Youn Elan, code weaver at large
Youness El Andaloussi
 Senior CSM/CSPO Software Developer
profile for Youn Elan at Stack Overflow, Q&A for professional and enthusiast programmers
At a glance

Certifications

  • Certified Scrum Master
  • Certified Product Owner
  • Project Management (PMP)
  • Leadership

  • 30+ team Coordination
  • Integration
  • Roadmapping
  • Soft Skills
  • SDLC

  • Agile
  • Waterfall
  • CICD
  • Stakeholder management
  • Requirements, Design documents
  • Release Management
  • Devops
  • Architecture

  • Distributed Systems
  • Design Patterns
  • SAAS
  • Multitenant
  • Infrastructure as code
  • Scaling

  • Caching
  • Cloud
  • Reliability
  • Provisioning
  • Databases

  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
  • PostGres
  • Query Optimization
  • Software Development

    • Algorithms
    • Web Apps
    • APIs
    • Processes
    • Sockets

    Lamp Developer

    • Linux
    • Apache
    • PHP/ Python

    PythonPython Development

    • SQLAlchemy, pymongo
    • Django, Flask, Bottle
    • paramiko, urllib, multiprocessing
    • nosetests,pylint,pep 8

    Team Development

    • GIT, Subversion
    • Vagrant, Fabric
    • Jenkins
    • Jira, Liquidplanner, Bugzilla

    Scaling

    • Query optimization
    • Distributed systems
    • Socket programming

    Custom Linux Distributions

    • Writing installers
    • Anaconda Customization
    • ISO customization

    Cloud & Virtualization

    • AWS
    • Azure
    • ESXI
    • KVM

    PHP Development

    • Object Oriented
    • MVC With code igniter
    • DB with MySQLi
    • E-Commerce

    Web Pages

    Nosql

    • Mongodb Mongodb
    • Cassandra
    • Map/Reduce

    Network Monitoring

    • EM7
    • Nagios
    • SNMP
    • Custom development

    CMS

    • Drupal
    • Wordpress
    • Custom Made CMS

    Coldfusion to PHP

    • MS SQL to MySQL
    • Cold Fusion to Wordpress
    • Cold Fusion to pure PHP PHP

    MySQL Databases

    • Database Administration
    • Query Writing and optimization
    • Replication, Galera
    • Procedures, Joins, Views, Triggers

    Linux Admin

    • Install & Configuration
    • Shell Scripts
    • Cron Jobs
    • Command Line interface

    Apache Admin

    • Server Configuration
    • .htaccess rules
    • SSL Certificates & DNI
    • Problem troubleshooting

    Platforms

    • Redhat/Centos
    • Debian/Ubuntu
    • Windows
    • MacOS
    Social Media
    Press space to Play Yountris
    Canvas Tetris
    To start the game press Enter.
    Arrow keys: left/right.
    Spacebar: rotate.
    [ESC]: End game

    Surprising life lessons learned by growing plants

    Most of my life, I did not have plants but when I came to the US, I ended up with plants in my apartment and learned a few interesting lessons.

    1. What other people throw can blossom into a strong sturdy tree

    When I first came to the US, I ate a date and I was about to throw it away when my mom suggested we plant it in an empty pot. Simply giving it water and sunlight, after a few months, eventually a leaf came out of the ground, then a few more came out. Today, it is a small tree that is growing bigger and stronger.

    Because many people throw away something, it does not mean it is worthless. Think outside the box, try something new… who knows where you’ll end up.

    2. Persistence, and regularity of something simple has a long term effect

    After my first initial success, when I planted second seed… initially, nothing came out. At first I got discouraged but because I had another plant in there, I still gave it water. … and as it grow, they become stronger. Even if I did not see the difference from day to day, I just kept watering the plants on a regular basis. Even if sometimes it was annoying, one tree then another started growing

    To get a result, you have to sometimes initially do something annoying and persist even if sometimes the situation seems overwhelming. The same principle applies to exercising, self improvement and anything you set your mind to. Starting from scratch can be discouraging but sometimes you have to see the bigger picture. With a long term vision, a simple gesture repeated over time can yield a result bigger than expected.

    3. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get to where you want it to be

    After I planted palm trees, I figured I’d try planting mint (People from Morocco are big on mint tea so I figured why not). I ordered seeds and planted them. Shortly, something came out and I was excited but even if all 10 seeds I planted came out, a lot did not survive the change in weather. Interestingly, a few survived and today they are growing strong. I cut those mint plants and divided them… As a result, today I have a large put filled with multiple mint seeds.

    As the saying goes, “you have to be willing to break a few eggs to make an omelet.” Failure is part of success, not everything you try in life will work on the first try.

    4. The resilience of plants despite extreme conditions is humbling and astounding

    One mint plant I left outside and I thought it died. Yet, when spring came, it grew back from nothing and blossomed again.

    In life, we all eventually face events that bring us down, make us either doubt our capacity to succeed or even get back up. Yet, when spring comes, forests that seemed dead spring back to life. No matter what happens to you, you have to be willing to get back up, try again, try harder. As the saying goes, it does not matter how many times you fall, what matters is the number of times you get back up… because all that matters in the end is that you are standing and willing to get back on top.

    5. It is important to set boundaries

    One mistake I made was to mix mint with other plants and even if I really like mint, it started asphyxiating other plants. I learned that you had to give mint boundaries or it will start to grow wildly and it can become an issue.

    Sometimes, even something or someone we really like can overtake our lives and in extreme cases even ruin lives. Whether it is work, relationships or any activity, it is important to set healthy/ sensible boundaries so you do not end up asphyxiated with too much of one thing.

