.
The Economic Restoration Summit was held last Tuesday and Wednesday at the World Resort to develop plans for five core industries identified by various sectors at the first Economic Restoration Summit held in 2009. Those industries include aquaculture, agriculture, call centers, eco-tourism, and education tourism.
Muliufi Hannemann gave the keynote address to kick off the event. As the mayor of the City and County of Honolulu since 2005, Mr. Hannemann was well-versed on the key components necessary to develop a strong and sustainable tourism industry. There were many takeaways and valuable lessons he shared that are readily applicable to the CNMI to promote the islands with what Mr. Hannemann calls the five S’s: sun, sand, sea, surf, and spirit of Aloha. The four key components that he addressed focused on public safety, infrastructure & construction, air service, and marketing. Let’s look at each of these components and how they might apply in our situation.
Public Safety. A primary consideration for someone planning a vacation is whether the location is safe and secure. The real or perceived lack of safety will thwart a person’s travel plans to an area. Political unrest, violent crimes, theft, or feeling like one’s been swindled can all leave a person with a bad experience that will be shared with others when the vacation is over. One of Mr. Hannemann’s priorities as mayor was to emphasize strong public safety so that visitors would feel safe walking the sidewalks of Honolulu. This eventually led to the City being named by the FBI as one of America’s safest big cities.
The CNMI should consider the safety and security of our visitors. They should feel safe walking the sidewalks of Garapan, going to tourist locations, or just taking a stroll along Beach Road. There should be better animal control measures to deal with feral dogs that sometimes wander in packs in public places.
Infrastructure & Construction. There are many ways that this can attract or detract visitors from an area. Mr. Hannemann brought wireless Internet service to public areas, city facilities, and parks. He earned national recognition for these accomplishments as well as his efforts to expand Honolulu’s online services. Under his watch the Honolulu Zoo was renovated with more attractions, roads and sidewalks were widened, more trees were planted and the sewage system was upgraded.
Mr. Hannemann also received the American Public Transportation Association’s 2010 Local Distinguished Service Award for his role in Oahu’s rail transit project. He shared with us that the rail transit system had been pursued for 40 years. One of his truisms is: “The longer you delay, the more you’re going to pay.”
Infrastructure also includes sewage and drainage, power and water. This is an area that the CNMI has struggled long to remedy. The recent proposal to raise rates by 44 percent will be the death knell for many businesses now struggling to survive. It may mean reduced services to tourists or simply passing on the higher cost to do business to customers. Improving our infrastructure needs have long been delayed, and now a higher cost will be paid.
Air Service. Hawaii experienced the loss of air service from some carriers. Mr. Hannemann shared that 2007 to 2009 were difficult years, but some of the airlines saw that Hawaii never stopped promoting their islands as a tourist destination, so the airlines were committed to remain. He also said that there should be a balance between hospitality and security. It should be easy to get visa waivers and to transition through an airport and still feel welcomed.
Marketing. Tourism is Hawaii’s core competence and Mr. Hannemann discussed some of the elements that have attracted 7 million tourists to Hawaii each year. They have great golf courses, ongoing sports events such as marathons, triathlons, and the Pro Bowl. Film and television opportunities are available with film studios on the island. The TV series “Lost” and the remake of “Hawaii 5-0” are filmed there. Numerous movies such as Jurassic Park have also been shot on the islands. Agri-tourism is another element, which includes the pineapple festival on Lani, and Maui’s food festival. There are also world-class chefs and great dining experiences. In addition, there are numerous brand marketing opportunities that attract meetings and conventions.
The many marketing activities are funded primarily by a 9.25 percent hotel room tax that is apportioned for marketing, conventions, and the government’s take. Mr. Hannemann encouraged us to take advantage of the Travel Promotion Act which collects $40 million from a portion of the visa waiver fees, along with private sector funds. This money is intended to attract international visitors, and if the CNMI combines their efforts with other regional destinations, he believes we should be able to receive a share of this amount.
There was a lot to think about after Mr. Hannemann’s address, and he left us with 3 P’s to consider: Patience, Partnership, and Promise. We should have Patience as we work to find solutions to our situation. There are no quick fixes, and we will experience set-backs, but we must persevere. It’s important to develop Partnerships with the government, community, businesses and all stakeholders. There needs to be buy-in with the goals that we decide to pursue. We should particularly consider workforce development in our plans to make sure we have the workers and that the jobs are attractive. Lastly, the direction we take should offer a Promise for a better future. This means we should take the long view and consider how this will benefit our children and our children’s children.
