<photo: 6th time on the summit of Mount Kinabalu, October 2016> for many of us, the number 6 is just a number. it can represent the month of June, it's the atomic number for the element carbon and it's the number of strings on a standard guitar. but for the blind, the number 6 has allowed them to see the world. the basic Braille cell is made up of 6 dots and the combination of raised dots has made it possible for the blind to touch what they cannot see. Braille is the base c

<photo: learning how to cross crevasses at base camp, Nepal> #alwaysbelieve in his book Peak, Anders Ericsson brings together decades of research to show us that each of us can achieve the seemingly impossible. we don't have to be born with the talent to be world champions, to climb the highest mountains or to be great basketball players. Ericsson shows us that a combination of inspiration and perspiration can help us achieve our peaks. Here's an excerpt from his book where's

<photos: taking time to look at the trees along the trail up Mount Kinabalu> #alwaysbelieve "Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." - Bruce Lee #Kinabalu #life #failure

<photo: sunset at Mount Rinjani> <photo: sunset at Mount Kinabalu> <photo: sunset at the Himalayas> Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage agains

<photo: winter at Yosemite National Park, USA> water is an amazing thing. it covers 71% of the Earth's surface, and is vital for life as we know it. 60% of the human body is made up of water, and you will die from thirst first before you die from lack of food. water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius and when that happens, life stops. there's no doubt that water is life. and life is like water. it's forever changing and evolving. we adjust to successes and we are shaped by our

<photo: somewhere along the trek to Everest Base Camp> The history of the world is filled with explorers and the epic journeys that they took. Often these expeditions took years of determined wandering into uncharted territories fraught with danger and unknown risks. All journeys start with the proverbial first step, which is always the toughest part of any journey. Taking the first step involves Leadership with the vision to venture into the vast unknown. Zheng He, the le

<photo: Sagarmatha National Park Visitors Centre @ Namche, Nepal> we all love to read quotes about success to inspire us to keep pushing forward and achieve our dreams. the interesting thing about success quotes is that many of them talk about failure. it's like a standard format - success will come if we endure failure. quotes on failure, just as interesting, talk about success - failure will result in success if we are persistent. what is missing are quotes about base cam

<on the way up to the peak of Mount Elbrus> people prefer avoiding losses to making gains. this is behavior is known as loss aversion. studies have shown that losing $100 costs you twice the amount of happiness than the happiness you would feel if you won $100 in a lottery - the fear of losing $100 motivates people more than the prospect of gaining $100. mountain climbers don't seem to be affected by loss aversion. in fact, they are attracted to the risks of climbing dange

<photo: windmills going round and round endlessly in the Gobi Desert> would winning the million dollar Toto first prize make you the happiest person forever? Daniel Gilbert, a professor in Harvard's department of psychology thinks that the answer is no. in his study of lottery winners, Prof Gilbert found that the happiness effect didn't last. that's because when it comes to predicting how happy you will be, you are most likely wrong. this is due to a behavior called "affec

<photos: in the middle of the Gobi Desert> the Gobi Desert measures over 1,600 km by 800 km and occupies 1,295,000 square km. it is the fifth largest desert in the world and Asia's largest. there are no discernible landmarks in the desert to guide you. the Gobi Desert is not sandy and is mostly exposed bare rock. everything looks the same as far as the eyes can see. without a compass, it is easy to get lost in such a large desert. a compass tells you where to go. simila