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Your success depends on three elements—Spiritual Advantage, Local Advantage, and Social Advantage. You can build Social Advantage and get a 33% chance to succeed. If you live in an advantageous location, you get another 33% (66% total). If you obtain Spiritual Advantage, you will accumulate a 99% chance of success. Furthermore, evidence shows Spiritual Advantage can overwrite other disadvantages you may have. Therefore, seeking Spiritual Advantage must be your first priority. Jesus said, “Bu ...
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I read Leo Tolstoy’s Resurrection a few years ago. It was his last novel, published when he was 71. I have discovered that reading someone’s final works gives you the best of their lifetime wisdom, especially from a great thought leader like Tolstoy. Most of you know Tolstoy for his famous book War and Peace. But did you know he had a spiritual awa…
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I am sure you’ve heard that Time Magazine named President-Elect Donald Trump the 2024 Time Person of the Year. He is the only person to have been selected twice. Let me clarify before I continue. I just want to prepare you for the upcoming year and new administration so you won’t feel tortured for the next four years. We must discern what God wants…
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In England in 1535, King Henry VIII condemned Thomas More to death for treason, mainly for refusing to say that the king was the head of the Church of England. More was imprisoned, waiting for his capital punishment. More’s friend came to persuade him to say what the king wanted him to say for survival. More refused because it was against his belie…
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During my college years, I gathered with some friends every Saturday morning at a tea house to enjoy our morning tea and talk. One day, a friend showed up with bandages over his head, arms, and legs. He had a nearly fatal motorcycle accident. He said he wished he had died that very moment because he was sure he would have gone straight to heaven si…
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Napoleon famously said, “The word impossible is not in my dictionary.” His can-do spirit helped him make incredible achievements in history. In my dictionary, I want to delete the word “unacceptable” because I’ve discovered that acceptance is love in action, and it’s essential to developing our spiritual intelligence or Spiritual Quotient (SQ). To …
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During a TV interview, a reporter asked Bill Gates, saying, “Mr. Gates, Microsoft products have been illegally copied and distributed in China. How are you going to deal with that problem?” That was over twenty years ago when the software was convenient to duplicate. In those days, most people in China couldn’t afford to buy Microsoft, so they boug…
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When I first came to America, I noticed many governmental organizations are named “services:” The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US Postal Service (USPS), the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and others. Conversely, many other countries prefer to use the term “authority” rather than “service.” We do have a few departments that u…
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I was reluctant to name this message "How to Change the World" because I could imagine many people might think I was bloviating. I know I am nobody and have no qualifications to speak on such a grand topic, but I believe it’s a matter of age. The older we grow, the more cynical we become. Let us be children for a moment because when we were young, …
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There once was a king who sought advice from a sage about how to govern his kingdom so that it would enjoy peace, progress, and prosperity and be free of crimes, violence, and wars. The sage said, to govern your kingdom that way, you must govern yourself first. As the Son of God said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all th…
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Many years ago, I met an elderly lady in our neighborhood. People said she was a good Christian and knew the Bible thoroughly. I was impressed. She held a Bible study group in her house, and people came to listen to her teaching. However, my perception was shaken when I heard about her strained relationship with her in-laws. Given her role as a Bib…
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I am not fond of SMART goals because they are too mundane and meager. In case you don’t know, a SMART goal means using the word SMART as an acronym to set goals. SMART represents Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It’s a good starting point, but not for leaders because leaders set problem-solving goals. They identify a prob…
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Do you know that one of the best-selling nutritional supplement categories is energy supplements? If you search for energy supplements on Amazon.com now, you will get over 20,000 items. Three years ago, I did the exact search and got 8,000, and I thought that was too many. It grew almost three times in three years. What does it tell you? It tells m…
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Once upon a time, a woodcutter was chopping wood by a river. As he swung his axe, it slipped from his hands and fell into the river. The woodcutter was poor and could not afford to lose his only tool. Desperate, he sat by the riverbank and cried. Suddenly, the angel guarding the river appeared and asked why he was crying. The woodcutter explained h…
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I’ve discovered that life is limited by the capacity of imagination. Imagination is what makes us different from animals. It’s God’s image in us. The question is how we can stretch our imagination far enough to have no more limitations. In 1990, when I was about to leave for the U.S. from Burma, I called my aunt in California, asking her what I sho…
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One of my most joyous moments in life was when my first daughter, Cassy, was born. I can never describe how happy I was when the nurse put her in my hands as soon as she landed safely on this earth. I started counting her cute little fingers and toes. It was December, so I regarded her as God’s best Christmas gift for me. For the following years, I…
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Home, sweet home! I am back from the Gift of Life mission trip in Vietnam. It’s a medical mission that provides heart surgery to children with congenital heart diseases who can’t afford it. This week, I had the privilege to observe the cardiac surgery of a 16-month-old child up close. It was quite an experience to be with a team of dedicated doctor…
