When we see the world and life through God's eyes, our existence becomes insignificant, our actions become trivial, our history looks transient, and our world is minute. The following data can make this feeling stronger:

• Facebook has 2.85 billion users in 2022.
• YouTube has 2.56 billion users and 37 million channels in 2022.
• Seven million new blog posts are published daily from 572 million blogging sites. 
• ​Human history only accounts for 0.13% of life on Earth. If life on Earth is compared to a day, human history is only 1.87 minutes in a day.
• Our Earth in Voyager's photo is like a tiny speck of dust in the universe.

Looking at the numbers, our endeavors are like pebbles thrown into the ocean. We can barely see the difference.​

However, these facts should not discourage us from living the fullness of our lives. When you know the world still has the "Butterfly Effect, " a butterfly flapping its wings in the Brazilian rainforest could also cause a typhoon in Texas. Despite the results, we can continue to provide our services and stand by our beliefs to do more good to the world. Find the purpose, take action, and have fun. Never underestimate our existence. 

Morning routine refers to what we do the first or two hours after waking up. Morning means these are the first things we do in the morning. Routine means we take these actions every day so that they can have an impact on our life. A routinized morning is more productive when we are more focused. 

Many people have advised this topic, from Benjamin Franklin's famous morning routine to the 20/20/20 formula introduced in the 5 AM Club. I like to share my understanding of the morning routine and how I apply the principles to create my own.​

How to Setup an Effective Morning Routine 
Overall, an effective morning routine has to take care of health, get ready for the day, and involve something important to our life.

• ​Taking care of our health requires us to bring positive energy. That can be a sweating exercise for fitness, a healthy drink to stay hydrated, or a savory breakfast that satisfies our indulgence in taste. 
• Getting ready for the day means mentally clearing our minds knowing what's important, what to do, why we do them, and how to stay focused to achieve our goals in the coming day. 
• Working on something that matters to us suggests we use the morning time on something important. It requires an extended commitment to getting it done, such as creating a new blog, writing a book, or developing a skill requiring years of perseverance. Because we have the most control and minimum disruptions in the morning, we are more likely to get these things done when they are part of our morning routine.  

We need to start the work night before. Going to bed early so that we get up early. Waking up barely to make it to the office won't have time to do anything. We would also write down a list of to-dos before going to bed. This is because decision-making is energy-draining; we have to save energy to take action in the morning. 

My Morning Routine 
The Morning Routine that Works for me tkes quite some time to establish. The following is what I do right now. 

• Before going to sleep around 11:00 PM, I will populate the to-do list with everything I need to do the next day, highlighting what I plan to do in the morning. 
• Wake up at the most comfortable time when we can have almost 2 hours of free time. Me, I start at 5:50 AM. 
• Spend 20min on health. I go through the hygiene routine and perform exercises, such as walking, running, or jumping rope, that can make me sweat. 
• Take 20min for self-reflection when enjoying a cup of tea. 
• From 6:30 AM -8:00 AM, I will spend 1.5 hours on the morning task. Right now, I'd like to learn something new and share it within my blog. 
• From 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM, I will connect with the family at the breakfast table.

What do you like to do in the morning? We can do anything we want. It's our freedom to choose. We can start with something simple. Remember, "Perfectionism is a disease." We have 30K mornings to spend in our life. No matter how many have left, I hope you will enjoy all of them, starting with the next one after you read this blog. 

When stepping out of the house, the raindrop started falling...after days of planning, the weather played against my picnic at the last minute. When managing projects or living our life, we wish to be able to control where we want to go, whom we are working with, what are the desired outcomes, how much time to take, and how much to spend. In many cases, however, life is filled with messy reality--a reality that most things could be out of control, and we must let them go. Some say this is the art of surrender. 

Do we have control? It's a great question. If we ponder for a second, our power spectrum is minimal. When COVID hit the ground two years ago, everyone's life was suddenly changed. We fight agaist the horrible disease, but eventually, 60% are infected (News). Facing the forces of nature, we have no choice but adjust. 

My friend Jane was comfortably lying down on the couch. I wanted to ask her if she'd like to go out shopping with me. I thought it would be more fun to go out together. "Jane, would you like to have some Boba tea?" I asked. "No, it's too hot outside. I can make us some ice tea instead. Do you like that?" she replied. "No, I'd like to go out for a walk. Have you seen the new iPhone that was just released? Maybe we could try it out?" I suggested. "No, mine works just fine," she said. "Oh, remember the ice cream museum you mentioned last week? It just opened. It might be fun to check it out," I suggested. "OK, that sounds good," she agreed. 

