The Few Things You Have To Do — Now

Engineering Tragedy And Regret Minimization

Life is a fleeting journey filled with countless experiences, relationships, and moments that write the story of who we are. However, too often we miss the importance of cherishing those around us and living with intention. We explore the significance of reconnecting with lost connections, expressing our emotions honestly, and embracing empathy. By doing so, we can navigate life’s uncertainties with a sense of fulfillment and leave behind a legacy of love and understanding.

Understand mindlessness

I pranked my cousin when we were children. Was it funny? Yes, but at his expense. I think it is stupid, but can I change the past? Understand humor. What is humor? When is it not funny, and how does it reflex a involuntary chuckle? It is also important to understand the dynamics of human behavior of what makes people laugh. We don’t really understand, and we continue to live a mindless life of mindless reflexes. Throughout our lives, we encounter situations where our actions may have unintentionally caused harm to others. Reflecting on these moments allows us to grow and learn from our past mistakes. It is essential to comprehend the intricacies of human behavior and the impact our actions can have on others. By doing so, we can break free from mindless reflexes and live a more conscious and compassionate existence.

This understanding will lead us to journalizing on self-limiting perception and belief. It will help us to dealing with anger, fear, anxiety, etc. Thoughts and emotionality that we previously have no control because we lack understanding even to start with or within. Through understanding, we will find compassion and our place in passion. Find the why. Find the motivations and anchor your motives. From there, you can tap into your previously undiscovered source of happiness and energy.

Energize by excitation intensification or arousal. What are the ways?
Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

Working from within and in small ways, we can gradually build the courage, motivation and creativity to extend outward and further to work on world problems and solutions. Before we dare, we must first be willing. Before all these, do we have the encraty before our volition? Motivation and proactiveness comes with confidence. It should first be driven by empathy — starting by understanding ourselves. To be mindful, we must first comprehend and apprehend our mindlessness.

Insecure people will only commit interest but not intent, and only follow if the promise guarantees and qualifies the definite. - 2011-10.16

I hate this mission, but I took Dedica. I wrote a curse for myself. I was the first victim. - 2011-12.03

Dream more while you are awake.

Do the “one thing” you have always wanted to do.

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There are 2 things that will stir one's desire (will to act) to action - confidence (belief or perception that one has the ability) and cause (reasons to support the need to act). - 2007-12.28
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The child that goes by the day, drifts by the day, with no thought of the future, or weak thoughts of fantasy that s/he could just sing, rap and dance and people will throw money at them, are stupid. The smarter child will be sitting in silence to distill his/her plans, projecting and charting his/her future, while the dumb kid is led by the nose by the media, letting the television take over their minds and take their mind away. They let the society, to have them telling him/her what things should be, and what is important for him/her. That is why when s/he gets to the future, his/her plans are empty or flimsy, then the society decides for him/her, because s/he has little to no opinion, and little to no mind of his/her own, therefore, they decide for him/her what s/he should focus on, who s/he should marry, where s/he should do, what is important. S/he has no concrete plans. S/he has no concrete mind. Hence, s/he continues to drift where the people around him/ her or the society leads him/her on. With no strong mind, no concrete plan of his/her own, the world leads him/her on. The smarter kid, on the other end, clears the distraction and distills his/her mind daily, even vigilantly moment to moment, s/he keeps refining and evolving his/her future projection, and more vitally, different from the rest, s/he charts backwards, and works forward. S/he knows his/her — next move. What is your next move? S/he keeps asking him/herself that question sharply and brutally on a moment to moment basis, and s/he makes that decisive and tactical move looking at the life map s/he ponders every morning and reviews every night. The projection guides him/her clearly, while s/he pulls him/herself forward towards that focus. While s/he moves forward, the rest drifts. You ask the rest what is your next move. Their empty mind has nothing. They will either tell you “I don’t know” with a helpless face, or they will put up a fake confidence and act up a pretense, and they will go back to their empty mind and empty life.

Clear clutter.

If you want to change your life, changing your mind is just a spark. Don’t get the illusion that there is any work done at all. It is an important, albeit and in reality with a minor resultant for the day — no real work accomplished. The main next is to change your method, and it has to be done through systems and toolings. The real change is when you are able to affect your conditions. You cannot swim against the tide by bruteforce. This was why I started groups to help each other to refine and evolve their methodologies with synergy and symbiotically. Becoming a leader is not merely a corporate appointment. People want to follow you because you showed them what can work for them and for everyone — as a group rather than a weak, helpless, hapless individual. We don’t have all the answers, but we must sincerely work on them — every single day, and everyday before 2359, we have to examine brutally what has been achieved. There is no fake-feel-good. If there is nothing, thing is nothing, and we have to ask at least these questions:

1. What is the next step?
2. What is something I am not getting or missing (unthought of)?
3. Did I not try hard enough? (and if so, why? what is blocking me?)

