IN MEMORIAM: STEVE JOBS—In His Own Words

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

COMMENCEMENT SPEECH

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 2005

STEVE JOBS, 1955-2011

Source: Reuters, "QUOTEBOX: Quotes from late Apple founder Steve Jobs".

Do You Think Like An Innovator?

Check out this great video from the Harvard business review on how leaders come up with great ideas.

You can see other great videos on the Harvard business review YouTube channel. 

Buraka Som Sistema Live!

Buraka Som Sistema will be performing at the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco later this month (Saturday, October 15th).

They are well known for their progressive version of Kudoro, where they blend the traditional Angolan music with western house and techno beats. Very popular amongst Angolan immigrants especially in Portugal, home of this rocking band. Check out one of their popular hits below.





Treasure Island not in your plans? Catch them in Los Angeles at the Echoplex on Oct 13th.

Visionary Living Series-Gaining Perspective on Poverty Part 1

Poverty: Gaining Perspective Part 1

When was the last time you were confronted by poverty and what did you do about it?

I heard a remarkable story of a life changing moment for Bill Hybels who was a guest speaker at this weekend’s gala that we attended. It was hosted by one of the charitable foundations we support as a company. Bill took his dad's advice and decided to travel around the world before undertaking a promising career as a commodities’ trader in Chicago.

Back then he wasn’t sure why, but he made his first stop in Nairobi, Kenya where he saw the face of poverty unlike any other. The sight of a small boy with leprosy (a disease he long thought had been wiped away), begging for loose change so startled him that he got scared and ran back to his hotel. He spent the next few days in his room agonizing about what he had just seen and for the first time asking God to use his life to address what he had just seen.

Bill would say that was the day everything changed for him. He gave up his promising career and family business and begun working with local communities eventually becoming a Youth Pastor. Today he is the founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, one of the most well attended churches in North America. Through his ministries, he has been able to do much more about what he saw that day. He is one of the leading voices on fighting poverty in his local city and around the world.

Not all of us will have the kind of jolt or impact that Pastor Hybels has had, but all of us can (if we chose to) have some impact. But Let’s not kid ourselves, facing poverty is hard. It forces us to look at our own lives in relation to what we are seeing. Personally, I always have a sense of being overwhelmed and conflicted about where to start. Thus it becomes easier not to talk about it or be in close proximity to it. The results are devastating when those who are capable of doing something chose to ignore it or step away from it.

The Ovarian Lottery

For whatever it’s worth here’s some perspective: When it comes to poverty, it matters where you are born, what time period you are born and in what family or community you are born into. All of which we have no control over. Warren Buffett calls this the ovarian lottery. He is quick to point out that had he been born a few hundred years earlier, all of his skills in financial markets wouldn’t have mattered. He would have been some animal’s lunch since he can’t run to save his life.

He asks us to imagine that it’s 24 hours before birth and you have to pick one ball from 7 billion (the number of people alive today). “That ball will determine your gender, race, nationality, natural abilities, and health” — whether you are born rich or poor, sick or able-bodied, brilliant or below average, American or North Korean. Here’s the question he ends up asking “Would you put the ball back and try and pick another one?”

If you answer NO based on the above then what you are saying is “I’m the luckiest 1% of the world right now”

Understanding as Mr. Buffett has, that this world is far bigger than any one of us, ought to make you think differently about your approach life.

I’ll go as far as saying that a good majority of those who would return their ball probably just need to travel a bit and see what the others got. Chances are they will choose to hang on to their ball.

The lesson is one of gaining a balanced perspective: Do we care enough to think  and act on behalf of those who can’t do anything for us in return? How do actively improve lives? More on that next week.

The gala we attended was hosted by Living Water international. Together with regular people, volunteers and donors, they provide clean water to those who don’t have access. Solving the water crisis would lift over 1 billion people out of poverty. To understand the crisis and how to help, please visit their website http:// http://water.cc/water-crisis/

Written by Bernard Wambugu, CEO Lantel Systems and Consulting

8 Ways To Support Breast Cancer Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (actually every month is breast cancer month), and there is an activity to suit each one of us in our support of breast cancer awareness, screenings, treatment and research opportunities. Check out these 8 that you may not be aware of:

1. Text KOMEN to 69866 for text message updates on breast cancer.
2. Learn the 8 breast cancer visual warning signs by clicking here.
3. Check out HBO Documentary, "The Education of Dee Dee Ricks" and learn of woman's mission to help uninsured cancer patients.
4. Speak Spanish? Check out Lazos Que Perduran, an initiative to encourage Spanish speaking women to get screened.
5. Talk to your employer to participate in the Susan G. Komen Promise Action Campaign where companies pledge what actions they will take to ensure their employees get screened.
6. Coordinate a Passionately Pink for the Cure Day in your office, school, or club.
7. Check out international destinations for the Komen Race for the Cure.
8. Watch 'Five" a Lifetime movie chronicling the impact of breast cancer on the lives of 5 women.
   

