Daniel Wong

How To Care Enough To Change The World

Updated on January 6, 2026 By

A few years ago, I had the privilege of attending a talk by this incredible woman, Marian Wright Edelman.

Marian Wright Edelman

Children’s rights activist, Marian Wright Edelman

Edelman is the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, and she’s been awarded more than 65 (yes, 65!) honorary degrees. She was also the first black woman to be admitted to the Mississippi bar.

To say that she’s an impressive woman is an understatement!

The way that Edelman concluded her speech was exceptionally memorable.

“I cannot preach like Martin Luther King, Jr. or turn a poetic phrase like Maya Angelou…”

She proceeded to list a large number of distinguished people, and the characteristics they possessed that she did not.

What you can achieve when you care enough

Edelman went on to say:

“But I care and am willing to serve and raise my voice with others for children… I care and am willing to serve and sacrifice to build our children a better future.

“I care. I really, really care. You can change the world if you care enough.”

You can change the world if you care enough.

If that statement is true (I like to think that it is), it’s no surprise that a lot of advice you hear from career development gurus revolves around pursuing a line of work you care deeply about.

It’s entirely true that in today’s Information Age, it’s no longer enough just to be compliant, competent or even charismatic. You need to care.

In pursuit of excellence

Caring is the only way to become a person of excellence.

No great parent, teacher, athlete, mechanic, nurse, businessman or musician has attained greatness by chance. They cared enough to consciously pursue excellence.

After all, excellence can’t be forced down someone’s throat; it’s a deliberate decision.

“Care” is a simple word, but it’s a word that’s much easier said than felt, and much easier felt than demonstrated.

I’ve observed that a majority of people don’t genuinely care about what they do, whether it’s in their work, their academics, or in other areas of their life.

Most people do things because they have to, or because it’s expected of them, or because it’s what they’ve been doing out of habit for years.

The danger of not caring

I know from personal experience that it’s all too easy to go down this path of stability and comfort, but it comes at a high price.

When we choose not to care, we effectively choose mediocrity over excellence.

I recently asked myself: When it comes to the most important things in my life, how much do I care?

I came up with these five levels of “caring” so that I could perform an honest self-assessment. I trust that you’ll find this framework helpful, too.

Level 1: Invisible caring

At this lowest level of caring, you have a weak feeling about something, but you worry that other people might consider that “something” insignificant.

You feel embarrassed or shy about admitting that you care, and you don’t take any concrete steps to show it.

To everyone but you, your caring is invisible.

Level 2: Instinctive caring

Level 2 is where you care because you feel compelled to. Instinctive caring is usually motivated by fear.

Many people get stuck at this level. For example, an employee who cares about the quality of the report he’s writing only because he doesn’t want his boss to get upset is at Level 2.

A student who cares enough to complete her homework with the bare minimum effort—simply to avoid her teacher’s wrath—is also at Level 2.

Level 3: Incidental caring

Incidental caring usually just “happens,” but you can’t fully explain its origin. It’s like when you read your first poem and got hooked on poetry, or when you attended a football game and fell in love with the sport.

At Level 3, you care about something as far as you’re able to derive pleasure and satisfaction from it.

Level 4: Inconvenient caring

Level 4 is very different from Levels 1, 2 and 3. The first three levels are based on emotion, while Level 4 is based on a sense of purpose.

At Level 4, you care about something so much that you’re willing to inconvenience yourself, if that’s what it takes to demonstrate that you care. You might even be willing to make yourself uncomfortable.

I know people who care so much about poverty alleviation work that they gave up their extremely comfortable lives to move to places with few comforts to speak of.

I also know plenty of entrepreneurs who care so much about their businesses and about adding value to their customers that they sacrifice sleep and their social lives.

Inconvenient caring happens when you understand that one person really can make a difference.

Level 5: Infectious caring

Infectious caring is about caring to the extent that your overwhelming passion and love spread to the people around you. Infectious caring compels others to join you in fighting for your cause.

As I noted earlier, one person really can make a difference, but one person alone can’t change the world. You’ll need a group, a team, a community, a tribe in order to do that.

Level 5 is where your influence gets multiplied exponentially because of the following you build, but it’s not an easy level to reach. You’ll undoubtedly have to go through struggle, pain and disappointment in order to get there.

