Shang Lee

Pursuing dreams, one step at a time

Shang Lee — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:41:38 +0000

On stopping his day job and blogging full time, this is what Shawn had to say:

I want to be a dad that goes after his dreams, and set these sorts of examples to his kids.

(via SSKTN.com Interview with Shawn Blanc)

My dreams are still vague to me, but I have also taken a step to create more opportunities for me to dream, and be with my kid. The past year had been a busy one which got me thinking (again) about how my life should be crafted. I’ve restructured it to this – I spend my mornings with my kid, catch up on reading and sometimes write or run or swim or do Tai Chi. I then go to work in the afternoons.

I do hope this works out well, in all sense of the word “well”.

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Start-Stop writing

Shang Lee — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:30:56 +0000

I have a tendency to edit my thoughts on the fly. So whatever I write now, I will tap on backspace several times just to get it right, and then I might delete that whole paragraph altogether later. This process alone makes me want to stop writing. Even my simple workflow to start writing does not prevent me from falling into this trap of self-edits.

However, I’ve come up with a new hypothesis that might just help me.

Just like how what I teach comes from a prior source, I believe what I write comes from a universal source as well. There is a stream of words flowing all around us. Writing things down is basically taking a sip from this stream. It is a temporary connection with what’s going on around us, and provides me a glimpse into what could be.

A theory like this does not actually mean much in actual writing. For me, it makes a whole lot of difference understanding that when I’m writing, I’m not actually writing, but I’m trying to open up a wormhole into this other universe and allowing the words from there to flow through. If I were to interrupt it, like doing constant editing, this tap of words will probably drip to a stop, which is not what I want.

Let’s see where this new found knowledge will take me. I might end up just writing by hand. I wonder if anyone still does that on a regular basis.

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How I use the ever-ready Evernote

Shang Lee — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 04:15:19 +0000

I was listening to the podcast of the ever amusing battle between Patrick and Brett on Yojimbo vs Evernote. I am only a recent Evernote convert. Before I walked over to the “green side”, I was (still am) a text nerd, using Simplenote and Taskpaper as my main information capturing tool. I figured that if I can’t distill information down to words, it is still not useful to me yet. Some thought process must need to go through before it becomes useful, and the outcome of that thought process must be words. A picture speaks a thousand words. That is just too many words for me. Three sentences would suffice.

Little did I know that I was trying to make Evernote an Everynote, which no software will ever be. I think Eddie says it best here.

Don’t approach Evernote with an all or nothing attitude. Instead, 1) look for specific ways that Evernote can make your life easier, 2) use it for those things, and 3) STOP.

If you haven’t tried Evernote, give it a try. It’s free. I use it to mainly deal with pieces of paper that are shoved to me (think pamphlets and business cards) and I don’t know how to politely refuse. Now I just take a picture of it and dump it into Evernote.

I also “force” other people to use Evernote, unconsciously. When I need a certain document from Jane say, I just ask her to send to myemail+note@gmail.com. This way, my gmail filter system will grab this email and auto-forward it to Evernote and delete it from my email account. It’s like magic.

p/s: “Enough” is one of the very few podcasts I listen to regularly. Subscribe to them if you haven’t already.

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What I teach when I teach Tai Chi

Shang Lee — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 15:53:32 +0000

When I teach Tai Chi, I feel like I am just a vehicle. I am a vehicle transferring knowledge which I don’t own. I never feel that the knowledge I have is mine. It is not and never will be mine. I only hope I do justice to the knowledge I do have and that the vehicle receiving this knowledge will do likewise.

Hey, it’s just Tai Chi. Why does this sound like some secret sauce that is not supposed to be shared? The beauty I find with these kind of knowledge is that, even if it’s shared openly, not many people will get it. Not many people will want to. And then justifications start pouring in. I’m too old. It’s too slow. It’s not real. You still have to use strength.

Just like the secret sauce that Warren Buffet uses. He openly tells people how he invests, and he was asked before that if everyone uses his method, wouldn’t that make everyone rich? Unfortunately (or fortunately), after many decades, his method still proves to be sound, and people still choose to ignore them.

