The Simple Fix That Could Change Everything

Perhaps we should all "Be Taiwan"

Vanessa and I were just in Taipei finishing up our film, INVISIBLE NATION, that she directed and we both produced (and is now touring festivals in the US and soon Europe). Visiting Taiwan speaks volumes about America and other places I’ve had the pleasure to live in or visit. We can do better. Taiwan seems to do a lot better than we do. They have a slogan in Taiwan that feels very sincere: “Taiwan Can Help”. I felt a warmth from everyone I encountered that many societies lack. It makes me wonder what would happen if all of us were able to embrace that attitude more in our actions.

A change in attitude, be it on our own, or in a relationship, on a team, or in a community, in a region, or across a country, can have a tremendous effect. It is inspiring. It can be positively infectious. Goodness spreads. And it costs nothing to share. It becomes the stuff of stories, and sometimes even legend.

I won’t even know if they are still together, but when Vanessa and I were driving down from San Francisco for my new gig at Amazon, there was a young couple at the restuarant. He was on a weekend military leave and they just got married. They felt like kids. Our table was next to them. Their excitement was electric. As we exited, we secretly bought them dinner. I still enjoy picturing them in my mind, hoping life kept on treating them a bit better.

What was it that I felt on my travels? Was it that people in Taipei were nice, or nicer? Was it that they were authentically friendly? Was it that they had a more positive attitude? Or were more compassionate? Was it all of that, and then some? I recognize it is a mistake to generalize across populations or segments, but there was something in my interactions with the Taiwanese people I met that I find lacking in similar circumstances elsewhere.  And I like what they had. I like what they shared. The whole vibe. It made me feel better and I am hoping such an attitude can spread into all of our actions everywhere — but particularly in our business.

And to be clear, it wasn’t any of those initial considerations I suggested – it was something more. It wasn’t some sort of sweetness either.  I still could feel folks’ negative moods. They weren’t immune to those. I met the usual number of people who felt a bit depressed, whether that was accurate or not. Some had that “don’t fuck with me” vibe that we in America wear so often. Regardless of our backgrounds, everyone everywhere always inhabit a pretty wide spectrum. Still, there was something that diffused all of my interactions. It went beyond a willingness to help, but what seemed like a full-fledged desire to make the moment a bit better for each of us.  And wow, is that refreshing. If only we could bottle it…

A sincere desire to make everyone else’s daily toil more enjoyable is the sort of superpower we all possess but few seem willing to act on – particularly back home in The States. Granted, the situation in Taiwan is thorny and complicated. 23 million plus people live on the island. It is the region’s freest and highest functioning democracy, yet their story is being repressed and distorted. Perhaps that makes everyone try harder.

How can we make everyone everywhere try harder? I have some ideas, but I am going to need your help to get some of them done. Can I share them with you?