Forgiving Versus Forgetting

 

One of the centuries-old debate that has hardly died down is that thing WHETHER FORGIVING IS FORGETTING?  And ironically, I did bear witness [first hand at that] peace and calmness that suddenly snowballs into an altercation and later into a full-blown quarrel and conflict.  And digging the very root of that full-blown conflict apparently reflected a historical note WHEREIN in the past, there was a shortfall [call it a fault OR shortcoming] from someone and somehow the olive branch was offered and both protagonists amicably agreed to just close that unfortunate chapter for them to move on.  Until one day that 'ticking time bomb' explodes again in their face!@#$%?

BUT for now, let's attack the bull by its horn.  Is FORGIVING really FORGETTING?  Trying to forget WHAT happened and simply wiping the slate clean?  BUT does that really work for us humans?  OR WHEN forgiving ourselves?  True, WHILE it's always important to FORGIVE, it does NOT always mean that we have to act AS IF nothing happened in the past, NO sirrrrs because FORGIVENESS DOESN'T require the removal of those consequences OR denying that trust was broken💚💜💛

And at times, maybe for the sake of our mental health, that FORGIVENESS process has to happen without pursuing reconciliation with the wrongdoer.  In short, it's playing a super delicate balancing act, navigating and wading through perilous and dangerous waters WHERE a slight tilt of the boat can capsize it outright.  Multiple researches show that FORGIVENESS allows our memories to remain intact as those of someone WHO HASN'T forgotten and only our suffering in the present changes.  And that all the difference is in the feeling that those memories bring about at a time of retrieval.  Ironically, WHAT shocked researchers is that people WHO did FORGIVE [even in good faith] were able to recall all the details of that past event that cause a past conflict as clearly as those WHO DIDN'T forgive [and that includes their emotional pain at that point in time]💧💧💧

As another one-liner goes very much in parallel to our FORGIVING versus FORGETTING conundrum, many elders would give us the sage advice that wounds do heal and that's 10000% true and correct.  BUT hey dude, more often, SCARS remain and likely it will remain therein for quite sometime.  Parallel to our thread today, all these researches suggest that FORGIVING cannot be equated to FORGETTING at all.  Instead, we need to change our emotional relationship to WHAT happened, allowing us to recall our past hurt and WHO'S responsible without harming our own well-being.  this could have important implications for those WHO might want to FORGIVE but are afraid it will impact them❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  In conclusion, almost all researches sing the same tune, that is, WHEN we FORGIVE, we change our judgment of WHAT happened during the wrongdoing BUT we still consider the people that wronged us as being culpable and therefore morally responsible for WHAT happened to us.  There's that human frailty dude.  Another reason we SHOULDN'T conclude that people might NOT always feel more benevolent after FORGIVING is that the transgressions may NOT be as severe as in other contexts like war OR genocide BUT if there's a streak of light here, is that FORGIVENESS can be cultivated after all BUT both protagonists should do it in good faith, and preferably in cadence😊😊😊

When Do We Pull The Brakes?

 

As everyone says, LIFE is never a straight line.  Even the roads and freeways in the First World have its own zigs and zags.  BUT that's NOT our thread today.  WHAT intrigues me is this question:  WHEN do we grind to a halt?  WHEN do we stop?  WHEN do we pull the brakes?  WHEN do we hold up things?  As long as it DOESN'T mean quitting, then, either of those scenarios may give us the tell-tale signs that it could be time to let go of something in order to focus on other things or tasks that are more important💧💧💧

BUT as we often heard, much as we live in a very challenging world, we should always be part of the solution and NOT the problem itself.  At some points in our life, we could have that feeling that's overwhelming, WHEN we're unable to handle everything on our plate.  Imagine those points WHEN we kind of considering just giving up.  Problem is, by nature, almost everyone of us perceive quitting [OR at least stopping for a moment] in a rock solid negative light.  HOW many times we've heard this rah-rah one-liner:  A WINNER NEVER QUITS.   A QUITTER NEVER WINS.  Yes I get it.  That notion has kept me involved in things for way longer than I should have been many more times💥💥💥

