A ‘success culture’

It’s about time we think success? It’s about time we junk ‘good enough’ – because good enough is never good enough especially in a highly competitive global economy? Thus we shouldn’t blame others or destiny because it is about us and the choices we make? In short, is it about time we embrace dynamism? To turn around a country of over 90 million people with a third of them hungry requires a great dose of dynamism? Not same old, same old?

If President Aquino teaches us a success culture and we respond accordingly then we will succeed? It appears that even doubters are acknowledging that the siren ban is teaching us to be courteous and disciplined motorists . . . and even more profoundly, law-abiding citizens – the core or the lack of which is why corruption is endemic? Sadly, even harmony which we cherish may be at the core of the lack of discipline in our system – i.e., our instinct of compassion and inclusion equates to giving a wink and a nod?

Are we ensconced in our comfort zone that unwittingly we are narrowing our playing field – and by extension our options to pursue success? Does our religion or our history or our culture view progress positively? Progress has its downsides, to be sure – but wasn’t man meant to pursue progress, and conquer his world?

Does it behoove a nation that can’t feed a third of its people to put its values in perspective? What values do we truly hold dear? Do we translate poverty to almsgiving? What about teaching people how to fish? But because we have narrowed our playing field – our fishing ground – there’s not enough fish?

In our hierarchy of needs is expanding our fishing ground an imperative? Put simply, a GDP per person of $3,300 (PPP) is indeed a very narrow fishing ground?

We can’t mirror developed economies’ approaches to economic growth – they have well-developed systems that give them a greater propensity to respond to classical fiscal/monetary tools. (On the other hand, the US has gone full circle, raised productivity and companies no longer need the headcount levels generated by the economic bubble, thus their unemployment issue.) Even in the private sector, not all ERP (Enterprise-wide Resource Planning) initiatives are created equal. Those with more developed, disciplined processes get greater value for their investments! An underdeveloped economy would respond and grow from classical fiscal/monetary interventions; but they don’t necessarily enlarge our fishing ground – we need enormous investments, 21^st century technologies and systems to elevate our competitiveness and productivity, among others? And they require dynamic thinking? But is a ‘dynamic Philippines’ an oxymoron?

Massive poverty won’t go away when our economy is a mere 10% those of developed economies. That is a huge hole we’re in? But we have yet to put our values in perspective and our priorities in order? The narrower we keep our playing field the more we will perpetuate a cacique-like culture? If Aquino pushes success and demonstrates dynamism as opposed to staying glued to our comfort zone, then he/we will succeed?

Success or dynamism demands tossing assumptions that have not moved us forward but in fact nailed us to the past, including being holier than thou – as the only Asian Christian nation, for instance? Could we cast the first stone at the outcast Mary? But there’s a more fundamental point: We’re supposed to be smart people – why can’t we feed a third of our people? This is where we need to call upon our instinct of inclusion and compassion?

Massive poverty does not equate to a success culture; courteous and disciplined driving does; the rule of law does; staying in our comfort zone does not; the inability to pursue progress does not; narrowing our fishing ground does not; ironing out our values and priorities does? ‘Unless our faith is firm, we shall not be firm’?