Level 5 is what happens when you care so much that it’s no longer just about what you think or feel; it’s about who you are.

In closing…

I’m not so naïve to think that we have the time to care infectiously—or even inconveniently, for that matter—about numerous things. But I think we owe it to ourselves to find the few things where we can reach Level 5.

If you haven’t yet found that something, I encourage you to keep looking and exploring. I’m sure you’ll find it if you search hard enough and introspectively enough. 🙂

Life truly is too short for us not to care.

So let’s care infectiously. Let’s go change the world.

Do You Want To Lead A Meaningful Or Memorable Life?

Updated on January 6, 2026 By

motivational poster

Who could disagree with this saying?

Those crazy nights that often involve alcohol, friends, loud music and irresponsible behavior—those are the ones that remain permanently etched in your mind.

You’re probably not going to say something like, “For the past month, I’ve slept at least eight hours every single night. It’s been AMAZING!”

Everyone enjoys talking about the wonderful things that have happened in the past and reminiscing about the good old days.

It’s also undeniable that shared memories bond people together. That’s why leaders intentionally create shared experiences in an attempt to foster unity and camaraderie.

Why good memories can be bad

But, at the same time, I think that memories are overrated.

The increased accessibility to innovations like photography has made it possible to conveniently record our memories—maybe too conveniently. It’s not uncommon to see people at any sort of event who are so intent on snapping the perfect picture that they forget to take it all in, to fully experience the sights, sounds and emotions. (I’ll admit that sometimes I’m guilty of this too!)

They’re so caught up trying to capture the moment that they fail to enjoy the moment.

The over-glorification of memories often causes the present moment to be eroded of its rightful significance. After all, the only moment we ever really have is the present one. It’s in the present moment that we experience life and create lasting success.

Moreover, if we focus too much on memories, it’s possible that we can become inward-looking and self-centered.

Making selfish memories?

I have a story that illustrates this.

More than 15 years ago, my Aunt Violet passed away after an agonizing battle with cancer. In the last few months of her life, the cancer reduced her to a walking skeleton and robbed her of some of her mental capacity, too.

It was heartbreaking to watch Aunt Violet degenerate physically.

But it was especially shocking when Aunt Violet’s good friend (I’ll call her Jane) declared that she wasn’t going to visit any more.

The reason? Jane wanted to preserve her memory of Aunt Violet as a strong, healthy and happy person. If Jane had frequently visited Aunt Violet in the hospital, Jane would have remembered her as a frail, emaciated and exhausted person instead.

Is it understandable that Jane made that decision? Sure.

But was it also an inward-looking one that prevented Aunt Violet from saying a proper farewell to her good friend Jane? Without a doubt.

Because our memories only exist inside of our own head—and no one else’s—the desire to make pleasant memories can be an insular one that, at times, has selfish motivations.

Create meaning, not memories

All this talk about the value of memories begs a deeper question: What’s the point of life, anyway?

I don’t claim to know the exact meaning of life, but I do know that life isn’t mainly about accumulating fond memories. If that were the primary purpose of life, that would be far too trivial a reason for our existence.

Life is much more about making a difference in the lives of others, about contributing, about loving people, about being immersed in a story that’s far greater than yourself.

The point of life isn’t to create more and more fantastic, unforgettable and epic memories. Rather, I believe that life is largely about creating meaning.

Amazing memories ought to be the by-product of purposeful living. Memories are little treasures that you pick up along the way, but they aren’t what the journey is about.

In closing, a memorable life isn’t necessarily a meaningful one, but a meaningful life is certainly a memorable one.

So let’s choose meaning over memories. Ironically, that’s the way to create the most beautiful memories of all.

A Simple Way to Make Faster and Better Decisions

Updated on January 6, 2026 By

motivational quote

Recently, I was looking for something to help me stay motivated, so I decided to put up this quote at my work desk. It’s been more effective than I expected!

Of course, the fact that I put up this quote at all means that I occasionally stop when I’m tired, discouraged or bored.

I sometimes lack the willpower to do what I know I ought to. I don’t always make the best possible decision—and I’m guessing I’m not the only one who struggles in this area.