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This week, I watched a thought-provoking debate between Richard Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Many of you know Richard Dawkins, a reductionist atheist who wrote the famous book, “The God Delusion.” I mentioned him a few weeks ago in another message. Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up as a Muslim and became an atheist after moving to Europe. Ever since then, sh…
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When I was in college, a friend invited me to join a Wisdom Society. We were required to write a philosophical essay every month, and the best essay received an award and was published. The first assignment was titled “God Created Humans or Humans Created God.” It was thought-provoking but not as easy to write as I had expected. Even though I didn’…
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There’s a Chinese proverb, “Men do not pass 8x8; women 7x7.” This saying comes from the Yellow Emperor’s Internal Medicine Manual, written in the 5th century B.C.E. What does it mean? It’s about the pattern of physical changes in males and females. Men grow in an eight-year cycle and women in a seven-year. Let me explain by referring to the Interna…
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This week, I saw a video of an interview with Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist renowned for his book, “The God Delusion,” and his recently published “Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide,” teaching young people how to outgrow religion. He is a retired professor of Evolutional Biologist at Oxford University. Currently, he is on a tour around the wo…
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I hope everyone is safe and sound after the two earthquakes on Friday. Even though it was only 4.8 magnitude, for those born and raised on the East Coast, that was the strongest earthquake they had ever experienced in their lifetime. So, some were extremely shaken by the experience. Pun intended! Paul said, Therefore, since we are receiving a kingd…
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Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! What is more important for your quality of life, happiness or freedom? Many of you know I pursue happiness because I lost my happiness due to some unpleasant childhood events. However, some philosophers and thought leaders argue that freedom is more important than happiness. Immanuel Kant emphasizes the importan…
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I know the title is a little ambitious, but this message is not about me teaching you how to know everything but exploring together the secrets of discernment taught by Jesus Christ. Just as physicists have been trying to figure out the theory of everything, religions and philosophies try to discover the knowledge of everything. For example, one of…
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Are you joyful this morning, evening, or anytime, depending on where in the world you are right now? Jesus expects us to live our lives in complete joy. That’s the outcome he expects from us. He said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11). The question is, how do we maintain t…
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I was fascinated by a chapter titled “Perfect Happiness” or “Ultimate Joy” in the Book of Zhuangzi, my favorite philosopher of the 4th century BCE. Zhuangzi was a hilarious sage, and, like Jesus, he used parables and fables to explain the metaphysical reality and spiritual truth. Zhuangzi sang at his wife’s funeral, which was entirely inappropriate…
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When I first came to New York City, I was surprised to see the garbage bags and trash cans piled up on the sidewalks all over the city in the evening. It just happened to be one of those days of the week you take your trash out. But it didn’t look like the New York City of my imagination. As the Capital of the World, I thought New York City should …
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If you had only three years to live and wanted to make the most out of your life, what would be your obstacle other than time? If you had only three years to live and wanted to leave a legacy that would last for generations, what would be your obstacle other than time? If you had only three years to live and wanted to build a company that would las…
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There once was an evil dragon living on a high mountain. Every now and then, it would come down to burn the farms and destroy the villages. Every time a warrior went up the mountain to kill the dragon, they never returned. People assume the dragon killed the warriors. One day, a young man decided to go up the hill to slay the dragon. He had just re…
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I am sure all of you have heard in the news that Apple launched the Apple Vision Pro, their first VR, AR, MR (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality) headset. I wonder how many of you have bought it. I think it’s overpriced, so I am staying with Meta Quest 3. I’ve been using Meta Quest since version 1 when it was called Oculus Quest.…
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Looking at a pile of correspondence and reports from around the world to review and respond, an emperor of ancient China felt overwhelmed and couldn’t concentrate on his work. He wanted something to calm his mind down to get his work done. He consulted the prime minister for a solution. The minister suggested hanging a giant, beautiful, calming pai…
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A friend told me that there are three levels of authority. Generalist Authority, Specialist Authority, and Celebrity Authority. Using doctors as examples, a Generalist doctor has an average authority and charges what average doctors charge. A Specialist could charge you much more because they have more authority, and people trust them more for thei…
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I want to begin with a provocative parable by the great philosopher Zhuangzi. Once upon a time, a man named “Mr. Knowledge” traveled north to the territory of the sages to seek an epiphany of the Truth. He encountered a sage named “Mr. Actionless Wordless” and asked the following three questions: “How do I think and ponder to know the Truth? Where …
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The great philosopher Zhuangzi told a fascinating story about a debate with his friend Huizi, another famous scholar and philosopher of the 4th century B.C.E. The story is playful but profound. Let’s see if you can unwrap the deeper meaning of the debate. Zhuangzi and Huizi were walking beside the weir on the River Hao. Zhuangzi said, “Look, the fi…