BUT, here's something that can give us that shot in the arm, and more than just a sigh of relief.  Sometimes, stopping OR quitting is the first step to us finding a new and better path and ending our burnout.  BUT the thing is, where possible, we should NEVER wait WHEN our back is that against the wall.  LIKE WHEN your task seems to have taken over your entire life?  If it has become all-consuming to the point that it is impacting other areas in your life, then that's a wake-up call📗📙📘

LIKE WHEN your goal DOESN'T seem to align with your values?  Then that's a problem, right?  If our objectives DON'T align with our principles, stopping OR quitting is an option.  YES, we can fool ourselves for a time BUT our actions will eventually collide and clash with our own ethics and values.  True, your outcome will decline and then you will never feel satisfied OR content.  BUT if your goals you've set AREN'T in line with WHO you are, it's time to abandon them in favor of a new version that reflects WHO you truly are💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  Of all tell-tale signs that makes me concerned, LIKE WHEN we DON'T feel happy.  And if the frequency of that unhappiness worsens.  In that case, there's a chance that WHAT you're doing something may need to come to an end.  True, it mighe be an unfulfilling objective, profession OR relationship.  And once you figure out WHAT it is, you'll probably feel better as soon as you give up.  WHY end up sacrificing our health, OR worse, our life for an activity OR endeavor that's worth threading out.  YES, after all is said and done, stopping OR quitting just in time may make you better off compared to quitting WHEN your house of cards has collapsed😡😡😡

Turning Setbacks Into Comebacks!

 

WHO wants SETBACKS?  Of course, there are NO takers for SETBACKS.  BUT hey, a SETBACK is neither a stigma nor a plague.  If you ask me, I'll swear I had one too many SETBACKS in the past.  And those SETBACKS floored me, knocked the wind out of me at times.  Lo and behold, I'm still very much a survivor and I'll humbly admit that I'm NOT less motivated OR less encouraged even in the aftermath of those SETBACKS.  Surprised?  Ooops better NOT because it's NOT me alone.  A huge throng will stand up much better than me and proudly declare that they became much more motivated to rise up after those SETBACKS📗📙📘

Let's admit it.  We will be hard pressed to find someone in life WHO has only had an upward trajectory.  In fact, most of us have had times WHEN we've been up, times WHEN we've been down, and times WHEN we WEREN'T quite sure if we were up OR down OR maybe we just felt we were in an uncomfortable situation OR circumstances.  BUT again, life's experiences come in all iterations and different shapes and sizes💚💛💜

And many times, those outlier of an experience may look OR sound awful lot like FAILURE either in our own personal OR professional life.  WHAT it's taught me through the years is that it's NOT the size of the FAILURE that counts BUT instead, it is HOW we did manage and handle the situation.  Do we let that SETBACK defeat us entirely and even thwart our own desire to recover and even succeed ever again?  Some folks might BUT I'll be up front WHY using our personal SETBACKS to our own benefit is the best way to go.  Any other course of action other than this may me catastrophic to say the least because that's turning a bad situation worse💥💥💥

In a poetic way, I remember this one-liner which says:  ALL OF LIFE IS AN EBB AND FLOW.  And I CAN'T disagree more because that's my observation as well of my life and even the lives I witnessed around me.  The trap here is that sometimes, you're going to feel like you're winning and at least some of the time, you're going to feel like you're losing.  BUT can we agree that personal SETBACKS give us that ironic opportunity, giving us time to gather our thoughts, reflect on WHAT we've been doing that's been working and moreso WHAT ISN'T as well.  And from thereon, it behooves that we initiate our own adjustments and course corrections for the remaining journey ahead😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  If there is one observation I witnessed first hand many times in the past, some would kind of 'sit down in the corner sucking his thumb' [no pun intended] and thinking about HOW unfair life is.  Obviously, one would feel defeated OR maybe a little lost and you might even feel like you are losing faith in yourself.  BUT if I have to explicitly declare, the only kind of SETBACK we should NOT and NEVER come back from is one WHICH we choose to let defeat our own self [and that's the stark truth no less.  At the end of the day, WHILE it's easier said than done, this all boils down for us to be reframing SETBACKS as our opportunities.  Again, it's akin to looking at a half-empty glass of water as half-full no less.  Dude, time to turn SETBACKS INTO COMEBACKS!!!

