Everything old is new

Every morning when I cycle through a large piece of stretching grass land, it always gives me a sense of peace and fresh. I know it may sounds strange but I did start to enjoy the half an hour cycle trip every morning, not so much in the afternoon...

The road is the same, come across the same vans and buses, even wave to the same bunch of cyclists and morning joggers. You may have already been bored so far. Hang on, what's different on that side of the road, a hare running straight into me!

That's what happened when I sit down in the office, open up laptop, plug in all sorts of cables and re-arrange all sorts of devices and boards, all routines. I know I am good at these routines, and I also know that I can make something happen today from here. The trick is, we all start from familiar and 'boring' stuff, and many of us are also so ambitious that not willing to go through all the 'routines', to which their talents are considered to be wasted.

To me, everything old is new. Every bit of routine gives me a perfect background scene to train my eyes and mind to pick up those different, those potentially could be significant. It is those little things here and there complete every day life. It is also these little opportunities where we can pick up new knowledge, experience. There is hardly possible for us to sit in front of your shining desk and come up with a killing product idea or impulse of restructure initiative to take the organisation forward, no, no no. Things don't work that way. I realise what I have to do is to be able have a peaceful mind, accept the reality, fully appreciate what has been happening, and pick up those little lights where gold might be found. Once that happen, you bet I am right - everything old is new. You will start to look at those familiar faces differently, you will start to hold different opinions to things around you, you will notice there are so many changes quietly going on affecting the 'old' environment. Many great ideas have been generated from most ordinary moments. If you think there is a small change could benefit a design or part of the code a lot, you should do it, do it now. Do not let it pass by, as it might be the last chance you see it and after that, you will say, "today is just another boring day, nothing exciting, really.". Really?

I love to remind myself of the importance of open mind and be realistic. There is nothing wrong with one step a time, also, it is a natural steady-state evolution of how significant changes are born. Remember, everything you believe you have mastered, it has just developed, only you have missed the change, and what is coming next if you keep ignoring it.