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An elementary school teacher distributed sheets of plain paper and colored crayons to her class, asking the children to draw whatever they wanted. Knowing children are creative, she was curious about what they would draw. She approached a little girl and asked, “What are you drawing?” “A picture of God,” she said. “Oh, no. You can’t draw a picture …
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Last week, I talked about how ultimate happiness comes from meaning. If you find meaning in life, you have happiness. The meaning of life comes from usefulness. So, when you make yourself useful, you find life meaningful, and you harvest the fruit of joy and happiness. Some of us may be thinking, “I’m getting old and useless.” It’s not true. Useful…
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One of my ulterior motives to leave home and travel across the world to America was to find the meaning of life. Growing up, I was not satisfied with life. Later, I discovered I was not alone. Every teenager and young adult has an innate desire to figure out the meaning of life. Everyone has a hero’s journey. Some people discover their destiny soon…
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There was a thief who accepted Jesus Christ, received baptism, and began his new life as a Christian. A couple of months later, he came to the pastor, asking, “Pastor, I stole again. You said a man in Christ is a new creation; the old is gone, and the new has begun. But why did I steal again? Am I not a new creation? What’s wrong with me?” The past…
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The book of Zhuagzi, the great Daoist philosopher, begins with a mind-blowing allegory about a fish named “Kun” which is thousands of miles in width and lenght. Yes, you heard me right. He sayid that the body of the Kun fish is thousands of miles long. What’s more incredible is that this fish suddenly turns into a bird named Peng. With a flap of hi…
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My grandma told me many puzzling Taoist stories when I was young; some of them took me a lifetime to understand. Here’s one of them. A man from a small village took his handicrafts to sell in a distant town, passing a deep forest. A few days later, he returned home with a sack of treasures on his shoulder. Surprised, The family asked how he got so …
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There’s a couple living in Phoenix, AZ. The husband calls his son in New York City the day before Thanksgiving and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.” “Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams. “Well, we can’t stand the sight of each other any l…
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When I was in college in Mandalay, I gathered with a group of friends for tea and breakfast every Saturday morning. One of them had a motorcycle, and one day, he was hit by a car when riding his bike. However, he still showed up on the following Saturday for breakfast with bandages around his head and arms. He said, “When I was hit, I thought I wou…
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Do you know what Christians were called before the term Christian existed? The word “Christian” was a derogative term, meaning little Christ. It was a way to make fun of those who follow Christ. But, later, they felt proud to be called Little Christ, so they adopted the term “Christian” as their identity. Again, do you know what they were called be…
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Zhuangzi’s friend complained about a useless tree on the roadside that every carpenter ignored. Despite its humongous size, its trunk and limbs are gnarled, making it unsuitable to build furniture. People can’t use its wood to build boats because it would sink. To his friend’s surprise, the sage said, “What are you complaining about? Think on behal…
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Confucius was hiking with his disciples to visit a majestic waterfall. Even before they arrived at the waterfall, they could sense the power of it from the distance, first the rumbling sound and then the breathtaking sight of a tall and wide waterfall. It may be comparable to Niagara Falls. They could see the mist from the fall reaching miles away.…
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I’m sure you have heard the saying, “If Satan cannot make you bad, he will make you busy!” I used to take it lightly because I thought it was just a cute little joke. After years of observing busy people and personal experience, I discovered that saying is profoundly true. The truth is that busyness can be as bad as bad. Busyness can be a distracti…
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Legend has it that the vast battleship, USS Montana, was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean at night. The captain suddenly saw a blinking light on its path. Assuming it was another ship, he sent out a Morse code with the light from the battleship, signaling, “Starboard, starboard, 20 degrees north,” asking the other vessel to turn away to avoid a collis…
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A less retold story about Jesus is when he cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit. Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem riding a donkey. He visited the temple and drove off the merchants and money changers, accusing them of turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves. Then, he spent a night outside of the city. The next morning, he returned to the…
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One of the most fascinating stories ever told among engineers is about a transaction between Henry Ford and Charles Steinmetz. Steinmetz was a brilliant engineer born in Germany and escaped to the United States in 1888. General Electric discovered his talent and recruited him. He was only four feet tall due to deformity, but people called him the “…
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One of my psychology professors had an impressive skill in reading people. She could look at your face and determine what’s happening inside you. You might smile, but she knew you had hidden anger and bitterness. You might be funny, but she knew you had depression. If you have seen the TV show “Lie To Me,” you know what I mean. She could read your …
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A man came to the village chief to complain about his brother, saying, “Chief, I am about to kill my brother because he has offended me seriously. I can’t tolerate him anymore. I know if I kill him, you will put me in prison. What should I do?” The chief looked at him carefully to find out who this young man was, “Oh, I remember who you are. You ar…
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