(As an aside, one of my colleagues commented: “Daniel, that quote isn’t completely true. At least once a day, I see you taking a break to have a snack. Obviously, you also stop when you’re hungry!)

What you desire now vs. what you desire most

It’s human nature to focus on the short-term rather than the long-term, to be attracted to pleasure and to avoid pain. When we make choices based on how we feel, we tend to give in to what we desire now, at the expense of what we desire most.

But we all know that in order to lead fruitful and meaningful lives, we need to consistently make decisions that involve delayed gratification.

This applies in every area of our lives: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual.

How, then, do we consistently make good decisions?

The magical question to help you make better choices

I’ve found that just by asking this one question, most decisions become incredibly straightforward:

Will I choose character or compromise?

What this question implies is that every choice you make isn’t one between surfing the Internet and working on that important report; it isn’t one between ice cream and broccoli; it isn’t one between lashing out at someone and controlling your temper.

Instead, every choice you make is really one between character and compromising on your character.

Whenever you make a decision, you’re either becoming a person of greater character, integrity, determination, love, courage, humility, generosity, kindness—or you’re becoming a person who possesses less of these traits.

There’s very little middle ground.

Making a decision isn’t merely about deciding what to do. It’s about deciding who you are, and who you want to become.

After all, your destiny isn’t built in a day. It’s built day by day. We need to continually remind ourselves that a great life consists of many great days and many great decisions. There’s really no chance of us building a lasting legacy without focused, intentional effort.

In closing, asking “Will I choose character or compromise?” won’t necessarily make it easier for you to do the right thing, but it will certainly make it clearer what you ought to do.

I’ll confess that choosing character in every situation is a daily battle for me, but I know that it’s one worth fighting.

As leadership expert John Maxwell said, “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice.”

Let’s choose wisely. 🙂

How to Make the World a Better Place by Sleeping More

Updated on January 6, 2026 By

sleeping babies

The magic phrase that helps you make friends

My good friend once shared with me his secret formula for building rapport with people he’s just met: He tells them that he’s sleepy.

“I’m so sleepy. I could really use a nap right now…”

He said that, in almost every situation, the reply goes something like this: “Yeah, I’m really sleepy too…”

Ta-dah! Just like that, he’s magically established common ground with the other person.

The funny thing is, my friend confessed that he sometimes uses this relationship-building technique even when he’s not feeling sleepy!

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t get enough sleep. But when it’s time for bed, you’re just not that tired. And besides, there are so many other things you can do while you’re awake.

Sleep just seems so… boring.

At the same time, you realize that if you don’t go to bed on time, you’ll wake up feeling exhausted and grumpy.

To sleep or not to sleep—what a lifelong struggle!

Why sleep deprivation is selfish

But what if I told you that you’re being selfish every time you deprive yourself of sleep?

I know that might sound a little extreme, so allow me to explain.

One Wednesday night a few years ago, I stayed up a couple of hours later than usual. Not surprisingly, I woke up on Thursday morning feeling groggy.

Throughout that Thursday, I was less friendly, positive, kind, encouraging and considerate than normal. This is because I was consumed with thoughts about me, myself and I.

“I am so tired.”

“I really need to get some coffee.”

“When will I have a chance to take a nap?”

“How am I going to make it through the day?”

Even though it hadn’t been my intention at all, I’d become more self-centered, and hence had made other people’s days worse.

There was no denying it: My lack of sleep had affected others.

The consequences of sleeplessness are even more serious if you’re in a position of authority, because when your exhaustion causes you to become more impatient and irritable, you directly impact those under your charge.

Your sleep isn’t about you

In many ways, sleep is a mini-representation of life. Sleep isn’t just about us; it’s about others, too. Similarly, life isn’t mainly about us. It’s really about others.

There are literally billions of people on earth, and you’re just one of those billions. It often feels like everything revolves around you—your social life, your health, your education, your career, your family, your finances, your future, your life—but that’s simply not true.

A great life is one that’s focused on adding value to others, not yourself. Moreover, a great life shouldn’t be characterized by perpetual busyness or tiredness.

Getting sufficient sleep is something most of us struggle with—I know I still do—but it’s important to realize that we really do contribute to the happiness and well-being of others when we’re well-rested.

