WEBVTT 00:00:00.810 --> 00:00:02.222 You may know this feeling: 00:00:02.810 --> 00:00:06.547 you wake up to multiple unread notifications on your mobile phone. 00:00:07.532 --> 00:00:09.714 Your calendar is already packed with meetings, 00:00:09.738 --> 00:00:12.187 sometimes double- or triple-booked. 00:00:12.822 --> 00:00:14.818 You feel engaged, you feel busy. 00:00:15.395 --> 00:00:17.328 In fact, you feel productive. 00:00:18.573 --> 00:00:22.966 But at the end of it all, something still feels missing. 00:00:24.176 --> 00:00:26.203 You try to figure out what it is. 00:00:26.804 --> 00:00:28.506 But before you do, 00:00:28.530 --> 00:00:30.288 the next day starts all over again. 00:00:32.272 --> 00:00:34.780 That was how I felt two years ago. 00:00:36.177 --> 00:00:38.452 I felt stressed; I felt anxious. 00:00:38.916 --> 00:00:40.473 I felt a bit trapped. 00:00:41.457 --> 00:00:44.457 The world around me was moving very quickly. 00:00:45.431 --> 00:00:47.365 And I didn't know what to do. 00:00:48.019 --> 00:00:49.656 I started wondering to myself: 00:00:50.205 --> 00:00:51.776 How do I keep up with all this? 00:00:52.257 --> 00:00:54.815 How do we find fulfillment 00:00:54.839 --> 00:00:58.973 in a world that's literally changing as fast as we can think, 00:00:59.627 --> 00:01:01.603 or maybe even faster? NOTE Paragraph 00:01:03.516 --> 00:01:05.167 I started looking for answers. 00:01:05.594 --> 00:01:08.397 I spoke to many people, I spoke to my friends, 00:01:08.421 --> 00:01:09.895 I spoke to my family. 00:01:09.919 --> 00:01:12.288 I even read many self-help books. 00:01:13.615 --> 00:01:16.005 But I couldn't find anything satisfactory. 00:01:16.490 --> 00:01:18.950 In fact, the more self-help books I read, 00:01:18.974 --> 00:01:21.479 the more stressed and anxious I became. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:21.503 --> 00:01:22.649 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:01:22.673 --> 00:01:25.974 It was like I was feeding my mind with junk food, 00:01:25.998 --> 00:01:28.763 and I was becoming mentally obese. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:28.787 --> 00:01:30.823 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:01:30.847 --> 00:01:32.069 I was about to give up, 00:01:33.133 --> 00:01:35.528 until one day, I found this. 00:01:36.076 --> 00:01:40.846 "The Tao Te Ching: The Book of the Way and Its Virtue." 00:01:42.028 --> 00:01:45.172 This is an ancient Chinese philosophy classic 00:01:45.196 --> 00:01:47.940 that was written more than 2,600 years ago. 00:01:48.601 --> 00:01:53.334 And it was by far the thinnest and the smallest book on the bookshelf. 00:01:54.162 --> 00:01:55.859 It only had 81 pages. 00:01:56.488 --> 00:01:58.555 And each page had a short poem. 00:01:59.201 --> 00:02:02.520 I remember I flipped to one particular poem. 00:02:03.206 --> 00:02:04.358 Here it is. 00:02:04.382 --> 00:02:05.634 It's beautiful, isn't it? NOTE Paragraph 00:02:05.658 --> 00:02:07.109 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:02:07.133 --> 00:02:08.412 Let me read it out to you. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:09.419 --> 00:02:12.548 "The supreme goodness is like water. 00:02:13.473 --> 00:02:16.245 It benefits all things without contention. 00:02:17.038 --> 00:02:19.564 In dwelling, it stays grounded. 00:02:20.427 --> 00:02:22.688 In being, it flows to depths. 00:02:23.445 --> 00:02:25.603 In expression, it is honest. 00:02:26.901 --> 00:02:29.497 In confrontation, it stays gentle. 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:32.758 In governance, it does not control. 00:02:33.258 --> 00:02:35.324 In action, it aligns to timing. 00:02:36.370 --> 00:02:38.965 It is content with its nature 00:02:38.989 --> 00:02:41.606 and therefore cannot be faulted." NOTE Paragraph 00:02:42.998 --> 00:02:45.887 Wow! I remember when I first read this passage. 00:02:45.911 --> 00:02:49.048 I felt the biggest chills down my spine. 00:02:49.553 --> 00:02:51.949 I still feel that today, reading it to you guys. 00:02:53.048 --> 00:02:56.300 My anxiety and stress just suddenly disappeared. 00:02:57.239 --> 00:02:58.874 Ever since that day, 00:02:58.898 --> 00:03:03.955 I've been trying to apply the concepts in this passage to my day-to-day life. 00:03:04.406 --> 00:03:07.707 And today, I'd like to share with you three lessons I learned so far 00:03:07.731 --> 00:03:09.580 from this philosophy of water -- 00:03:09.604 --> 00:03:13.962 three lessons that I believe have helped me find greater fulfillment 00:03:13.986 --> 00:03:15.627 in almost everything that I do. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:17.023 --> 00:03:19.540 The first lesson is about humility. 