JakMav

I’m sure you’ve heard the news, ...

Silicon Valley Bank – the 16th largest bank in America – has collapsed, and so many people are freaking out right now…

This is the 2nd largest bank collapse in US history!

It's official!!

Twitter has accepted Elon Musk's offer!

You don't have to be great to start something! You just need to start and be consistent to the goal you set!

It's shouting inside of us!

Fintech company MYNT popularly known as GCash is now worth over $2B! And now hitting a double-unicorn status!

Some of the major investors are:
Warburg Pincus (USA, NY)
Insight Partners (USA, NY)
Bow Wave (USA, NY)

With 48M customers and growing!

In order to make something happen, you must take action. It’s all well and good to know what must be done, or what you want to accomplish. It’s great to have the best of intentions and to maintain a positive, can-do attitude. At some point, however, action is required.

You know that you’re capable of great achievements, if only you will put forth the effort to make them happen. You’ve experienced in the past what can happen when you bring yourself to take action, and the value that action can bring.

Motivate yourself or others to action by focusing on the eventual positive outcome of that action. There’s a reason for what you’re doing. Keep that reason firmly in mind. Mentally picture your goal vividly, in great detail, and in a form that is meaningful to you. If your goal is to earn a certain amount of money, think beyond the money to precisely what that money will allow you to purchase.

Visualize yourself taking all the actions, one after another, that will bring your goal into reality. Realize that the first in that chain of actions can be undertaken right now. Consider that you’re already connected.

Live your Value

Most people would agree that value, in whatever form it occurs, is desirable. Much of life is a continuing effort to obtain things of value, whether in the form of material objects, experiences, financial instruments, knowledge, influence, relationships or spiritual matters.

This pursuit takes many forms. Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours in an effort to obtain money. Money is closely identified with value because it can so easily be exchanged for many different kinds of value.

We must remember, though, that money is not the core issue. In order to have money in the first place, and to use it for fulfillment in life, we must think in terms of value.

So let’s take an overall look at value -- what it is, how to recognize it, how to create it, and how to use it. We will look at how to uncover the “hidden” value and wealth in your life, and how to use this value to create even greater value for yourself and others. We will also look at how to exchange the value you possess for other things of value that you desire. In short, we will examine the many ways to add value to your life and the lives of others.

What is value

The dictionary has several definitions for value: a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged; the monetary worth or marketable price of something; relative worth, utility, or importance; something (as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable.

Value is most definitely subjective. A high-speed Internet connection would be of no value to someone with no computer. Yet someone who had the equipment and expertise to utilize it, would happily pay a premium price such a connection. So, in the end, you must define value for yourself by the things in your life that are important to you.

What’s so great about money?

Money is one of the most sought after forms of value. Many people think that money IS value -- that the two are one and the same. While that is definitely not true, the fact that so many people perceive it as such is testament to the extreme usefulness and value of money in the world today. Money is not the definition of value. However, in the practical, day-to-day lives of most people, it comes very close indeed.

Why is this? What is so great about money? By understanding why money is so valuable, we can better understand the nature of value itself.

The great thing about money is that its value is widely and easily recognized. Because of that, money can quickly and easily be exchanged for many other things of value. Money is not value itself, and it doesn’t even have any value of its own except as a compact, convenient way to store and exchange value. Money exists, and is useful, because we all have agreed upon (more or less) the rules for its use. For example, if there were no enforcement of the laws against counterfeiting, paper money would soon be completely worthless.

Money is not inherently “bad” or “good”. In fact, money is highly neutral, and that is one of its attractions. It is not burdened with judgment the way that many values are. The same dollar that was used last week to purchase co***ne might get used this week to buy food for a starving child.

Looking at the example of money illustrates an important point about value itself -- that it is highly subjective. Value is what we make it.

Have you ever noticed that life is best at those times when it is the most challenging. A quick look back will confirm that the most fondly remembered and valuable experiences also had some kind of significant challenges associated with them.

Why is that? Because it is your very nature to overcome challenges. You are exquisitely equipped to thrive on the challenges. In fact, ever since the moment you were born you have been successfully dealing with challenges ranging from staying alive to getting attention to improving your environment and the world around you.

Imagine for a moment what it would be like to have no challenges at all. There would be no decisions to be made, no problems to be solved, no physical effort or exertion necessary, nothing new to be learned, no relationships to nurture. And there would be nothing to accomplish, no way to achieve a genuine sense of satisfaction, no means by which you could grow stronger.

