More Than Just BODY LANGUAGE

 

Very often, we are counselled and advised to be cognizant of BODY LANGUAGE, both our and everyone's else.  BUT, WHILE it's true that facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and even the use of space are the best indicators of BODY LANGUAGE, HOW often are we advised while BODY LANGUAGE often complements verbal communication, HOW strong has been the messaging that unspoken words OR that eerie silence are equally very effective tools to complement those tell-tale signs that help us understand things well☝☝☝

To be brutally frank, WHILE BODY LANGUAGE keeps me alert [and awake, frankly] for those tell-tale signs, I am ten times much sharper and more conscious with eerie silence because to fathom and comprehend that eerie silence could be like playing with Russian Roulette.  Unless one knows a person deep enough inside out, to decipher and understand the eerie silence coming from a person one is NOT very much familiar with would be like reading and understanding any Tom, Dick and Harry.  In that branch of mathematics under probability, reading and understanding empirical data spans from zero [which is IMPOSSIBLE] to one [which is CERTAIN].  This is akin to saying that there is very little room for mistake because it's kind of like hit OR miss💚💛💜

BUT that explains the legitimately pressing reason that we should go way and beyond just BODY LANGUAGE.  Learning the rudiments to understand silence is equally pressing.  To be frank, NOT all people are openly vociferous.  So, that's likely your takeoff point to understand silence.  Is that person really silent by his very nature?  OR did his decibels just nosedived for a reason?  Indeed it's ten times complicated if you're facing a stranger WHERE you hardly have any references to piece together an equation like 1+1=2.  Admittedly, many times in the past, I did engage and interact with a stranger and suddenly, I was faced to decipher and understand that eerie silence.  HOW do we handle that?  Understand the very context therein.  It is imperative to confirm that the two protagonists are on the same page with the context!!!

WHAT happens WHEN we miss out on that 'undelivered' messaging of an eerie silence?  Could be a 'huge divide' between parties no less.  Obviously, HOW can protagonists be on the same page if you DON'T end up correctly 'reading' each other?  I remember getting squeezed in a 'boardroom impasse' because my internal stakeholders were in loggerheads with my external stakeholders.  HOW did things lead to that point?  Hmmm, every time there was a standoff, the meeting got adjourned, ouch😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  There is this other somewhat odd school of thought which espouses that silence is a manifestation of a cool handling of a situation.  I'd say YES and NO, that's like playing Russian Roulette, that's a hit OR miss no less.  So WHAT'S the FIX for that eerie silence?  Keep talking sans the emotions because it is very likely, the other protagonist will eventually react OR speak up.  YES dude, this is MORE THAN JUST BODY LANGUAGE💥💥💥

MLK: You DON'T Have To See The Staircase

 

Dr Martin Luther King, the great American civil rights leader was well quoted:  YOU DON'T  HAVE TO SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE, JUST TAKE THE FIRST STEP.  YES YES yowww, that's the thing.  There's one too many staircases that seem so steep, so high, so daunting, so overwhelming like Mount Rushmore OR even Mount Everest.  Even careers in the very rare fields of aeronautics and medical science are roads very least travelled.  So, the question is, are all those overwhelming scenarios indeed so daunting and even frightening to the extent that some of us end up running away from it like headless chickens?  So sorry, the answer may NOT be that straightforward and so simple BUT as the late great American civil rights leader Dr MLK said, YOU DON'T  HAVE TO SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE, JUST TAKE THE FIRST STEP💚💛💜

Indeed, WHO WON'T get feel daunted if you're at the ground level and then you look up up up high up to that highest point of your line-of-sight [and sometimes, it's NOT alongside our line-of-sight BUT our imaginary vision].   Even in the field of science and technology WHERE there is a heavy dose of in-depth and long-term research, the initial results are often dismaying and any weaker soul WOULD easily run away and just give up.  Heard of that newbie WHO, upon his induction for the KT [knowledge transfer] suddenly disappears beyond the horizon?  Sounds familiar, right???

