fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Connect slack with python
By: Mohit Garg
Tags: Slack, Notifications, Python, Webhooks

Setup python webhook over slack interface

On slack interface login to workspace where you want to create python bot

2. Click on Browse App Directory to get list of all available apps which can be integrated with slack

3. Click on Build option available just left to your workspace name

4. Click on Create a custom app

5. A dialog box for adding app information appears, where you can add your <app_name> and can select the workspace, after adding <app_name> and selecting workspace click on Create App button

6. Next from list appears below, select Incoming Webhook option

7. Just right to Activate incoming Webhooks, turn on webhook

8. Below there appears an option for adding new webhook to workspace, click on Add New Webhook to Workspace

9. Now you need to select channel where you python app will post any message/notification, you can select any channel from available list as shown in figure below

10. Once you select a channel for your app to post, it provides with you a webhook key (NOTE : Please don’t share this key with anyone)

Copy webhook key for later use
Tick tock HipChat users — it’s time to move to the future-proof alternative
Tags: Hipchat, Open Source, Slack, Stride, Privacy

Dear HipChat and Stride users,

You only have a few weeks left to find a new home! But fear not, Riot is here, and moving across to one of our hosted Modular.im chat servers is easy with our dedicated HipChat migration tool.

The migration tool in action!

In the end, Atlassian switching off its chat apps might be the best thing that’s happened to you, making switching to a future-proof alternative a no brainer.

So why is Riot the future-proof choice?

Riot is built on the Matrix open standard. We want you to use Riot because it’s great, not because it’s the only option — with Matrix you are free to connect with whichever Matrix client app you like: there’s no app lock-in.

Riot provides privacy and data ownership — features you should expect from every modern communication system. Thanks to Matrix, Riot supports full end-to-end encryption, so only the participants in a discussion can read it.

Also thanks to Matrix, you have the freedom to choose who hosts your data for you: do you want to run your own server? You can. Do you want to find a trusted service provider? You can too, and we can even suggest a good one: Modular.im 😉. You’re not really sure? Well, just pick one! It will be easy to migrate over later as your data is already in Matrix: there’s no vendor lock-in.

Let’s not forget the Matrix ecosystem is openly federated — migrate to Riot and you won’t be locked into your own community (unless you want to be), embrace federation and you will be able to reach any of the other millions of Matrix users as well as users from other platforms like Slack, IRC or XMPP.

And finally, because Riot is open source, it will live forever, and because Matrix is an open standard, it fosters the development of new integrations which are immediately available from any Matrix app. Find out about the integrations that are available for free right now, with much, much more to come.

So what are you waiting for? Go and find the migrator at https://modular.im/hipchat; in a few clicks you will migrate your HipChat/Stride history into Matrix, via a hosted homeserver at Modular.im.

For full details, check out the Modular blog — you don’t have to follow the rest of the herd, break free!

The Riot team
Your opinion doesn’t count
By: Adrià Fontcuberta
Tags: Slack, Logo Design

Democritus said that “nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion”.

On the Internet, even atoms and empty space are questioned. The Internet is an army of snakes ready to gobble a frog. Too many millennials, I guess. Haters speak louder than fans.

When talking design, your opinion counts even less than usual. So does mine.

Sorry about that.

You know who cares about our opinion? Exactly. Nobody.

Mine doesn’t matter. Neither does yours. It’s just an opinion. I’m not a designer. Even if I was, I don’t know shit about the thought process behind every decision. Even if I did, I also don’t know anything about the context Slack works in.

I wasn’t surprised by the first reaction Slack received. Hopefully, designers who created the logo also weren’t. After all, we have the Internet we deserve, not the Internet we need.

It still shocked me that people held such strong opinions when a company changes its branding. what. the. fuck?!

I might like the old logo better. I also understand that the new one is purer (fewer colors, no rotation). I understand they needed to create a logo that works under more circumstances (black themes, for instance). I might dislike the result of that decisions (I mean, c’mon. Eggplant background? 🍆 wtf).

But I’d refrain from judging people too hard. Especially on topics such as design.

My take is that having an opinion is not bad. At all. But it’s dangerous to have an uninformed one and sell it as informed. An uninformed opinion tends to be biased, full of prejudices, and inaccurate. You’d be doing yourself (and people around you) a favor if you tried to understand things below the surface.

But hey, it’s just my opinion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

We are living deep in this whirlpool of shitposts labeled as opinions. We need to have an opinion on everything. On a daily basis. We feel entitled to do so. Tools that we use, code that we read, on everything. And we fail to understand the context that surrounded every decision that got things there.

What if we tried to read and listen more, ask more questions, talk less, and be open-minded? This is my New Year’s resolution.

Form a line!