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$5 Monthly Charge for Using Your Bank of America Debit Card

I was catching up on the news this morning and came across this article in the Bangor Daily News. Bank of America has done it again. They are always thinking up new tricks to come up with new procedures and costs that affect your money and my money. Not just nickel and diming us, but dollaring away all our hard earned cash. Their latest gambit is—starting next year, when you use your debit card they will charge you $5.00 a month. Ouch!

Now that pretty much all vendors including the local hot dog vendor and ice cream truck accept debit cards, Bank of America wants us to take a step back in time and go back to the old fashioned ways—go to their atm & withdraw money before you can spend it. Highly inconvenient. I can guarantee that, despite your best efforts, you will end up using your debit card at least once a month so it might as well be at the beginning of the month rather than at the end of the month.

Alternatively you can use your card as a credit card (if you have that facility), but more and more businesses prefer debit cards (it’s cheaper for them) so they offer discounts for cash and cash equivalents e.g. debit cards. So bye, bye discounts and hello more fees. I used to be a long time Bank of America customer until a few months ago when I finally had it with them and closed my account. If I had not closed it then, I would definitely have closed it now because of this new policy.

Apparently other banks have been testing this out with both Wells and Chase charging $3.00 a month in some states. I had not heard about that until now, but since I am not (or was not) their customer I may have tuned out that news.

Let’s hope that my friendly, neighborhood credit union doesn’t get in on the action because at this rate I think am better off keeping my money under my mattress.

What Wangari Maathai Means To Me

I have struggled all week to write a tribute to Wangari Maathai. Her most notable accomplishment was the first woman in Africa to win the Nobel peace prize in 2004. She lost her battle to cancer this past Sunday and I sat to reflect on her life I realized she had quite an impact on me.

The first time I heard about the Green belt movement, I was less than 10 years old visiting my grandmother in Muranga, Kenya. The women were pumped about planting trees and had the most beautiful forests in some pretty remote places. When I asked my grandmother why they had so many trees, she told that trees are important because they bring rain and we should keep planting them. My grandmother and her friends were not educated but were rallying around a cause which they understood in their own terms.

As I grew older I discovered that Wangari Maathai was involved in the Green Belt Movement which was an environmental non-governmental organization. It focused on planting of trees, environmental conservation and women's rights. Here are some of the lessons that Wangari's life has taught me

Education makes a difference: Wangari Maathai was well educated. She was the first East-african woman to receive a PHD. Her education gave her a passion for the environment by providing information and also gave her platform from which to speak from. It gave her credibility which was important in mostly male circles.
One person can make a big difference: I am still amazed at how much Ms. Maathai gave a voice to the voiceless. She helped rural women in Kenya stand taller as they learned about the difference they could make in their environment. Despite her challenges, she pressed on and gained an international platform for her message of conservatism and human rights.
Never be afraid of being the first: If Wangari Maathai was bashful about being the first, she would not have got her PHD, accepted appointments for senior positions at the university or received the nobel peace prize among many others. She set a great example for paving the way for women in a patriachal society. I bet many people thought" how dare she?"
Dining with kings does not have to change who you are: Wangari Maathai was exposed to kings and the poor alike and still remained unmoved. She often talked about not always knowing protocol yet she remained graceful in awkward situations and continued to relate the people in her village like she always had.
Let your voice be heard: If you have a message,speak to all those who will listen. Do not give up fighting for what you believe in. One of the most profound memories I have of Wangari Maathai is when she joined other mothers of political prisoners for a hunger strike. They were beaten and jailed and did not relent until the political prisoners were finally released. She stood against the Kenyan government at the time, something that many people had failed to do because they felt they had too much to lose.
Activism has a cost: Wangari Maathai lost jobs, a husband and even spending time with her children while living for her cause. I can only imagine how hard some of those decisions were yet she continued to press on. It is great to know that one can be called a wayward women, too strong a wife to be controlled  and still accomplish a great deal.

Wangari Maathai is a great example of an immigrant (US and Germany) who took her opportunities and made them something bigger than herself. She was an amazing woman of courage and will be greatly missed by her country and the world. What a legacy! What will yours be?

To learn more about her life, check out the following links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/09/26/mckenzie-maathai-nobel-prize.cnn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw
http://greenbeltmovement.org/index.php

Spunky Child . . . Now, Go Conquer The World

Driving In Traffic So Like Life

Someone once told me that traffic flows are efficient because everyone chooses their own way of getting to their destination. Those who have been in countries where people try to control traffic know this to be true especially if they have been stuck in a round-about trying to get out while a traffic police officer is watching. Here are some lessons that traffic can teach us about life.

