William Liao @williamliao

Taiwanese American, daily blogger of ideas about impactful work in service of others, photographer (ephemera.photography)

William Liao last shared their writing spotting weeds
To be “lost in the weeds” is to be so caught up in minor detail as to completely miss the point.
Imagine two people getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum.
One person spends this opportunity scanning the painting while admiring da Vinci’s creation;...
William's Pantry
🍺 40 Beers
🥟 46 Dumplings
🧇 29 Waffles
🍪 29 Cookies
🍵 49 Teas
🍣 38 Sushis
☕️ 38 Coffees
🍫 41 Chocolate Bars
🍍 36 Pineapples
🥓 36 Bacons
🥚 36 Eggs
🥩 26 Steaks
🍊 45 Tangerines
🍓 25 Strawberries
🥃 28 Whiskeys
Collections

Stop Asian Hate

When I found out about the anti-Asian shooting yesterday in Atlanta Spas that left 8 dead I felt a surge of anger and frustration that, if I’m being honest, I am still figuring out how to direct in a way that is productive. 

Later this afternoon I found out about Compassionate...
2021-03-17 19:54:42

Need a break? It's okay and here is why.

Need a break? 

Take one; it’s okay. 

If you already operate in a culture where this is the mindset, that is wonderful.

However if you’re in an environment that normalizes the ideas of sleepless 24/7 hustling, then maybe it’s worth repeating this a few more times: it’s okay to take a break, it’s...
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2021-03-17 17:04:25

Activation

Activation is the moment you publish the blog post you’ve been meaning to write. 

Activation is moment you schedule a date with the person you’ve been meaning to ask out. 

Activation is the moment you say ‘yes’ to the things you’ve been meaning to include in your life and ‘no’ to the...
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2021-03-16 19:58:40

The spirit is solution-agnostic

With any endeavor there is:

The spirit of the problem: what you’re trying to accomplish in general terms (e.g. helping people feel better) The orthodoxy: specific solutions widely accepted as ways to address the problem today (e.g. introducing unlimited PTO policies in the workplace) The novelty: potential solutions that challenge how we think...
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2021-03-15 23:01:10

What makes something worth doing?

What makes something worth doing? 

Consider running a marathon by analogy: 

Would you a run a marathon without a finish line that required you to run endlessly? 

Would you run a marathon that did away with the entire 26.2 miles and merely required you to step over a line? 

If the answer is no,...
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2021-03-14 18:20:31

Attention is all you have

“How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience and, therefore, the quality of our lives. Mystics and contemplatives have made this claim for ages — but a growing body of scientific research now bears it out.” — Sam Harris, Neuroscientist

Whether you notice the...
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2021-03-13 19:03:23

"Invert, always invert"

To solve forward is to try to directly figure out how to achieve the result you’re looking for.

To solve backward is to try to solve for the opposite of result of what you’re trying to achieve.

If you are like most people, you have been solving problems forward:

To make customers happier,...
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2021-03-12 23:13:33

A recipe for possibility: ship, listen, repeat

The tire company that could

In 1895 brothers Édouard and André Michelin leveraged their rubber company to create one of the first air-filled tires for what they expected to be a rapidly growing automobile market.

Unfortunately the next 5 years would reveal a market moving at much slower pace than expected. Rather...
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2021-03-11 20:30:10

The case for less stuff

A note to myself because I have an unsustainable hobby of buying ukuleles:

Your desire for things is predicated by the belief that you will be somehow made more complete, more full, and more happy by the acquisition of material goods. But if this were true the pattern of acquisition...
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2021-03-10 19:28:59

You are human

You are human, which means that sometimes…

You will do work that does not meet expectations.

You will forget important things. 

You will say something that you regret saying. 

You will struggle and be frustrated. 

And that’s okay because…

You are human, which means that…

You are worthy of forgiveness. 

You are capable of learning and growing. 

And despite...
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2021-03-09 18:50:33