Making progress in life is not a matter of completely freeing yourself from the challenges, for that would render life virtually meaningless. In fact, making real progress is a matter of constantly moving on toward more and more meaningful and valuable challenges. By so doing, you are fulfilling the best of your possibilities.

The more willing you are to take on challenges, the more richness you’ll bring into your life and your world. The best teachers are not the ones who simply explain the material, but rather the ones who challenge their students to explain it. The best coaches are the ones who refuse to accept anything less than outstanding performance.

The more challenges you have, the more you learn, and the more you grow. Challenge can inspire you to innovation. It motivates you to get started and to keep going. Challenge can make strong and gives you the confidence to attempt great things.

Challenge can often be frustrating, yet in that frustration is a powerful degree of motivation. The worse you feel, the more willing you are to do something about it. Challenges provide you with that edge, and can bring out a strong desire to move forward. When you seek out challenge, what you end up finding is opportunity. What you end up creating as the result of taking on challenges is real and lasting value.

A key part of thriving on challenge is to know why the challenge is meaningful to you, and to keep yourself focused on that reason, that purpose, as you undertake the difficult effort necessary to deal with the challenge. Sometimes you’ll be facing challenges that you’ve chosen. Other challenges will be thrust upon you. Yet both kinds of challenges have a clear and compelling meaning for you. Otherwise you would not be facing them.

With a challenge that you’ve chosen, the reason for taking on that challenge will be clear and straightforward to you. But it is easy for that reason to be overwhelmed by the sheer difficulty involved in working through the challenge. So it’s important to remind yourself on a regular basis why you’re doing it in the first place. Before choosing to take on a significant challenge, spell out in writing exactly what your reasons are for doing so. Think of, and write down, as many personally meaningful reasons as possible. Illustrate what you’ve written with photographs or other visual cues, if appropriate. The more real and specific you can make it, the more it will continue inspiring you to do whatever is necessary to successfully move through the challenge.

- Ralph Martson

The United States was attracted by the Global deployment of a British Carrier Strrike Group to South China Sea

Writing in Bloomberg, James Stavridis a former US. Navy officer, wrote that “the news that the UK will soon send a full-strength carrier strike force to sea for the first time since the Falklands War in 1982 reminds me how capable U.S. allies can be globally”.

Stavridis added:

“And given that the flotilla is deploying to the Indian and Pacific Oceans — with stops planned in India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea — it demonstrates the unity those allied nations are showing with the U.S. in its growing rivalry with China.”

He also said:

“Centered on the 60,000-ton aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, the strike group includes two frontline air-defense destroyers and two very capable antisubmarine frigates, as well as a nuclear submarine. The air wing is made up of fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighters built by the U.S. and a consortium of allies, including the British. Additionally, there is a very capable suite of helicopters onboard capable of attacking both surface ships and submarines, and carrying out long-range reconnaissance and targeting.”

The British Are Coming

U.K. to send largest contingent of warships to the South China Sea.

For the first time since the Falklands War of 1982, the United Kingdom is sending its largest contingent of warships to waters thousands of miles away from its own. The U.K.’s largest carrier strike group is expected to depart from British waters as early as May 18 and arrive in the South China Sea the following month. The Ministry of Defence described the deployment as the “largest concentration of maritime and air power to leave the U.K. in a generation.”

According to the U.K. government, the massive strike group composed of carriers, destroyers, submarines, cruisers, and a number of aircraft from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will be “a truly global deployment, from the North Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific.”

A Mustering of Force Among World Powers

The Queen’s forces from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force will be joining a constellation of some of the world’s nuclear powers who are also sailing to the South China Sea for military exercises: the U.S., France, and Canada. Japan will also take part in the exercises with the U.K.

Meanwhile, the warships from the Royal Navy will also take advantage of the mission to conduct exercises with the members of the Five Powers Defense Agreements—Australia, U.K., Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
U.K. Projecting Its Influence and Power

On April 28, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace released a press statement about why the U.K. is deploying to the Pacific the largest contingent of warships it has ever sent anywhere.

“When our carrier strike group sets sail next month, it will be flying the flag for Global Britain— projecting our influence, signaling our power, engaging with our friends and reaffirming our commitment to addressing the security challenges of today and tomorrow.

By Mario Alvaro Limos
Esquire Ph

Who invented the three basic Covid rules to protect us?

