7 Biggest Muses of 2012

#1 STOP WAITING ON OTHERS TO APPROVE OF YOU. THEY WON'T. 

Having been exposed to lots of condemnations from the society, religious beliefs, workplace and dysfunctional family systems, lots of people don't love themselves a bit. So, they just barely live; always waiting for one more validation from others.

MUSE ON THIS: 
Don't wait for anyone to approve of you and stop comparing yourself with themselves. It's your life. Give it your very best shot by being honest with yourself. If you mess up. Too bad! No one has the right to judge you. Pick yourself up while you can and start living. Honestly, how long do you have to live to please others? it's your LIFE.

#2 LOVE IS THE TRUE RELIGION NO ONE CAN FAULT. CHASE IT

We will always disagree on the basis our beliefs, faith and opinions because, honestly, people have the right to believe what they want to believe as long as it does not infringe on the freedom of others around them.

MUSE ON THIS: But we should never disagree on loving others around us irrespective of their beliefs. Love is the only worldview that keeps us going. Love is a thoughtful act of kindness to everyone we ever come across, no matter how differently we see the world. It's a universal language of humankind we should spend our entire life to learn. It's bigger than any personal belief or opinion and it's the least thing anyone on earth can afford. Spread more love people because the world is already filled with so much hates.

#3 SHOW A LITTLE KINDNESS AND RUN AWAY. PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS PAY BACK
It's natural to expect a favor back from someone you have just shown favor. Life, however, has shown us that's not always the case. In fact, it turns out that people we care about the most, oftentimes break our hearts. Most times, it hurts so bad we just want to shut others out. 

MUSE ON THIS: Treat others the same way you'd like to be treated even if they don't deserve it. There will always be ungrateful people in the world but that should not prevent us from showing one more little kindness unto others. There really is no reward in heaven for doing that. The reward is right here on earth. Some call it the law of Karma but I call it the Law of a better world. If you can help anyone around you, help them and expect nothing in return. Show that little kindness and run away

#4 BE CURIOUS. BE VERY CURIOUS. IT ONLY KILLS THE CAT NOT YOU.

It's human nature to quest for everything. It's also human nature to explain everything. Our brains are wired with a mythic element that seeks bigger answers for the world's many 'why, who, where, how. what, and what if '. Why do people die? Where do people go when they die? Why are some people abused as children? Why do some of us grow fat easily no matter what we do? Why? Why is the world coming to an end? Why is the world not coming to an end? Why should there be a God? Why should't a beautiful world like have no God ruling over it? Why but why?

MUSE ON THIS: There will always be as many answers as we can find but the quest will never end. What should end is our close-mindedness. We should stop putting others in our own little boxes of answers. When we close our mind, we kill the possibilities of new discoveries, new cures to diseases and new possibilities. Every technology we use today is an outcome of people ever searching for new knowledge and better world. One of the biggest highlights of 2012 is the launch of The NASA Mars rover Curiosity. When we stop being curious, we stop growing. We stop knowing. We regress backwards and we destroy others in our own ignorance. It's okay to say 'you really can't figure something out' than saying 'you do have answers to everything' . If you can't prove anything with evidences and receipts, you should take it easy on others. No one has all the answers. Enjoy being curious, people. It only kills the cat and not our minds.

#5.LEAVE YOUR WEAKNESS ALONE FOR A MOMENT AND WORK ON YOUR STRENGTH. OUR WEAKNESSES ALMOST NEVER REALLY LEAVE US.  [SHAME ]

People often tell us to work on our weaknesses and yea, it's pretty much the sensible thing to tell anyone as it makes us feel morally good even when some of these weaknesses never really leave us. 

MUSE ON THIS: I'd rather you work on your strength. That's one good thing about you. That's your advantage over others. Your strength is that thing you do that blesses others near and far. While it's sensible to work on our weaknesses, it makes more sense to own our area of strength. You know why? Your perceived weaknesses, as long as they do not harm anyone, are things you can never change about you. Talking too loud, eating too loud, snoring too loud [ yep, I do that when I'm tired out ] So, while you make new year resolutions, spend your precious little time to work on your strength and people will start ignoring those weaknesses that have hemmed you in for so long. Do you look forward to 2013 yet?

#6 YEA, YOU KNOW THE STORIES OF PEOPLE'S LIVES BUT YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW THEIR STORIES. SO LISTEN.

Oftentimes, we meet someone coming through some moments of their life and we are quick to let them know how we have been there, done that. We even go as far as judging their actions based on the story of their life. Do we really have enough to make conclusions about others?

MUSE ON THIS: There's a major difference between someone's story and the story of their life. The story of my life is what you know about me; what you know of me. It's my life from your own point of view and that's fine. My story is my life as seen from my own point of view. It's my lesson. My elixir. What I took out of my moment in time as understood by me. And it's different from what you think you know about me. You can never take someone beyond their own story. It's a waste of time. Rather, you should help them find their story and allow them retell it as revealed to them. This is the basis of our Personal Branding workshop at Orange Academy. One of the things wrong with our world today is because we often impose our own stories on others. We say if it's good for the geese, it must be good for the gander. Listen very hard. There's a story that child is telling you. There's a story that lover of yours is trying so hard to tell you but you keep putting them within your own templates of life. Life is not a cookie cutter and our stories may often have resemblances but our elixirs are so very personal. Listen.

#7 EMBRACE FAILURE. IT'S BETTER THAN AIMING AT SUCCESS 

Owing to our many conflicting school reports while growing up, we have formed a wrong opinion about the word 'failure' that we do anything to live in its denial when it happens to us. We do not want to fail because we have a human need that seeks the approval of others even when we have to keep up appearances. 

MUSE ON THIS: It's honestly okay to fail. Forget the lies we have been told all those years. We only need to address the concept of failure from a better perspective. At Orange Academy, Failure is an art we teach our students to embrace. Here, as succinctly put by Michael Jordan, "I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed". What can you learn from your failed attempts in 2012? How can you use them to succeed in the coming year? In response to New York Times reporter's question to Thomas Edison on his many failed attempts with the final invention of electric bulb, here's what he had to say "I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work." You may also want to know that this same man once defined 'Genius as one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." So, while others wish you a very successful year ahead, may I wish you a year filled with many failed attempts that eventually lead to that one unique success that will change the world.

Send a mail to kennybrandmuse@gmail.com to attend our next Personal Branding Workshop near you or to simply connect with our Muse.