When I was still in school (mid 80's), my dad shared this piece of document which he had got from a colleague in Japan. Since then I have used it has my business philosophy.
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF WATER
#1 Moving of itself, water moves other things.
- In Business, never wait for others to move. By moving first you will better influence the final result.
#2 Seeking always to move on its own path, water does not stop.
- Constantly look for technological improvements to stay ahead. Once started on any project continue to aim for completion even when little progress is evident.
#3 Being pure itself, water cleanses filth of other things.
- Your personal ethics and honesty should be obvious to those you meet with and should be pure enough to permeate them.
#4 Flowing over obstacles as they are encountered, water increases its power a hundredfold.
- Always strive to overcome problems regardless of how daunting they appear. Overcoming today’s problems will provide much better capability to solve tomorrow’s.
#5 Filling the great and boundless oceans, evaporating to moisture, becoming rain or changing into snow, and freezing to become a sparkling mirror, water still does not lose its basic nature.
- During progress towards any business goal, conditions may change and dictate different approaches or alternative solutions. These do not change the basic objective of final success.