1 - Hand wash
2 - Wearing mask
3 - Social distance

These laws were given to the nation of Israel 3,500 years ago. Look it up in the Bible.

1 - EXODUS 30: 18-21
Wash your hands

2 - LEVITICUS 13: 4, 5, 46
If you have symptoms, keep your distance, cover your mouth and avoid contact.

3 - LEVITICUS 13: 4, 5
Who is infected must remain in quarantine for 7 to 14 days

And there are still those who doubt that the Bible is a book of wisdom!

Analogy
- When GOD wanted to create fish, he spoke to the sea.
- When GOD wanted to create trees, he spoke to the earth.
- But when GOD wanted to create humans, he turned to HIMSELF.
- Thus GOD said: "Let us make man in our image and likeness".

Note:
- If you take a fish out of the water, it will die, and when you take a tree from the ground, it also will die.
- Similarly, when humans disconnect from GOD, they die.
- GOD is our natural environment. We were created to live in HIS presence.
- We must be connected with HIM because only with HIM does life exist.
- Let's stay in touch with GOD.
- Let us remember that water without fish is still water but fish without water is nothing.
- Soil without tree is still soil but tree without soil is nothing.
- God without man is still GOD but man without GOD is nothing.
💙❤️💚

Smash the Share button🙏

Henry Sy Jr. daughter Jan Catherine Sy dies at 29

The 29-year-old was active in community development and also an accomplished equestrienne

Jan Catherine Sy, granddaughter of SM tycoon Henry Sy Sr, died on Thursday, March 18, her family announced in a statement. She was 29.

"Dear Family and Friends, tonight, March 18, 2021 at 6:35 p.m., our dearest daughter Jan Catherine Sy is now with the Lord Jesus already. Blessed be the name of the LORD. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!" the statement read.

The statement was shared on social media through Sy's relatives.

Sy is the eldest of the 3 children of Henry Sy Jr, SM Prime Holdings chair.

She graduated with a degree in business and economics at Westmount College in Santa Barbara, California, according to a profile by Inquirer Lifestyle. She served as assistant vice president and project director for SM Development Corporation (SMDC), the residential development arm of the family business which is run by her father.

“I didn’t grow up on computer games; I’m not used to staring at the screen. I was the kid who played outside and climbed trees,” she said.

She was also an equestrienne and competed in international events.

In 2019, Sy launched The Good Guys, SMDC's community development program.

Story written in Rappler
Rappler.com

Tom Brady's Rookie Card just sold for $1.32 Million!

The card is a hand-signed 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket card -- one of only 100 ever produced.

The card was graded by the folks at PSA -- one of the top authentication and grading companies in the industry -- and received an "8" on card quality and a perfect "10" on signature quality.

The card was put up for sale at PWCC Marketplace and ultimately snatched up earlier this month by James Park -- the super wealthy CEO of FitBit, who also happens to be a hardcore sports card collector.

By tmz.com

How do you react to failure?

Failure is always a bitter medicine. We can either swallow the medicine so it can release its power, or refuse to take it and failed again.

17 Massively Successful Entrepreneurs Who Started Their Businesses After Age 35

No, entrepreneurship isn't just for the young.

In the popular imagination, startups are mostly a young person's game, with fresh-faced founders building their ideas from dorm rooms and their parents' garages.

Some investors have even gotten into trouble for endorsing blatantly ageist ideas about who can be a successful entrepreneur.

Reality, however, is rather far from this mythology.

According to experts, the average age of successful startup founders is 40, and research shows that creative breakthroughs have no relationship to age.

The only important factor when it comes to good ideas is how much work you're willing to put in and how many experiments you're willing to run.

1. Liu Chuanzhi founded Lenovo at 39
2. Gordon Moore founded Intel at 39
3. Amancio Ortega founded Zara at 39
4. Cher Wang founded HTC at 39
5. Min Kao founded Garmin at 38
6. Wayne Hughes founded Public Storage at 38
7. Masaru Ibuka founded Sony at 38
8. Hugo Boss founded Hugo Boss at 37
9. Milton Hershey founded Hershey's at 37
10. Doris Fisher founded Gap at 36
11. Rowland Macy founded Macy's at 36
12. Reid Hoffman founded LinkedIn at 36
13. Namihei Odaira founded Hitachi at 36
14. J C. Jacobsen founded Carlsberg at 35
15. Marc Benioff founded Salesforce at 35
16. William Boeing founded Boeing at 35
17. William Procter founded Proctor & Gamble at 35

(P.S.: If you're at the stage of life when 40 seems pretty young to you, then a gigantic expanded version of the infographic lists founders that started successful businesses up to the seventh decade of life.)