Anyway. The new Slack logo can be described in several ways, but I wouldn’t say it’s new. Is funny to see how trends eat everything for breakfast. A few years back everyone ditched skeuomorphism and complex logos in favor of a minimalist, flat design approach that has swallowed the entire World:
[Ebook] Get Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency Download Now
Tags: Slack

[FREE] Read Online Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency Full Pages

If your company?s goal is to become fast, responsive, and agile, more efficiency is not the answer — you need more slack.Why is it that today?s superefficient organizations are ailing? Tom DeMarco, a leading management consultant to both Fortune 500 and up-and-coming companies, reveals a counterintuitive principle that explains why efficiency efforts can slow a company down. That principle is the value of slack, the degree of freedom in a company that allows it to change. Implementing slack could be as simple as adding an assistant to a department and letting high-priced talent spend less time at the photocopier and more time making key decisions, or it could mean designing workloads that allow people room to think, innovate, and reinvent themselves. It means embracing risk, eliminating fear, and knowing when to go slow. Slack allows for change, fosters creativity, promotes quality, and, above all, produces growth. With an approach that works for new- and old-economy companies alike,

Download Here -> https://7library.com/book/0767907698
Our Journey to VeChain Part 3: Why We Switched
By: Ken Woodruff
Tags: Ethereum, Authenticity, Erc721, Nft, Crypto

This is part 3 of our first article series. Read the previous article here: Our Journey to VeChain Part 2.

As we developed our product on Ethereum, we ran into several concerns and pain points. There were some key problems we were having difficulty solving on Ethereum. Luckily, after coming across VeChain, we later realized that this particular blockchain had the necessary solutions.

The following sections will take you through the problems we had, and we will go in-depth on how VeChain has helped us solve them in an effective manner thus far.

Overall, the problems we faced were the following:

(1) Unpredictable transaction fees

(2) Complicated user onboarding

(3) Clunky multiple transactions

Unpredictable Transaction Fees

The market price of Ethereum (ETH) is still quite volatile and can increase or decrease within a short time-period, which can affect the transaction costs. Imagine the price of ETH doubling over a period of a few weeks. Essentially, resulting in the cost of using it doubling as well. The idea of transaction costs doubling (or perhaps even tripling) over a short period of time made us think twice about the short- and long-term consequences. In worst case scenario, it could have enormous influence on the overall usage and scalability — making both us and investors nervous.

VeChain solves this by implementing their dual-token system: VET (currency) and VTHO (energy). VET is used as a store of value and smart payment currency on the blockchain. Moreover, as your account stores VET, your account generates VTHO.

VTHO is used to pay for the transfer of tokens and the execution of smart contracts on the VeChainThor blockchain (same as gas on Ethereum). The rate at which VTHO is generated from VET is controlled by the VeChain Foundation, resulting in transaction costs are not necessarily tied up to the ups and downs of the market as a whole.

Complicated User Onboarding

One of our primary goals with Real Items is to make our products easy-to-use for everyone, including non-technical users. Requiring users to sign up for an exchange, transfer funds, undergo KYC and purchase cryptocurrencies are all time-consuming and tedious tasks. Forcing users to do all this will turn users away before they even use our App.

In our quest to solve this issue, we experimented with the Portis Wallet in conjunction with Tabookey’s Gas Station Relay Network. The combination of Portis’s ease-of-use features and Tabookey’s relaying architecture provided us the ability to easily pay for our users’ transactions. This was a huge step towards real usability, something we had strived for in order to accomplish widespread adoption. However, Tabookey’s smart contracts are not, at the time of writing this article, available on the Ethereum mainnet.

We needed a solution that would work immediately, without any unnecessary delays.
What Social Medias Are Missing.
By: Léa Cohen
Tags: Innovation, Social Media, Self Improvement, Authenticity, Move Forward

As I am listening to a song I used to listen when I was 15, several feelings show up.

Music is immensely important in my life. It has been one constant element that helped me through all difficulties… and helped me express feelings I could not find the words for. People who feel a lot but have a hard time expressing with words will recognize themselves…

Be vulnerable. It is fine to let your emotions out and being vulnerable at times. It is much better than pretending everything is cool, that you have everything under control.

We might be missing something with our ‘look good and act strong’ attitude. Like if nothing could hurt us. Acknowledging your feelings and not minimizing them is important.

Other people will try to ignore your feelings, or make it seems like not a big deal. So, don’t do it to yourself.

What Social Media Feels Like Today…

I feel that social media has become a place where we want to show how strong and resilient we are.

I feel that we hear about positive thinking, and we forget to feel and express honestly our emotions.

A smile on a picture can hide so much, but no one sees it.

I feel that it has become hard to make a difference between people who genuinely want to mentor you or the ones who try to make money on you.

Honestly…

We can all feel weak at times, insecure, trapped.

We can all feel lost. We can all feel jealous. We can all feel fearful.

