I think a lot of people want to be but they don’t want to do. #Ava...Walk good. 28all. Eya. *SC*

Worth the watch:

Daniel Dae Kim testifies before U.S. Congress about Anti-Asian hate in America

The Warm-Up: 

“Here’s what I know: if someone’s much better than you at something, they probably try much harder. You probably underestimate how much harder they try. I’m not saying that talent isn’t a meaningful differentiator, because it certainly is, but I think people generally underestimate how effort needs to be poured into talent in order to develop it. So much of getting good at anything is just pure labor: figuring out how to try and then offering up the hours. If you’re doing it wrong you can do it a thousand times and not produce any particularly interesting results. So you have to make sure you’re trying the right way.” ~Ava, Effort

The Core: 

“If you want to have good ideas, you must have many ideas.” ~Linus Pauling

“No shortcuts, only better maps…Metrics as measure, not motive.” ~Jack Butcher

“Pro Tip: Don’t conflate approachability with accessibility. They are not the same.” ~Jason Mayden

“Leadership is visual. People need to not only hear from the leader, they also need to see from the leader.” ~John C Maxwell

“Not all hustle is loud. Some of us are doing this for our family and future, not for pats on the back or the internet.” ~thelionlaw

“Growth, we now know all too well, is not a strategy. It is a tactic. And when undisciplined growth became a strategy, we lost our way.” ~Howard Schultz, Onward

“I’m nowhere near my potential. I realize that. So right now I am my focus and priority. If you add to my life you’re welcome to stay. If not, I’m good, I’ll wait.” ~Steven Bartlett

“This has been a tough week, on top of tough months, on top of tough years. Sending love to my Asian community who is hurting right now. We are in this together.” ~Dantley Davis

“Trauma often trains you to focus on the needs of others while ignoring yourself. It’s good to see you healing and giving yourself permission to cultivate your garden.” ~Dr. Thema Bryant

“Some things scale well. Double their size and you get double the output (or more). Other things don’t, and my God is it important to know which is which.” ~Morgan Housel, Too Much, Too Soon, Too Fast

“I don’t have to respond whenever provoked. No one does. Steward your energy well. We have justice work to do. And strategy to outline. And self-care to prioritize. And love to live. It’s okay to let provocateurs leave empty handed.” ~Bernice King

“We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community. We as a country have to reckon with and address the racism deeply embedded in our society. And until that happens, we must stand together in support for any marginalized communities. In Community, BLCK VC.”

“People romanticize creativity by saying it’s a byproduct of magical inspiration. But creativity is a battle. You need rituals, work ethic, and a relentless ability to deal with emotional setbacks and fight through the daily grind. Only then can you be exceptional.” ~David Perell

“Today, I met a 7-year-old Black girl who was amazed to know that I’m an author. I showed her my friends, other Black women authors, and her jaw dropped. We look like her, and we’re doing what she wants to do. Suddenly, her dreams seemed more possible. Representation matters.” ~Angie Thomas

“Law enforcement and society in general tends to really not understand how racism and hate and prejudice is directed toward Asian-Americans, and certainly not understand how it’s directed toward Asian-American women…So the instant reaction is generally to discount and dismiss it.” ~Helen Zia, an activist and author who has tracked anti-Asian violence (How Racism and Sexism Intertwine to Torment Asian-American Women)

Last Set: 

“I’m not here to conform. I’m here to change the conversation…No two souls are on the same journey. No one is in competition with anyone except with themselves. Popularity is more impactful if you get there honestly, authentically with the right intention. The only blueprint that matters is the one your soul came here with so try remembering who you are instead of trying to fit in. Success is an arbitrary word, which means it should be defined by measuring whatever conclusions your gut brings you to for the purpose of delivering your inherent value. If it’s not a purpose driven conversation that sparks change, it’s probably doing more damage than good…or at least slowing progress. Critically thinking will save you a lot more time, energy and money. Being yourself requires a level of honesty that can only be understood from actually practicing until you are whole. How can any of us subscribe to the status quo when the status quo isn’t sure what their real status is. Read that line again. The realest path seems only hard because of the contrast that fights our truth. Move forward intentionally any way. In conclusion. We all came here to change the conversation. Some already started. May all others start now.” ~Matt Gottesman

Food for Thought: 

“Patiently educating a clueless white person about race is draining. It takes all your powers of persuasion. Because it’s more than a chat about race. It’s ontological. It’s like explaining to a person why you exist, or why you feel pain, or why your reality is distinct from their reality. Except it’s even trickier than that. Because the person has all of Western history, politics, literature, and mass culture on their side, proving that you don’t exist.” ~Cathy Park Hong, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning

Food for Thought II:

“Most people never pick up the phone. Most people never call and ask. And that’s what separates sometimes the people who do things from those who just dream about them. You gotta act. You gotta be willing to fail. You gotta be willing to crash and burn. With people on the phone or starting a company, if you’re afraid you’ll fail, you won’t get very far.” ~Steve Jobs (sourced from Shane Parrish’s: Brain Food, which is fire)

More Tings (Click the link to explore further):

on being Asian ~Ava

A Christian Vision of Social Justice—Social change can be pursued with mercy and hope. ~David Brooks