The scoreboard tells the truth

I grew up on the sports field, where every match ends with a number on a board. You can argue with the referee and the weather. The number stays where it is. So you go back to training, and you rise by showing up again.

Then comes a career. The higher you go, the quieter the board becomes. The stakes rise while the signal fades. After more than 2,500 hours one to one with founders, executives and high performers, the pattern I see most clearly is this: the leaders who rise fastest build their own scoreboard, early.

Read the full letter, with three lines for your own board this week. A new letter arrives every Thursday on Substack.

The signs are all there

Losing your wallet is one of the most frustrating experiences a person can go through. You may have experienced this before: you pat down your pockets, only to realize that your wallet is nowhere to be found. Panic sets in as you try to remember where you last had it. But what happens when you know where you lost it, and the person who found it decides to go on a shopping spree with your hard-earned money? This is exactly what happened to me over the weekend, and it was a truly irritating experience.

I was taking my kids to my mothers house for a visit, and anyone who has children can most likely relate to this… Per usual, chaos ensues, right?

Anyway, we went to my mothers’ and had a great time. Came back home, the whole family had dinner and then we put the kids to bed.

The next day I wake up and we’re getting prepared to have a family day. Here is where the “adventure” begins. I start looking for my wallet in my jacket pocket and in my bag. It’s nowhere to be found. Now mind you, this is my LUCKY WALLET. I’ve lost it more than 10 times over the course of the seven years I’ve had it, and it always found it’s way back to me. So I was certain I had it somewhere.

So I go to the car, expecting the wallet to be on the passenger seat waiting for daddy. Nothing. I call my mother to ask here if I might’ve forgot the wallet at her apartment. Nothing. Zilch. Now I’ve accepted that my lucky wallet is gone. For now.

Just out of curiosity I log on to my bank account to make sure that no one has started using any of my cards… Let’s just say I did. not like what I saw…

The person who found my wallet went on a shopping spree with my credit cards. It was almost hurtful, considering that my wallet also had my driver’s license in it, which would make it easy to return the wallet. But, alas, that didn’t happen. The thought of someone using my hard-earned money to buy things for themselves without a second thought was infuriating.

What made the situation even more frustrating was the fact that we’re in the month of Ramadan, a time when people are supposed to be more charitable and kind-hearted. You would think that someone who found a lost wallet in the parking lot would return it, especially since it had identification in it.

This incident helped me to realize that I need to have a backup plan in place in case something like this happens again. For example, I could have a spare credit card and some cash in a separate location, just in case my wallet gets lost or stolen again.

In conclusion, losing your wallet can be a frustrating experience, especially when the person who found it decides to go on a shopping spree with my cards. However, it’s important to remember that every experience, no matter how negative, can be a learning opportunity. This experience has taught me to be more responsible with my belongings and to have a backup plan in place in case something like this happens again. I’m still happy because this incident has helped me to reach a new level of awareness and responsibility, which will ultimately help me to achieve my goals and live a better life.

#josephtourang #blog #life #signs #ambition #experience #goals #wallet #money #success

No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper: The Importance of Focus and Discipline

Life can be tough. We all face challenges, obstacles, and setbacks. Sometimes, it feels like the whole world is against us. But here’s the thing: no weapon formed against you shall prosper. With focus and discipline, you can rise to the occasion and overcome any obstacle.

Let’s talk about focus first. Focus is essential because it helps you stay on track and achieve your goals. Without focus, you’re like a ship without a rudder, drifting aimlessly in the ocean. You need to have a clear direction and a laser-like focus on your objectives if you want to succeed.

Distractions are the enemy of focus. We live in a world of constant distraction, with smartphones, social media, and endless entertainment options vying for our attention. But you need to resist the temptation to indulge in these distractions if you want to achieve greatness. Stay focused on your goals, and don’t let anything distract you.

Discipline is the other side of the coin. Discipline means doing the things you need to do, even when you don’t feel like it. It means sticking to your routines and habits, even when it’s hard. It means pushing yourself beyond your limits, even when you want to give up.

Discipline is what separates the winners from the losers. It’s what allows you to put in the hard work and effort necessary to achieve your goals. It’s what gives you the strength to persevere when all the odds are stacked against you.

So, why is rising to the occasion so important? Because life is full of challenges, and you need to be prepared to face them. Sometimes, you’ll be faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But here’s the thing: no weapon formed against you shall prosper.