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Me (to several people): What are you busy with? if you can speak to me for an hour, when i am not speaking with you - what are you doing with that hour?
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不要逞一时之快 (bù yào chěng yī shí zhī kuài): Do not go for momentary gratification of retaliation and lose a foothold and stronghold of a greater terrain later. 

Aerosols are heat resistant because their atomics do not absorb the energy to cause them to be agitated. They are held on to internally by bonds, and do not collide internally to transfer instability. The human temperament should emulate the same. - 2023-07.25

We may not be able to improve the situation, but we can improve ourselves to seize the situation when it is ready to know, and we have to be able to answer to the call. You have to occupy your mind with the things that will move you forward.

Meet people you care about

Time passes us by cruelly quiet. Before we realized, our youth was gone. There are people you lost contact with for years. There are people you don’t talk to for years. Maybe there were some differences, maybe it is just that you do not know what to say anymore, but when do you want to see them again? Do not think there is still time until you realize there isn’t anymore.

Whether due to differences, misunderstandings, or simply the passage of time, we find ourselves distanced from those we once held dear. However, waiting until a funeral to reconnect is a reminder of life’s brevity. Instead, let us take the initiative to reach out, rekindle old friendships, and bridge the gaps that have formed. Life is too short to let precious connections slip away.

Let them know

Whether we hold love, disappointment, or anger towards someone, let them know. However, our intention should always be to foster mutual understanding, rather than blaming or hurting others. By approaching conversations with empathy and a desire to help, we can build bridges to reconnect the lost and broken, and heal wounds that may have separated us.

A Good Samaritan Near Midnight

Our flights were delayed when we first return to US from Korea, and hence the temp house leasing office was closed, and we had to book a hotel for a night's sojourn. The hotel wasn't willing to let us check in because we do not have a credit card - it was near midnight. My younger daughter, who was turning 3 in a few days, was sound asleep in her mother's arms. This was even more disappointing when the hotel receptionists knew we flew more than 12 hours from the other side of the planet, not including the 7 hours delay at the airport of transfer. They were going hard by the rules - even when we already paid upfront by cash.

I do understand the raw reality of this world. The very reason why I value good people very deeply. Policies are important, by to the extent, that it makes sense. It is also important that people are likewise. I am unsure what the agent was thinking seeing children in that state, and yet being obedient to system. We all know the Milgram experiment well, and it is important people understand the exceptions.

A lady beside us walked forward and handled out her credit card, and said "use my card, I cannot see children going through this". I insisted that she should have my email in case the hotel mischarges, but she said 'it's ok, pay it forward'.

From within that moment that our hearts sunk from the lack of human empathy, someone stepped forward to offer us a medicinal hope. It wasn't insured, but was freely given. We reached out to the hotel, however, as customers' data is protected, we could not reach out to her, but we hope one day we will meet again, and we want to thank her in person.

- 2013-07.26

There are letters unsent and words unsaid, and they needed to be heard.

God really wants to thank you for your effort but he doesn't know how to express it ... so he sent me. - `Peace`, 2001-11.04

I have always thought that Mi’kail belongs to the world, not to any one person. - `Peace`, 2003-02.11

I believe that you are born with a mission: to serve people, leave footprints in everybody's shadow. In the end, you will never have time to think for yourself. - `Peace` to Mi’kail, 2003-02.12

After 8.5 years, I realized why I could never curse her ... I was never angry - what I felt was intense shock, like an abandoned child, traumatized, helpless and derelict like an old piece of junk, I needed that anger to hold my broken self together again. - Re: `Divine`, 2008-03.24

S. Sterns asked me to tell my mother that I love her - before it is too late. I was challenged of the cultural mental barrier as well as the emotional barrier, in which culturally reserved of emotional expression. What hurts me rather is the emotional barrier - I am afraid that it is a `good-bye`, what if she gives up thinking we are at the end of the road - that this is - goodbye? Depression shrouds over me and it is clear that with the sense of helplessness and hopelessness, indirectly I attribute myself to the question of my unworthiness. - 2017-03.30

Timeless love overcomes impermanence. - Re: Dying mother, 2013-05.02

People don't really change much as they grow up, they just form 1 layer on top of the other as they grow older. - Re: Watching Andrew straddling to the church door as the wedding ceremony ends, 2008-12.05

1 day I want to ask my “friends” - “where were you - when I needed you most?” I realized that if I have to ask that question - they were never my friends in the first place, because it clearly shows they never cared. - 2023-06.26

Give people a chance to realize

I spoke to my colleagues about recognizing sarcasm. I recounted that when I was a little boy, I asked my teacher if we really don’t have to come to school on the coming holiday. She said “you can come if you want”. I did. There was no one. I wandered around a bit and went back home. I wondered if … I was wondering then if people have empathy, and if they felt what I felt? That no one seems to care. It can condition us in the wrong way. Things don’t change much when we grow up. Children around me just … grow bigger.