We are hiding all of this because of our egos…

If we keep denying those feelings and show only our successes on social media, it can create a shame towards failure, sadness, and loneliness.

We need a place to express ANY feelings. Not only the ones that ‘look good’.

We try to be connected with everyone. And we end up being connected with no one, not even ourselves.

I am still a big believer in positive thinking and all that. But if we want to be able to understand, share, help, and show real compassion, we need to show our real selves.

We live together through the same challenges, even if the way we perceive them is different.

Is a world with more authenticity and with less ego possible?

We need it.
Authenticate Yourself
By: Amanda Lindamood
Tags: Poetry, Maturity, Authenticity, Self-awareness, Health

Authenticate Yourself

I am really good at pretend,

but I’m opposed to fraud.

and I can run on fumes

the way others run on energy,

but I can’t will an unwilling engine

to turn on just because.

eagerness is a response

to something real

and not just something needed.

the way an imaginary friend is

more real than my appetite,

and when hunger is a craving I’ll eat.

twelve and thirteen hour days

may not lesson my to do’s,

but I am endlessly motivated

by an insatiable drive

with its own timeline.

bay side wedding ceremonies

and barbie play dates,

cross state moves

and adrenaline powered projects,

book store deep dives

and deliberated curation,

and when I’m ready,

requests of my time that don’t

stir me creatively.

maybe when you asked me to be myself,

you meant only one of them.

an earlier moment would have

led me to make that mistake too.

maturing refocused my discipline

into more self knowledge,

and less performance.

and the voice in my head

that would like to collect

these fumes into energy

just can’t tell if her no

is ready

to be met with conditions,

instead of consequences.

perhaps if what was real

felt less straightforward,

and timing anything

but exact

in how it wants to be used.
A Safe Space to Land
By: Dawna Kreis
Tags: Authenticity, Support, Be You

It was an interesting day yesterday.

I had a couple of meetings with colleagues and mentors, and in many instances, our conversations went to the topic of “going deeper”. That is, wanting to make more connections and go deeper with them.

Social media allows us to connect with SO MANY souls, but…

I want to say that it doesn’t “allow” us to connect on a deeper level, but I know that’s not true. We could, if we chose to, but it doesn’t feel as though it is conducive to achieving a deeper connection.

There are so many other things to grab our attention.

It’s not like sitting down with a good friend over a cup of coffee and having a chat. Not to mention, with all of those voices chiming in… it doesn’t feel “intimate” enough to stimulate my soul.

No, Social Media tends to be quantity of friends over quality.

Oh, for certain! There are dear friends of mine which I’ve connected with through social media, particularly FBook, that I may not have gotten back in touch with otherwise.

I am grateful for that, but I can feel that my Spirit longs for more than can be had there.

Deeper conversations.

Not so much about what I had for dinner or what the family and I did over the weekend. Though, those are good events (at least where the fam is concerned) and helps us to keep in touch and connected.

It is my desire, and always has been, to connect Spirit to Spirit with people.

It is my desire to share our observations of the magic of life, our hopes, and our dreams for the future.

I realize, though, that is a most vulnerable place to place ourselves.

There are many of us that have had or fear having our hopes and dreams mocked by others, which is a very real fear. It does happen, which is why we quite often keep them so close to our chest.

I suppose that’s what fuels my desire to “rise above the noise”, so I can convey that “I am a safe space”.

I genuinely desire to see people thrive and will do what I am able to assist them in getting there.

I would love the opportunity to connect with YOU!

Please take a moment to leave a comment, if only to just say “hi” and let me know that you dropped by!

Until next time, dear friend, take care, be well, and I do hope our paths cross again soon!

Website | Facebook | Dreamwidth | MeWe | Instagram | YouTube
Let’s Get Real
By: Gerard Longo
Tags: Life Lessons, Entrepreneurship, Authenticity, Entrepreneur, Life

I feel like there isn’t enough of that on the internet. As an entrepreneur, I find myself often walking a tightrope between authenticity and being curated enough to still be taken seriously; to still be “on-brand” in this culture of constant hustle, where it seems like every “guru” you follow is waking up earlier than you to #CrushIt. (But really… if you ain’t up by 4 a.m., are you really hustling?)

In truth, we’re real people. All of us. We all have dreams and aspirations. We work hard, but sometimes, we need rest. We also have doubts and fears. We’ll take to the internet to talk about our SUCCESSES and failures, but usually in the past tense (especially when it comes to the latter).

I don’t see enough people transparently documenting the journey of the here and now. Vulnerability is uncomfortable for most, and the internet can be a scary, judgmental place. Yet, we’re all going through it together. Wouldn’t it be helpful to share our experiences with our fellow humans, as we’re experiencing them in real-time?