When you rise to the occasion, you show the world what you’re made of. You prove to yourself and others that you’re capable of greatness. You demonstrate that you have the focus and discipline necessary to achieve anything you set your mind to.

Rising to the occasion requires courage, determination, and grit. It means digging deep within yourself and finding the strength to keep going, even when everything seems hopeless. It means believing in yourself and your abilities, even when others doubt you.

But here’s the thing: no weapon formed against you shall prosper. When you have the focus and discipline necessary to rise to the occasion, nothing can stop you. You become unstoppable, invincible, and unbreakable.

So, how do you develop the focus and discipline necessary to rise to the occasion? It starts with setting clear goals and creating a plan to achieve them. Break your goals down into smaller, manageable steps, and focus on completing them one by one.

Next, establish daily routines and habits that support your goals. Create a schedule and stick to it, even when it’s hard. Make time for the things that matter most, and eliminate distractions that don’t serve your goals.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Seek out mentors, coaches, and friends who can support and encourage you along the way. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your abilities.

In conclusion, the importance of focus and discipline cannot be overstated. When you have the focus and discipline necessary to rise to the occasion, nothing can stop you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. So, stay focused, stay disciplined, and never give up. The world is waiting for you to achieve greatness.

#JosephTourang #ambition #goals #greatness #Wedidthisforus #like #follow #machine #cloth

‘Cardinal Excuse’

Managing expectations and promises. A skill in itself. Mastering this particular discipline can be the difference between legend and loser.

I want to set the ambience because this is a real integral part of the story, and might explain why I went AWOL, after promising so much.

I started off the fall of 2018 (around November) to map out a game plan for how I could best help the most amount of people in the best possible way. In my opinion, this was undoubtedly by showing, because there’s nothing better than a person helping you find your way to change, that’s been there and done it themselves.

I was out of shape, had a lot of uncertainty in my life, both personal and professional. So I decided to document my journey from this state of being that didn’t prefer, back to the amazing, ambitious and adrenaline filled lifestyle that I had been accustomed to.

So I really had a moment of flow for a couple of months, where I was really productive and managed to fit a whole lot into an already busy schedule. I was following every single thing besides my diet (which turned out to be the most important). I was managing three different blogs, each to show one aspect of this personal growth journey back to greatness, I had a few assignments lined up, and I had some clients. with more in the pipeline.

I was keeping this tempo up for a considerable amount of time, around three months. I was on my way back to the enchanted land of happiness and success, and I’d brought gifts!

I was really doing it! Once again! Back from the dark ages.

I started calling myself Captain Consistent.

It bit me in the ass.

Late February something happened. Something cataclysmic and life changing.

What happened? – I can’t tell you. All I can say is, it was so intense that it killed Captain Consistent, and you won’t guess who took his place?

F#$!ing Cardinal Excuse!

Whenever I was supposed to follow my schedule and plan, I always had an excuse. Most of my excuses were really good, well thought out and impeccably formulated. After all, Cardinal Excuse was running the ship.

Now here was the paradox: Most things in my life was really flourishing at this point. I had gained some new knowledge and experience, and I was learning things from some of the great minds of our generation.

But I couldn’t seem to get back to where I was supposed to be.

Then I remembered something that my mother told me when I was a child:

You can’t swim in the same river twice.

This sentence echoed in my head for days before I came to a point of acceptance. It is impossible for one to get back to a certain state of being, when the environment does not look the same. One can create a new and perhaps even improved state of being, but going back is not an option. It’s not even a thing.

So here I am, again. No promises or set expectations this time around. Nothing, expect for getting Captain Consistent up and running again so we can create amazing fantasies together again.

// Joseph Tourang

By the way: Make sure you follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/josephtourang) ,Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JosephTourang) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/JosephTourang)Also follow my other blogshttp://www.theambidextrousdiary.com and http://www.wedidthisforus.home.blog

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Meditation vs Meditative

Wednesday. Reoccurring theme this past week has been to keep up with as many daily routines as possible, while working on an important presentation, and trying to get this “Cheat Day” ailment out of my body. It has been a rollercoaster ride indeed.

I am of the firm belief, or conviction rather, that everything happens for a reason and that everything in life has a clear and undeniable correlation. I think perhaps that this Cheat Day-sickness was the Universe’s way of telling me that the way forward in order to achieve and realise my dreams is balance.

So I spent most of the past week re-aligning.