2nd Place Gets You Nowhere!

 

YES YES yow, 2nd PLACE GETS YOU NOWHERE. That's the least debatable statement ever!  WHETHER you are a bigtime business mogul OR you're one of the top professional boxers OR you belong to one of the top NBA ballclubs, It's GOLD OR bust.  It's the top plum OR none.  Of course, if you end up 2nd, you would hear faint hurrahs BUT trust me, that's one of those 'garbage time' stuff.  Because WHO cares the 2nd placer?  WHO really thinks that the 2nd placer was just a hairline away from being the overall winner?  In the NBA, when it's trade season with top ballclubs aiming for the NBA superstars within the top tier of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Lebron James, forecasts would shortlist the probable winners to 2 or 3 clubs and WHEN one club wins it, DOES 2nd PLACE MATTER???

True, competition is tight anywhere everywhere and all that matters really is to be atop the field.  WHEN I was with Dole Food, in one of our dinners with our CEO, he cockily took pride that in our very tight market then, we were becoming the runaway leader with a distant second to boot.  I then felt some air of braggadocio during that dinner BUT I knew then that he was NOT standing on shifting sands as I did bear witness HOW he aggressively took on the challenges in our tight market then, demanding 100% QA results from our very pressured production teams.  And NOT satisfied with our QA ratings, he tracked the CSAT [Customer Satisfaction] and NPS [Net Promoter Scores] right from our foreign markets in Japan.  Only then I think he managed to gather that gumption that we had a competitor WHO was eating our dust as a far 2nd from us.  Shifting over to our own lives, is it now ripe for us to throw out to the windows all our aspirations to be the 2nd tier, to be the 2nd placer in WHATEVER competition or rat race we are in now???

The thing is, many of us are indeed making progress most of the time, WHETHER it's in our academic endeavors, OR at the workplace OR even in our business forays.  BUT WHAT is quite a scare is BURNOUT does hit us along the way although BURNOUT has been dissected from researches as a perception of reduced personal OR even professional accomplishment OR simply put, that feeling like you are getting nowhere.  Oh Oh, that kind of negativity can spiral and WHEN you're feeling negative, it can be difficult to see the positive side of things💚💛💜

Many times, it's all a matter of perception.  Through the years, I constantly reminded myself of my very basic ground rules.  LIKE I write down my wins, no matter how small those wins are.  I then reflect on my immediate past week regardless of WHAT and HOW things transpired that week.  I then pick up my own accomplishments for that week and even those small-small good things that happened.  WHY?  Because that could potentially boost my own mental health everyday in fact.  Now, if there's one thing I kept closest to my chest.  It's journaling OR keeping notes of every kudos, complements and testimonials I receive from any legitimate source [Yesssirrrree, I DON'T go for those bogus testimonials].  WHY does that matter?  During my NOT so smooth days, those days WHICH I'll tag as rough, a streak of hope gets out from those testimonials, enough to keep me going

Our takeaway:  It is a fact that no rookie, neophyte OR newcomer reaches the pinnacle of success as instantly as those noodles get cooked and eaten.  You've got to invest all the sweat and sacrifices as you progressively move on, even if it means literally inching via inch every so often.  Eventually, you will be at the outside looking in, at the very precipice of success BUT once you reach the top, grab the plum and NEVER fail NOT to look back from time to time because your ultimate mission is to ensure that 2nd placer is a far 2nd placer, someone WHO could 'eat your dust' because 2nd PLACE GETS ONE NOWHERE!!!

