At the crossroad of life decisions, one must choose between maximum long-term gain or instant gratification. Whatever the choice one makes, there is a price to pay. The first choice will lead to a compound effect. But it requires one to develop capabilities to maximize long-term value first. The second choice can help one to avoid pain temporarily, but it is hindrance to success. It is like a pill that blocks signals to alert the brain about a problem without addressing the underlying issues. You will need more or crave for more to avoid the pain. And without treatment, the problem could lead to more complications in the long run. 

“When you think that it’s too hard, remember that in the long run, doing the things that will make you successful is a lot easier than being unsuccessful.”

— Ray Dalio

When it comes to adventures of life and business, value is what matters most. Value matters because people have more options in our interconnected world. They like products and services that maximize value. The members of society, customers, employees, and shareholders are all people that want to maximize the value of their capabilities. 

Adding value to people makes the business and life missions worthwhile. It is what gives meaning and fulfillment to one's life. It is also a key to competitive strength in the era of rapid changes in the world. The mission-driven organizations that have a support system to help their smart, talented, and creative employees with grit to reach their full potential have a competitive advantage. 

So, embrace life adventures with the intent to add value. The meaningful life adventures include learning, envisioning a better future, having fun, and developing skills to use our gifts to solve problems and add value to the world. Similarly, mission-driven business adventures involve learning, adapting, and developing capabilities to address customer problems and maximize value. Each has its share of ups and downs. Therefore, one must zigzag on a unique path to success. Indeed, it is purpose-driven people and mission-driven organizations that add value most to the world.

“Life is full of adventure. There’s no such thing as a clear pathway.”

- Guy Laliberte

Our life adventures began at birth. The newborn first cry signifies the beginning of life in an unfamiliar environment. As the baby cries for the first time, they begin to breathe. Their loved ones are usually excited the baby is alive and forget it did not come with a manual on how to raise it. And if the parents have other kids, they will realize the new baby is different. Some parents notice the baby's unique gifts and nurture them.

From the time we were born, our future outcome was unknowns. But we had faith that someone would help us to learn and adapt. Before some of us could walk, we had to learn how to walk. We started by crawling and then making a few steps and fall or holding into something for support (manage risk). Then day-by-day, we took more steps without help. Finally, we learned how to run. The process of learning and mastering skills continued until we could eat, talk, and do other things depend on our abilities. Note, some people do not get to walk, talk, or eat as the majority do.

Human beings with a great desire to reach their full potential usually continue their lifelong learning, and development of skills to maximize their capabilities. They embrace the unknown and have the grit to accomplish their mission despite the challenges. Indeed, patience, discipline, passion, and the ability to focus on the vision are necessary to achieve success.

However, most people desire certainty, immediate gratification, and comfort. The reality is the future outcome of business and life is uncertain. For example, we assume commodities prices will follow patterns for a given set of conditions, but occasionally man-made disasters or the nature of things surprise us with something unfamiliar. When contributing factors change and become less familiar, the future outcome becomes very uncertain. Moreover, easy traps come at the expense of long-term maximum value.

It makes sense to embrace uncertainty and adjust our ways to create the better future we have envisioned. We should resist the temptation of the immediate gratification that gives us temporary satisfaction. We must also aim to do the job well instead of looking for what is easy.

• It is easy to hold into old ways despite the changes in our changing world, but if the contributing factors to the outcome change, does it make sense to cling to the old ways? 
• It is easy to obtain statistical info, but how can you extract valuable insight from information without understanding causal factors?
• It is easy to think you can avoid uncertainty, but is uncertainty avoidable?
• It is easy to look for solutions that give us immediate gratification, but will instant gratification lead to a maximum gain in the long term? Or will it exacerbate the problem in the long run?
• It is easy to say politicians lie, but if most politicians lie to win, what does it say about the perception of reality of the majority who vote for them?
• It is easy to follow the herd, but if we are all wired differently with a unique set of gifts, how can we maximize our capabilities to create a better world? And how can we solve a problem creatively?
• It is easy to have a fixed mindset and do what is comfortable, but how can we continue to learn and grow? Or how can we become the best version of ourselves?
• It is easy to account for tangible assets and create GAAP rules using old assumptions, but if intangible assets developed internally represent about 90% of the value for companies in the S&P 500 by 2020, should GAAP rules change to reflect the reality of the rapid innovation era?

The adventures of life and business are a natural phenomenon. Even though there is some degree of uncertainty about the future outcome, a long-term vision is necessary to maximize value. It does not make sense to avoid the unknown. The surprises will be good or bad. Take time to understand the changes in people's needs instead of fearing the unknown. It is the understanding of the changes in people's needs that will help us to maximize value. Moreover, maximizing human potential and business value despite uncertainty is the key to excellence. In a sense, dynamic capabilities are the keys to competitive advantage in the era of rapid changes in the environment. 

Feel free to contact me if you need my service or have a passion for value-based innovation or investing.