Life and entrepreneurship are both beautiful journeys. They can’t help but intertwine; they require us to figure ourselves out and navigate our place in the world, while also deciphering a way to build our passions from scratch. It’s certainly an interesting way to live, but rest assured, it isn’t for the faint of heart. None of our journeys are as perfect as a scroll through Instagram will have you believe.

That’s why I’m here right now. Underground Music Collective isn’t the place for my personal-and-sometimes-business-related musings, but enough people have told me that the ones I share on social media are helpful — perhaps, they’re helpful enough to warrant putting them somewhere official. So, here we are, in that official place!

Who am I? Most likely, you’re here because you know me as the founder of that multimedia company I linked up there. Beyond that, I’m a self-proclaimed 11-time Uncle of the Year. I’m a brother, son, friend, nephew, and cousin. One day, I‘ll be the best father/husband/partner I can possibly be, and my family and I will load up the camper and travel the country. I’m a cancer survivor, a former semi-professional athlete, and a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. I’ve been to 44 states and counting. Oh, and sometimes I’ll sing.

Beyond that? I’m still figuring that out — and it’s cool if you still are, too.

We all are. That’s life. That’s real.

Let’s figure it out together. No judgment.

-G
Two Best Networking Tips for Professionals
By: Shailaja V
Tags: Networking, Growth, Network, Business, Authenticity

Here’s a very simple but very effective networking tip that I would like to share.

I’m going to share the example of a blogger, but really this applies to any context where you’re looking to build a network.

Let’s assume you are a blogger and you want more eyes on your content.

If you are attempting to reach out to other bloggers and website owners who have a much larger and more established audience, with a request, there are a couple of simple steps to follow:

✔️Be Authentic

✔️Give before you Ask

Let’s say you find a blogger’s content on Google/Social media.

You find the content useful or valuable and it’s also in your niche.

1. Engage with the content in some way: Leave a comment/ Send the blogger an email/ share the content with your audience.

2. Genuinely appreciate the content; not because there’s something in it for you.

3. Build a relationship with the content creator. Sign up for their email list/ buy their books/ talk about them on your social media channels.

4. Now, you can ask for something: A reference/ interview/link

If you jump straight to #4 without taking the trouble to go through steps 1 to 3,they’d know you’re just looking for something without really valuing the hard work.

Be genuine & give before you ask.

Following just these two tips consistently will help you build relationships & will open doors to bigger opportunities.

Guaranteed.
Judgment
By: Dale Halaway
Tags: Authenticity, Author, Awakening

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a cloud of judgment?

☁️

Judgment is a tool the Ego uses to maintain our own internal separation issues and to keep our wounds intact. Judgment comes from a place within us that is incomplete. In order to feel right inside, it has to make others wrong.

☁️

If something really bothers us about someone else, it’s a reflection of something inside of us that we might be holding ourselves in judgment for, or something that needs our own attention. When we judge others, we lock our own issues into place, halting our personal growth. The person we are judging doesn’t pay the price…we do!

☁️

Learning what to do with judgment when it comes up inside is a game-changer. Judgment, when really understood, can show us what needs to be healed within ourselves. If we learn how to properly handle our judgment instead of buying into it, then it can be used as a powerful tool for our own healing.

☁️

This is a core foundation for my book, “Being Called to Change.” It all begins with courageously confronting what needs to be healed from within so that we can make real and lasting changes in our lives and step into our true, authentic power!

Get a FREE sample of the book here: www.DaleHalaway.com/book
Wounds of Owing
By: Chetna Parekh
Tags: Be You, Monday Morning Musings, Authenticity, Live Free, Gnothi Seauton

In my continuing research on how I could live a more authentic life, I came across the concept of ‘Wounds of Owing’- it resonated with me and I believe most of you will be able to come up with examples of having experienced this in your life.

Wounds of Owning is essentially when you go against the very fabric of who you are because you believe you owe it to someone else.

You may have felt you owe it to your family to get married because you are a certain age or to pursue a certain line of work.

You may have experienced wounds of owing when you feel like you need to be there for a friend even though it might be a time when you need to heal yourself.

You may feel like you owe it to your children to be a certain way even if it slowly strips away at the very authenticity that makes you, you (…there are millions of small examples of this that you would not even be able to notice anymore)

These wounds of owing can run deep. You might develop a constant fear of judgment or fear of non-acceptance from your loved ones and society. As time goes by, some of us might be able to tell ourselves stories that make us believe our own lies. But the truth is this- You don’t owe anything to anyone. You have no debt to the world and you are truly free to live your life being your whole true authentic and unique self.

And after working through the initial questions that might arise from reading this and if you don’t convince yourself otherwise, you will realize that when you live in harmony with your authentic self, there is no need for an outside agency to help you differentiate the good from the bad and the right from the wrong. When you start living your authentic life you get a very wise compass free with the experience of living that way.

