Day of Celebrating Our Independence

Can you recall the day you turned into an adult of legal age? I recall them both: when I was 18 and 21. Both included random rites of passage and events worth remembering (and some retiring). It was taking steps into my independence, and away from dependency. What I learnt about adulthood was about a sense of independency, co-dependency and inter-dependency – an altered state of mind brought about by studies into psychology.

Today, 9 August, marks our National Day, or Independence Day. Being a citizen of a country that is 45 years young, with a recorded history dating back to 1819, I am proud of how far we have come. I have been thinking deeply about the meaning behind the words of our national pledge and national anthem, and also the significance of our flag (red and white/crescent and stars).

In each of these national icons lay our collective aspiration, ambition, and values for living. Our constitution is our way of life; how we live our lives is no different from people engaging in endurance sports. You can run far, or sprint. You can swim 20 laps in the pool, or in the freezing cold water of Alcatraz. There is no right or wrong way to live, as long as we stay respectful to others around us and be happy.

I am reading Graeme Obree’s book and it is a touching biography of the Scotsman world-record holder who suffers from bipolar disorder. He was once the fastest indoor cyclist in one hour (set at low altitude). Yet, he had a financially and emotionally hard life and did not gain immediate and full recognition from the community. He broke the world’s record, with manic intensity and purpose, with a racing bike he creatively constructed from scrap metal including parts from a washing machine.

For some people, independence may come in the way of reducing medication, adopting a regular exercised regime, running barefoot, making a career decision to switch jobs, meeting new people, overcoming your grief, or even expressing yourself uniquely. This definitely goes beyond leaving your home early in life, renting your own room/apartment, and getting a job. For many, it still means staying with your parents, finishing a degree through a student study loan, contemplating a scholarship with bond, and preparing for job interviews. For less realistic young adults, it would mean pursuing the trappings in life.

How do you celebrate your independence?

Barefoot for your kids? Look here. 

Beyond Baby Steps

I ran and walked with my Vibram Five Fingers (V5) Bikila this evening for about 80 minutes. It was an interesting experiment, and these were my findings:

1)    You tend to fall more on your forefoot, at the bend after your toes.

2)    You accelerate by increasing your cadence, or turnover of your feet (frequency).

3)    Because of a focus on forefoot, your calves (gastrocnemius and soleus muscles) will tend to fatigue and feel strained.

4)    You still need to look downwards, to ensure that your feet strike the ground at the forefoot.

5)    As you fatigue, you naturally shift towards the mid-sole as contact.

6)    You may experience sore muscles of your foot as a result, so run short distances for the first few sessions.

7)    You may attract the stares of conventional running shoe users. These are the ones you may overtake.

8)    Cut your toenails, or ensure no eagle-like talons as they may perforate your V5’s through time.

9)    Running on concrete and tar roads – there is a difference.

Hopefully, you may be tempted to find out more from barefoot runners as well as V5 runner. I believe that the movement for barefoot runners is gaining momentum. It may not replace shod runners however become a training tool and approach for them.

Running in new shoes is analogous to learning new things. I was watching Jacky Chan in the mythical/mystical film, The Forbidden Kingdom and observed that he is more competent with English than his co-star Jet Li. Chan has come a long way from being an acrobat and struggling actor in the late-1970s. His value has increased manifold with his language abilities, and thus his natural charisma. No wonder he is a megastar despite his age.

You can get a repeat telecast of New Kids on The Block Episode 2, where I appear in a cameo speaking in Mandarin and performing my rendition of Shadow Coins.

I have a busy week fortnight ahead with Youth Olympic Games around the corner…

How Long Can You Lay Low & Be Quiet?

I watched the film, SALT last night. Other than the obvious fact that it is an Angelina Jolie action flick, it is about moles, sleeper agents and spies - trained for a post-Cold War scenario. Having established the notion that Ms Jolie is awesome in films like the Laura Croft series and Mr & Mrs Smith, I was glad that she returned to the adventure-thriller genre. Although the plot is predictable, filled with a few gapping holes, it is salient to note that Ms Jolie performed most of the stunts herself (saving us from more CGI assault), and the role of Salt was originally male (and Tom Cruise was considered first). Ms Jolie suffered a head injury while performing a stunt, which she was discharged soon after. Jacky Chan suffered a serious head injury during Armour of God and, subsequently, established Chan on the Hollywood A-list, an über-stuntperson and definitely and dangerously uninsurable.

If sleeper spies can lie dormant until the right time to activate their role and responsibilities, what are the inherent and expressed applications of staying quiet?

1)    Keeping your corporate secrets intact. There are implications in research & development where industry secrets can mean make or break for a company.

2)    Practise confidentiality. Secrets are meant to stay private.

3)    Keep to your word. Never betray the trust that you have. Never betray your relationships.

4)    Being introverted may lean you towards a more reserved and shy personality, so that is an advantage.

5)    Keep your conversations during counseling or performance appraisal confidential. What goes on tour, stays on tour.

6)    Never be caught talking about somebody behind their back.

7)    Never blog or tweet in anger. These are tools of the public domain. Hundreds of eyes may be reading your rants and raves.