This was wise counsel from someone who has demonstrated leadership and commitment over his stewardship. For the CNMI to make sustainable progress in any of the five industries it will also take leadership and commitment to make it happen. Time is the great revelator that will show if we have what it takes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Tapping the Power of Your Mind
“The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory.” – Mark Twain
I’ve written previous articles about the incredible ability of your mind to accomplish practically anything you want. The more that scientists study the brain and its capability, the more amazing it appears. When you combine the power of your mind with a simple tool, it has the potential to exponentially increase your performance and productivity. I’ve been using this tool on and off for almost 40 years, and I’ve recently rediscovered how powerful it can be when properly used.
The tool I’m talking about is writing in your journal on a regular basis. When I was a teenager in high school, I recorded my thoughts and daily activities in pads of paper. I don’t know why, it was just a habit that I started and consistently kept up. Later on, I started using my journal to record impressions and ideas I wanted to preserve for later. When I talked to someone or read an article that would get me thinking about a good idea, I would put the articles or written ideas into notebooks. This expanded into filling dozens of three-ring notebooks that were organized by the various topics. Some of the ideas materialized into action steps that made money or improved the life of my family.
There isn’t an area in your life that will not improve with better and more frequent thinking. As you take the time to ponder your current situation, you will find ideas and solutions coming to your mind. It is important to quickly record those thoughts when you have them, and keeping a journal or notebook with you at all times will allow you to do it. Our mind is constantly thinking, and if you don’t write a thought down when you have it, then it will fade into the distance as other things grab your attention. Carrying a notebook to capture your ideas will prove over time to be a powerful practice.
So, a journal is not just for recording your daily activities. It has many other uses to better your life and make you more productive. Here are some other ways you can put your journal to full use:
Reflective thinking. If you’re working on some goals, it helps to reflect on your progress towards them and make notes about what is working and what changes you might need to make. You can reflect on the quality of your important relationships, your overall health, your career or business growth. When you put it in writing, you can later review your thoughts to find gems of wisdom that can be put into action.
Brainstorming. You can do this alone, or with several people. After discussing a topic, there will be a lot of good ideas that emerge. It is critical that you summarize those ideas and glean the best ones for further research. When you meet again, you can review your notes and share what additional ideas you had since the last meeting.
Accountability. Too many meeting are dismissed with no one tasked to accomplish things before the next meeting. If you summarize the key points and assign individuals to follow-through on important points, then the next meeting will be more productive. If you work for yourself, it is especially important to hold yourself accountable to complete important tasks. I do this by putting boxes on the left side of the page with a statement describing what needs to be accomplished. When it is completed, I check the box off. If it is not completed, I try to find valid reasons for my digression so I won’t make the same mistakes again.
Recognizing patterns. We are creatures of habit, and as you record your actions and activities, you may notice positive or negative patterns of behavior. When you identify a negative behavior pattern, you should write it down and determine ways to stop it. You should leverage you positive patterns to get the most from what you do.
Becoming more sensitive to others. This is a touchy-feely point that can improve the social and emotional quality of your life. When you write about something, buried feelings can sometimes surface. When they do, it’s important to recognize them and determine how it impacts the quality of your life right now. As you come up with ideas and solutions you can act upon, it will help improve your relationships. Something as simple as writing a note, making a call, or emailing your thoughts and feelings can demonstrate that you care.
There are many other ways you can use your journal to get more done and improve your life and circumstance. If you get stuck about what to write, here are 7 Ps that can help get your started: 1) Personal things in your life that are important to you; 2) People you deal with and your relationship with them; 3) Pleasure – the hobbies, interests, and activities that keep you motivated; 4) Projects you’re working on right now and their status; 5) Performance – record the progress you’re making toward your goals; 6) Profits – this can be ways you can either make more money or save money in your job or business; and 7) Perspective – take a step back and review what is going on with your life overall to determine if you’re happy and fulfilled.
Get started today by getting a journal or a good notebook that you can use to start recording your ideas, thoughts, and impressions. Try it for a few weeks and you’ll notice the difference it makes in your life. Do it for a few months and you’ll notice the difference it makes in your productivity and performance.
I’ve written previous articles about the incredible ability of your mind to accomplish practically anything you want. The more that scientists study the brain and its capability, the more amazing it appears. When you combine the power of your mind with a simple tool, it has the potential to exponentially increase your performance and productivity. I’ve been using this tool on and off for almost 40 years, and I’ve recently rediscovered how powerful it can be when properly used.
The tool I’m talking about is writing in your journal on a regular basis. When I was a teenager in high school, I recorded my thoughts and daily activities in pads of paper. I don’t know why, it was just a habit that I started and consistently kept up. Later on, I started using my journal to record impressions and ideas I wanted to preserve for later. When I talked to someone or read an article that would get me thinking about a good idea, I would put the articles or written ideas into notebooks. This expanded into filling dozens of three-ring notebooks that were organized by the various topics. Some of the ideas materialized into action steps that made money or improved the life of my family.