I sincerely hope you will consider that the feeling of life dragging you down may not be due to the presence of burdens but the regular absence of authenticity and harmony within yourself. And I hope this self-reflection inspires you to take your power back.
Awake
Tags: Beauty, Self Love Poetry, Alone, Finding Yourself, Authenticity

I believe I have something special, something that makes me stick out, Ive felt that way since I was a little girl. I wanna make this world a better place. This human experience should not be caught up in the ways of greed and hidden truths.. pain has been bigger than light and love these days. Has it always been like this or am I just wise enough to see the constant cycle we are placed to see and accept? Deep down we all know this isn't the way life is supposed to be. We shouldn’t pay to live nor suffer in a world thats not even ours “the land of the free”. Ive been called crazy for not settling for these false hopes and societies ways of being. I know there is more than what we are seeing. We need to WAKE UP. As we begin to wake technology only gets stronger, its just another drug so that the powerful wont become powerless. It sucks out the authenticity of just being. Think, Breath, Meditate fight for your soul peel off those layers of whats expected and be whats unexpected thats the beauty of being you, Truly.
Meditation x Mental Health
By: Tor Njamo
Tags: Healing, Meditation, Authenticity, Mental Health, Self-awareness

Everyone has mental health, and we are all standing somewhere on the scale between good and poor mental-health every day. In the same way, our physical body works — on some days we feel physically strong, whilst on others, we don’t. The sooner we realise that our mental health is dynamic and not static the sooner we can get to work on improving and maintaining a good sense of mental health.

My mental health has gone through seasons of change since childhood and it’s still evolving. Every day, with practice, I am coming closer and closer to understanding what I need to maintain a good sense of mental health.

There are still days where I have to say to myself ‘Ok, today, I am not being my best self, so do not make any big decision or put yourself in too challenging situations. Tomorrow will be a better day for that.’ For me, it is all about perspective.

Many different factors influence our mental health. Sleep, food, environment, stress and the list goes on. In a few of those areas we have total control, whilst in some of them partial and even sometimes no control at all.

What I do believe we can do and must do, is to be proactive about making sure we have stable health pillars in our life that we can lean on when we are struggling.

One of the approaches I firmly believe in is meditation. I believe that meditation has been the ongoing, consistent practice that has supported me through some of the toughest periods of my life.

How to meditate was shown to me by my grandmother when I was a young child since I was going through several difficult events. My parents were getting a divorce, I was being bullied at school and my childhood home burnt down.

Now as an adult, I have found that meditation has helped me to clear my mind of unhelpful stories I tell myself, stay calm during challenging situations at work, handle change well, know my boundaries, be more authentic and be consistent at continuing with other important self-care practices. And the list goes on.

Poor mental health is a widespread issue that is personal and social. To improve, we have to be proactive. There is no other way around it.

If you are interested in learning more about meditation, you can attend my next Open Meditation Circle at The Truman Brewery on the 10 Feb 7PM.
Get Started Fulfilling Your Life Purpose
By: Donna Price
Tags: Knowingyourlifepurpose, Authenticity

This is How to Get Started Fulfilling Your Purpose



Does finding your life purpose sound a bit scary and overwhelming? Do you not even know where to start?



Maybe it’s easier to stay where you are, play safe, stay small. But there’s still that nagging feeling in the back of your mind. You could be doing something meaningful.



You could be living your best life. But how to get started?



Here are three steps to gently start your journey to living a more authentic life.



Just remember to be kind to yourself and take baby steps.



1. What are you scared of?



The first step is to have a good look at what scares you about finding your life purpose. Does it feel risky? Do you feel vulnerable? What if you fail?



What if people laugh at you. If it’s any comfort, these are thoughts and worries that afflict everyone. Don’t worry you’re not alone.



Start by writing down everything that comes into your head at the thought of finding your life purpose.



Don’t filter or critique. Just write what you think. You can use the prompt ‘If I consciously live my purpose, I’m afraid that’ and see how you go.



Now take a deep breath and respond to a second question What do the scared parts of me need, to feel supported?



2. Give yourself permission to change



Everything in nature changes and grows. It is not normal to stay in the same state or position for a lifetime whether you’re an acorn, a puppy or a person.



Embrace the potential of change and personal growth.
My Letter to You: If I Need to be Honest.
By: Rose Mejia
Tags: Finding Yourself, Beyourself, Authenticity, Honesty, Mental Health

Photo by Andreas Haslinger on Unsplash

As a child, my issues were small enough to live inside my head. My fears, my anxieties, my worries, though heavy for a little girl to carry, could easily be numbed by my ability to space out and hide. I was able to shut myself away enough from the pain of it all. In my therapist’s words, I was able to do what I needed to do in order to survive.