You Don't Like Something? Take Away The Power [and that's your ATTENTION]

 

NEGATIVITY seems to be all over the place these days.  NOT because we liked OR embraced it BUT in numerous situations, we are unconsciously embracing it.  Let's tackle hatred.  Let's say you hate spiders and IF you knew there was a black widow in your bedroom, would it be easy for you to just forget it and fall asleep?  YES, sadly, by its very nature, hatred is all about focused attention.  You and me may NOT be tagged as 'negative' persons but again, one of our human frailties is hatred itself.  WHEN you experience it, your feeling tends to get focused on that singular person, place OR thing that you hate.  Unfortunately, anger and envy are closest by affinity with hatred itself as they all share the same characteristic.  Hate something and your attention will stick to it like lint to a sweater, much more than like a leech.  People WHO hate their ex-boss or ex-partner so often appear incapable of speaking anything else📗📙📘

Let's pick our brains here a bit.  WHAT is the natural consequence of hating someone OR something?  Sadly, the unsaid goal of hatred is to dominate, destroy, subdue, overpower, name it.  And WHEN hatred is acutely felt, it can manifest that single-minded purpose WHEREIN we CAN'T casually OR passively hate because WHEN we hate, we hate fully and completely.  And in order for hatred to be acted on, it will tend to consume a big chunk of our own self, that's our attention💚💛💜

Hey dude, if you're committing the worst crime to your own self, it is to allow and accomodate your least favorite influencer OR your least like ex-boss OR your ex-partner OR your ex-best friend, living right within you RENT-FREE, whew!!!  Of course, it is but natural to get annoyed even with people we barely [OR DON'T even] know at all.   BUT again there's an ocean of a difference between NOT liking someone and letting that feeling snowball into that misplaced full-blown obsession that messes with your well-being.  For example, seeing a reality TV villain should NOT trigger you to end up stalking their Instagram reels till 2am❌❌❌

The thing is, WHEN someone rubs you the wrong way, you should be able to feel those feelings and move on.  I have to admit that I've been through those kinds of acid tests and even WHEN I was teetering to pick up the challenge, [thankfully] more often I managed to [sternly] prevail reminding myself  that I got to CHOOSE MY BATTLES.  BUT I do agree that that is easier said than done, WHICH explains WHY many of us find it easier to focus on their flaws than to do the more challenging work of processing those vulnerable emotions.  Even though a good rant might feel like exactly WHAT you need in that HEAT OF THE MOMENT, you DON'T want your hatred to mess with your mental health and HOW you live your life.  Nothing is more important!!!

Our takeaway:  A practical [BUT not so easy advice] I heard many times, WHEN you feel that wave of negativity rolling in, JUST BREATHE.  And that if you want to give deep breathing a shot, experts tell us that it can activate our so called 'parasympathetic nervous system', that part of our autonomic nervous system that tells our body to calm down.  Then, that makes them the 'perfect tools' to use WHENEVER that 'all-consuming' stress hijacks our body [and sometimes our soul.  Our fix: IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, NO PROBLEM, TAKE AWAY THE POWER [and that's TAKING AWAY YOUR ATTENTION]😡😡😡

Why Do We Procrastinate?

 

If you've ever put off an important task by, say alphabetizing your drawer contents, it WON'T be fair to describe yourself as lazy, right?  After all, alphabetizing requires focus + effort and WHO knows, you went that extra mile to wipe down each item before putting it back.  And it's NOT like you're hanging out with friends OR glued in a non-stop Netflix movie streaming.  So, definitely, that's NOT laziness.  BUT that's one example of PROCRASTINATION.  BUT WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE???

