Connecting to my Asian-ness
Like many Asian Americans, I am reflecting upon my Asian-ness.
- How Asian am I?
- Which traits are Asian and which are American?
- Do people see my as Asian, Asian American or American?
I am 25% White and 4th generation, does that mean I am less Asian. Who is the authority on this?
Jump into Life - Pre-Covid
Do you want to get your mojo back? Let’s do it! Hi, I am Jolene. Let’s jump back into life and get that pep back in your step. We don’t need experience. We need a bit or curiosity and micro acts of courage and guidance. I will share with you techniques, habits and mindsets you can apply to improve all facets of your life. Over the years I have learned from the experts and I have distilled the best ideas. Everyday I will share with your bite size ideas to stimulate your right brain, give you tools and easy exercises to move you to action.
I routinely step into the unknown nothing crazy just stepping outside of my normal path and dabbling in the differences discovering new environments, personalities and experiences. I am nudging those boundaries and occasionally pushing and kicking them down.
Realizing that I am left-brained and appreciate my checklists, timers and systems, I want to invite in creativity, but I you have to make space for it. Thus when I speak on using the power of curiosity to innovate, I create new experiences and exercises for the usually tech employees.
Are you right or left-brained?
I consider myself left-brained. Doesn’t everyone love standard operating procedures, schedules, timers, bench-marks, documentation, and of course being measured? From 6th grade at Kenmore Elementary, we were taught in school how to use day planner, calendar, and to do lists. Yes, I love to be on schedule, on budget and to over deliver. Efficiency and effectiveness is exciting.
However, my curiosity is powerful and I must find out what is behind the next door and the next one and the next one. Over the years, I have realized that when you can let your curiosity lose and explore, that you can innovate much more because you have more in-takes to work with. I have continually coming up with new ways to do old tasks that is more fun and more efficient and cost effective.
I routinely step into the unknown nothing crazy just stepping outside of my normal path and dabbling in the differences discovering new environments, personalities and experiences. I am nudging those boundaries and occasionally pushing and kicking them down.
When you can dabble in the differences and explore, then you can come up with new ideas. This is a common practice for me.
Are you adaptable?
VERY! To survive as an entrepreneur it is a must I like to have a destination plan, so we can get there efficiently and specify alternative routes, vehicles and other transportation choices, however, when there is time to deviate I see the value in wandering and exploring.
Let me know us Covid as an example. I am an extreme extrovert, I used to see a friend daily and attended in person 3-7 professional and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion networking weekly. During covid, I stayed home full time and barely zoomed and rarely talked to people. After volunteering full time to get PPE to medical professionals, then I began building things. I was content to fully utilize my right brain to re-build my video studio to be zoom-ready. It began as a tripod forest and a tripping hazard with all of the lighting can cameras, until I got creative and mounted equipment from the ceiling and used salad dressing jars too.
I also went outside an built up a storm in my backyard which only step into once a year. I built 4 shed structures and built my first roof. Through all of this, I interacted with my mom and dad and I was content to roll solo.
When I get too comfortable, I mix it up, like going to Burning Man and taking a 44 Day trip to Cambodia with no plan. Yes, I do pictures and videos of all the adventures.