But if I need to be honest, things are different now that I’m an adult. There are dimensions and avenues that I hadn’t understood before. There are responsibilities that I can’t seem to have a grasp on. And my ability to think forward has somehow slowed down as well. Numbing out is no longer enough because there are pains too great to be shut down. And interesting enough, I no longer see only the darkness from the underground, but the light behind the clouds as well. And I can’t help but wonder if it’s possible to live a life where there’s only light when all one has really known is darkness.

Photo by Alperen Yazgı on Unsplash

For so long I only wanted to survive. I just needed to get past the days and wait for the next tomorrow. But if I need to be honest, now I want to thrive. But when I go to every professional, I always see myself falling short. Because even though I earned some of the best grades, saved big, invested early, worked hard, cared deeply, and gave what I didn’t even have, it hasn’t been enough. And they only say, “I don’t know what to tell you. You’re doing everything right and you’re doing your best. It just isn’t enough.”

And if I need to be honest, it hasn’t been easy living this paradox. The paradox between living a life that would seem successful but always falling short. The paradox of working for the future but trying to survive the present. The paradox of externally seeming beaming-confident and, but internally falling apart.

My indecisions aren’t about what I should eat for lunch or about where I should go tomorrow. They’re about finding the footing of who I really am. Am I the daughter of former Mexican immigrants or a Mexican-American citizen? Am I a UCLA graduated who finished a whole year or a master’s student that can’t pay her bills? Am I the adult who wakes up at 4 am to work out, meditate, and read before the sunrises or the young woman who has debilitating anxiety after sunset? Am I the caregiver of a parent with a terminal illness or the daughter of a man with cancer? And if my whole life is wrapped within paradoxes, then what exactly am I?
Lifetime Alliances and Exponential Value [feat. Reid Hoffman, Jeff Weiner, Ben Casnocha]
By: Marcio S Galli
Tags: Jeff Weiner, Ben Casnocha, Relationship Building, Authenticity, Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Founder, is known for his natural talent for nurturing great relationships that builds value over time. For Reid, the “lifetime alliances are exponentially more valuable than transactional ones.”

In this essay, based in the “LinkedIn Speaker Series: Jeff Weiner, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha”, I focused in the challenge presented by Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO —a reflection for what is special about individuals that can build strong relationships. Jeff points out that Reid is great in “Understanding how to continue to build these relationships”, in making “sure that people feel like they are generating value” and building the recognition that it is “both parties best interest to continue to fuel that relationship.”

Reid’s Theory of Small Gifts

The context in Reid’s view is “How do you essentially help each other as you go through your work lives” Reid Hoffman 31:48 @ Linkedin 2014.

His theory of Small Gifts consists in the recognition that there are kinds of supportive interactions that are not expensive for the giver but at the same time may produce large impact to the taker. He emphasises that if when you detect that, you should focus on those things and “do that all the time!”

When that exercise develops in a long-term interaction, it means to the other person a sign of caring, a sign that you want to work together, and also a commitment; it generates value. Reid gave examples for these kinds of small interactions:

Introductions like “I know this person you should talk with her” @32:56

“I ran across this information that it can be value to you.”

Or even feedback like “Do you realize that when you speak this way you might be heard this [other] way?.

All of these things can be easier, for a giver to do, and then can be beneficial on the other side. Ben Casnocha adds that “It’s not coincidental that it sounds like a LinkedIn Product: Introductions Sharing Intelligence.”

However for Jeff Weiner, doing that without being genuine won’t work

Jeff added a great point (we should keep in mind he was the “foundational” partner chosen by Reid to engage and take the challenge of being The LinkedIn CEO ) that “Doing this, for the sake of getting information out of the other person — won’t work. People will sense it immediately.”

Jeff points out that this kind of interaction won’t work when it lacks authenticity — adding that Reid is a great example of The Authentic Kind:

“There is an authenticity [component] to Reid’s relationships and the way he so deeply cares about the well being of the other person. “ Jeff Weiner @ 34:05 @Linkedin 2014

He emphasises the idea that one needs to be genuine, to be willing to help, and that this trait is the root characteristic.

References

Linkedin 2014, Jeff Weiner, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. LinkedIn Speaker Series: Jeff Weiner, Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. Published on Jun 30, 2014 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQJf7W88HDs
How Writing on Medium Can Make You Conform
By: Tyrone Kalu
Tags: Writers On Writing, Conformity, Authenticity, Real Talk, Writing

This is from a beginner writer's perspective. For the few articles I have written, I realized I tried to be like everyone else.

I constructed my titles to attract viewers, and I’ve started to imitate other writing forms. For writing it’s important to ask yourself if you're being like everyone else and why.

When making a decision on a certain action, adhere to this timeless quote :

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Many writers on medium are too generic, almost as off they don’t want their writing to have an identity. As if they are afraid to be judged and write simple facts one can search for. And their readers know this, that’s why generally they skim the article because it’s simply boring like watching paint dry.