Traffic vs Life

• We do not rely on the person next to us to figure out where we are going 
• We determine where we are going before we start
• Some of us stick to the same lane while others go in and out of the lane just like all our life journeys are different
• We may get caught in the momentary thrill of racing the person next to us but we must find our way back to our original plan to get to our destination
• Only the driver can determine the proper pace to get them to their destination
• How you respond on the road will determine if you will get to your destination
• You determine the means of getting to your destination

You are on the driver's seat of your life, determine your destination and go in the direction of your dreams. The next time you are driving, ask yourself, who is on your driver's seat? 

The Two Sets of Immigrants

What makes someone leave a place they know and love and go to a distant country?

More on that later...

Sometime back while brain storming on a solution for a client of ours with offices around the world, I had a prevailing thought that kept coming up. I was sure that without the diverse background of our team, there's just no way we could come up with a viable solution. We can trace our roots to Peru, India, Vietnam, South America, Europe and Africa. We’ve been able to solve some huge challenges because of our diverse backgrounds.

As a first generation American, one thing I love about this country is its ability to absorb new people from many backgrounds with many ideas and have a positive impact not just locally or nationally, but around the world. Any country capable of that means it won't just survive, but will thrive.

Part of the reason the country is able to thrive is because of a working system that’s been in place since its inception. At its core is a series of checks and balances so that no one person or institution has control of all of it. That system providers us liberty, helps us make use of opportunities while protecting us from injustices.

There are many who immigrate solely for personal economic gain but at the heart of visionary living is a desire to always bring value anywhere you find yourself. That stems from the belief that as individuals we should always leave things better than we found them. This is a commitment that as we use up resources, we’re always choosing to be a resource. It requires great character which is able to sail above any perceived or real unfairness.

Staying away from the politics of the day, I’ve found that those who migrate usually break out into two main sets.

The first set is the group who are always looking to see how the system could benefit them personally. They find ways of taking advantage of loopholes and figure out how to exploit the system. Others go as far as breaking laws to benefit from the system. In other words they degrade the very system that was designed for their success. The extreme worst of this set choose to attack the system since they can’t participate in it. Over time, they are a drag on the overall country and make the idea of immigration a problem rather than the great solution for a country that has long thrived on immigration.

A better approach is to be part of the second set who are actively finding ways to add to the system. Even though they benefit from the system, they focus on providing opportunities for others. Regardless of their struggles and situations, others are able to benefit by being around them. The community improves because they are able to volunteer, educate and serve. While still being proud of their culture, they quickly assimilate, adapt, learn and understand so as to make sure they are always bringing value. In their businesses and at work, many others benefit from their ideas, products and services. 

No wonder getting to know them is always a pleasure and a wonderful experience. In the short term they may appear to be struggling and behind their first set counterparts, but in the long term they prevail.

This second set is the group that the founding fathers and policy designers had hopped to attract. To get them to this country they discarded oppressive laws and evened the playing field so everyone could participate and add value to the new system. Policies were designed to make sure that those who brought value to America were justly protected and compensated for their ideas and rewarded for their risks. They would be protected by laws, protected from unnecessary government intrusion and guaranteed certain liberties.

Know anyone is either set?

What does it take to add value? It boils down to a much larger understanding that our time here on earth is very limited. Make it count.

By Bernard Wambugu

CEO, Lantell Sytems and Consulting

10 Nominated 2011 CNN Heroes

Today we have upped our popular "8 List" to a "10 List" to allow us to feature the 10 nominated 2011 CNN heroes.

CNN heroes are people who are making a difference either in their communities or in communities far away from their own. These are people who have dedicated their lives to improving the lives of others.

Now is the time to vote for your favorite hero who will win the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year Award, plus a cool $250,000. The deadline for voting is December 7th.

In alphabetical order, below is the list of this year's nominees. Click on each name to learn more about each nominee and how they are making the world a better place.

1. Eddie Canales, Gridiron Heroes
2. Taryn Davis, American Widow Project
3. Sal Dimiceli, The Time Is Now To Help
4. Elena Durón Miranda, PETISOS
5. Derreck Kayongo, Global Soap Project
6. Diane Latiker, Kids Off The Block
7. Robin Lim, Bumi Sehat Foundation International
8. Patrice Millet, FONDAPS
9. Bruno Serato, Caterina's Club
10. Amy Stokes, Infinite Family

Click here to vote now for the Hero who inspires you the most.

Saturday's Wisdom From Confucius

NACA—Restructure Your Mortgage

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) is committed to building strong neighborhoods by providing access and avenues to affordable home ownership.

Currently they are holding events across the country to give homeowners access to lenders willing to restructure mortgages resulting in affordable mortgages.

The events and services offered by NACA are free. Lenders will be on site at each event to provide assessments and offer possible solutions to get you better mortgage terms and save money . . . but make sure you read and understand the fine print, before you sign the dotted line.

Click here to see the calendar and get more information on NACA programs.