------
Disclaimer:
This article is written by
BY JESSICA STILLMAN and appeared in INC.COM

The rich are getting richer even during pandemic

U.S. billionaires saw their bank accounts soar by $434 billion during the lockdown between March and mid-May.

Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos had the biggest gains of all.

Bezos added a massive $34.6 billion to his bank and Zuckerberg next with $25 billion. But Elon Musk saw his net worth rise by the biggest percentage: his net worth jump by 48% in the two months to $36 billion.

This is a prime example of the strength of big tech, even during the most turbulent of times.

Check out this. It's time to create your desire art.

China's Coffee Giant is In Hot Seat for Fraud, In-house probe said.

Not Lucky at all.

Luckin Coffee, aka “The Chinese Starbucks”, is the most recent shady overseas stock. Luckin fabricated $310 million worth of sales in a massive fraud.

One thing about life for sure is the way it is discover. It never gives you a perfect view of what's going to happen and that made it very exciting to go for.

Life itself is a mysterious pursuit of finding it's true meaning with your own self discovery.

Life is to be discover. That's all.

Facebook Introduces Its Own E-Commerce Shop

Facebook Inc. is taking a go at e-commerce with their new online shopping feature Facebook Shops.

Taking its part on the e-commerce boom. Facebook's CEO believes expanding into e-commerce will help revive businesses and the economy while in-store sales struggle with the worldwide recessions affecting all in physical store set ups.

Facebook Shops is a mobile-first shopping experience where businesses can easily create an online store on Facebook and Instagram for free

Test run. Currently, 160 million businesses use Facebook, and 1 million of these have already signed up.

Shops will be a new bridge for consumers connecting e-commerce to social media, separating themselves from other online-shopping giants.

New partnerships. The tech brand has teamed up with some of the biggest names in e-commerce like Shopify, BigCommerce, Woo, Channel Advisor, CedCommerce, and Feedonomics.

Later this summer, Facebook-owned Instagram is rolling out a similar feature that lets users browse businesses’ products and shop.

What's in it for me?

Take the opportunity and ride on. Deutsche Bank is seeing an opportunity for Facebook Shops to reel in up to $30 billion in extra revenue.

Investors are rallying. Since the announcement of Shops, Facebook reached an all-time high for their share prices Wednesday at $236.47 and plans on soaking up extra revenue through transactional fees and more ad placements.

Business Reopening Quickly Turns Risky

What is happening??

Open for business? Well, not quite. New outbreaks in China are raising concerns about opening the door to potential problems in the US.

Where it all began. The COVID virus originated in China, which was the first country to begin lifting restrictions and reopen its economy again. Now, Chinese officials are doubling back, locking down an area surrounding one major city after a new outbreak formed.

Again? Residents in parts of China’s Jilin province are under orders to stay home, after 40 new virus cases broke out.

Changing Tides--State media in China reported one health expert saw signs that the gene sequence of the virus changed and is different from the Wuhan virus.

Two Steps Back--Reopening could stop on a dime if there’s another outbreak here in the US. Ford had to close its Chicago plant after two employees tested postive with Covid-19.

All 50 US states are beginning to reopen, but some experts have warned that reopening too quickly could result in another outbreak.

However if large areas are forced into more lockdowns, it could devastate the economy and send markets crashing, again...

Clarity.

This is Ramon Ang. He is the President of San Miguel Corporation.

His company is badly impacted by this pandemic. But..

He decided to convert their gin factories to produce ethyl alcohol and give it to hospitals...for free!

They also started making nutribun and distribute it to communities in need of food. For free!

So far they have donated and distributed 1.1 million kilos of rice to poor families.

They donated $10M worth of personal protective equipment to our brave frontliners.

The other day, Ramon decided to give FULL SALARY to all their employees impacted by this pandemic.

When asked if he was concern that he is giving away too much of the company's money, he said....

"We can make money again but life, once you lose it, it's gone forever. So between money and life...I'd choose life."

In a confused world, we have a Filipino business leader who can see clearly.

Mr. Ang, maraming maraming salamat! Your story is worth sharing.

Iba talaga Ang may pinagsamahan :)

Repost

Photo by Esquire

Meanwhile in the Philippines

Pres. Duterte just announced ECQ Extension to another 15 days.

What is the effect to the working class as the middle class?