Have people done injustice to me? Yes. Would they know? Probably not. Do they deserve to be aware? I visited some of my teachers like the ghost of Christmas, not to haunt them, but to deliver a moment of epiphany. I told them — I became a teacher too. They were shocked and held back a chuckle of surprised delight. Some of the teachers were pretty mean, some were just tired, and coming to my age, I understand what they went through. I thanked those who brought me hope when it was the darkest. I reminded the rest that their work was more than just a job. They were given the position to steer human fate and weave the future fabric of the civilization. 🧵

To many of my students, I was once told that I reminded them of Maya Akutsu from “The Queen’s Classroom (女王の教室, Joō no Kyōshitsu), 2005". I guess there is a reason. To many, I push for grounds to work for sound, complete and concrete humanistic reforms. I motivate them to convoke to create an expanded awareness and unbiased clarity. I want my students to live out of the insensately caged norms and free them of crippled thinking. As a teacher, I hope to deliver the tools for human progression. I want my students will be moral courageous crusaders and liberators. Humanity must have a will to act, a compelling impulse to build, and an undying cause to provide. As teachers, we have a moral duty to provide the means for the students to build themselves.

A page from the past (circa 1982): 
Teacher: Class, what would you be in the future?
Me: Scientist. 
Teacher: Do you even know what it means?
Me: My sister said …
Teacher: Don’t repeat what you don’t understand. You don’t even know what it means. Your grades are the lowest in the class. Don’t talk so big.

[Years later …]
Teacher: Class, what would you be in the future?
Me (... thinking she is already expecting the worst out of me, and if I said I want to be a lawyer, she will ridicule me again. I don’t want to be overwhelmed by the sea of laughters again): Gangster.
Teacher: This is the kind of person you are. 

A page from the past (circa 1989): 
Teacher: Mi'kail, you are so stupid. We went through this in our last class.
Me: I already knew that. I am working on it. I am one day less dumber than the previous. 
Teacher: How dare you show this attitude. (turning her glance to the class) People like him will end up nowhere.
Me: I have nothing against you. I am just informing you that I am doing something about it. 
- 2018-02

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I had been labeled as crazy several times when I was a kid, I was caught staring at a dead mosquito persistently - it was for at least an hour. My teacher wanted to see my parents and I remembered her advising my mother to look up a `special` school for me (I hate euphemism) as I was `too distracted` and had difficulties in learning the curriculum and making the grades (the last 3 positions of the class ranking had always been reserved for me). 
Why was I staring at the mosquito? Today we have pain free blood-testing because someone was looking closely at the mosquitoes.
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“Iikagen ni mezamenasai” (いいかげん に めざめなさい, “Open your eyes.”) — Jyoou no Kyoushitsu (女王の教室 （じょおうのきょうしつ）Queen’s Classroom, 2005)

Many things in our society went wrong. I want to make things right, and I decided to do it myself. I want to ensure people learn the right things. To teach the very one thing that is direfully and dangerously missing — empathy. Teachers are important people — along with everyone else — in our society that cultivates that.

Many of my teachers smiled when I told them that I wrote down what they taught me, and how they inspired me. The same as I did for my cherished friends.

Insights And Advices Collected Along The Way
1. Insights And Advices Collected Along The Way (From 1984 to 2010)
2. Insights And Advices Collected Along The Way (From 2011 to 2020)
3. Insights And Advices Collected Along The Way (From 2021 to 2023)

Embracing new understanding

In the last weeks of leaving some places which I had been living in for some years, I felt schade (or feeling of pity) that I had not understood enough of the people and place when assiduously “living hard” to experience the food, feelings and ways of the people, even the ones that I have aversion of. I told some friends who tried to stop me from the very Wednesday gimchijjigae (김치 찌개) to the extent of stomach issues. They asked me if I liked it and why I am wincing like I am taking bitter medicine. I am candid that I have diarrhea every wednesday, and even develop some anxiety of Wednesday lunch which I intentionally pick that dish without fail, but I “have to understand” why they like it so much. Took me 2 years even to understand about it and I can’t even put in words to make another person understand it. Took me 2 years to understand and empathize, living in Korea is not enough — you have to become Korean. I even told HR then to stop calling global employees 외국 사람 (“oegug salam”, meaning foreigners), and refer us as 신 가족 (“shin gajog”, meaning “new family”) instead. We left Korea too soon, we nearly even adopted a girl there. Part of my wife’s childhood was in Korea, and her godmother is Korean. We left for years now, and I am still talking to the people there and looking as close to the culture as possible.