Maybe that’s why value investing will continue to work. Maybe that’s why Tai Chi will continue to be elusive. The knowledge will only present itself to those worthy of it. Sad to say, i’m still not there yet, but I am hopeful.

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How to Stay Motivated Throughout the Day

Shang Lee — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 04:55:56 +0000

Eat a good mental breakfast.

See the whole video by Brian Tracy here.

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You are where you are and that’s where you start

Shang Lee — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:59:14 +0000

You are where you are and that’s where you start. Be practical and take the time to assess where you are and what your current goals are. Common sense isn’t always common practice. Taking a little time can make all the difference between failure and being on the path to success, even before the planned changes have begun to take hold.

I’ve been following Wujifa for a while now, and they are one of the rare ones who offer practical strategies in practising Tai Chi who does not give the all too familiar “health claims” or “calming effect”. They just do it. Check them out, if you’re ready for the truth.

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We can all do with more hugs

Shang Lee — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:49:39 +0000

I really enjoy that whole Jerry Maguire – Rod Tidwell style of relationship. It makes business so much more fun. Why shouldn’t we share hugs with all the people we work with… I think formality, even in business, is just stupid. I bought into that type of keep-your-distance communication style for years. That was not so coincidentally the time period when my business tanked, sinking into debt year after year.

Maybe Steve is on to something. Hugs may be just what the doctor ordered for the sick world.

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What is real tai chi?

Shang Lee — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 02:15:29 +0000

This post is in response to a reader’s question on whether the style of Tai Chi that he is wanting to pick up is real Tai Chi or not. My response? I don’t know.

What I know is this – real Tai Ji doesn’t depend on style.

It is not the style of Tai Chi that defines whether Tai Chi is real or not. It depends on the interpretation of the person practising it. I can hazard a leap of assumption that anything, be it watering the plants or taking out the trash can be real Tai Chi, as long as you understand the principles.

Click here to read more on how to find teachers in general. Read the comments as well to see other views.

p/s: Thanks Greg for your question!

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A Tai Chi teacher got a heart attack

Shang Lee — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:24:25 +0000

I am tired of people thinking that Tai Chi is the miraculous drug that will cure all physical and mental health problems. When a Tai Chi teacher got a heart attack, it sort of drove home the point – a Tai Chi teacher is still a human being.

I didn’t do Tai Chi for its health benefits. I do it because it allows me to balance the paradoxes in life. I train hard at it because the line is so thin balancing the good and bad in life that holding that line takes tremendous effort.

I do understand marketing. I understand that a lot of people swear by the health benefits of Tai Chi. I think there could be some truth in that. But I rarely see real Tai Chi being practiced out there. So i have to surmise that there is a strong placebo effect of practicing Tai Chi. For most people, maybe it’s just the difference between taking some slow action versus sitting on the couch watching TV. For others, just the thought of doing Tai Chi could make them feel good about themselves. I think the placebo effect of Tai Chi is very real, so I wouldn’t discount that.

If we circle back to the health claims of Tai Chi, let’s just be clear. Your health is still dependent on a host of other factors e.g. diet, work, stress, relationship, your perception of life etc. Tai Chi does not make them all go away. What I think Tai Chi does is make all those seemingly unconnected issues rise to the surface, so that you can view them consciously and with a clear mind.

Know why you’re doing Tai Chi. That will determine how you train Tai Chi. If it doesn’t meet your purpose, I would suggest you stop doing it. Just don’t blame Tai Chi (or diet, or stress…) when it does not meet your purpose. You are the one taking action. Inaction is also an action. Blaming rarely helps. Just do something about it.

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MacJournal discount

Shang Lee — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:00:39 +0000

It’s a time sensitive thing. If you’ve been wanting to get MacJournal, the next 14 hours may be the best time. Click here. I have been using this for a long time. I am moving towards a simpler text-only solution. I’m holding out for a stabilized version of Day One, which I really like.

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