The International Monetary Fund says the coronavirus crisis has caused a global recession.

This COVID-19 recession could be far worse than 2008--Economist said.

Despite strong reminders and implementations from governments on strict social distancing measures, lockdowns and rapid financial assistance, it seems this recession will have lasting effects for years to come.

Not only is this crisis affecting business and employment around the country and most of the world, but it will bring deep social and political changes.

Now let's go back to our focus matter, the middle class in the Philippines. How are we holding on with no paycheck coming in?

The bills are piling up (not waved). Loan sharks are everywhere luring us and ready to bite.

With clear as the sky, the biggest threat to middles class is ECONOMIC STABILITY.

With the rise and fall of the economy the first line to always feel the strain is the middle class.

Primarily the middle class is dependent on salary as their main source of income.

Now that there is no "sweldo" coming in, disqualification from government's financial aid, and bills to pay in the coming months--how are we going to survive this?

With taxes being taken from us before we even see our hard worked paychecks. Which on the other hands help the government and nation's economy to go forward.

From lower income middle class to higher income middle class with Php19,040 to Php190,400 monthly salary respectively.

Many will argue when this socio economic classes be awaken by the hard truth.

What lies ahead for us given to be the good contributing factor to the economic growth.

But the main question running in our mind, is the middle class benefiting from every economic growth? Or are we just bound to suffer most when there's economic threat or downfall?

As an economy progress, we also expect household living conditions to move in a parallel direction, but prosperity is not felt uniformly.

Saddening truth in our government:

With much attention giving on measuring and monitoring poverty, but poverty reduction has not been changed.

The middle class deserves some attention and policy especially during crisis like this.

The biggest challenge in this lockdown (Enhanced Community Quarantine).

The lockdown doesn't hurt the poor nor the rich but the middle class of the country.

The poor (poorest of the poor) are better off with stimulus financial aid than having an actual job.

The rich are fine. Some are getting richer this time.

Those making Php150k to 500k/yr will pay a big price.

All politicians who talks and claims they care for middle class needs to stop playing politcs game and start working immediately towards big resolution to minimize risks of all.

These politicians are more concern on their big checks out of this crisis rather than the people who voted them in. ( by now I am sure you know who are the real SENATORS/Congress men/women in times of crisis).

Here's a thought to consider to better help our beloved nation:

Stop politician's income until they come up with a real solution.

By then, pretty sure they will quickly realize why middle class is sick of their old games and political agendaa.

Who wants to live in full isolation in this house?

Ctto

Don’t Bother Waiting For Inspiration. It’s Not Coming.

When asked how many “reps” he did of a certain exercise, Muhammad Ali famously said, “I don’t know. I only start counting once it starts burning.”

That’s not inspiration. That’s grit.

That’s struggle and urgency.

The cold reality is that sometimes, it’s a real struggle to get your best work into the world.

That’s why so many of us admire great creators, artists and thinkers but so few of us will ever become one.

If you wait to be inspired to do your best work, you’ll be waiting a long time.

Possibly forever.

Waiting for inspiration is an amateur move. It’s not coming today. It may never. And that means absolutely nothing.

It’s not coming to you. But you can seek it out.

The solution: start the work now.

Do it on the sunny days and the rainy days. Stop giving yourself a “pass” to leave your gifts on the table unopened. Stop allowing yourself the excuse not to create.

The ironic part is, as you push through the uncomfortable stage (as all students on the road to mastery must) you’ll find that the struggle actually leads to more inspiration — despite the fact that there was none there to begin with.

It’s a feedback system.

You don’t get inspired, then do great work.

You do great work, then get inspired.

Let's make strong stance in favor of INTIMACY over VOLUME.

In the age of social media, we've been brainwashed to believe that more numbers, views, follows, fans and likes equate to more "success."

This is wrong, both from a philosophical and practical perspective.

Everybody is shouting at the top of their lungs trying to be heard. "Influencers," entrepreneurs and personal brands are making more content than ever, hoping to be seen.

And the platforms that host this material (Facebook, IG, YouTube, etc) are happy to let us create all day because they monetize our time in exchange for hundreds of billions in ad revenue collectively.

I'm not saying that you have to get off social media. I'm saying you need to recognize the game for what it is.

And if you are a content creator or business owner, start taking control of your customer data.

The fact that large platforms own all the data for the people you want to connect with is the reason why you'll always get the smallest piece of the pie.