Cultural immersion goes beyond mere observation; it requires us to become a part of the culture we seek to understand fully. Immersing ourselves in different traditions, languages, and perspectives enables us to empathize with others on a deeper level. By embracing diverse cultures, we expand our horizons, foster connections, and build a sense of unity among humanity.

What is beautiful is tantalizing and inspiring. It shows you a dimension that has never been seen before.

Wrestle with the gods

My mother was given 30 days after her failed surgery. I thought that was it. This is the end. However, we picked up the pieces and got to work. We started a lab and chased down on research.

2.5 years later, she was still on her end of life treatment. At day 1188, I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. Someone came to me and said “everyone dies anyway”. Then, I realized why people think I am crazy. I see what they don’t and they think I am hallucinating. I see possibilities and I am crazy enough to make those possibilities happen, and crazy enough to throw years of pain into it, laboring fruitlessly and often seemingly futile on it. I see murder on their hands — of people who told me “people die anyway”.

On day 1256, 2 of my colleagues’ parents died, and I got news that another parent was also on end of life treatment. I called my mother and shared with her about possibilities. I meet the doctors yearly for an update. They were confused how she was surviving. The last meeting ended with a bitter taste. I looked at the phone of the doctor and said it was a different phone to the previous year. He bragged about it a bit and I clarified that we have new models of phone yearly but there is hardly any progress in medical. We already did the impossible and yet the miracle was squandered. He realized then where the conversation was going.

Foolish delay and lack of focus and proactive progress, especially when it breeds into a mass Zeitgeist. If the society pursues some other jejune productions and delay discovery and progress, many would have to helplessly watch the hearts of their loved ones stopped as the time bled by tragically for nothing. Apathetic delays have their stained hands on the blood of those who cannot afford to wait as they just mindlessly and murderously hardly cared.

Your inaction today can be the cause of someone’s death tomorrow. You can and should do something now. — to James Page, 2014–01.06

The sad truth is — they are all preventable — iff (if and only if) we had that will to act. Those 1256 days had been a grueling trip. I realized why this is happening while journalizing daily. They don’t believe that they can do something about it, and just ‘hope for the best’. This is a very wrong mentality. The whole world collaborates in the fatalistic inaction which is indirectly causing the murder of possibility and therein the murder of people. They don’t even entertain the thought that they can and should do something about it. The fate has been written, it is very clear. My question is — will everyone change their mentality to stop accepting the fate as inevitable and start doing something about it — Now, not later, not in an hour time, but Now, right Now?

The doctors gave my mother 30 days 1256 days ago. I can just let it be, or start the stopwatch and plan the rescue. I chose the later. - 2017–10.27

Reality - is accepted by the weak, engineered by the strong. My mother is dying. I am only accepting 1/2 of it. - to Alisha, Re: 不共戴天, 2013-04.30

3 years ago, my wife's colleague told me - 'it is natural to die, just have to live a happy and healthy life', when my mother was given the death sentence. A year from then, his mother died. My mother is still alive, his is died. His mother was killed by his mentality. - 2017–10.27

Jesus fell 3 times on the way to Skull, most man would have given up on the first fall. This fighting spirit and courage is seldom taught in the Christian faith. Jesus came in human form to demonstrate that salvation is possible with divine will within human flesh. Why did so few understand that? - to Christians, Re: The good fight, the 3 falls to Skull, 1997

If there is no way to remove the pain and tears, find the strength or new self to live with it. The only beliefs worth cherishing are the beliefs that connect and move people forward beyond their graves. They do not die with the person. Unfailing, unconditional love, for example, is such a transcending belief that connects those who were and those who are. You just have to know they love you — timelessly.