8)    Never draw undue attention to yourself. Recognise your team, and get your team recognised.

So, what is your ability to stay silent?

Does A University Degree Mean Higher Pay?

According to an online report, lowest paid jobs with college degrees include professions in Social Work, Athletics, Recreation & Leisure, Art, Interior Design, Religious Studies, Horticulture, Education and Culinary Arts.

Does society not value our tertiary or advanced education? The way we appreciate education or not determines how we treat our staff. What if your profession does not put you in PMET category, how would you value yourself? I personally know of a few social workers and teachers (who use their heart, head and hands) who have left the professions – it is a big pity!

The values that you stand for  is part of your value equation. What you are worth is dependent on how you project your values to another. If somebody likes you, he/she may appreciate more of what you do. Value is placed on whatever matters to you. When something is important, its perceived value goes up. Thus, in the study of influence, Scarcity (exclusivity) suggests that people appreciate things in limited edition or ‘while stocks last’.

If you possess a unique set of skills, and this is in wide demand then your value may go up. Like on eBay, a bidding war may lead to you being hired by the highest bidder. Elsewhere, we may need to do our time and bidding before we can be considered worthy of promotion or hire. Or, we can reinvent ourselves by being more educated, skillful, knowledgeable, experienced, exposed, smart, connected and related. Being bold, courageous, adventurous and curious, can be useful motivators, too. Haven’t you given your future any thought?

Without blaming anyone, is one’s profession undermined by employers and industries, or are we to be responsible for enhancing our value in whatever we do? If you believe in the relevance of any of these professions, tell somebody, and speak well of it. If not, some professions may go the way of the Jurassic era and become extinct; people do become redundant.

Perhaps it is time to reposition these overlooked professions…it is time to look past overpaid CEOs suffering from Peter’s Principle, or who violate principle values. The exorbitant and inflated severance packages of these leaders should be reviewed when they break the rule. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being low and 10 being the highest, what is your confidence in your CEO?

Are You a Corporate Zombie?

I just watched another horror-comedy; this time it was Shaun of the Dead. It is a funny film with a few significant moments of shocks. What stood out was the team dynamics of the six people, and how leadership under crisis emerges out of necessity, instinct and resourcefulness.

Do you drag your feet? Do you work aimlessly? Do you bite off more than you can chew? Do you infect others with your personality?

In the movie, you can tell instantly who the zombies are from the normal people. The normal people looked abnormally out of place, for they are outnumbered and have thought-riddled expressions. The zombies keep it simple, with soiled clothes, unsteady and sloth-like movements. They tend to follow anyone that is out of their ordinary. Normal can be strange, and risky.

As a leader who makes sense of the world through its myriad of abstracts, what can you creatively extract from the film?

1)    Let your staff know your expectations of them, or they will operate blindly.

2)    Tell your team your intended outcomes, and let each member achieve it himself/herself.

3)    Appreciate the diversity and distinction of your team. Dare to be different.

4)    Observe and identify the first signs of distress within your team.

5)    Avoid unnecessary attention to yourself. Focus on recognizing your team.

6)    Avoid Groupthink and the Herd Instinct.

8 Ways to Engage Innovation

Is innovation the same as creativity? The terms are used interchangeably, so there may be some confusion as to how we can apply both of it at professionally and personally.

Creativity is involved in how you solve problems. The more solutions you propose for a problem, the more creative you are. However, innovation is about how you apply your creativity to actually solving these problems.

Corporations try to mandate innovation. You cannot make innovation a rule, as it can be a process that can be diluted by rules, regulations and demand. You cannot force a natural process, for you will probably get synthetic outcomes. Everyone has their process for teasing out their creative process.

How would you engage your innovation? There are ways to approach innovative practices.

1)    Ask yourself WHICH ways you can attend to the problem.

2)    Daydream. Visualise. Ask ‘what if?’.

3)    Create and recreate an environment which best engages your creative process.

4)    Seek inspiration from a variety of sources (film, commercials, print advertisements, poetry, music, performances, speeches).

5)    Move around, animate your thinking, and express it visually, audibly and physically (i.e. mind map, discuss, create a prototype/model).

6)    Ask: how can I make it better? What else can I do? What else more?

7)    Read biographies of successful businesspeople, inventors, performers and leaders.

8)    Surround yourself with creative, energetic and helpful people. They are wellsprings of encouragement, resourcefulness and purpose.

9)    Experiment. Test. Apply. Discover. Learn.

When Will We Stop?

Often, when I limp my way across the office floor (a day after a hard training session) colleagues tend to ask me: ‘When will you stop doing all these triathlons and marathons?’ It is incomprehensible to them to spend an hour or more swimming, cycling and running. There are surely better things they could do with their time.

I have no answer to this reasonable question. It is a complex combination of choice and circumstance. This endurance journey began for me with a few simple goals (finishing my first biathlon and half-marathon), and the goals have changed and increased through time (completing multiple Ironman races and ultra-marathons across the globe).

Perhaps, I will stop when significant injuries beset my body. I may stop if something life-threatening happens. Some of our best professional triathletes had to quit permanently from competing due to medical issues. That is, probably, one of the most painful ways to quit. It is like dropping out of a marathon because of an injured foot, busted bike, or gastrointestinal problems when you are doing well.

