I know… it’s been a while! I appreciate your understanding! But more importantly… where is 2024 going?! March already!!!!
I am trying to blog more – sharing more of my thoughts on technology, people and processes… all are important in today’s world. And for today’s friday thought, it’s very much around vibes.
I do often look and feel for vibes… good or bad. And when you get good vibes… Enjoy!
You should too… look out for vibes. Feel the vibes.
Vibes are important because it’s a form of communication that can be so powerful, it leaves you with thoughts, memories and/or experiences.
What is a Vibe? (the below is taken from the Cambridge Dictionary)
The mood of a place, situation, person, etc. and the way that they make you feel:
Recently, I just completed a certificate program at the Cornell University. The course itself, was called – ‘Lessons from Ancient Rome’. And I’ll be honest, it as fantastic!
There were so many takeaways… my top one, which I’d like to share today was about, knowing when to step down.
Julius Ceasar. Legend. Not only was a salad named after him but a month too! Crazy!
(The salad was a joke – I’ll explain in Part 2 why I made that joke).
So, this guy, in essence ruled for a long time. The problem was, he was great to start with but then… he became so embroiled in his own deamour that he lost the confidence in the people around him. And that ultimately led to his downfall.
Now.. why was this my favourite part? Because over this module, it was explained to me… to know when is the right time to take a step back. When to stop and when to know that it’s time for someone else to take over.
I see it everyday. I see it at my local Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) where some of the older folk are holding onto particular positions on the committee for dear life! (though they don’t have long to live themselves!!)
I see it in politics. I see it at work. I see it everywhere. So I thought to myself, why don’t people let go?
Because of Power.
Power is such a strong element – that when you have it, you don’t want to let go.
Remember the time, you were having your favourite meal – and towards the end, you’d enjoyed it so much but you thought, I could do that all over again, or I could eat more of the same. And if it was offered to you, you probably would continue to eat though it’s bad for your health and you’re just going to get fatter and be so indulgent that you’ll ignore signs from your body to stop.
It’s the same when you’re in a position of power.
Now, not everyone is like this. There are many people who will step away. Many people who know the time is up.
I know most of the folk who read this in the US may not be that overly familiar with the game Snooker.
There’s a chap, Ronnie O’Sullivan, he’s been world champ for a long time.. and for fun, he continues to play in all competitions. He made a very funny remark the other day which made me laugh… but also got me thinking…
This for me – sums it all up. Ronnie is the best. In the World. And he’s open for someone to come and win against him. He’s shared his ailments. Yet he continues, because no one can do better.
This is the same principle, for those in positions of power. Let others have a go and see if they’re better than you. If they can perform as good as you. If their ideas are better than yours. In sports – it can be slightly different to politics – but the principle of knowing when to give up is the same. In snooker, there were many great players who started to get beat and knew time was up.
But in positions of power – when you have it, you fear of getting beat. It’s the fear you need to let go off.
Awesome module this was… about leadership, and knowing when the right time is to leave, quit or move on. So many great examples of people who haven’t… and those who did. Sharing this so that you make the right decisions knowing when to step aside or move on for the betterment of the organisation.
Or if you’re like Ronnie… just carry on until someone can beat you!
Well, hope the first week of the new year has been good.
For me… it’s been busy! I was at Guru Nanak’s Mission on Monday – a local charity where I help cook for the homeless and vulnerable. Then work has been busy.. working till late. Last night, I was on a call with folks from my UEFA C course.
BUT… I did manage to, eat well (kind of), get some exercise in, read my new book and do some studying (I’m doing a course with Cornell University – called Leadership lessons from Ancient Rome).
You have to make sure you schedule these in… if not, then you’ll get tired very quickly and not be able to focus on the right things.
Show me your daily wins… maybe we can share them on social media and tag folks for encouragement.
There’ll always be a reason why. At that time, the chimp part of our brain won’t listen. It’ll bang on about why me, why not them, what’s happening, etc…
This is why think about the journey.
Think about the process.
And keep going – stay on track and believe in yourself.
I was recently watching some videos on Instagram. And there’s one that I’ve watched many times – and I love it. I usually refer to it on many occasions when I’m talking to others.
I’ve even written the first part of it, on my chalk board at home!
There’s so many takeaways you can have from the simple message. I take away that no matter what you’re planning, looking to, etc… focus on today. It’s similar to the book – The Power of Now. Focus on the now, the here and enjoy it. What you do today will help you in the future… that’s why enjoy the present moment.
And if you’re thinking… Bal, that’s great – but what is the rest of it?
Tomorrow, in the morning… I’ll be attending the funeral of a young man who passed away.
Then tomorrow evening, have a wedding reception of a close family friend (who recently got married). I’ve known him since he was a little kid.
Got me thinking, how time goes so quickly…. And mostly around wanting to do things which unfortunately stay as wants and aren’t ticked off the list…
An old colleague recently reached out to me. He said, ‘Bal… I need some advice’.
I was more than happy to share whatever elements of wisdom I had and also provide him with not answers but questions for him to come to the answers.