So let’s make a conscious effort to sleep more. We really will make the world a better place. 🙂

What Campfire-Building Can Teach Us About Achieving Greatness

Updated on January 6, 2026 By

campfire

You’re pretty ambitious. You have goals and dreams, and you’re hardworking. You want to be successful, and you have the drive to make it happen.

You won’t ever be satisfied with average, or even good. You want to be great.

But as you pursue greatness—whether it’s in your academics, your career, your business, your relationships or your life—you sometimes wonder if it’s worth it.

The sacrifices, the disappointments, the frustrations… what’s it all for?

In an attempt to do more and be more, maybe you feel like you’ve lost sight of what’s truly valuable.

I’ve by no means achieved greatness—far, far, far from it. But in thinking about what it means to live a great life, I’ve realized that it’s a lot like building a campfire on a cold night.

Allow me to explain this analogy as I share with you some of my reflections.

1. Your legacy isn’t about how awesome of a campfire you built. It’s about how you kept other people warm.

Maybe you have dreams of becoming CEO one day, or maybe you want to attain a certain rank in your company, or maybe you want to start your own business. Whatever your aspirations may be, I’m sure you want to leave behind a wonderful legacy.

A bigger role will give you more opportunities to build a bigger campfire, but people won’t remember you for the size of your campfire.

They won’t remember you for what you accomplished for yourself, regardless of how astonishing those accomplishments might be.

They’ll remember you for what you accomplished for the sake of others. They’ll remember you for the difference you made and the lives you touched.

2. People want to know that you’re willing to sit with them in the cold.

Before you start building a huge campfire in the hopes that you’ll keep a multitude of people warm, bear in mind that people want to know—first and foremost—that you’re willing to sit with them in the cold, even if there’s totally no way you could build a campfire.

They want to know that you’re prepared to make the effort to listen to them, to understand what they’re going through.

They want to know that you’re willing to be with them, although you might not be able to do anything for them.

They want to know that you’re a caring human being first, campfire-builder second.

They want to know that you see them as people, not as a project.

They want to know that even if it were utterly impossible to provide them with physical warmth, you’d stay there with them to provide them with emotional warmth.

3. Not everyone knows how to build a campfire, and that’s alright.

What if you just don’t have the knowledge or abilities to build a campfire?

You don’t have to worry, because there’s still a vital role for you to play. As marketing guru Harry Beckwith once said, “There’s no such thing as an ordinary job. There are only people who choose to perform them in ordinary ways.”

Your skill might be making a good cup of hot chocolate, or it might be knitting a sweater—both of which will also help to keep others warm.

Your skill might even simply be cheering people up with your kindness!

These jobs might not be glamorous, but that doesn’t mean they’re not important.

4. Whatever skills you have, you can always get better.

No matter how good you are at building a campfire, making a cup of hot chocolate, knitting a sweater, or cheering people up, you can always improve.

There’s always another level to strive for, and there’s always something new to learn.

If you keep honing your skills, you’ll undoubtedly keep more people warm.

5. It’s vital that you keep yourself warm first.

Even though you want to help as many people as possible—and as quickly as possible, too—it’s still a freezing night, and you’ll get frostbite if you don’t look out for your own safety.

You need to ensure that your own clothing is suitably warm and that you’re not overworked.

In the pursuit of greatness, it’s vital that you make it a priority to take care of your own needs: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. If you neglect any of these areas, you’re likely to experience burnout.

Taking care of your own needs isn’t selfish; it’s the right thing to do. You won’t be able to effectively add value to other people if you’re not in an optimal condition yourself.

In conclusion…

Attempting to create a masterpiece out of your life really is like building a campfire. It’s tiring, it’s fun, and it’s rewarding.

It’s a good thing that greatness isn’t about you and your campfire, because the most epic campfire could never compare to the innocent beauty of touching lives and of keeping people warm and happy.

So greatness is about you, but not really. It’s mainly about others.

There’s work to be done. Let’s get started. 🙂

How to Take Charge of Your Stress and Busyness

Updated on January 6, 2026 By

It’s a picture-perfect evening at the beach.

The sun is setting. The seagulls are squawking. The waves are gently brushing against the shore.

The beach is almost deserted, except for a young couple out for a walk with their five-year-old son. As they stroll along, the son picks up some seashells.

