Time to Mind the Gap,
A while back I was lucky enough to attend the Canada China Business Council meeting in Ottawa. As a private, not-for-profit business association, the CCBC is dedicated to building its members’ business success in China and Canada by offering unmatched business service and support to corporations based in both countries. Its members range from the largest and best-known Canadian and Chinese firms to leading innovators and SME entrepreneurs in both countries. Members are competing in a diversity of sectors including financial services, legal services, information and communications technology, education, manufacturing, construction, transportation, mining and energy.
I met this very successful man (international consultant, mid 30’s) during the networking event (looked like Matt Damon; no jokes, but taller) as we were talking about my adventure and what I want to do in life. He cuts me off, “Shaaz, you have the tools in place; I don’t know if you will be successful but ya got the tools. Make sure you got a reason, you got to have some type of purpose in what you want to do.” His cell rings; he checks his cell and grumbles to himself: “Well I guess I am off to Beijing in a few hours”. He exhales heavily, I cut him off, “Sir, let me tell you, you have an amazing life. How did it…” The man cuts me off, he raises his raspy voice and says as he leans into me: “Listen, yeah it’s fantastic, but if you don’t have a reason…” He looks off into the distance, almost in regret or with some type of mysterious gaze. He continues: “If you don’t have a reason, you get tired Shaaz, you get tired.” He looks at me right in the eye: “Shaaz, I am tired”.
He wished me luck on my journey and we parted ways.
I learned a lot that day, but that conversation put things into perspective for me. Never chase the money, the cars, the women (well some times it’s… no… never mind… no), that whole glamourous brouhaha people run after, no do not chase that.
Focus on your strengths and weaknesses; find a reason to do great things for yourself and others, and the success will chase you.
That is what I mean by Minding the Gap, not just between people but the gap within us. We got to self analyze what we want in life and above all why, find that reason or I guess we will be tired or just not happy despite all that glamourous brouhaha ( I had to use that word twice in my blog)