You see, for me, I love to see people succeeding. It’s not a competition – it’s about everyone getting to where they want to get to and if I can help folks on that journey, then that’s only a good thing, right?
Summer is here! Well, the weather has been a mixed bag… some days have been awesome lovely sunshine, some cloudy.. but that’s ok.
So Summer is kind of here! and thank you to Koen, who part of this Summer Book Club, always sends me a book for the summer to read. He provides me with a list of great books – and asks me to choose one. I’ll be honest – look forward to the Summer Book Club email… because a) I know I’ll be going on holiday soon, b) I’ll have a book to read and c) it’s nice to be part of the club.
So which book did I go for this summer…. well it was a difficult choice! There were so many great books on the list. But the one I ended up going fo was ‘The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down’. It’s by Haemin Sunim – and I’ve already started reading it! It’s brilliant… my favourite part of the book is my Friday Thought for today. I shared it on my Insta and got plenty of likes… even Gurpreet Singh (aka Sikh Dad) privately messaged me reflecting on this.
Here’s my Friday Thought… a Buddha see’s Buddha, a pig sees pigs… what do you see?
When was the last time you wanted something and you went for it?
When was the last time you asked for something, and got it?
In life, we have so many opportunities missed. Don’t miss them. Ask the question, go after what you want, do what you want – move forward… life is short. Enjoy it.
Well… technically, there’s nothing ‘big’ for 2023 – but alot of progress and enhancements of what is already out there.
I thought I’d share my Top Five Big Things for 2023!
Artifical Intelligence (AI) Everywhere
Spoken about AI before but in 2023, it’s going to take a major leap. Why is that? – because it will become real in organizations. No-code AI, with its easy drag-and-drop interfaces, will enable any business to leverage its power to create more intelligent products and services.
AI will also augment nearly every job in every business process across industries. More retailers will use AI to manage and automate the complex inventory management processes that happen behind the scenes, so convenience trends like buy-online-pickup-at-curbside (BOPAC), buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), and buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS), will become standard.
AI will also be the engine behind the newest autonomous delivery initiatives that retailers are piloting and rolling out, and more and more retail workers will need to get used to working alongside machines to do their jobs.
Digital and Physical Worlds coming closer
We’re already seeing an emerging bridge between the digital and physical worlds, and this trend will continue in 2023. There are two components of this merger: digital twin technology and 3D printing.
Digital twins are virtual simulations of real-world processes, operations, or products that can be used to test new ideas in a safe digital environment. Designers and engineers are using digital twins to recreate physical objects inside virtual worlds, so they can test under every conceivable condition without the high costs of real-life experiments. In 2023, we’ll see even more digital twins, from factories to machinery to cars to precision healthcare.
After testing in the virtual world, engineers can tweak and edit components, then create them in the real world using 3D printing technology.
For example, Formula 1 teams currently collect data transmitted from sensors during races, as well as race track temperatures and weather conditions, to see how cars change during races. Then they stream the data from the sensors to digital twins of the engines and car components and run scenarios to make design changes on the fly. The teams then 3D print car parts based on the results of their testing.
Green Technology
One of the biggest challenges the world is facing right now is putting the brakes on our carbon emissions so we can tackle the climate crisis.
In 2023, look for continued progress around green hydrogen, a new clean-burning source of energy that produces close to zero greenhouse gas emissions. Shell and RWE, two major European energy companies, are creating the first major green pipeline from wind plants in the North Sea.
Robots more Human-like
In 2023, robots will become even more like humans — in appearance and capability. These types of robots will be used in the real world as event greeters, bartenders, concierges, and companions for older adults. They’ll also perform complex tasks in warehouses and factories as they work alongside humans in manufacturing and logistics.
One company is working hard to create a human-like robot that will work in our homes. At Tesla AI Day in September 2022, Elon Musk revealed two Optimus humanoid robot prototypes, and said the company would be ready to take orders within the next 3 to 5 years. The robot can perform simple tasks like lifting items and watering plants — so perhaps soon we’ll be able to have “robot butlers” that help around in the house.
Sustainable Technology
Finally, we’ll see a push toward more sustainable technology in 2023. Many (if not most) of us are addicted to technology like our smartphones, tablets, and computers — but where are the components coming from to manufacture our favorite gadgets? People will be thinking more about where rare earth components for things like computer chips originate and how we’re consuming them.
And moreso, where can we use/upgrade/renew technology to further it’s life. Even the Head of Sustainability at BMW said we should look at using older cars – and have a mechanism in place to update and renew parts quickly and cost effectively.
So there you go – my Top Five.
Any things you’re thinking that in 2023 will hit us from a Technology perspective?
Off course… I left out some obvious items, such as what Elon is doing over at Twitter and a few other items because they’re more specific and all depends how much some of these billionaires throw at their projects.
For me – Point 5, sustainability is key. That’s the most important one. And in one of my up and coming blogs – I’ll talk about repair cafe’s that are popping up, and ways to be more concious about the environment when it comes to tech.