How are you going to own the data? Use the public social media platforms to build private customer and communicate with them on platforms that cannot be watered down by algorithms and newsfeeds.

Text message and phone

Email (to an extent)

Direct mail

In person

This is my approach for 2020 and beyond.

All the things you want are on the journey, not at the end of it.

How many times have you started down a road, looked into the distance and not been able to see ten feet in front of your face?

That’s the thing: you’re never going to be able to see that far ahead. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t keep striding.

You have to keep moving on your journey.
After all, humans were born on the run.
We started off as nomadic tribes, stopping only to hunt and forage. Always moving, never stopping the journey.
Then, we settled into towns and cities to lay roots, and what happened? Some of us stopped the journey.
Because we stopped moving our bodies, we thought it was ok to stop moving our minds. We stopped improving. We stopped imagining.

It’s no wonder that many of us are stuck.
But guess what?
There’s no prize at the bottom of the box.
There’s no golden statuette to win.

So, keep moving.

Everything you want is on the journey.

Chris Rock has a hilarious bit about the ridiculous negative stereotypes that some parents use to qualify their parenting skills.

As an example, he riffs on phrases some parents might say like, “I take care of my kids” as if this is some great accomplishment, to which Rock’s exasperated response is, “Well duh, you dumb mothaf**ka. You’re SUPPOSED to take care of your kids!”

It's forehead-smackingly obvious, right?

Well, this level of "No S**t, Sherlock" is the point at which I feel the state of entrepreneurial thought has devolved to — especially the constant emphasis on "hustle."

It's all a bit self-explanatory, isn't it?

Yes, wake up early. Yes, do what needs to be done.

Read more. Less TV. Work really hard on the projects you care about.

(They're your projects, after all. Duh.)

This isn’t new information.

People understood this way before 7,000 inspirational Instagram accounts littered the internet. And if you’ve already been hustling, this advice isn't necessarily useful or inspiring.

Doesn't it go deeper than this?

Here’s the problem with the hype about hustle…

We have this mistaken belief that with enough hustle, grit, grind, [insert tired Instagram platitude], we can achieve any outcome.

That's false.

It's a nice fairytale. But it's false.

Sometimes things aren't ready to happen yet.

There are literally millions of other factors at play in the world that you can't see — and no matter how hard you hustle, you cannot produce a miracle by force.

Stop trying to force things.

I'm not saying you should aim low, or that you shouldn't set goals and work towards them. The problem isn't with goal setting or ambition.

The problem is what to do with our emotions during the in-between phases, when our reality doesn't match our grand vision for life.

We must learn to become more comfortable in a state of waiting. Not hoping without planning. Not ambivalence towards the results. But simply putting in the work, then waiting for the results to appear whenever they are ready.

What's so uncomfortable about waiting, after all? We can't stand waiting for anything anymore. It's outrageous.

Can't wait for a movie to hit theaters. Gotta stream it

!Can't wait in line for my food. Better get it delivered!

Can't wait for the second date. Give me the s*x now!

Can't wait for my life to be great. Want it all now!

Everything! Now!

You'd think delayed gratification was the end of the world.

Nah, son. Delayed gratification, by definition is the world.

The earth is 4.5 billion years old and life as we know it has been around for an infinitesimally small fraction of that time.

For 99.9% of this planet's existence, the sun was rising and setting. Volcanoes were exploding. Seasons were changing. The earth was busy doing it's thing without the presence of a single witness.

It wasn't ready for life yet. Then one day, life.

(Took you long enough, stupid planet! Perhaps we should have told the earth to hustle harder next time?)

Here's the truth...

Sometimes life just takes a while to develop, and no matter how hard you push, it's simply not the right time for things to pop off for you.

Force doesn't work as a long term strategy for growth or progress.

Since you can't force anything to happen, the only thing you can do is adjust your perspective.

You have to change the way you think about waiting.

Learn to go from a mindset that associates waiting with pain and discomfort, to one that looks towards the future with optimism. Don't even waste energy obsessing about what you're lacking in the present.

My advice: continue to get things done and work hard.

Yes, hustle. That's obvious.

But don't obsess over timetables for when things "must" happen. Trust me, you'll be disappointed almost every time. Just put in the work and let life unfold.

Give the Universe space to do it's work while you do yours, and when the thing you want finally does happen for you, let it be a happy, albeit not entirely unexpected surprise.

In other words, chill, bruh.

That's it for today! I hope today's essay inspired you to keep going, even when the going gets tough.