The bottom line is that we can't force anyone to follow our path. However, we can influence others in a way that they would appreciate. We don't control the outcome, but we can influence it. We need to tailor our ideas for everyone so that they can see the value in them.

As parents, we often have a natural inclination to control our children's emotions and surroundings, which can cause us to excessively worry about their safety, health and success in life. However, this overprotective approach can create an environment of anxiety and limit our children's ability to develop resilience and independence. To strike a balance between our protective instincts and promoting our children's growth and autonomy, it's important to embrace vulnerability and practice mindful parenting.

As a leader, it's important to be flexible with our regulation of organizational processes. Once the standard has been defined, we should allow our team to learn and grow from challenges and mistakes. We need to be in control without being too controlling. We should let the power go as long as the outcome meets expectations. For instance, a project manager may have different working styles and personalities. Ellen prefers reporting project status in a spreadsheet, while Fed uses presentations, and Ken uses Wrike reports. Do we need to control the format? The answer is no. However, it's essential that the reports sync up with all stakeholders on upcoming milestones and risks. It's all about finding a balance and compromising.

Even to ourselves, we feel lazy when we know exercise benefits our health. We crave sugar when knowing glucose may rise to an alert level. Love it or hate it. Our bodies may play games with our will powers.

In reality, stopping the fighting and considering surrendering as one option can lead to better well-being and freedom. 

Y is always worried that K will not work hard for his life. K likes to play games, and Y actually played many games when he was young. However, Y changed around the 30s. Now, he's asking K about his social engagement, his friends' choices, how he works, and offering advice. Well, advice means we don't believe K grows up and can care for himself. He can make his own life decisions. Without that trust, how can we let him live his life freely?

Speaking of games and how K spends his time. I would say K needs to build his career by accepting worthwhile work to stand his ground and defend his position. Trust begins with the kindness that we sincerely care for others and ends with the openness that assumes that others are not who we want them to be.

6:30AM: Getting up. The temperature shows 65F. It has dropped down almost 10 degrees from a few days ago. I will feel the chills if I go out now. Autumn has arrived. The daily light shows a little. The trees outside can show their shape. The morning is reaching. We often forget to notice small changes in the outside world. However, those small changes carry a wealth of messages from nature to our lives. 

We can't notice outside if we can't be present. Time flies. Browsing photos in the past, the moments collected are the ones I was present in those moments. 

Hot summer day, a gentle gust of wind passed through the house, pushing the green curtain with a picture of bamboo up and down like dancing in the wind. The weather was hot, and we didn't have air conditioning. The bamboo curtain brought a cooling feeling while watching it play with the wind. There was no sound, just the wind sweeping across. That moment of that Sumer afternoon, I had a dialog with nature. 

Although reluctant to go out in hot weather, my curiosity about getting something to read led to my way to a small library from my mom's business. My favorites were the magazines showing colorful pictures around the world, which were too popular to get. That day, the magazine was so new that it still had the fresh smell of ink. That was the moment of sensing the surroundings and enjoying learning something new. 

The weather was freezing cold. I took a bus with my parents to go downtown. It was a holiday, if I remember right. Everyone outside was wearing their new winter clothes and enjoying the holiday spirit. Passing by the bamboo park, I saw a beautiful lady standing there waiting for someone. It might be a date for her that day. She wore a boot and a lovely jacket, slim and elegant. How attractive she was! That moment of discovering beauty mixed with a little bit of jealousy was a genuinely emotional moment. 

Staying in my room, quiet and peaceful, I'm writing down these words. Time passing. The dawn is approaching. Listen. It's the sound of cars. Many have started their busy day. Breath. Fresh air. Deeply satisfied lung returns with, "yes, this feels great." Feel. The touch of the keyboard let me flow my understanding of nature to the words in this article. It's a moment of now when things are evitably changing, but I have the luxury to save a piece here when I connect with nature. 

Take a moment to discover the change happening around. Every moment comprises the life we are living in. 

Alice: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
The Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
Alice: “I don’t much care where.”
The Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.”