Is everyone equal? I guess not. But it can be fair. Now, how is this related? Again, I can connect the dots people can’t. I wonder why they all don’t see it? Perhaps sometimes, to change the foresight, we first have to adjust our insight. Else, we may have to learn it all too bitterly if at all we realized too late with our hindsight.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do it himself. — A. H. Weiler (December 10, 1908 — January 22, 2002)

This person who can do it, towering above the rest, and the world goes “wow ...”, as you stare blankly at his/her feats, you should have realized it was a result if 100s and 1000s of hours put into refinement of that skill which you did not. Now, you can sit there and cry and wonder why is that person not you, or you can ask yourself - what are you going to do for the next few 100 hours. Because, the next person who will make the next entrance, even if it may not be you, you can and dare to say - “I can do that”, and not stare blankly and wonder - “why is that not me?”.  - to Theia and Hebe, 2018-05.05

What would you do if nothing is moving? Before you walk away, consider instead of pushing it yourself, get help of a group, find or make tools, look at the parts and factors of the root cause of its obstinacy, or perhaps, it is not meant to be pushed, but pulled or the slightest push required may be applied from the side instead. - 2023-08.14

Rather than waiting for events, be an active thinker, your thoughts will unfold its creatorship and embrace creativity. - 2001-08.19

People don't get convinced by logic, even if they do, they can't remember because they need to stay 'in touch' with the logic to accept it as a reality. People are only convinced by feelings, and these 'feelings' are mistaken as reality. laws of logic exist disregard whether emotions are activated, however it is these emotions that vehicle events, hence certain laws are forgotten, and laid in slumber. -  Re: Motivation and threshold of energy for events creation (Events creation is constructed reality, and reality sparked into construction), 2001-08.19

When it is too far from fact, it is fantasy. When it is too boring for fantasy, it is fact. Would we dare the far, and write the amendment for Clarke’s laws?

Move the stars. — 1997–04.19

Provide succor to those in need

People told me that they feel useless in their adversities. Some even shared with me that they feel that death would spare them of further miserable existence. I realized that their stories are similar in different ways. I wrote them down and worked out ways to change their situations. It was with their data that the 100 Day Game was born. I started a team and provided tools to mine out the essence of their life events and provided a means for them to refine their conditions. There are always somethings we can do.

At some point, everything’s gonna go south on you and you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home.
— The Martian, Movie, 2015

We take universal justice for granted, and take no actions. We can remove the current ills of group pride that breeds contention, bigotry, fraction and parochialism. We should harness harmony, emancipation, human excellence, altruism or universal love. Let us seek to understand and be responsible for one another rather than to pass the verdict. Provide the conditions for people to build in character, perspicacity, health and happiness.

In the tapestry of life, we inevitably encounter situations where anger, sadness, or grief cloud our interactions with others. It is crucial to approach these emotions with proactive empathy and understanding, offering a supportive presence to those in need. By extending a compassionate hand, we can help people find solace and closure in their difficult moments. We can provide that twist in that story. Tragedies need not happen. What will you do today to make that possibility?

Engage in daily random acts of kindness.

每个人都有心结. (Everyone has knots in their heart). Help them to untie them. 

Do it NOW — your next proactive action — can save lives.

Create values (without exclusion)

When I was studying economics, I was taught that GDP (Gross Domestic Product) does not include the accounting of products and services of charity and social work. While GDP provides a useful measure of economic activity, it should not be viewed as the sole indicator of a country’s well-being. Other measures and unaccounted for externalities, such as social indicators, income distribution, and environmental sustainability, are also important for assessing overall societal progress and welfare.

Many production is not evaluated because non-market transactions that do not involve direct monetary transactions as they are not exchanged nor transacted for monetary value. There are subjective measurement challenges and questions on intangible benefits due to the diverse nature of these activities.

Nonetheless, what is crux to the matter of value creation is to provide significant social and welfare benefits to people, such as improved well-being, social cohesion, or quality of life. We should innovate daily to provide supportive resources to mend or make lives better. We could spark a virtuous circle in the process.

While in providing help, we need not be transactional, but we can be relational. In transactional thinking, it is — if you do this, then I will do that. In relational, it is — I have to do this for you to get you the conditions as this relates and affects other people’s needs. By compounding forward, we can create a virtuous cycle.

I am only a pen that writes destiny, but I am not the author, nor the ink. Hence, I don’t write destiny, but I am only the instrument that seemed so to have.

If given a dilemma, let your fear of regret drive out the fear of failure. Don’t wait for your regret to be more painful than your fear.

Heaven and hell is not up and down, it is side by side. You cast the dice with you mind — either to raise hell or to deliver heaven. (Heaven and hell, not above or below, lie intertwined. Your mind casts the dice, a choice divine. To birth a paradise and unleash sublime. Or plunge into the depths where darkness chimes.) — 2023–07.12

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