I just finished reading The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman a week ago.

I know I’m really late into the game, but I’m actually glad I read it this late..

Because I wouldn’t have been able to understand much of it if I read it when it was first released.

Reading about the flattening of the world just feels that much closer to my heart now that I have two assistants working for me in Philipines.

I just couldn’t help thinking about my dear assistants while reading about how the flattening of the world aids collaboration.

The World is Flat is a must-read for ALL entrepreneurs, whether you function primarily online or otherwise. 

I’m serious.

It’s led me to think about one other thing that’s been on my head since a long time ago.

Everyone talks about “giving back”.

Now, I think I’m at a stage where I can afford to give back, and do my bit to change the world.

My problem has always been that.. 

I don’t know how to start!

Millions of people could do with some help..

And there are thousands of ways I COULD help..

So who do I help?

How do I help?

The World is Flat helped me find the answers to those questions (Look for the HP example in the book): 

I want to help entrepreneurs in third-world countries kick-start their busineeses, be it with funds or with my knowledge.

For the past few days, I’ve been thinking..

How do I do that?

Afterall, I’m just one person. 

One person with limited funds, at that.

And then I re-discovered kiva.org.

I’ve been a member of kiva.org for a few months after seeing that link in Allen Says’ signature on Warrior Forum.

I thought the concept was pretty cool but didn’t think too much about it at the time.

And then I read The World is Flat and everything just clicked.

Talk about a mindset change

I plan to be an active lender on kiva.org, and have chosen to make it “The Cause of My Choice”.

I’m kick-starting my efforts by telling you about it.

If you can afford it, and agree with me on how meaningful and inspiring the idea is, do become a microlender and spread the word as well, alright?

“Give a man a fish, and he has food for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he has food for life. Give a Cambodian $25, and he has food for a few days. (If he manages to buy food in the first place.) Help an aspiring entrepreneur, and he will not only have enough for himself, but he will help others do the same, and before you know it, the problem of poverty suddenly seems solvable.” 

Yes yes yes, I know Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture” video has been up on Youtube for a long, long time, but I’ve only seen the “short” version of it the last time I saw it and was like, wow, it’s good, and left it at that.

2 days ago, at MPH, I saw his new book on display, read a few pages and was blown away.

I came back home, found the transcript for his lecture, and spent about 2 hours today watching the complete video with the better half.

And I’m now a changed man

I’m now in the midst of watching his lecture on time management. At one point of time, he says that the way to overcome procrastination is to do the thing you hate first. If your task is to eat the frog, don’t spend so much time looking at the frog, and just eat it!

If you have 3 frogs to eat, eat the smallest one first!

I’ve heard that analogy before, and even actually read the book by Brian Tracy, Eat That Frog!, but now that I’m hearing it from the mouth of someone I’ve some to respect, I’ve decided to pause the video, come post a short post here, and go ahead to prepare my materials for my Management and Organization exam next week, and come back to his lecture soon

And before I go, here are some links you might be interested in. If you haven’t checked any of them out, I strongly urge you to do so!

The famous “Last Lecture”

Transcript of the last lecture

Time Management Lecture