Do We Settle With MORE SMOKE Than FIRE?

 

DO WE SETTLE WITH MORE SMOKE THAN FIRE?  Obviously, NO ONE wants FIRE BUT here's the BUT.  DO WE SETTLE WITH [just] MORE SMOKE?  WHAT is NOT so crystal clear to many of us that literally speaking, SMOKE more than FIRE kills.  And figuratively speaking, in life, the widespread misconception is that those 'FIRES IN LIFE' kill, something that is way off mark because the reality is, SMOKE, more than fire, kills.  That's the harsh truth in fact💥💥💥

Listening from the fireman's best practices, we can as well apply their best practices even in our real life WHERE at times, we [wrongly] fear FIRES more than t.  And WHILE FIRES itself are a scary topic to even discuss, the truth of the matter is that before a situation turns into a real FIRE, there is that billowing SMOKE WHICH by itself presents us the opportunities to 'nip things in the bud' by looking and identifying for the very source of that SMOKE.  In real life, we are counselled to step back, wait for the visibility to improve [in case the billowing SMOKE has really hampered the overall visibility] and then, let's deal only with facts instead of ending up in a state of panic💥💥💥

In life, way before couples divorced, business partners part ways, entrepreneurs rescind contracts and even reaching out for judicial settlement of court cases, the protagonists would have always passed through lots of billowing smoke until the visibility becomes so poor and impaired.  An apples-to-apples comparison here are divorced couples.  Statistics showed that at least 90% of divorces  showed its tell-tale signs of things going offtrack way early before the protagonists finally agreed to cut the umbilical cord.  If we look back at many situations that ended in breakups, divorces, corporate dissolutions and even acrimonious judicial litigations, bad situations could have been addressed for them NOT to turn worse.  And that's WHERE the SMOKE stuff gets into the picture

The thing is, we should never, AS IN, never wait for smoke to turn worse into a fire.  At that point WHEN the situation has worsened, it will take double or triple the efforts expected in the previous bad situation.  WHY wait for things to worsen?  Will bad situations in life dissipate and die a natural death?  Sadly, that will NOT likely happen.  That's akin to a medical condition and you're hoping your illness will be cured without taking corrective action.  Instead, we can guarantee you that if you leave a bad situation AS IS, the likelihood is that it will go down south and just worsen.  Regrettably, I've been there, had that and admittedly, it was bad.  Once you fail to lift your finger, you can be assured that that bad situation will move on to its next phase as a worse situation, with more ramifications staring on you

Our takeaway:  Let us NOT devalue OR worse, ignore SMOKE because more than FIRE, SMOKE could be the major intersection you need to cross and if you take a fatal misstep, it could be fatal enough.  Thing is, let us NOT wait for things to worsen as that only butttresses our case that UNLESS you execute 'quick fix', you might even end up empty-handed, ouch😡😡😡

When Life Gives You Lemons, MAKE LEMONADE!

 

When Life Gives You Lemons, MAKE LEMONADE! Seriously, LIFE gives us lots and lots of wins, both BIG WINs and SMALL WINs.  BUT oooops, it's NOT all about WINs, big OR small.  Some downturns do happen.  In fact and in truth, many downturns happen as much as many WINs happen.  And those downturns can either be bad or challenges that we had to face up front.  Look here dude.  For many countries WHO are blessed to have real legitimate summer seasons, NOT everyday does the sun keep shining and dandy.  There will be gloomy skies from time to time.  Knock on wood, sometimes, natural disasters will get into the way💚💛💜

I remember this poetic one-liner:  WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, YOU CHOOSE THE RECIPE.  Of course, we're NOT talking about lemons.  We're talking about those unexpected things that happen in our life, especially those unfortunate challenges that get into our way.  And the reality is that uncertainty is one of life's only certainties.  Everything else remains uncertain, ouch.  NO matter how much you plan and prepare, surprises will indeed pop up, some good, some bad, some frustrating, some daunting and even may be that tragic BUT their commonality is coming in unexpected👌👌👌