Recently in our regional [EMEA Region] operations, we onboarded an experienced line-manager, and obviously, we had exalted expectations from him given his credentials.  Meanwhile, as my wife has been privy of WHAT's going on at my [virtual] workplace/workspace, just a week ago, she gave a NOT so pleasant forecast WHEREIN she anticipated that that new manager will NOT last long and instead, could leave our organization anytime soon.  Lo and behold, 2 or 3 days after her 'Nostradamus-like' forecast, that new manager resigned, admitting that he CAN'T adjust to our pace of work [even in that virtual workspace]❌❌❌

And I CAN'T blame that guy WHO eventually gave up even WHEN he had just landed at the very first step of that staircase.  Probably, he looked up at that very steep staircase and felt just too overwhelmed.  Probably, even before he could successfully complete taking the very first step of that steep staircase, he concluded that he WON'T successfully hurdle that end-to-end lap.  OR probably, I am just NOT privy, I'm wildly speculating that, maybe, he did NOT anticipate to see a staircase to go up BUT maybe, just maybe, he [wrongly] thought that it's a plain sheet of land hardly needing him to lift his foot😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  THAT's the thing.  If you DON'T recalibrate your expectations to WHAT you are going in, you've got a brewing problem right at hand.  It's akin to driving long stretches of remote roads you haven't been to in the past.  Even if you launch your WAZE or cling to GPS to guide you, you would need more than just WAZEs and GPS's.  The thing is, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THE STAIRCASE.  Just take the first step!!!

Voice Matters!

 

Does VOICE MATTER?  To many of us, it does NOT seem to be.  In at least 60 to 70% of gaps that turned to friction and worsening to full-blown arguments, I witnessed that for most protagonists, they would end up oblivious of the decibels ringing up and out from their voice especially in the middle of those intense exchange of opinions that start from sort of calm and cool exchanges leading and later on brewing towards heated exchanges.  Alas, this is one of our human frailties [WHICH I admit I was guilty many times in the past, ouch]💚💛💜

WHAT I personally missed out many times in the past is this undeniable fact:  THAT no amount of decibels can ever win an argument OR worse, a quarrel.  One key lesson I learnt the hard way here is that, even before we should start to understand our protagonist [we're arguing with], let us understand our very own anger.  Once we understand that conflicts begin in the brain, experts claim that from that point onwards, it takes charge of it.  YES, I realized that ANGER s instinctive as it is a natural human response WHEN we do perceive something to be a threat.  Before we know it, it fuels our body to act aggressively.  LIKE we seem to want to shout, slam the door and even [Noooo please] throw anything that is close to you.  Are we at fault then😡😡😡

Experts explain that that is an unconscious and biological response and in that sense, it is NOT necessarily 'you'.  And surprisingly, many studies show that 9 out of 10 times, we humans feel guilty and embarassed in the aftermath when we have emotionally 'blown up'.  And the technical explanation arising from the studies is that it is because we're allowing our base-level instincts to control our responses rather than our conscious mind!!!

This brought me to the realization that by being aware of our emotions and identifying WHEN we're having an ANGRY response, we can and we SHOULD learn to to calm ourself down.  BUT DOESN'T mean ignoring the problem at hand BUT it does mean controlling those aggressive impulses that begin to take over.  In the shortest words, this is us 'taking over' instead of being 'taken over'💦💦💦

Our takeaway:  I also realized that in life, sometimes, we do have some underlying issues WHICH explains WHY ANGER could be a sign of a deeper problem.  Someone just transitioning from a messy divorce.  OR one whose health has been skidding down faster and unexpectedly.  OR one who's been financially struggling.  YES, the harsh reality is that sometimes, ANGER is often linked to anxiety, depression and even past trauma.  Meanwhile, let us enhance our awareness that VOICE MATTERS dude😃😃😃

Thank Goodness, We Have OPTIONS OPTIONS & OPTIONS!

 

NOT so often but from time to time, I'll hear OR feel someone's difficulties in tackling challenges he's facing head-on and at the end in venting out his frustration, I would hear 'BUT I DIDN'T HAVE OPTIONS'.  Often, I would retort back without wasting a second and blurt out, 'SERIOUSLY'?  Even if we take extreme examples like someone imprisoned [OR even hostaged OR captured], there are always OPTIONs.  BUT WHY do some of us are missing out one or even both of two OPTIONS, assuming there are only two OPTIONS?  Simple.  Either we seem to be refusing to recognize this OR that OPTION OR we refuse to open our eyes and really see OR feel that other OPTION[s] right in our face❗❗❗

In many circumstances and in the most simplified scenarios, there are always, at the very least, two scenarios, and those OPTIONS are either taking on an OPTION that is tossed upon us OR accepting the status quo, i.e. without accepting that other OPTION.  So, WHO says sometimes OR often times there are NO OPTIONS?  LIKE, we would often hear people kind of pleading that they want either success OR freedom.  BUT WHEN I get back to them to let them define it, alas, they [miserably] go blank.  And to me, that's the real problem some of us would face.  IF you CAN'T crystallize in concrete terms WHAT you want, that's no less akin to hitting a [concrete] wall at that☝☝☝