Articles are must be organized and not blindly follow what others are doing for viewership to attain “fast money”. It’s easy getting an idea, our minds have thousands in a day. It’s more difficult to execute those ideas and make them stand out.

It’s alright to piss off your audience when you write your risk offending your audience. It’s better to write what’s on your mind and offend someone than to dilute your writing identity for the sake of everyone’s happiness.
Don’t dumb down your flavors.
By: Brigitte Van Tuijl
Tags: Women Entrepreneurs, Soulful Business, Be True To Yourself, Authenticity, How To Stand Out

I was watching Chef’s Table on Netflix yesterday.

And the beginning of the episode with Bo Songvisava, a Thai chef, stood out for me.

Here’s what she said:

“Thailand is a hospitality country. Whatever you ask it’s: “Yes, I can do that for you.” Thais have been serving what the customer wants. They dumb down the flavors.

But at my restaurant, we’re not gonna do that. We want to show them the real thing. We keep the flavors as traditional Thai. We’re not gonna make it less spicy because you can’t eat spicy.

People walk out from my restaurant. But… we are happier if they decide not to eat. Because if the mind is not going to open from the beginning, it’s not going to work.”

I LOVE that!!

And there’s an important business lesson in this for everyone:

Don’t dumb down your flavors. Your message. Yourself!

Don’t deliver something that isn’t true to you, to your soul.

Don’t give customers what they want because you’re afraid they’ll walk away.

Let them. They can go to someone else who can give them what they want without resentment.

And you’re free to deliver the best you have to offer to people who need and want exactly that.

Give your clients the real thing.

The real YOU.

Everyone will be happier.

Everyone benefits.

Where are you dumbing down your flavor, your message, your essence, yourself?

Where are you saying ‘yes’ where you’d rather say no?

Where is fear of people walking out calling the shots (instead of the love for what you do and how you want to do it)?

And what will you do to change that?

The more you are YOU, the better it is for you, your business AND your clients.

Keep it real, baby 🙂

Love,

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Don’t Ignore Your Truth
By: Leah Brathwaite
Tags: Truth, Divorce, Love, Authenticity, Relationships

Don’t ignore the truth for a temporary feeling of comfort. — Leah Brathwaite

Photo by Hailey Kean on Unsplash

We all know the truth by the way it feels.

Like a stirring of energy that resonates when something feels aligned.

But knowing the truth and acting on it are two very different things.

Our truth often requires a step up to align with it.

It means moving from the comfortable place we’re at to somewhere new and unknown.

It doesn’t always feel good.

And it brings into question how others will view us. If they’ll still love us. If we’ll still be cared for if our truth is not the same as theirs.

It means letting go of the source of our worth as something outside of us and diving deep inside ourselves to embody it instead.

But we’re often afraid that if we do, we might not like what we find inside.

Or worse, we might not find anything there at all.

So we pretend not to hear it.

We pretend we don’t feel it.

We compromise on it and dilute it so we can stay the same even if we know it’s not where we belong.

We trade our truth for comfort and when we do, we condemn ourselves to a life of constant searching for our worthiness and happiness outside of ourselves.

And let me tell you from experience, it’s a soul crushing journey.

The way to lasting happiness is by finding it within ourselves.

The way to live the life you deserve is by claiming it and creating it.

We do that by honouring the truth when it comes knocking.

By stepping up to meet it and inviting it in.

By allowing it to sink in deeply and unlock our gifts as it guides us through life.

When you start acting on the truth instead of ignoring it, the life you came here for begins to unfold.

To live your deepest truth, to be yourself fully, to create the life you imagine is what it means to truly be happy and free.

___

Ready to step into your truth and live free? The LIVE FREE Lifestyle™ is a proven roadmap to get you there. Head to leahbrathwaite.com/livefree to find out more.
The Power of Kindness
By: Rose Kumar M.D.
Tags: Kindness, Soul, Love, Authenticity, Relationships

In the East, being kind to one another is synonymous with living from Atma or Soul. Jung termed the Soul or the Self, the deeper, wiser, more divine aspect of who we are that does not have the needs of the Ego. It is our essence, our True Nature. Living from the Self in the East is termed, living from ‘dharma’. Dharma implies we live from Soul, always behaving towards others with empathy and kindness.

When we live without relatedness, we cannot access empathy. In the East, relationships are a way to access our Soul. It is a way of realizing our True Nature, also called, Self-realization. If we do not value relatedness, we cannot align with our True Nature. This leads to ‘adharma’, the opposite of dharma and results in living from a way where ‘might is right’ or ‘survival of the fittest’, which shuts down our empathy for each other. What is normalized in Western society (and corporations) would be termed adharma in the East, because of how much relatedness is valued there and how deficient it is here.