There isn’t an area in your life that will not improve with better and more frequent thinking. As you take the time to ponder your current situation, you will find ideas and solutions coming to your mind. It is important to quickly record those thoughts when you have them, and keeping a journal or notebook with you at all times will allow you to do it. Our mind is constantly thinking, and if you don’t write a thought down when you have it, then it will fade into the distance as other things grab your attention. Carrying a notebook to capture your ideas will prove over time to be a powerful practice.
So, a journal is not just for recording your daily activities. It has many other uses to better your life and make you more productive. Here are some other ways you can put your journal to full use:
Reflective thinking. If you’re working on some goals, it helps to reflect on your progress towards them and make notes about what is working and what changes you might need to make. You can reflect on the quality of your important relationships, your overall health, your career or business growth. When you put it in writing, you can later review your thoughts to find gems of wisdom that can be put into action.
Brainstorming. You can do this alone, or with several people. After discussing a topic, there will be a lot of good ideas that emerge. It is critical that you summarize those ideas and glean the best ones for further research. When you meet again, you can review your notes and share what additional ideas you had since the last meeting.
Accountability. Too many meeting are dismissed with no one tasked to accomplish things before the next meeting. If you summarize the key points and assign individuals to follow-through on important points, then the next meeting will be more productive. If you work for yourself, it is especially important to hold yourself accountable to complete important tasks. I do this by putting boxes on the left side of the page with a statement describing what needs to be accomplished. When it is completed, I check the box off. If it is not completed, I try to find valid reasons for my digression so I won’t make the same mistakes again.
Recognizing patterns. We are creatures of habit, and as you record your actions and activities, you may notice positive or negative patterns of behavior. When you identify a negative behavior pattern, you should write it down and determine ways to stop it. You should leverage you positive patterns to get the most from what you do.
Becoming more sensitive to others. This is a touchy-feely point that can improve the social and emotional quality of your life. When you write about something, buried feelings can sometimes surface. When they do, it’s important to recognize them and determine how it impacts the quality of your life right now. As you come up with ideas and solutions you can act upon, it will help improve your relationships. Something as simple as writing a note, making a call, or emailing your thoughts and feelings can demonstrate that you care.
There are many other ways you can use your journal to get more done and improve your life and circumstance. If you get stuck about what to write, here are 7 Ps that can help get your started: 1) Personal things in your life that are important to you; 2) People you deal with and your relationship with them; 3) Pleasure – the hobbies, interests, and activities that keep you motivated; 4) Projects you’re working on right now and their status; 5) Performance – record the progress you’re making toward your goals; 6) Profits – this can be ways you can either make more money or save money in your job or business; and 7) Perspective – take a step back and review what is going on with your life overall to determine if you’re happy and fulfilled.
Get started today by getting a journal or a good notebook that you can use to start recording your ideas, thoughts, and impressions. Try it for a few weeks and you’ll notice the difference it makes in your life. Do it for a few months and you’ll notice the difference it makes in your productivity and performance.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Death Before Dishonor
“Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.” – Sphocies
Certain incidents have caused me to reflect on the concept of honor and how important it is as an individual and to society as a whole. Honor can be defined as that which rightfully attracts esteem, respect, or reverence. It is synonymous with personal integrity, dignity, and a good reputation.
Honor was once held in such high regard that a person would rather die than lose his honor or bring disgrace on himself, his family, or country. In ancient Rome, the phrase “death before dishonor” was used as a battle cry. It was also uttered immediately before a Roman centurion would fall on his own sword to avoid humiliation and death at the hands of his enemies. The phrase can also be found in Japan and China. The Chinese phrase roughly translates as “you can die, but you cannot allow dishonor upon yourself.
Since the feudal medieval period in Japan, the code of the Bushido, or “the way of the warrior,” required adherence to a unique Japanese code of conduct that emphasized virtues such as honor, loyalty, obedience, duty and self-sacrifice of a samurai. Bushido philosophy also enforces conduct of calmness, fairness, justice and propriety. All of these character traits, along with the intricate details of conduct, appearance and grooming, could be seen as one’s constant preparation for death in an honorable manner. The ultimate aim of a warrior was to die with one’s honor intact by living according to Bushido. Throughout the Pacific, including Saipan, there are numerous stories of Japanese soldiers who carried this fighting spirit by refusing to surrender for months, or even years after World War II ended.
“Death before dishonor” has also been popularized by U.S. military units and individuals who tattoo the phrase on their body – which has come to mean that an individual would rather die than go against anything they strongly believe, or bring shame upon oneself, friends, family, or country.