YES dude, this is NOT even a societal concern because society and our cultures has got nothing to do with either the overflowing OR scarcity of OPTIONS.  We can either pry into those outliers and I can bet as much as I can that OPTIONS are right there.  And let us NOT miss that in any scenario, the first OPTION is always maintaining OR accepting the status quo💧💧💧

The puzzling variable in this equation are the probable reasons WHY some of us DON'T consider the status quo as an OPTION.  Just because it does NOT seem palatable, it just CAN'T be tagged as a non-OPTION.  BUT putting myself in their shoes, I fully understand that sense of resistance [I'll even call it refusal].  Indeed, there are circumstances WHEN that option which is the status quo could be likened to that difficult pill to swallow [and even digest].  BUT if we think of those circumstances, this pushes me back to that old cliche that there will be moments in our life WHEN we are squeezed between the 'devil and the deep blue sea', that UNKNOWN.  And the big miss here is that if we refuse to accept the status quo, that other remaining OPTION could turn out to be worse than the status quo, right, dude💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  As much as there are times WHEN the available CHOICES and OPTIONS are really difficult for us to pick up as our eventual CHOICE, let's ponder for a moment and consider a BAD OPTION versus a WORSE OPTION.  Whilst your preferred GOOD OPTION is NOT one of the available OPTIONs, let's think about it😡😡😡

How's Your IMPRINTS In Life

 

How's Your IMPRINTS IN LIFE?  No sirrrrs, lest I get doubted, we DON'T intend to swing over our prying eyes within WHAT's personal and private in your life.  If there's a huge misconception with regard IMPRINTS IN LIFE, it is that misconception that we should be unique enough and even a standout at that.  NO sirrr, NOT at all.  If there are role models you can look up to in life, you DON'T need to reinvent the wheel.  That role model could be one of your forefathers OR even historical OR national figures WHO have etched their mark either in history OR right within your life.  BUT there's a catch here.  We hope that 'someone' you're looking up to has the gravita and weight in terms of his/her positivities WHICH we hope will positively rub off on you as well📗📙📘

This is WHEN things get murkier WHEN those IMPRINTS IN LIFE get associated with either culture, religion OR even politics.  This explains WHY in the realm of geopolitics, the endless global conflicts turned from bad to worst because of that indemic influence tracing back to culture, religion OR even politics.  THAT regional conflict between the U.S. and Iran is only the latest major friction WHERE the 'ugly head of the monster' showed up WHEN suddenly, we witnessed the theocractic state of Iran being pitted against a wall of islamic nations, name it, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain et al.  And this is ironically regrettable because WHO ever thought that a huge divide will surface across muslim countries🙏🙏🙏

Enough of geopolitics, though, as we DON'T intend to crossover towards that domain now dominated by the tons of geopolitics experts we have around.  Instead, can we make things like KISS [Keep It Simple, S___]?  Let's step back into our personal lives down to our private closets and innermost sanctotum and do ask ourselves HOW'S YOUR IMPRINTS IN LIFE?  Are you someone WHO's been fence-sitting?  Someone WHO wants to thread the middle-of-the road, fearing to fray the nerves of sensitive folks?  OR are you someone WHO's contented and self-assured that you have now those IMPRINTS IN LIFE that can endure the coming years [even after you bid your 'final adieu']???

Sadly, I have met countless folks WHO I know inside-out and WHO felt that they have already the IMPRINTS in their own lives.  Seriously?  Obviously, I should be the last one to question them on that aspect BUT deep inside, I was kind of commiserating because, as I've known them up close, I really felt that they had 'enough gas in their tank', if they beat their chest and manifest their bragging rights that they now have those IMPRINTS IN LIFE, then, with humility, I will reach out to them and kind of push them into a corner and subtly ask them if they have enough gas in their tank [because I strongly feel they do have] and if they respond in the affirmative, I'd like to challenge them to MOVE THEIR GOAL POSTS, that's the least they can do for themselves💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  I admit I always consistently remain vociferous that we owe it to ourselves to scale up, to move our own pre-set goal posts if suddenly things look so shiny and dandy, you're kind of picking up low hanging fruits.  Because that's a disservice we can do to ourselves.  BTW, we're to each his own.  We CAN'T impose those IMPRINTS of Bill Gates [oh no, NOT the Epstein Files, ouch] or even the Pope.  Having said that, we owe it to ourselves to have our IMPRINTS IN LIFE😁😁😁