Competitive athletes have this mindset: Winners never quit. Quitters never win. There is certainly a limitation in this form or thinking, as it does to enhance one’s capability. I suppose that the psychology and psyche of the serious athlete has been tweaked to not accommodate failure or give up readily and easily. Mainly, it is a personal matter to finish in poor time, or to call it a day.

When will you stop?

Carrying the Torch

‘A simple flame passed hand to hand


Not by the fastest or the strongest,


But by people whose greatest gift is what they give of themselves


Because, it’s not just what you do for the record books,


It's what you do for others.’

This weekend onwards, about 2,400 people will run in the Youth Olympic Games Torch Relay. I will be running next week, as part of my National Sports Association’s (NSA) commitment to this inaugural event. Over 70 percent of tickets have been sold.

This evening, I collected my running kit from the SYOG headquarters. I will be handing my fellow volunteer the torch after 100 metres later. We are expected to run at a controlled pace of 7km/h – a mild jogging pace. The runners from 7-13 August in Singapore will comprise celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, students, ex-Olympians and Special Olympics athletes. The Olympic flame will arrive from Seoul, Korea on 5 August and make its way throughout Singapore.

Who do you carry the torch for? Who and when will you pass the baton on?

My tri-buddy, Roger Chow reported: Just got back from a night photography session at the Coliseum. It’s so much easier then an Ironman race. The folks at Regensberg have completed their race. Congrats to all - Craig for his double-Ironman in 8 days: JP and Caroline for their remarkable finish! Time for R&R!

ATHLETE RANK AGE/DIV SWIM BIKE RUN TOTAL

1. Slattery, Craig 1291/1105/1467 41/ 01:19:07 05:49:53 06:29:51 14:00:09

2. Mervyn, Lee 1446/1472/1479 37/ 01:22:31 06:25:43 05:58:31 14:06:35

3. Shum, Caroline 1780/1733/1607 39/ 01:44:11 07:09:39 06:14:48 15:35:06


Good job, fellow Eastern Night Riders/Triathlon Family!

John Cooke, of Perth tested himself with Painathon again this year, albeit while recovering from flu. He managed a highly commendable achievement. Well done, mate!

A Funny Gore-Fest

I watched Zombieland, a horror-comedy featuring Woody Harrelson who starred in last year’s Oscar-nominated The Messenger. The last time I recall him in an enjoyable film was White Men Can’t Jump, and the Oliver Stone’s values-defining Natural Born Killers. He has acted in some films that did not do as well in the box office, however that does not mean he is not a good actor – he is. The Messenger reminds us that Woody can still take on tough, testosterone-infused, and emotional roles.

Movies dealing with the genre of the undead are best left to those with eclectic tastes. Directors of this cultish genre include Sam Raimi, well known for the Evil Dead films, and lately, the Spiderman trilogy; 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, of Slumdog Millionaire fame); and Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright). Many films were modeled after video arcade games. If you are into blast-into-dust games, then it is lock-and-load with the plastic sidearm. Harrelson plays the Twinkies-obsessed gun-totting alpha-male, Tallahassee who awkwardly partners up with paranoid nerd, Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg). Columbus has written up 31 rules for surviving the evil carnivores which he reminds us of, throughout the film when the predators emerge, often enticed by music or carnival lights.

Columbus and Witchita (Emma Stone) turn in the love interest, and what would a zombie film be without the perfunctory romantic interest. Fortunately, other than very good special effect, prosthetic work and gore, it is not that disgusting as other films with infected cannibals. Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as Little Rock (she is 12) rounds out the quartet of this motley crew, the sister of Witchita who wants to enjoy a Disneyland-like amusement park she never experienced. The highlight for us is when is initiated to Ghostbusters and a larger-than-cameo actor makes his brief but memorable appearance.

In a cubicle: a hail of funny bullets, with the occasional jolts of shock. The opening scenes are well choreographed just to establish the pace, which does not disappoint.

Dry Run On A Wet Day

 I spent the whole day undergoing a dry run for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. Despite a persistently rainy countenance, spirits were warm, positive and encouraging for a Sunday.

Our Venue Manager led our family of about 600 volunteers and sports officials through their paces. Dry runs or rehearsals were ably and aptly conducted so that the volunteer leaders and volunteers had a clear picture of the actual event. The volunteer leaders also conducted briefings and training for their team comprising adults and youths. Our sports announcers were youths who communicated in fluent English and French. Leadership abounded in different ways and styles. There was leadership by expertise and experience.

The quality of leadership is critical for ensuring a world-class event is delivered to expectation and exacting standards. Art may imitate life. Sport may actualize life. We are expected to be competitive in the field of play, outwit, outplay and outlast our opponents and adversaries. Fairly – of course, or we may veer off-course. We do that by training hard, preparing thoroughly, and developing the mental fortitude and resilience to last the race. A wet run follows a dry run. You run through all scenarios and respond to it so that on race day our responsiveness is ingrained into our system.

Train. Rehearse. Race. The writing is on the wall.