There was this recent experiment @Harvard WHERE the respondents were asked on something that really interests at all, that is, about SAVING MONEY and NOT a surprise, off hand, 79% [8 out of 10] agreed that they should be saving.  And WHEN they were asked if they want to enroll in a company plan that will deposit 2% of their salary to a savings account, 77% agreed BUT when asked if it can be done as soon as possible, voila, only 30% agreed!@#$%?  There you go.  Same idea.  Same plan.  Same benefits.  The only difference was the timing and there's that huge gap💥💥💥

That small, tiny-whiny adjustment revealed something big.  That is, we DON'T seem to make rational decisions four our future.  Similar studies have been done with good habits even like exercising and even some wellness activities.  The thing is, by default, we humans generally PROCRASTINATE even WHEN we know it hurts us.  WHY this happens and WHAT can we do to pre-empt and mitigate this recurring tendency for us to put off things instead of rolling up our sleeves and take concrete steps.  Again, we tend to circle back to our PROCRASTINATION dilemma😌😌😌

Psychologists tell us that PROCRASTINATION is no less than a behavioral issue.  Today, we want to watch Netflix movies, eat ice cream and spend some of our extra monies.  BUT come tomorrow, we may opt to write something, like a blog OR a book.  OR we'd like to be fit.  OR increase our own financial savings via some savings options.  So, the conflict arises because "TODAY YOU" and "FUTURE YOU" are not aligned❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  So, it's way beyond reasonable doubt [even from the cynics] that our general lack of consistency over time is due to overvaluing the present compared to the future.  The present is concrete and easy to imagine WHILE the future is abstract and much harder to visualize.  There we go, as to WHY we tend to overvalue the present and its rewards for now.  The thing is, even if the future benefits are greater, we tend to prefer the present ones simply because we can picture them more clearly.  So, WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE dude???

When CONSISTENCY Gets Knocked Off

 

In our lives, most of us start from quite an even field BUT for the blessed, fortunate OR simply truly blessed [like being born with a silver spoon], they start off with an edge either in sheer intelligence, resource, circumstances OR plain sheer luck.  NOW, here's a giveaway question:  Did those WHO started off with an edge OR disadvantage, did they win the race OR the competitition hands down?  That's a tough call to make because much as the gifted and fortunate ones had that significant headstart, life is generally fair such that as we go through that competition in life, eventually, the laggards will rally and catch up towards the last quarter of the race.  The end result, it's anybody's ballgame📘📙📗

YES, WHATEVER we want to achieve in life, we WON'T become a master unless we demonstrate CONSISTENT behavior and keep training at that discipline.  Experts went through clinical studies and concluded that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field.  Oh Oh Oh, that requires some CONSISTENT behavior and discipline to show up each and everyday and practice.  That whole concept of CONSISTENCY has been coming up for me recently with regard my regular exercises, which a year ago, I managed to follow daily basis with CONSISTENCY.  BUT alas, these past months, I have to admit I'm struggling getting back into the groove of things💥💥💥

So, WHAT's my tough lesson here?  It's that, regardless of my schedules and commitments, I've got to further improve my own discipline in life so that I can regain and take the reins and control of my time all over again.  Because frankly, as I experienced, everytime I stopped my daily exercise, the more it became difficult to get started all over again.  CONSISTENCY helps put structure into our day in WHICH in turn actually makes us more productive and efficient.  YES, quite a tough pill to swallow here BUT simply put, I got to know WHAT I've got to do.  CONSISTENCY is particularly important WHEN we have pre-set milestone targets to be reached and achieved.  It's LIKE we only need about 30 minutes a day to focus on the activity we need to achieve BUT the catch here is that we need to ensure that we get engaged each and everyday for us to keep and retain that momentum.  Imagine a galloping horse WHERE the horseman pulls the strings until the horse loses its momentum???