Facing The Hardest Truth

FACING THE HARDEST TRUTH is indeed the HARDEST thing in life, no doubt about it.  Obviously, topping the list will be the unexpected or sudden demise of someone from our immediate family. BUT we'll discuss that separately in the future as it may NOT be as pressing as dealing with the much more HARD TRUTH in life💚💛💜

Personally, WHAT tops my list of HARDEST TRUTHs ever in life is giving up my dream.  That was damn hard.  Way back even during my high school days, I always wanted to be a lawyer.  And I never lost faith that I have the willpower to get through that journey and eventually achieve it.  A major milestone then for me was enrolling at my country's touted #1 law school [or #2 if you have your own ranking] BUT it was enough motivation for me to be in a blue-chip law prestigious law school UNTIL one day, I will leave its portals😖😖😖

YEsirreeee, I grabbed this poster because I visualized my situation then in this one-liner.  I had to give up my own aspirations of becoming a lawyer because I had to accept very tempting and juicy offer from SHELL to join their technology group [even at the entry-level].  You might wonder HOW did I reach that decision? Simple, I run a few iterations of probabilities, doing an apples-to-apples comparison between my law studies versus signing off that job offer and altogether shifting my career track💥💥💥

At that point in time, pragmatism prevailed in me, more than my lifelong cherished dreams to be a lawyer.  BUT you might ask me, was that the HARDEST TRUTH?  YESireeeee, it was because I was giving up my lifelong dream and I knew then that if I fumble in the technology field, it will be a tall order to go back and start on square one all over again❗❗❗

Our takeaway:  WHILE the old school of thought always framed our mindset towards the logical path, NOT all situations in life can be tackled along those lines.  Just as Julius Caesar was accused of committing an act of treason WHEN he crossed the Rubicon River, my 2-cents here is that once you have made that decision, cross the bridge and move forward because turning back may NOT be favorable for you.  That's FACING THE HARDEST TRUTH [which may NOT be that hard, after all] dude😡😡😡

When Inspiration Dissipates

 

It's a GIVEN.  WHEN INSPIRATION is at its heights, our energy is bursting way beyond the seams.  Imagine those episodes WHEN your feet DON'T seem to be touching the ground and YET, you are leap-frogging with all the leaps and bounds, overcoming obstacles and taking those out as swift and quick like eating cereals for your breakfast.  WAIT TILL INSPIRATION dissipates because that could be a game-changer

I DON'T need to look far. From within me, all throughout my lifelong journety, I always manifested that overflowing INSPIRATION zillions of times.  And WHEN do we often experience that overflowing INSPIRATION?  It's at the start of an initiative, a milestone change, a new environment, a career change and of course, by human nature, right after we receive a job promotion, a hefty salary increase, a new plum job.  NOT to be left out are the milestone changes happening in our life AS LONG AS that milestone change is for the better [and NOT turning things from good to bad, like ending up jobless]

Often times, I would hear someone ask:  HOW can I keep my INSPIRATION up and running, going and very much alive?  Simple answer dude.  Keep focused and keep glued with your genuine NEXT pit stop, NEXT milestone target, NEXT goal. That's the long and short of it.  As long as that NEXT thing is a legitimate and genuine enough, then, you're on the right track on one condition.  You've got to be focused and obsessed enough towards achieving that NEXT goal, NEXT milestone

In real life, though, sustaining that momentum may NOT be that easy and at times, we end up hitting the wall and kabooom, we're stalled, we're 'dead in the water'.  It happened a few times to me in the past.  After one frustration piled up over another recent frustration, I even started questioning myself IF I'm still on the right track.  And the NOT so difficult answer during those times was a loud YES.  BUT here's the catch.  I got off-tracked.  It's akin to being thrown either in purgatory OR in limbo.  HOW did I handle it.  Yes dude, I grabbed this poster because this says it all:  RESET. REFOCUS. REIGNITE💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  INSPIRATION is NOT the 'be all' variable in the equation BUT if you DON'T have it, NOT to downplay things BUT the harsh truth is that you will have a very difficult time climbing up your own 'Mount Rushmore' because INSPIRATION is your trigger, your catalyst that's akin to the car's spark plugs igniting your engine to go full throttle.  WHEN INSPIRATION dissipates, lose no time to turn things around, before that bad situation spirals into a worse situation dude!!!

Are You On Thin Ice?