Honor is something that seems to have gone out of vogue with many of the rising generation. Rather than being selfless or standing up for one’s beliefs with conviction, some youth seem to “go with the flow” and often show a lack of respect and reverence for individuals or ideals that were once held in high regard. Honor and honesty appears to be an option that can quickly be abandoned for expediency or to avoid punishment.
Honor and being honorable is the sign of a person with high character, virtue, and moral worth. We honor those who have demonstrated their honor to their country or a great cause. Academic institutions recognize students with honors and we show respect to judges by calling them “your honor.” Individuals with a sense of honor have integrity, are trustworthy, and demonstrate respect for others and their beliefs.
According to sacred writings, the source of God’s power is derived from his honor. Everything in the universe honor’s His word and obeys His command because He is the personification of honor, and cannot lie. I should say that everything obeys and honors the word of God, except humans who have been given their agency to be disobedient and dishonorable. Many denominations believe that the highest rewards are bestowed upon those who return with honor by honoring God and living with honor among their fellow sojourners on earth.
Those who honor their word are held in high regard and are given greater responsibility and opportunities. By honoring others we become more honorable. There should be a renaissance of Bushido to bring back the chivalry that was once prevalent in Eastern and Western culture. Could you imagine what would happen if families taught their children to both honor and become honorable? Imagine how our situation would be so much different if our leaders acted honorably and conducted all of their affairs with the utmost honor?
Death before dishonor may seem extreme, but it emphasizes the degree to which some will go to maintain their honor. It is important to live each day in honor and to maintain an honorable life – one that will bring high esteem and respect for your actions.
“He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” – Walther Lippmann
Certain incidents have caused me to reflect on the concept of honor and how important it is as an individual and to society as a whole. Honor can be defined as that which rightfully attracts esteem, respect, or reverence. It is synonymous with personal integrity, dignity, and a good reputation.
Honor was once held in such high regard that a person would rather die than lose his honor or bring disgrace on himself, his family, or country. In ancient Rome, the phrase “death before dishonor” was used as a battle cry. It was also uttered immediately before a Roman centurion would fall on his own sword to avoid humiliation and death at the hands of his enemies. The phrase can also be found in Japan and China. The Chinese phrase roughly translates as “you can die, but you cannot allow dishonor upon yourself.
Since the feudal medieval period in Japan, the code of the Bushido, or “the way of the warrior,” required adherence to a unique Japanese code of conduct that emphasized virtues such as honor, loyalty, obedience, duty and self-sacrifice of a samurai. Bushido philosophy also enforces conduct of calmness, fairness, justice and propriety. All of these character traits, along with the intricate details of conduct, appearance and grooming, could be seen as one’s constant preparation for death in an honorable manner. The ultimate aim of a warrior was to die with one’s honor intact by living according to Bushido. Throughout the Pacific, including Saipan, there are numerous stories of Japanese soldiers who carried this fighting spirit by refusing to surrender for months, or even years after World War II ended.
“Death before dishonor” has also been popularized by U.S. military units and individuals who tattoo the phrase on their body – which has come to mean that an individual would rather die than go against anything they strongly believe, or bring shame upon oneself, friends, family, or country.
Honor is something that seems to have gone out of vogue with many of the rising generation. Rather than being selfless or standing up for one’s beliefs with conviction, some youth seem to “go with the flow” and often show a lack of respect and reverence for individuals or ideals that were once held in high regard. Honor and honesty appears to be an option that can quickly be abandoned for expediency or to avoid punishment.
Honor and being honorable is the sign of a person with high character, virtue, and moral worth. We honor those who have demonstrated their honor to their country or a great cause. Academic institutions recognize students with honors and we show respect to judges by calling them “your honor.” Individuals with a sense of honor have integrity, are trustworthy, and demonstrate respect for others and their beliefs.
According to sacred writings, the source of God’s power is derived from his honor. Everything in the universe honor’s His word and obeys His command because He is the personification of honor, and cannot lie. I should say that everything obeys and honors the word of God, except humans who have been given their agency to be disobedient and dishonorable. Many denominations believe that the highest rewards are bestowed upon those who return with honor by honoring God and living with honor among their fellow sojourners on earth.
Those who honor their word are held in high regard and are given greater responsibility and opportunities. By honoring others we become more honorable. There should be a renaissance of Bushido to bring back the chivalry that was once prevalent in Eastern and Western culture. Could you imagine what would happen if families taught their children to both honor and become honorable? Imagine how our situation would be so much different if our leaders acted honorably and conducted all of their affairs with the utmost honor?
Death before dishonor may seem extreme, but it emphasizes the degree to which some will go to maintain their honor. It is important to live each day in honor and to maintain an honorable life – one that will bring high esteem and respect for your actions.
“He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” – Walther Lippmann
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)