To help us reinforce our CONSISTENCY, let's pick the brains of the experts here:

• Set REALISTIC GOALS - Initially, set goals that can be achieved easily so that will motivate you before you take the tough ones
• Break down your GOALS into smaller ones
• Create a schedule and STICK TO IT
• Reward yourself even for small milestones
• Be PATIENT BUT be PERSISTENT

Our takeaway:  WHAT else matters besides that CONSISTENCY?  Few foundational things we can rattle off.  HARDWORK [and CONSISTENCY will be knocking on your door often].  MOTIVATION and PASSION come hand-in-hand and they will join forces to be egging you for your CONSISTENCY.  Resilience will drive your CONSISTENCY in overdrive.  Of course, your TIME MANAGEMENT plays a major role in pushing your self-discpline to keep in check your CONSISTENCY as an auspicious start for 2026😁😁😁

Let's 'DUMP' That Chatbot

 

NOT to downplay automation and all the latest galloping advances in AI, chatbots will always remain with its very core.  So, it's NOT correct to turn a whipping boy on technologies given the tons of benefits we all reaped, regardless if you're running your business OR you're a plain consumer like me.  BUT as I stand now, allow me to scream:  Let's 'DUMP' THAT CHATBOT!@#$%?

NOT to stir the hornet's nest, allow me to rattle off a hell lot of benefits we have had with regard CHATBOTS.  From an operations standpoint, significant costs were trimmed via CHATBOTs.  From a CUSTOMER SERVICE perspective, at least 20-30% of the most common concerns would revolve around account/password lockout, delivery slippages, confirmation of logistical information💥💥💥

NOW, NOT to play devil's advocate BUT more for me to vent out HOW was it so far since the past months and years I attempted to leverage on CHATBOTs, it all boils down to CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE and if you and me would feel that we're interacting with a robot [with a limited menu in its interaction], it's a no-brainer you will likely drop that chat, to hell it goes.  WHY?  THAT lack of empathy.  THAT automatic response WHICH does NOT resolve your concern.  THAT excessive time you kept stretching your patience!!!

Obviously, most of us WON'T have the bandwidth to just wantonly redirect our time to any CHATBOX with all those fancy Tom, Dick and Jane names because we want answers and solutions to our concerns, period.  WHAT IF the CHATBOT just throws you in a loop. WHAT IF the CHATBOT just run rings around you.  My 2-cents here.  Before you blow out your head [and patience], consider finding the hotline number, pick it up, place that call pronto😊😊😊

Our takeaway:  Dude, we have enough stress in our daily lives and it's an unacceptable irony that in the midst of a concern you want to get resolved, you end up with a CHATBOT does exacerbate things, whew!@#$%?  Been there, endured it quite many times and at the end of the day, I would rather get through the HOTLINE channel.  And if you happen to be a preferred client and that merchant has a preferred HOTLINE, get through it.  Better still, in private banking, go via your RM [relationship manager].  Let's DUMP THAT CHATBOT, if need be😡😡😡

That 'ART OF DETACHMENT'

 

Is the ART OF DETACHMENT really an art?  Me thinks it is NOT really an art per se BUT it is essentially that practice of LETTING GO.  LETTING GO of WHAT?  Name it, bad habits, unhealthy people, mindsets, insecurities, and even perceptions that tend to sway us towards anxiety instead of optimism.  In the simplest terms, DETACHMENT means me and you should NOT try to change OR blame another BUT instead make the most and best of myself📘📙📗

Nope nope nope, me and you need NOT DETACH ourselves from our emotions, empathy OR vulnerability to live a better life BUT find ways to let go in other areas, setting boundaries to protect our emotional health and removing ourselves from relationships that are NOT deemed beneficial [and more importantly, mutual].  Experts counsel us that the recognized powerful ways to have a good grasp of that ART of DETACHMENT for us to live an unbothered life will help us to connect with our own selves as our narrative of our future [rather being at the backburner]💜💛💚

Verily true, life requires so much from us and if there's a first person to blame, that's our very own selves BUT naturally, we get pulled in, right?  We tend to react [even WHEN it was least warranted].  We would worry [WHEN the question is WHY worry] and we get tempted to control as many things as possible BUT the trap here is that the more we try, the more we fail and eventually the more we lose❎❎❎