Most of these seashells are chipped or broken. They’re still beautiful, but they’re more like seashell fragments.

All of a sudden, the son spots something bright orange in the distance, 20 feet into the sea. He sprints toward it. When he gets to the water’s edge, he exclaims, “Mom! Dad! It’s a starfish! It’s a starfish!”

“Go get it, son!” comes the reply.

So the son runs into the shallow water and gets within 10 feet of the starfish. Then he stops. He seems confused. He turns around and runs back to his parents.

Now Mom and Dad are puzzled. “What’s wrong, son? Go get the starfish!”

Once more, the son dashes at full speed toward the starfish. This time, he gets even closer. He could just reach out and pick up the starfish.

“Pick it up, son! Pick it up!” Mom and Dad shout.

But the son is so confused that he’s close to tears. He looks at his parents, then he looks at the starfish.

Finally, he looks down as his hands. “But Mom and Dad, my hands are full of seashells…”

Say “no” to good, say “yes” to great

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the things you have to do—in school, at work or at home—this post is for you.

I heard this seashell-and-starfish story three years ago, and it’s completely changed the way I make important decisions. Here’s how the story relates to taking charge of your stress and busyness.

The seashells represent good things, while the starfish represents great things. You become overly stressed and busy when your hands are full of seashells.

No one wants to feel like the five-year-old boy did at the end of the story!

In Good to Great, business philosopher Jim Collins talks about how, for companies, the enemy of “great” isn’t “bad.” Instead, the enemy of “great” is “good.”

It’s usually clear if a decision is a bad one, so naturally you won’t be tempted to choose it. But companies often make good decisions—ones that are profitable in the short term but harmful in the long term—at the expense of great decisions.

Good decisions promise immediate returns, but aren’t in line with the company’s mission, purpose and core values. Ironically, it’s precisely these “good” decisions that prevent companies from becoming exceptional.

None of us want to settle for mediocrity. We want to attain excellence.

I don’t mean that in terms of achievements or material wealth, but rather in terms of our contribution to society and personal fulfillment.

My definition of a good life is one that’s characterized by busyness and tiredness. A good life is full of activity. It’s a life where you’re always picking up seashells.

Live a good life for too long and you’ll feel burned out. Maybe you feel that way today?

If there’s way too much stress and busyness in your life, there’s a high chance that it’s because your hands are filled with seashells.

In contrast, a great life is characterized by fruitfulness and fulfillment. A great life is about doing only the right things. It’s about having razor-sharp focus in doing only the things that matter.

You might rack up fewer accomplishments if you lead a great life compared to if you lead a good life. But these accomplishments will be the ones that truly count. They are the ones that make a difference in the long run.

A great life is one in which you only pick up starfish.

The path of intentional abandonment

No matter what stage you’re at in life, there are always plenty of great opportunities to pursue. There are clubs to join, talks to go for, projects to take on, people to meet.

The question isn’t whether these opportunities are great. The question is whether these opportunities are great for you. One person’s starfish can be another person’s seashell.

In order to lead a great life, you need to choose the path of intentional abandonment of everything good, in pursuit of only the best.

I invite you to answer the following questions to help you do that:

  • What values are most important to you?
  • Is this decision in line with those values?
  • Do have a clear idea of the kind of person you want to become? What character traits would the ideal-you possess?
  • What are some things you need to do in order to become that person?
  • Is this decision aligned with the person you want to become?
  • Is this project/club/etc. something you merely think is cool, or is it something you really care about?
  • If you take on this project/join this club/etc., will it have an impact one year down the road? How about five years?
  • Will taking on this project/joining this club/etc. force you to compromise on the other areas of your life that are more important to you?
  • Is your decision motivated by a desire for achievement and prestige, or are you motivated by a deep sense of purpose?
  • Are there things or activities you need to stop doing? Create a stop-doing list today and take action. A stop-doing list is often more helpful than a to-do list!

It’s a good thing that decisions aren’t always so difficult. Most of the time, the right choice becomes clear once you ask yourself, “Is this a seashell or a starfish?”

I’ll say it again in closing: Choose the path of intentional abandonment of everything good, in pursuit of only the best.

Choose excellence without exhaustion. Choose greatness. Choose the starfish.