be yourself – Derrick Kwa

My Latest Song: Out of this Mould

Mar 24, 2010

As some of you may already know, I play guitar and keyboard, and am very much a music person. Most of you probably don’t know, though, that I do some songwriting as well. And well, I just wrote a song over the past week, a message to myself which I feel fits in well with the theme of this blog, so I thought I’d share it here.

No recording yet, though, but that’ll come in time. In the meantime, here are the lyrics to one of my latest songs. Let me know what you think?

Out of this Mould

I stare blankly at this page before me
Every word I think of just seems so cliche
It’s a striking image of my own life
Where there’s nothing new, and everyday just seems to be the same

I’m tired of the same old story
The same old excuses and worries
And I know, that it’s time to make a change

I’ve got to break out of this mould
Step out of this comfort that I’ve been trained to live in
Got to break out of my routine
Follow my heart, and start pursuing my dreams
Can’t just keep doing what I’m told, no, no,
I’ve got to break out of this mould

I take two steps forward,
Then one step back
Struggling to find my way
On this brand new track
I search for a sign, or a path that I can follow
But there’s none,
And I’ve got to go on my own

I’m tired of being just another face in the crowd
It’s time for me to stand up up and finally be myself

So yeah, that’s it. A reminder to myself to be true to myself and not let anyone else dictate my life. If you have any comments/suggestions, I’d love to hear them. =).

Pixelated – Sui Generis Conference

Oct 7, 2008

Mitch Joel recently started the Pixelated Conference, a free business conference you can watch from anywhere. Chris Brogan took the idea one step further, encouraging all of us to create our own Pixelated Conferences.

I think it’s a really good series. So here’s mine. The Pixelated – Sui Generis Conference. 7 sessions (in no particular order, because I think you should watch all of them) about being remarkable, following your passions, and changing the world.

If you the videos don’t appear (if you’re reading via RSS, for example), you can check it out here.

And if you like it, feel free to grab the list and share it. Or better yet, make your own and join be part of the series.

Forging Your Own Path

Feb 16, 2008

Forging your own path isn’t always easy. It’s what I want to do, that’s for sure. I want to be my own person, and blaze my own trail and all. But it’s not always easy.

When you forge your own path, more often than not, it means that you’re on your own. It’s your own path. And you’ll probably have to walk it on your own.

The other thing about forging your own path, is that it’s a path that few (if any) have gone. Sometimes you won’t know for sure where you’re heading. It’s a new path, and sometimes you lose your way, or have to make it up as you go along.

It’s not easy. It can be a struggle at times (which is kind of what I’m feeling lately). But I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth it in the end.

How do you deal with the challenges of forging your own path? Or if you don’t face any challenges, maybe you could share some advice?

Your Opponents Weaknesses or Your Strengths

Dec 20, 2007

No matter what you’re doing, you’ll always have competition. In games, in business, even in relationships. There’s always competition of sorts. How do you deal with this competition? There are 2 general ways people go about dealing with competition.

You could focus on your opponents weaknesses. Target where they are weak and adjust what you’re doing to hit them there. Or you could focus on your own strengths. Don’t think so much about what they do, but just do what you’re the best at. Of course, it’s best when your strengths align with your opponents weaknesses, but that’s not always the case.

A good example of that was the Sunday EPL matches. Liverpool vs Manchester United and Arsenal vs Chelsea. Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Chelsea, typify the first approach. They change their system and the players they use based on their opponents. They try to identify weaknesses in the opponents play and plan according to those weaknesses.

Manchester United and Arsenal, on the other hand, play their own game. Yes, they study their opponents (who wouldn’t). But at the end of the day, they focus on what they do best. They stick to their game.

The results over the weekend? 1-0 wins for both Manchester United and Arsenal. Not much of a surprise there, to me. The best way to win is still to just do what you do best. Play to your strengths.

At least that’s what I believe. What do you think? How do you beat your competition?