The noted Indian philosopher Osho was widely quoted:  DO WHATEVER IS NEEDFUL AND YET REMAIN TRANSCENDENTAL, ALOOF, DETACHED just like a lotus flower in the pond.  To translate this in layman's terms, let us do WHAT we must do BUT let us NOT get lost in it.  Osho goes to expound that to be a lotus, it grows in the mud.  It DOESN'T escape the pond BUT it rises above the water.  And WHAT a surprise to me, Osho says that that lotus flower stays clean even in dirty water.  BUT hold on to your guns because there's more to it.  Its petals repel dirt as water tends to roll off, thus leaving it spotless.  Oh yes, sometimes we do get caught in life's drama [even unnecessary ones]❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  There are just one too many harsh realities in life WHICH we need to grapple with.  You do your work and it becomes your job.  You love someone and their moods control your response to life.  You try, you fail, and then you become a failure.  You succeed and then, you become afraid to lose it.  In the end, we tend to attach to everything, name it, success, people, and even our own thoughts.  YES oh YES, WHEN a 'bad day' hits us, that ruins us.  WHEN we get rejected, it feels LIKE the end-of-the-world, LIKE death.  WHY?  Because philosophers analyzed that it's all because we kind of 'hand over' our own peace to all those stuff we just CAN'T control.  Without mastering that ART of DETACHMENT, it behooves that we remediate and rectify our own shortfalls in life.  Let us NOT look the other way around WHEN the ART of DETACHMENT may even move the needle in our life😃😃😃

Are You Ruling Stress [OR Is It The Other Way Around]

 

Is STRESS our enemy, our nemesis?  Sort of.  And allow me to give a qualified answer.  If you're having a good handle of STRESS, then STRESS is on your side.  BUT IF STRESS is hovering all over you, then, we have a ballgame and that ballgame may run roughshod on you, on us.  The worst misconception about STRESS is that it is the consequence arising from either a problem OR a brewing problem.  BUT in real life, such is NOT the case📗📙📘

A case in point.  If you're jobhunting and you were shortlisted as one of the three final candidates and the next round will need you to host a presentation to senior executives with regard a common agenda set for all the three candidates.  Question is, as you prepare yourself for that presentation, do you consider it as a STRESS OR a challenge?  To quote the 19th century American philosopher William Jones, if you think of it as STRESSFUL, then it undoubtedly will be💥💥💥

Now, with regard jobhunting, generally, those job opportunities do NOT come around every day, NOT even if it's a handyman's job BUT opportunities to feel STRESS do.  There are the daily pressures of daily life itself, those chronic traffic gridlocks you need to endure every time you drive in the metro area OR you're staring at a work deadline that is simply impossible to achieve OR if you have a child with a running fever, WHEN you are lost or confused HOW to prioritize your child without missing out on your work deliverables for that day❎❎❎

And YES, if those stressful samplings are NOT enough, there are much bigger pressures that will lead to more stressful situations.  LIKE marital conflicts, the loss of a job, the demise of a family member OR a close friend and from time to time, we do get caught in a major traumatic event over WHICH we simply DON'T have any contro, such as cyclones, floods, volcanoe eruptions, name it.  Again to cling back to William Jones' sage advice...

ACCEPTANCE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THE FIRST STEP TO OVERCOMING THE CONSEQUENCES OF MISFORTUNE.  Call it force majeure.  YES, unfortunately, contemporary life is jam packed with STRESS.  YES, we are warned to cut back on the STRESS in our lives OR face the consequences.  Too bad, STRESS is usually thought of as an enemy BUT frankly, any event, even positive ones [like hosting a party] can be STRESSFUL.  Our takeaway:  MINDSET IS THE KEY.  That will dictate your fate in the midst of STRESS😗😗😗