WHAT happens next WHEN these unexpected things hit us?  It will test us to our utmost limits.  Our sheer determination.  Our dogged pursuit.  Our resilience, character, discipline and focused mindset, all rolled into one.  YES, the bottomline is, it is HOW you respond and/or react to the unexpected situation that you're facing.  Obviously and naturally, it's nice WHEN things go according to plan OR at the very least, in our favor.  YES, sometimes, the stars will align in our favor.  Routines, habits, and structure help us stay healthy, happy and grounded.  BUT imagine if every day unfolded exactly as expected, NO surprises, NO deviations.  YES, life will be no less stagnant, predictable and frankly, dull.  Growth happens in moments of disruption.  It's in the unexpected that we stretch, adapt, and build our resilience, WHICH we need down the road💥💥💥

To share a sampling of my 'down' moments, they're quite a handful in the past.  And YES, frankly, I was at the very edge of the cliff, about to give up 'in a snap'.  If someone will press me for an adjective, I would run out of it because it's beyond superlatives.  BUT without getting bogged down to details, several times in the past, WHAT started as a disastrous situation DIDN'T swing-around overnight in 180 degrees BUT I was able to turn things around as an opportunity.  HOW?  I CAN'T recall a quick-fix.  There was just NO ONE SIZE THAT FITS ALL.  BUT if at all, with sheer determination, I told myself that the situation was unacceptable and I had to turn around things in 180 degrees no less.  And with that mindset, I gradually inched forward in swinging things around😗😗😗

Our takeaway: YES dude, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, we always have a choice.  It's NOT something like we are pushed in a corner and our only option left is to give up.  To craft things in a light way, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, how about you make a snack OR just have a good laugh and juggle them.  Either way, it's up to you BUT the bottomline is, you've got to wiggle out and extricate yourself out of that quagmire because defaulting and NOT lifting any finger will mean you are giving up, WHICH, by any perspective, remains unacceptable even to a neutral bystander like me.  Dude, WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE!!!

That 'NUMBERS GAME'!

 

Sadly and quite terrifying, almost all of us have been driven in life based on the NUMBERS GAME.  MORE accolades.  MORE assets.  MORE honors.  MORE milestone successes. MORE headline-grabbing successes that can reverberate across one's communities and its networks.  BUT, without playing like a 'kill joy', can I vociferously pitch that LIFE is NOT and NOT a NUMBERS GAME all the time.  Because that's a stretch that has gone way too far❌❌❌

It's true, metrices established the baselines.  Metrices kind of embedded goals in concrete.  Much as goal posts have been moved from time to time [even midway of a game], even WHEN such metrices are embedded deep.  BUT WHO is to blame for those metrices?  True, we were schooled based on those yardstick measurements laid down by our mentors.  BUT alas, those metrices started to get propagated across the landscape, to a stretch in fact.  Suddenly, you can define your success BUT there's the NUMBERS GAME!!!

You might retort, WHERE does this us to without the NUMBERS GAME?  Dude, did we bury under the bushel of oblivion the boring word spelled as Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y?  Much as QUALITY gets tagged more for QA disciplines in manufacturing industries, there's been a concerning miss that the very essence of QUALITY has been missed out in our daily lives.  How about QUALITY honors instead of zillion of honors?  And QUALITY job roles instead of prestigious plum roles  And QUALITY successes instead of posting in Meta Facebook and IG one recognition after another.  And QUALITY friendships that are meaningful instead of having 10,000 Meta FB friends and 5,000 followers.  And QUALITY celebrations with instead of frequent celebrations with any Tom, Dick and Harry, all for the sake of having celebrations.  Just one too many gaps here💥💥💥

Admittedly, I am eating my words now because sometime back, I was very much deeply engaged in that NUMBERS GAME.  Those times WHEN I was part of the global pre-sales & delivery team, anything and everything was driven by the NUMBERS GAME.  Who's to blame then if our KPI's were dictated by the NUMBERS GAME? And WHEN I veered towards managed services and operations, I taught I had wiggled my way out of the NUMBERS GAME until every powerpoint slide I had always reflected those NUMBERS GAME.  It's all SLA's It's all about service improvement.  Throw in QUALITY, then you've got a hodge-podge of NUMBERS GAMEs💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  While it's a reality that many times in our life journey, it's a NUMBERS GAME, let us NOT get hostaged to those NUMBERS GAME every step of the way.  We need to unshackle ourselves from it and take a more QUALITY than QUANTITY mindset.  At the end of the day, I can assure you that you will be remembered more for the QUALITY instead of those NUMBERS GAME😡😡😡

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!!!