 

ARE YOU ON THIN ICE?  YES dude, for the longest time, I was ON THIN ICE, more often NOT because I chose to be in that situation.  And NOT because it was my fault.  And at times, NOT because it was the consequence of a judgment call I made. And at times, NOT because of a decision I made.  Sometimes, things are beyond our control.  In a nutshell, we CAN'T be always faulted for being ON THIN ICE.  And the recurring message we're getting from these lifelong experiences is that, life is NOT about your shortfalls, your mistakes, your missteps.  At times, those are the circumstances staring right in front of your face and those are the moments WHEN you're ON THIN ICE because you just CAN'T either ignore OR even run away with it because you've got to deal with it dude👌👌👌

Let's take as an example the deteriorating global climate WHERE we would witness endless natural phenomena overwhelming us.  Those tragic landslides like the one which killed 1,600+ and with 6,000+ still missing in Nepal.  Knock on wood, we pray that there should be less tragic situations like that BUT WHEN it does hit us, let's face it, the situation pushes us right ON THIN ICE.  Those are situations WHEN there's NO turning around, NO way out, NO exit option BUT instead, you've got to deal with it, right in your face!!!

LIKE when flooded roads are right there stopping us.  Your take?  Obviously, wait till the flood level becomes tolerable with 'low risk' to the car's engine.  Lesson there?  DON'T force upon yourself situations WHICH are way beyond your control anyways.  NOW, WHAT happens if we have much bigger goals and YET it's next to impossible for you to achieve and attain it?  LIKE you have your aspirations to tuck under your belt an academic degree coming from one of the Ivy League universities BUT WHAT IF today, the financial pre-requisites are way beyond your reach?  What's your FIX then?  Do you just cancel and throw away that Ivy League dream?  NO sirrrrrs, instead you will buy time and bide your time until it becomes the 'near-perfect' timing for you to take the plunge.  Word of caution:  DON'T take the plunge out of sheer pressure❎❎❎

In those situations WHERE you temporarily shelve your much bigger goals, WHAT will keep you busy?  OR do you just want to enjoy your idle time till it's ripe for you to 'Cross the Rubicon'?  NO sirrrrrs.  NEVER waste your time idle.  SO HOW?  Figure out those much smaller and more modest goals WHICH you can pursue and likely achieve as early as now.  True, BIG wins and BIG goals are the best things in life but successes in life are NOT and will NEVER be confined to the BIGness of goals and successes.  Even SMALL WINs matter too and if those SMALL WINs will pile up over it, it aggregates approximately to those BIG WINs and BIG successes.  WHAT is crucial here is NEVER to waste that element of time.  Even when you're ON THIN ICE, that does NOT shield you from the obvious need to grind, grind and grind.  Keep grinding dude, WHATEVER it takes because one day, you will eke out even one small win after another small win until it aggregates to a BIG WIN💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  The consistent message we're imparting here is MOMENTUM.  That is very key.  DON'T lose MOMENTUM as much as you can because from an 'effort perspective', in Physics, physicist will vouch that you would need mass + velocity as you need to apply a 'net external force', to borrow the Physics jargon.  Our dilemma is, at times, there are 'lost opportunities' during those times we're caught ON THIN ICE.  BTW, time that slips is time lost and there's no other way we can recoup LOST time and LOST opportunities even WHEN we're ON THIN ICE😡😡😡

Awareness Is That 'LOW HANGING FRUIT', After All!

 

Almost throughout our years, we were reared and schooled to be taught with the foundations and rudiments of knowledge because, as the old school says, that will lead and bring us to greater heights.  No doubt about it, that is rightfully true.  BUT, without nitpicking, I would opine that even sans the adequacy of one's foundational knowledge, WHAT becomes more telling and compelling is AWARENESS itself.  Let me toss up this giveaway bonus question.  HOW much time and effort will we need to  achieve one's level of AWARENESS when 'juxtapositioned' to that level of acquiring all the necessary and adequate knowledge and information?  Likely, there is a huge divide there considering that AWARENESS is often up for our picking, sometimes dangling and swaying right in front our nose, seriously💚💛💜

Simply put, AWARENESS is NOT even like rocket science WHERE you need to sweat it out.  Instead, AWARENESS can be as simple as A-B-C and 1-2-3 because as it is, it is right there, sticking out and standing out.  The onus is upon us to recognize that that thing does exist at that moment.  And that's the big elephant more often looming right behind our back and worse, at times, we seem to be mimicking that big elephant in the room❗❗❗

