Spiritual Bookshelf Episode 1：Introduction

心靈書架 Spiritual Bookshelf

Hi there! Welcome to the very first episode of the English version of The Spiritual Bookshelf Podcast!

You know, I’ve always felt like we all have a kind of bookshelf deep inside us. It’s not something you can actually see, but it’s there—stacked with books that have shaped who we are. Some of these books are classics that have stood the test of time, giving us wisdom and guidance. Others are newer, offering insights that help us navigate the challenges we’re facing right now. To me, these books are treasures just waiting to be discovered.

I’m a huge fan of reading—I mean, I read over 100 books every year! I’m always on the lookout for books that can teach me something new, help me tackle the problems I’m dealing with, or just make life a little brighter. I truly believe books have this incredible power to teach us life’s most valuable lessons.

That’s why I started this podcast. I want to share the wisdom and insights I’ve gained from reading and, hopefully, give you something meaningful to take away. So, let’s dive into the world of books and see how they can transform our lives!

Now, a little about me—my name’s Philips, and my journey has been… let’s just say, eventful. I started out in Taiwan, where I studied, and then moved to the U.S. to continue my education and work. After a few years, I came back to Taiwan and joined one of the Big 8 accounting firms. I passed the CPA exams in both the U.S. and Taiwan, as well as the CMA exam in the U.S. From there, I worked in the securities industry and helped five companies successfully go public.

I’ve also worn a lot of different hats over the years—CFO, spokesperson, HR officer, procurement officer, legal director—and, believe it or not, I even served as a general manager for a tech company for nine years! My career has been like a rollercoaster, with plenty of ups and downs. Some of the companies I worked for went through mergers and acquisitions—big enough to make the front page of Taiwanese newspapers! As CFO, I had to explain financial issues to the press while also keeping our team motivated and focused.

One particularly intense chapter was when my company got into a patent lawsuit with a giant U.S. corporation. That experience pushed me to learn everything I could about patent and business litigation in the U.S. Later, I was lucky enough to be sent to the U.S. by the government for a high-tech talent training program. It was an eye-opener, teaching me not only about litigation but also about investment analysis.

When I was appointed as general manager, though, I’ll admit—I was terrified. I didn’t have a tech background, and I had no clue how to manage R&D, lead a sales team to expand into international markets, or handle factory production. So, what did I do? I started learning—both from my colleagues and through a ton of books. I found out that Japan and Germany are global leaders in quality management, so I studied their methods and worked on expanding our business into those regions. Along the way, I picked up Japanese and German, even passing the N2 and B2 language exams, respectively.

Now, with AI on the rise, I know a lot of people are wondering: is it even worth learning a new language anymore? Personally, I think it is. Language isn’t just about communication—it’s also a window into another culture, another way of thinking. But maybe the key is to use AI as a tool to help us learn more effectively.

In this podcast, I’ll be sharing some of the struggles and challenges I’ve faced in both life and work—what I went through, how I dealt with it, and sometimes, what I wish I’d done differently. I’ll also introduce you to some amazing books that have helped me along the way. Hopefully, they’ll inspire and guide you too.

One thing I’ve learned is that solving problems isn’t always the hardest part. The real challenge is recognizing what the problem actually is. Sometimes, we think a problem belong