When we live from a place of dharma, we live from Soul, from empathy and kindness. Our cultural collective is deficient in these qualities because of what we have normalized. Could it be that our foundational platform with each other has not yet evolved to value relatedness and relationship? Could it be that we have valued materialism in favor of relationships and have disconnected ourselves from each other in the process? Or could it be that we consider technology, such as email and texting as a convenient substitute for real interaction? We must know by now that this is merely a cosmetic substitute for experiencing the essence of relationships. It is impossible to be in each other’s presence or fully present with each other through text and email.

We must become aware of the unintended consequence of how we use technology as there can be no substitute for human to human interaction.

Our True Nature cannot be shared unless we are authentically present with each other. We need to return to our humanity, to empathy and kindness. To experience this, we need to reorient ourselves back to Self and have more authentic relationships. This is one way we can live from kindness rather than to merely do ‘kind things’.

So next time you are in another’s presence, (even a stranger’s), align with your heart and treat them with kindness like the Sikh man did with me in India. Offer them a ’Namaskar’ if only in your mind. It means, ‘I honor your True Nature with my True Nature’. Notice how sacred this feels. I promise you it will be healing for both you and the recipient of your kindness.

Since we are in the season of reflection and gifting, it may be worth reflecting on what it would mean to live a dharmic life, to live from Atma, Soul or Self.

Gifting another with our True Nature is ultimately the greatest gift of all.
THIS is hard
By: Joanne Kao
Tags: Loss, Authenticity, Covid 19, Perspective, Together

THIS is hard photo by JoAnne Kao

THIS is hard. We’re experiencing an entirely new rollercoaster of emotions, challenges and perspectives. What’s going to happen in the next 30–210+ days is up for debate, no one *really* knows. What we’re going through is non-linear, there are no predictive models or historical data that can say “THIS is what’s going to happen” because at the end of the day, it’s speculation.

Why does my heart feel so bad? Why does my soul feel so bad? ~ Moby

I’m mourning and angry about “loss” and I don’t know when it’s going to end and I’m not sure how it’s going to come out. This has nothing to do with strength, grit, being grateful, thankful and being fucking positive. Those are marketing platitudes that at the end of the day become white noise — every brand is saying it. Does it really make you feel better? And if it does, you’re lying to yourself.

Here’s the thing, we’re in it, we WILL have many more set-backs, detours and speed bumps. And that’s OK. That’s LIFE.

I think the first step is to be honest with ourselves and each other, dig deeper. This SUCKS. And from there, we will move forward. And together we will. Let’s start with some honesty.
Just Be You
By: Adam Kolosik
Tags: Authenticity, Self Improvement, Leadership, Self Love

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself? -Epictetus

It’s easy to come up with solutions for other the problems of other people. It’s not so easy to come up with solutions for our own. Over the past few years, I’ve done a ton of soul searching and attempting to discover more of who I am, what makes me tick, and what do I truly get excited about. Some of this can create insecurity because we live in such a social media world that everything gets compared, in our heads, or online somewhere. The insecurity though should fade quickly as we recognize the beauty in our unique expression of the world.

There is only one me, there is only one you. No, I’m not playing on some exceptionalism that you are better than other people at certain things, I’m truly saying that only you can make the contribution to the world that you can make. The world doesn’t need more people turned out of a manufacturing line, the world needs more unique. The world needs more clear-minded voices that avoid herd mentality. Think critically, be wise, be you, but not just you, be the very best you because we all need it, the interconnected world that we live in now, needs you. The more you live as yourself, your true, honest, self, the better the world becomes. The world needs a lot less veneer and a whole lot more honest and truthful.

This is a principle that can translate if you believe in God or not. I for one believe that our Creator wrote out a perfect script for you to be you, but even if you don’t believe that, recognize the uniqueness in every single human down to a genetic level. And start living out your creative way of living. Stop trying to keep up with the best influencer, and just start keeping up with being the best you. The world needs it. You need it. I need it.
On Authenticity: My first story
By: Protus Langat
Tags: Authenticity

My time in college was indeed the backdrop against which my personality and values were discovered, tested and rediscovered. I learnt a great deal about myself that today I hold dear. One that truly means a lot to me is authenticity, particularly in the way I present myself to people. To demonstrate this, I have shamefully dropped a glass of wine at a networking event because I was never my true self. I think about that moment every day and wonder what I did to myself. The good news is, I have made a conscious choice to be myself in all my interactions with people. It not only has changed the way I feel about myself but also empowered me to listen to the voice inside of my head. It has made me entertain wild thoughts that would never have crossed my mind before. I have been able to appreciate the power of the now and thus celebrate the small winnings I make throughout the day. I have dealt with anxiety, stress and fear of disappointment because I embraced authenticity. I no longer pretend to be more talented or funnier and consequently, I have made true and meaningful relationships with people that are like and unlike myself. My authenticity has not only been beneficial to me in being open-minded but also in attracting the right people and the good things I want in life. Tough as it is, I keep it that way.