I've witnessed people getting off-tracked NOT because of their mediocrity BUT all simply because of their huge miss when it comes to AWARENESS.  Reality is, AWARENESS is all-encompassing.  It could be AWARENESS of your community, your domestic situation, your workplace environment, your business situation and even the unique standings of your relationships cutting across and beyond one's immediate families, workplace and the like.  Take away AWARENESS from the equation, you are likely having a recipe for a looming failure if NOT disaster❎❎❎

WHAT IF we ignore embracing AWARENESS?  This has serious ramifications because, first off, that positions oneself to a spot that is NOT within the realm of reality, of what is the truth and factual.  I commiserate with people I've come to know up close simply because there was something insufficient OR lacking in their AWARENESS of the situation they were in.  And that was another recipe for disaster in the making, so to speak💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  WHILE life is NOT really a 'bed of roses', a lot of those challenges we would seem to struggle can be traced back to our inability to reinforce our AWARENESS of things.  BTW, reinforcing our AWARENESS does NOT need any resources, e.g. money OR time but instead, it is part of our character and discipline in life that plays a huge part in flipping the results to either the favorable or unfavorable side.  Sadly, I've witnessed enough failures in life, all because the person's AWARENESS level was way below the threshold level for him to eke things out.  But the sadder part in those fumbling acts is the fact that the people who ended up fumbling and stumbling were at the right place at the right time.  And if there was a gaping hole they fell through, it's that need for them to grab that LOW HANGING FRUIT, right on their face😡😡😡

When Things Are In Turmoil

 

When THINGS ARE IN TURMOIL, WHAT happens next?  Good question, dude.  And WHILE scenarios can run through the 360 degrees of probabilities, let's KISS [Keep It Simple, s____] dude.  It's either we accept things as they are OR reject and walk away OR remain oblivious and just ignore AS IF nothing seems to be bothering you, ouch [WHICH is regrettable because that is akin for one to refuse to accept the reality one is facing.  And this is WHEN things really complicate because for every setting, there are, at the very least, three probabilities that may just spring up.  To WHICH path OR road you will take, it will be your 'judgment call' [BUT we hope that you did endeavor to come up with your 'best judgment' dude💚💛💜

I remember those volatile times WHEN I transitioned from the academe over to the workplace.  I [wrongly] thought that things would be seamless, just akin to crossing the street [safely enough after going through the motions of stop, look and listen.  BUT alas, I was proven wrong during those times❎❎❎

WHILE I was like a fragile chick at that time with wet ears to boot, I did notice that my situation during that time was rolling up before my eyes almost on a recurring basis all over the place.  LIKE WHEN folks are so obsessed with the future?  And WHILE, per se, there is nothing wrong with it, once we start getting pulled with that unrelenting obsessions over the UNKNOWNs in the future, the die is cast.  You can end up locked-in BUT locked-out.  Without being pessimistic, extricating oneself once we're in the doldrums is a tough act to replicate across.  So, all along, the recurring and common culprit here are the UNKNOWNs of the future.  BUT the compounded question is, HOW much and HOW far can we influence OR shape up the UNKNOWNs of futures???

Over the years, I stumbled across very compelling spiels that somehow helped me get over those 'humps'.  LIKE letting go of CONTROL.  In the past, I easily and quickly succumbed to that CONTROLLING habit, which I [wrongly thought then as a-ok.  And you might ask, HOW did that CONTROLLING habit spring out from within me?  I realized that, without fault-finding, I had more of those memorable experiences WHERE most of the time, I had my way akin to the stars aligning in my favor.  Unfortunately, that led me to evolve into that character-building that CONTROLLING is the way to go.   WHAT led me to that mindset?  I'll blame my string of successes in the past WHERE often times, I had my way💧💧💧

Our takeaway:  One hard but enduring lesson I picked up through those times in turmoil is that accepting things is the way to go towards achieving that [sometimes] elusive INNER PEACE.  Unless we reach to a point where we unshackle ourselves from being locked-in and locked-out WHILE living in TURMOIL, that TURMOIL can reach a boiling point WHERE we will be hard pressed to handle things.  WHATEVER kind of circumstances prevailing into your respective situations, it is endeavoring to embrace that INNER PEACE that will leave us to the very doorstep that will lead us a step outside that 'war room' where survival becomes the solitary goal.  But hey, WHEN THINGS ARE IN TURMOIL, generally, things are NOT bad as it seems NOT until we mishandle things and getting 'hostaged' by the UNKNOWNs of the future, ouch😡😡😡