Enter meditation. Meditation is a solid cornerstone of the temple that I call my life. I’ve been practising meditation regularly for almost 12 years now, and in all honesty I am still very much a novice. Which is absolutely great and fascinating, because had I done anything else in the “physical realm” for 12 years I’d consider myself a knowledgable person in the field!

So what is meditation? Well here’s a great description that I read in a dictionary:

Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.

There’s a lot of different meditation techniques, and I am not so well versed to be able to describe and present all of them for you in this blog. That’s not the point. The point is to understand that meditation is a practice of specific techniques, to reach a certain mental and physical state.

I, myself, practice a form of meditation called Zazen meditation, in which I focus on my breath and I try to master the flow of oxygen, without irregular breathing or finding myself short on air. I do this all while I observe my thoughts from a “passenger-perspective”, which means that the thoughts are being played out in front of me, like a movie!

The point of that particular exercise is the realisation that we are not our thoughts, nor are we bound by them. Thoughts come and go, and the more we just observe them, the less attached we will be to them. It’s a weird separation and unity of the mind, body and soul. It’s a really profound journey to say the least!

Another aspect of meditation is the physical part. The way one is seated. One either sits in a position called “the thunderbolt pose”, or in half or full lotus. Each pose presents its own individual challenge and journey. I think most avid practitioners of meditation would express that meditating in the full lotus position is the most challenging one, both physical and mental. Sometimes we can even notice the difference in thoughts that arise depending on what pose we are meditating in.

I personally enjoy the challenges of the full lotus position. It requires flexibility, agility, concentration and patience. Not to different from what attributes one should have for a happy, successful and fruitful life! One has to be in a state of acceptance and free of judgement. What is considered pain in the awake state is merely a sensation that we’ve put a negative label on.

I could go on about meditation for hours and hours, and I still haven’t spoken about the mudras (hand signs)!

It really is the greatest gift I have ever received, and I’ll be more than happy to share this gift with the rest of you. It is truly one of the best things that I have ever discovered in my life. To say it’s awesome and fascinating is an understatement!

Something interesting happens however in our popular culture society. People tend to confuse meditation with the loosely thrown around term of meditative. In pop-culture society, something that calms you is meditative. A song, a cup of coffee or a stroll in the forrest is considered meditative, and I do agree that a repetitive action can put you in a certain state of mind in which you become more calm and in tune with yourself. In that sense a cup of coffee can very well be meditative. But to call a long walk in the forrest meditation just shows that we in this era of microwave-information don’t really know the meaning of things, and yet we still have opinion and speak on things to which we are ignorant. That can be very dangerous and a slippery road to walk on.

I was once at a friends apartment, and I was hanging out with him and his girlfriend. During our conversation I was telling my friend that I meditate for about 30 minutes every morning. He thought that was super cool, and wanted to hear more about how I go about meditating and sitting still for that long. He then turns around to his significant other, whom was busy doing something else, and says: “Did you know that Joseph meditates for 30 minutes a day?” to which she responded: “That’s not unfathomable, I too often walk in the forrest for almost an hour, so I am not surprised!”

I’ll just say that I didn’t continue the conversation. I wasn’t sure how I should have responded?That meditation and walking in the forrest are two completely different things? Just as playing football and painting are two completely different things? No, I don’t believe that that’s my place. Let it all just flow like water. 🙂

Thinking that we know is a very dangerous game to play. It’s a very expensive activity and in the end it can harm ones ability to discover and explore new things.

In meditation we gain understanding (rather than learning) that we know absolutely nothing with certainty. Things might appear to be a certain way, but we cannot say that we know anything 100%.

Walking in the forrest, although soothing and calming, is walking in the forrest, and meditation is meditation. Both very joyful activities and very rewarding in their own right, but two completely different activities nonetheless!

If you have any questions in regards to meditation and it’s different practices, please feel free to ask! I certainly am not an expert in the field, but I can perhaps guide you in the direction of knowledge.

Have a blesses day!

Namaste.

//Joseph Tourang

Meditation. Full lotus pose.

Forrest path. For walking in the forrest.