00:03:20.475 --> 00:03:22.785 If we think about water flowing in a river, 00:03:22.809 --> 00:03:24.804 it is always staying low. 00:03:25.847 --> 00:03:28.910 It helps all the plants grow and keeps all the animals alive. 00:03:29.427 --> 00:03:31.997 It doesn't actually draw any attention to itself, 00:03:32.021 --> 00:03:34.356 nor does it need any reward or recognition. 00:03:35.442 --> 00:03:36.710 It is humble. 00:03:37.792 --> 00:03:40.291 But without water's humble contribution, 00:03:40.315 --> 00:03:42.848 life as we know it may not exist. 00:03:45.103 --> 00:03:47.692 Water's humility taught me a few important things. 00:03:48.492 --> 00:03:52.000 It taught me that instead of acting like I know what I'm doing 00:03:52.024 --> 00:03:53.720 or I have all the answers, 00:03:53.744 --> 00:03:55.799 it's perfectly OK to say, 00:03:55.823 --> 00:03:57.188 "I don't know. 00:03:57.212 --> 00:03:58.609 I want to learn more, 00:03:58.633 --> 00:03:59.885 and I need your help." NOTE Paragraph 00:04:00.911 --> 00:04:05.004 It also taught me that, instead of promoting my glory and success, 00:04:05.028 --> 00:04:08.886 it is so much more satisfying to promote the success and glory of others. 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:13.783 It taught me that, instead of doing things where I can get ahead, 00:04:13.807 --> 00:04:15.879 it so much more fulfilling and meaningful 00:04:15.903 --> 00:04:19.433 to help other people overcome their challenges so they can succeed. 00:04:21.473 --> 00:04:22.625 With a humble mindset, 00:04:22.649 --> 00:04:26.484 I was able to form a lot richer connections with the people around me. 00:04:27.180 --> 00:04:30.775 I became genuinely interested in the stories and experiences 00:04:30.799 --> 00:04:32.751 that make them unique and magical. 00:04:33.235 --> 00:04:34.530 Life became a lot more fun, 00:04:34.554 --> 00:04:37.601 because every day I'd discover new quirks, new ideas 00:04:37.625 --> 00:04:40.029 and new solutions to problems I didn't know before, 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:43.460 all thanks to the ideas and help from others. 00:04:45.093 --> 00:04:47.926 All streams eventually flow to the ocean 00:04:47.950 --> 00:04:49.658 because it is lower than them. 00:04:50.965 --> 00:04:53.913 Humility gives water its power. 00:04:54.649 --> 00:04:59.053 But I think it gives us the capacity to remain grounded, 00:04:59.077 --> 00:05:00.435 to be present, 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:05.006 to learn from and be transformed by the stories of the people around us. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:06.434 --> 00:05:09.357 The second lesson I learned is about harmony. 00:05:09.919 --> 00:05:12.291 If we think about water flowing towards a rock, 00:05:12.315 --> 00:05:13.678 it will just flow around it. 00:05:14.125 --> 00:05:16.704 It doesn't get upset, it doesn't get angry, 00:05:16.728 --> 00:05:18.252 it doesn't get agitated. 00:05:18.276 --> 00:05:20.157 In fact, it doesn't feel much at all. 00:05:20.687 --> 00:05:25.156 When faced with an obstacle, somehow water finds a solution, 00:05:25.662 --> 00:05:27.995 without force, without conflict. 00:05:29.955 --> 00:05:32.583 When I was thinking through this, I began to understand 00:05:32.607 --> 00:05:35.082 why I was feeling stressed out in the first place. 00:05:35.506 --> 00:05:38.022 Instead of working in harmony with my environment, 00:05:38.046 --> 00:05:39.712 I was working against it. 00:05:40.369 --> 00:05:41.867 I was forcing things to change 00:05:41.891 --> 00:05:45.915 because I was consumed by the need to succeed or to prove myself. 00:05:46.616 --> 00:05:48.251 In the end, nothing did. 00:05:48.775 --> 00:05:50.322 And I got more frustrated. 00:05:51.211 --> 00:05:54.656 By simply shifting my focus from trying to achieve more success 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:57.426 to trying to achieve more harmony, 00:05:57.450 --> 00:06:00.920 I was immediately able to feel calm and focused again. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:01.796 --> 00:06:03.653 I started asking questions like: 00:06:03.677 --> 00:06:06.399 Will this action bring me greater harmony 00:06:06.423 --> 00:06:08.755 and bring more harmony to my environment? 00:06:08.779 --> 00:06:11.119 Does this align with my nature? 00:06:12.388 --> 00:06:15.261 I became more comfortable simply being who I am, 00:06:15.285 --> 00:06:18.197 rather than who I'm supposed to be or expected to be. 00:06:19.809 --> 00:06:21.768 Work actually became easier, 00:06:21.792 --> 00:06:24.522 because I stopped focusing on things that I cannot control 00:06:24.546 --> 00:06:26.403 and only on the things that I can. 00:06:26.427 --> 00:06:29.220 I stopped fighting with myself, 00:06:29.244 --> 00:06:32.928 and I learned to work with my environment to solve its problems. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:34.267 --> 00:06:36.274 Nature does not hurry. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:38.737 Yet, everything is accomplished. 00:06:39.704 --> 00:06:43.252 That's Tao Te Ching's way of describing the power of harmony. 00:06:44.260 --> 00:06:48.346 Just as water is able to find a solution without force or conflict, 00:06:49.006 --> 00:06:53.149 I believe we can find a greater sense of fulfillment in our endeavors 00:06:53.173 --> 00:06:56.474 by shifting focus from achieving more success 00:06:56.498 --> 00:06:57.958 to achieving more harmony. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:59.228 --> 00:07:03.387 The third lesson I learned from the philosophy of water 00:07:03.411 --> 00:07:04.849 is about openness. 00:07:05.744 --> 00:07:07.863 Water is open to change. 00:07:08.395 --> 00:07:12.318 Depending on the temperature, it can be a liquid, solid or gas. 00:07:12.965 --> 00:07:14.497 Depending on the medium it's in, 00:07:14.521 --> 00:07:17.772 it can be a teapot, a cup or a flower vase. 00:07:18.566 --> 00:07:22.876 In fact, it's water's ability to adapt and change and remain flexible 00:07:22.900 --> 00:07:25.265 that made it so enduring through the ages, 00:07:25.289 --> 00:07:27.530 despite all the changes in the environment. 00:07:29.002 --> 00:07:32.356 We also live in a world today of constant change. 00:07:32.979 --> 00:07:36.185 We can no longer expect to work to a static job description 00:07:36.209 --> 00:07:38.174 or follow a single career path. 00:07:38.792 --> 00:07:42.625 We, too, are expected to constantly reinvent and refresh our skills 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:43.799 to stay relevant. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:45.419 --> 00:07:48.213 In our organization, we host a lot of hackathons, 00:07:48.237 --> 00:07:50.493 where small groups or individuals come together 00:07:50.517 --> 00:07:53.259 to solve a business problem in a compressed time frame. 00:07:53.601 --> 00:07:56.878 And what's interesting to me is that the teams that usually win 00:07:56.902 --> 00:08:00.244 are not the ones with the most experienced team members, 00:08:00.268 --> 00:08:03.053 but the ones with members who are open to learn, 00:08:03.077 --> 00:08:04.677 who are open to unlearn 00:08:04.998 --> 00:08:07.117 and who are open to helping each other 00:08:07.141 --> 00:08:09.601 navigate through the changing circumstances. 00:08:11.244 --> 00:08:13.176 Life is like a hackathon in some way. 00:08:14.014 --> 00:08:18.358 It's calling to each and every one of us to step up, to open up 00:08:18.382 --> 00:08:19.851 and cause a ripple effect. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:24.967 Now, we can stay behind closed doors and continue to be paralyzed 00:08:24.991 --> 00:08:27.799 by our self-limiting beliefs, such as: 00:08:27.823 --> 00:08:30.356 "I will never be able to talk about Chinese philosophy 00:08:30.380 --> 00:08:31.784 in front of a huge audience." NOTE Paragraph 00:08:31.808 --> 00:08:32.856 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:08:32.880 --> 00:08:35.355 Or we can just open up and enjoy the ride. 00:08:35.828 --> 00:08:38.099 It can only be an amazing experience. 00:08:39.077 --> 00:08:42.119 So humility, harmony and openness. 00:08:42.703 --> 00:08:46.308 Those are the three lessons I learned from the philosophy of water so far. 00:08:46.752 --> 00:08:49.324 They nicely abbreviate to H-H-O, 00:08:49.348 --> 00:08:50.518 or H2O. NOTE Paragraph 00:08:50.542 --> 00:08:51.605 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:08:51.629 --> 00:08:54.876 And they have become my guiding principles in life. 00:08:55.885 --> 00:08:58.505 So nowadays, whenever I feel stressed, 00:08:58.529 --> 00:09:02.001 unfulfilled, anxious or just not sure what to do, 00:09:02.025 --> 00:09:03.538 I simply ask the question: 00:09:04.247 --> 00:09:05.700 What would water do? NOTE Paragraph 00:09:05.724 --> 00:09:06.946 (Laughter) NOTE Paragraph 00:09:06.970 --> 00:09:10.526 This simple and powerful question inspired by a book 00:09:10.550 --> 00:09:15.306 written long before the days of bitcoin, fintech and digital technology 00:09:15.330 --> 00:09:17.045 has changed my life for the better. 00:09:17.685 --> 00:09:20.140 Try it, and let me know how it works for you. 00:09:20.164 --> 00:09:21.680 I would love to hear from you. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:21.704 --> 00:09:22.855 Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:28.968 (Applause)