how easy is to lose it.

Turning point

When you reach the end of the line. When you are on the edge of a cliff, there is no turning back. You got there. You are there. You feel the pain.

Its one fear that freezes your soul, you know that you made it and you have to decide. Be there for to rest of your life watching and re-watching all the mistakes that had taken you, or you jump the cliff.

Close your eyes and believe. Believe that there must be some kind of way outta there. All that confusion that was consuming your soul now is a relief.

Identity - Co-creator of Knowledge

TED Talks

Who is she?

It was in 2006 when a first met her. I was working for a company as a finance manager and my assistant resigned. The firm started a selective process for the position and one of the candidates was her.

My first thought about her was that she would be too young for the position. I needed someone well organized, disciplined and responsible. In the interview, I couldn't see any of these characteristics. She could be a headache for me.

However, the company's owner selected her. I told him that maybe this could be a mistake but he asked me the be a little patient and to coach her.

I had a pleasant surprise when she began to work. She was intelligent with a fast pace of learning new things and better, she was extremely responsible. All that I had to do was ask her for some work and a few minutes later it had been done. When she had some doubt about something, she was always open to learning and listening.

One of the things that I took from this experience was to never judge someone just by their age or lack of experience or something that could indicate some kind of prejudice.

I learned that our first thought must be always to believe in people, and bet that if we provide a little push, they can do whatever they wish.

PS: Who is she?