By the way: Make sure you follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/josephtourang) ,Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JosephTourang) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/JosephTourang)Also follow my other blogshttp://www.theambidextrousdiary.wordpress.com and http://www.ididthisforyou.home.blog

#JosephTourang #Blog #TheAmbidextrousDiary #IDidThisForYou #Motivation #Inspiration #Transformation #Growth #PersonalDevelompent #MentalPowers #LawOfAttraction #Manifestation #Goals #Dreams #Visions #meditation

Progress, not perfection (A balancing act)

Good evening,

Allow me to share a few things with you. First of all, the concept of balance. Or the illusion of it rather. I hear a lot of people talking about how the “have balance” in their lives, like it’s a commodity, a purchasable item or a static state. Well my friends, the bubble shall burst today.

To begin with, balance is an act, a complied set of efforts combined into a joint force that results in a dynamic state that we refer to as “balance”. Have you ever seen a gymnast balancing his or her entire body weight on their hands? Sure you have. Have you ever taken notice of the actual hands? If you have, then you’ll quickly realise that, while the body is completely still and in balance, the palms and the fingers are constantly making small, delicate, subtle and individual movements to distribute the entire weight of ones body across a small surface in order to create the dynamic state of balance.

For the untrained eye, the body is still and in balance, but for the more well versed this is an apparent, joint unbalancing act which results in a still body, or what we call “balance”.

This is very important to dwell upon, because most of us want to achieve a lot of things, but we either don’t know how, or we cannot fully grasp the full extent of what it is that we’re trying to achieve, thus making our efforts hollow and futile. You might create small cosmetic, surface level modifications, but what have you really changed?

Information is key. For “he who knows, is the richest man in all of Babylon”.

The second thing I want to touch on is the notion of striving for perfection. I often ask myself what “perfection” means and where the concept derives from? Does it help an ambitious mind to strive for this elusive place we call perfection, or does it hinder ones creative juices from flowing? Is there even such a thing as perfect, or is this yet another unobtainable concept that someone has created on a philosophical level, for arguments sake and to highlight the epitome of what mankind should strive toward?

When are things perfect? Leonel Messi has won five Ballon D’ors (Golden Ball, and accolade given to the best soccer player for a particular year), but he’s never won a World Cup. Allen Iverson, arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time, has never won an NBA title, but he has several MVP awards under his belt. What do these individuals think of their respective careers?

Even the super intelligent, straight-A student attending your local high school doesn’t ace every single exam. This is not only an improbability, it’s impossible.

Perfection only exists in nature. Human beings and their actions are utterly flawed and imperfect. This is what makes us charming, gives us character, personality and in the eyes of the ones that love us, make us… perfect.

So, I believe that, in order not to become paralysed with anguish because we are not perfect, we should focus on the progress that we make. Fall in love with your craft over and over again. Whatever manifests on the other side is an extension of that love and passion you put into creating, and that in itself is absolute perfection.

For example, I wake up at 5am every morning. Or at least I try to. Some days, although far and few between, I wake up a bit later. At times I don’t follow all of these militant-esque routines I set out for myself. Does this mean I have failed? Does this mean I am not worthy of reaching my goals? Fulfilling my potential? Realising my dreams?

Of course not!

I just have to remind myself that life is a balancing act, made up by a myriad of efforts and that there’s no such thing as perfection. There’s only progress.

So I try to further cultivate my senses and focus on the small, subtle and delicate movements.

Here are two pictures that really embody what I mean by this blog. The first on is yours truly in half lotus, slightly overweight expressing my imperfections perfectly, and the second picture is a tree that decided to perform a highly elaborate balancing act on top of a wall surrounding the great ancient city of Ankor Wat.

With love. Namaste. //Joseph Tourang

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Scary, exciting times ahead

First blog post.

So, I already have another blog called “The Ambidextrous Diary”, which is a super dope concept if you ask me. Basically that blog focuses around finding balance in life by challenging oneself to do things that makes one uncomfortable and create new, amazing impressions. It’s really taking shape and I want for it to be as unblemished as possible.

This blog however, will focus on my day to day life as Joseph Tourang, a smart young man with loads of potential, loads of promise, and loads of trauma. All these characteristics make up who I am, and to be honest really affects my path throughout this journey that I am on.

Allow me to display my thoughts, ideas and overall beautiful dysfunctional and disruptive behaviour.

My goal is to make you think, smile, laugh, cry, worry and sometimes be provoked.

And yes, there will be pictures of food posted up on the blog. You better believe it!

I will tell you all about the scary and exciting times ahead in a future blog post.

For now however… What’s for dinner? DSC_8175 (1).jpg

//Joseph

#JosephTourang #blog

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