Much earlier in my career I had expected that everyone in a big team or organization would share the same kind of conduct. However, I quickly realized that people came from various kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and ideologies that had shaped their view of the world and the people around them. That is true for every one of us. We see things differently; therefore, we decide differently, and we act differently. Your daily thoughts may be the exact opposite of those of someone next to you. The things that excite you may not move others, and what you cherish may be the disdain of another person. Meanwhile, to make society function properly, we must come to terms with others around us. It is quite easy to find oneself on the opposite side of the divide with others. If most of us do not embrace cooperation and comradeship, we will create chaos and anarchy.

While it is impractical and less innovative to make people think the same way, we all have a responsibility. We can present our views, opinions, and ideas in a manner that promotes respect and fairness with those around us. It is about playing with others in a gracious manner even though the field is not level and plane. I observed something important, that those who push their way through in a disrespectful and unfair manner do not go too far before getting into trouble. However, beautiful things happen when we play fairly, honestly, decently, truthfully, and graciously. After all, it is not all about you alone but about the good we can all share when we collectively build together.
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So, where is your sportsmanship? Even when it seems like you are not winning, could you keep playing graciously with others? In fact, sometimes we lose cheerfully so that a greater good can be promoted to the benefit of society. Resist the urge to pull others down. Refuse to cut other people’s livelihood. Reject treating anyone disrespectfully or contemptuously because you have the power. Don’t break the moral rules of kindness and respect for others. Love to love others and dislike to hate anyone. Play fairly and graciously. Let your sportsmanship shine through.

Maintaining an open mind is not something easy to do. It is easier to think and say that we are open minded than it is to practice. In fact, most people that think they are open minded are not. Look at it this way. Can you detach yourself from your opinions when you are working with others toward a solution? Most people cannot. We are naturally inclined to accept our viewpoints over those of others. Yet, without an open mind, we are limited to our own understanding. To be open-minded is to be broad-minded, to be receptive of new or different views and ideas. The opposite of open-mindedness is obvious. It is called bias or prejudice. I like to see it more like parochialism, the narrow-mindedness that prevents us from seeing things objectively.

The implications of a lack of open-mindedness are straightforward. Perhaps if someone is smart, they can achieve a few things with their own ideas alone. However, those who are open-minded have access to an unlimited number of ideas that help them develop bigger ideas. It is about being wise enough to recognize the richness of manifold ideas. Contrarily, prejudice and bias usually stand in the way of progress, causing a sabotage of opportunities. Those who are unreceptive don’t generally do great things. The best of achievements in our world today resulted from the abundance of great ideas from those whose minds are open.
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One more thing. The difference between those who see opportunities and those who see difficulties is the state of the mind, whether the individual’s mind is receptive or not. Give yourself a chance to do something different or something bigger by doing away with bias, partisanship and prejudice and embracing impartiality, tolerance, and open-mindedness. It is not a problem when those around you are not thinking like you. After all, we are all uniquely different from one another for a reason - so that we can, together, build something that no individual can build.

Actions for the week
1. Think about your approach to issues. Are you open-minded. In what areas can you maintain better open-mindedness?
2. Determine to always be tolerant, unbiased and willing to consider other people’s ideas.
3. Share this message with those in your circle.

I was speaking to one of my most respected long-term friends over the weekend. He said something that got stuck in my head – we can do most of the things we think are over our head. Some things are challenging to learn and to do. However, nothing is too hard to learn and do. There is a secret I discovered many years ago. It is a fact that the people that did great things in history and in our generation today did not know how to do them at first. Most of them only spearhead into the unknown. There is always a first time for anyone to do anything. I have let this understanding guide my thinking about myself over the years. In my mind, there is nothing I decide to do that I am unable to do.

Thinking that something is over one’s head is a big barrier that must be broken down. It has deterred many people from achieving what they have the potential to do. It is the reason the majority settle for less and watch other achievers fulfill their dreams. It takes consciousness, determination, and action to dismantle the notion that something is beyond you. Always remember that humans have done incredible things in this world. You and I also could do spectacular things, using our innate abilities to achieve what we can do. You have more capacity for great things than you think but only those who attempt big things achieve them.
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Here is where I am going with this discourse. Don’t allow anyone, anything, or any circumstance to limit you. Those who are doing greatly around you are not necessarily better than you. If someone else does big things, you too could do bigger things. The fact is that none of us has been able to exploit the limits of our abilities and that is because human abilities cannot be capped. Look around you. Then look inward to the ideas and the dreams that need to be borne from inside of you. Drop the self-doubt. Nothing is over your head. You can learn, do, and achieve whatsoever you would. 

Last summer, I spent many early mornings alone in Winnipeg’s King’s Park. You are probably wondering what I was doing there. I was there meditating, reconditioning my mind and recharging for the next phases of my life. I did that in the serenity and quietness of the early mornings. The only sounds I heard in the park were the chirping of the birds and the rustling of the trees, except when I walked by the water fountain at the centre of the park. The lake was calm and clear such that it became a mirror for the trees and bushes around. You may check the picture of the lake on my LinkedIn profile background. I enjoyed sitting on a small wooden bench by the side of the lake, lost in my own thoughts and ponderings as I imagined beautiful things for the future.

Do you also maintain a moment of quietness, a time when you shut yourself out of everything and everyone so that you can be in a thoughtful state? Maybe you don’t need to go to King’s Park or take a trip to the top of the Sleeping Giant in Ontario’s Thunder Bay. However, you may need to spend some time alone, away from the hustle and bustle of your surroundings, to meditate, think through and chew over the important aspects of life. There is an enormous amount of power in doing so from time to time. Maintaining moments of quietness can help in clear thinking, deep thinking, and constructive thinking. When we put on our thinking cap in a conducive atmosphere, we give power to our minds to help us shape schemes, generate ideas, solve problems, and develop a healthy mental state.
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If you are feeling overwhelmed with activities, bombarded by information from various quarters, struggling with a problem or just seeking more opportunities for success. I suggest that you develop a habit of quiet meditation in a clean, simple, and beautiful atmosphere. You will be surprised how much power is in quietness as you muse over your affairs to develop the ideas that you need to get ahead in every area of your life.

You have probably come across the expression “self-made millionaire”. There are lots of people out there being referred to as “self-made”. Maybe that needs to be put into proper context. Is there really anyone that could have made themself? Well, maybe some people went through so many challenges, figuring things out as they forge their way through the difficulties of life. We salute the courage of those who tried to succeed despite all odds. Similarly, we acknowledge those who had lots of opportunities, surrounded by help from many quarters, and who took advantage of their fortunate situations to make something meaningful out of life. That said, everyone who has made some kind of progress would realize that they had encounters with helpful people along the way.  

No matter how disadvantaged you think you are or how much you think you singlehandedly put in effort toward your success, it will be self-denial to think that no part of your progress could be attributed to the support of others. We have not yet seen a single soldier make a legion or a tree make a forest. Before getting pumped, taking all the credit for your grandeur, take a moment to think about the impact of those whose paths crossed yours as you made progress. Those could be your family, friends, supervisors, colleagues, students, community, or customers. Remember the days when you rode on the synergy you had with others to achieve your purpose. Don’t forget the contributions of those who gave you opportunities, those who spoke for you, those who supported you, those who stood by you and those who believed in you. 
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There may be only a fine line between your self-acclamation and blatant pride. Do not let egotism consume you. Acknowledge those who must be acknowledged. Esteem those who must be esteemed. Remember those who must be remembered. Let those who impacted you feel your gratitude. And if they can’t, let your humility become a new standard of success for the world to emulate. Don’t you ever forget. ​