    6. Have multiple plants.

    On a regular basis, I used mint to prepare mint tea. Initially, when I only had one plant, each time I made tea, I could not prepare it until the plant grew again. When I ended up with multiple mint plants, it was a lot easier to cut a little from a different plant each time and yet have them grow at the same time.

    As the saying goes, “Do not put all your eggs in one basket.” This means that sometimes you have to delay gratification and invest in “diversifying your portfolio.” Have multiple plans in life, do not rely on a single one.

    7. It is gratifying to build something bigger that lasts

    What do I gain from planting a palm tree? From a strictly selfish point of view, nothing that directly affects my success. With that in mind, having plants that are growing independently from me is definitely gratifying. With plants and plants losing their leaves in winter, there are days when the view of desolation can be depressing. Having an Island of green inside brightens up the day.

    Obviously help yourself but help others as well. Spread the positive vibes, help others. It feels good to see others succeed as well. Some might end up ungrateful but others might actually contribute back something unexpected when the moment comes.

    So, I am encouraging everyone to try to grow at least one plant. Also, try new things, go out of your comfort zone... you never know what comes out of it

    Fun Fact
    It helps to look ahead and visualize where you want to be. A year from now, what would you have wished you did today?
    When a door closes, at least another opens... the problem is we focus too much on the first door to see the others open
    When they ask me what I do, I say whatever it takes. You have to be willing to go the extra mile on your path to success
    A record company told the Beatles they were no good, they sounded old & boys band were a thing of the past. Persist, do something awesome
    Discipline is the bridge between goals and success - Jim Rohn
    To excel is not a destination but a constant voyage - Brian Tracy
    Proceed as if success is unavoidable. A lot of our limitations exist only in our minds
    Before being an entertainment mogul, Walt Disney was fired for a lack of imagination. Persisting always yields results
    One of Edison's teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything. A healthy self esteem is key for success
    Henry Ford went bankrupt 5 times before he succeeded. Never let failure discourage you
    The first person who hired Elvis Presley as a singer fired him the first night, recommending he give up music for a different profession
    One of Einstein's teachers said he was a lost case, too slow and stuck in unrealistic dreams. Never let someone else's opinion let you down
    Tolstoy failed university. They told him he was not capable of learning. Never let failure stop you on the road to success
    When he started, studios told Charlie Chaplin what he did was nonsense. With persistence, a legend was born
    Leonardo de Vinci has never been to school. Always respect knowledge but remember success is not limited to degrees
    One of Bethoven's professors told him he was a pathetic composer. He proved him wrong even if he was deaf
    Be passionate, always. Even if Van Gogh only sold one painting while alive (to his sister), he painted over 800 paintings
    Never push back to tomorrow what can be done today
    Who risks nothing, begets nothing. Sometimes, taking a calculated risk at the right moment makes all the difference
    The best way to predict the future is to invent it - Richard Bandler
    As your self esteem improves, your performance increases too - Zick Ziglar
    What drowns people is not the jump itself but staying under water does - Paolo Cuelho
    With enough persistence, nothing is impossible. Wherever there is a will, there is always a way
    Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid. Rien n'arrive du jour au lendemain et persister permet d'arriver à ses fins
    There is only one way to fail, give up before succeeding - Olivier Lockert
    Do not be afraid of being slow, be afraid only to be at a standstill - Chinese proverb
    The word chance is synonym to tenacity of goals - Ralf Waldo Emmerson
    Today is the first day of the rest of your life, a brand new chance to excel. It is never too late to be what you might have been.
    No one can know what they really capable of until they try
    No extraordinary person complains about the lack of opportunities
    Never be afraid of failure. If you want to double your success rate, you have to double your failure rate - Brian Tracy
    If 'O' stands for Opportunity, it's absent in 'yesterday', once in 'tOday', thrice in 'tOmOrrOw'. There's always opportunities waiting tomorrow.
    It is not the number times we fall that matters, it is the number we get back up... because in the end what matter is that we are standing
    After how many times should a baby trying to walk give up? Obviously none. Giving up is not a trait we are born with - Anthony Robbins
    It is better late than never... and it is never too late to be what you might have been
    To be strong cant be equated with physical force but it is more about having a never failing willpower - Ghandi
    No obstacle is unsolvable. It is about dividing each difficulty int as many subdivisions necessary to succeed - Descartes
    The best way to start is to stop talking and start doing - Walt Disney
    Always remember that all those at the top all started and the bottom and persisted until they got their way
    It is nice to have what you want... but meanwhile, always remember to want what you have
    More often than not, we are limited by our attitude and not by the opportunities that come to us
    It is the little details that make a huge difference. Going the extra mile and making an extra effort change everything - Mark Tway
    To have a list of goals is key in life... otherwise how will you ever know you got to where you want to be?
    Failure is the foundation of success and it is by failing that we build - Lao Tzu
    Many times, the one who tries to do too much ends up doing very little - make priorities, focus and get things done - Italian proverb
    The past is behind use, future is very unpredictable. That is why it is important to focus on the present
    Be at peace with yourself... if you can't trust yourself, why would others do it?
    A list of goals that is not written down is like a wishlist
    To succeed, it is key to have alist of goals and remember that for everything there is a cost... and it is not always money
    Obstacles are these horrible things in life that we see when we get our eyes off of our goals
    The best opportunities in life go to those who make sure that things get done while owning up to their responsibilities - Napoleon Hill
    Time is more precious than gold. We can always get more money but wasted time can never be gotten back
    Do not attempt to do too many things. The best way to get many things done is to focus on one thing at the time - Mozart
    Life is a never ending cycle that keeps repeating - every time is an opportunity to fix previous mistakes you made and do things differently