If Only We Listen More [And Talk Less?]?

 

From almost every region in the world [except at the Nordic Region WHERE they remain as calm and as peaceful ever], everywhere else there's either a brewing problem OR problems itself have exacerbated into full-blown conflicts.  Taiwan Straits.  Ukraine. Yemen.  Pakistan.  India.  Cambodia-Thailand Border.  And of course the latest hotspot being Iraq and the Gaza Strip WHERE Palestine is📗📙📘

Oh yes, we're not even dipping into the icy cold relationships between the U.S. versus that axis of China and Russia. Anyways, I am no expert in Geopolitics so we WON'T talk about it.  At hindsight though, I thought that much of all these conflicts are happening because there's too much blah-blah-blah from the opposite sides of each fence.  If only those protagonists spent more time LISTENING???

Think about it, would you agree that probably our global village will be less conflicted if parties spent more time LISTENING rather than indulge in all the bluster and posturing?  That's the thing even in our every day life.  The human frailty is that more often than NOT, we prefer to talk and talk BUT WHEN the other party starts to talk, many of our eardrums seem to shut off.  WHICH is regrettable WHEN it does happen😡😡😡

Up close, I've known people WHO are giftted with the gab, so WHEN it happens you're with them, give them the floor, and they will go on and on.  WHEN finally they pull to a stop, once you start saying your piece, your supposed listener is so embroiled in his/her smartphone AS IF that device is receiving a 999 call alert BUT the truth is, there are folks WHO are NOT just poor LISTENERS BUT are non-LISTENERS💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  My wishful thinking is that our global villages are populated with more ACTIVE LISTENERs than those gifted with the gab.  Please note that I'm intentionally pegging my wish for ACTIVE LISTENERs [and NOT just LISTENERs] because, like the Red Sea, there is a huge divide between an ACTIVE LISTENER versus a PASSIVE one.  BTW, there are more PASSIVE LISTENERs [that includes folks WHO are talking to you and YET, they are literally glued and engaged on their smartphone.  Haist, IF ONLY WE LISTEN MORE [and TALK LESS]💚💛💜

Tough Times DON'T Last [BUT Tough People Do]

 

This one-liner 'TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO' has been true 99% of the time BUT WHAT is unsaid here is the fact that those TOUGH TIMES do take its toll even on the toughest person.  We've seen OR witnessed world-class and very competitive sportsmen WHO are in deep trainings prior to a fight OR contest ONLY TO LOSE in that contest.  In the post-mortem, the defeated competitor then admits that prior to that fight OR contest, he was bothered with internal problems [e.g. law suits being filed against him] and that impacted NOT just his mental health BUT his state of mind.  Of course, a devil's advocate will blurt out that that's an excuse and alibi no less.  BUT during those 'down moments', can we give him the benefit of the doubt???

Surely, WHEN it comes to life, we can have blanket guarantees that TOUGH TIMES will come [if it has NOT hit you yet].  That's a reality every single person has to go through in life [and that lincludes scions of the rich and famous WHO were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.  BUT WHAT separates the people WHO make it through those TOUGH TIMES and those WHO DON'T is HOW they handle things during those trying times.  And the people WHO make it through are the ones we can tag as TOUGH [if NOT TOUGH enough].  One misconception about TOUGHNESS is that they are OR seem to be immune from the pain that goes with it.  NO sirrrrs, being TOUGH DOESN'T mean you WON'T go through THAT pain, THAT you DON'T stumble, THAT you DON'T shed tears, THAT you DON'T agonize.  Being TOUGH means NEVER GIVING UP even during those times💥💥💥

As there is no simple formula for being TOUGH, we are always told to keep pushing forward even WHEN it feels like there is NO point, even WHEN it looks like an effort that will become futile [because HOW sure are we that your attempt will fail?].  WHAT should keep us going is to inculcate this real hard fact:  THOSE TOUGH TIMES will NOT last forever.  And if you are conscious enough that you are TOUGH, that should be a shot in your arm and in your confidence that you will make it through!!!

SO HOW?  If there is a LESSON #1 I learned early in life, it is to consistently embrace my inner strength during those TOUGH TIMES as I can attest that in at least 90% of those trying times, it did help me get through those TOUGH TIMES and at the end of the road, I remained standing [albeit bruised, black and blue] BUT very much standing on my own feet.  True, those trying times did test my innermost foundations, and I realized then that if there is one power I had then, it was the power to choose HOW should I react to those TOUGH TIMES, which means, I could let it defeat myself OR use it as a platform to be stronger and more resilient in the face of it.  Heard of narratives WHEN flash floods hit a residential community, one family member was able to carry out from the floods all by himself the refrigerator BUT after the floods, he was surprised HOW he did it😗😗😗

Our takeaway:  In the midst of trying times, do allow yourself to feel WHATEVER emotions would surface BUT DON'T get stuck in them.  That huge faux pas happened to me once in the past as I then started to beat up myself for feeling down, allowing [I'll say I was condoning] myself to dwell on the negative thoughts hovering all over me then. WHILE trusting that you will eventually get through those TOUGH TIMES, coming out stronger on the other side will need you to summon all your remaining energies and positivity because TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO💚💛💜

Does Time Heal The Wounds?

 

DOES TIME HEAL THE WOUNDS?  Everyone of us did experience pain, disappointment, heartbreak, OR even one level of trauma OR another.  WHO did not anyways?  And well-meaning people will assure us that that pain will eventually fade with time.  That proposition has been shot down many times by experts WHO claim that that's untrue and no less than a fallacy.  WHY?  Because there is NO evidence that time heals wounds!@#$%?

WHAT is of common understanding is that time indeed helps in healing the wounds.  Everyone is a first-hand witness HOW time has become a factor in healing wounds.  BUT WHO will claim that time alone heals those wounds?  All the experts will scream and howl that NO WAY time heals on its own, never at all.  First of, the nature of the wound OR pain can affect as to HOW time influences the healing process.  In one study, researchers found that time did have an effect on whether people were willing to forgive an interpersonal transgression.  As time passed, people became more likely to forgive, suggesting that time played a role in healing that hurt.  BUT numerous researches proved as well that time alone does NOT heal the wounds.  In one study, bereaved people had high levels of prolonged grief even one to two years after the death of a loved one💥💥💥

The bigger and lingering question was WHAT was time's actual role in healing those wounds?  Psychologists wanted to equate time to an opportunity such that how someone heals over time ultimately depends on HOW they decide to use that opportunity to shape their present and even future circumstances.  LIKE people can use time to gain insights, have a healthier relationship and a more positive orientation leaning towards growth [instead of that 'stagnation' WHEN we observe that to people WHO are facing that enormous difficulty of overcoming grief, pain OR trauma.  In the end, some successful case studies proved that people would use time as an opportunity to collect experiences that orient them toward their values and dilute OR challenge difficult experiences!!!

Those positive orientations could be, amongst others, connecting with well-meaning friends, developing new relationships [NOT necessarily romantic ones], or push themselves to get engaged in activities WHICH they will find to be rewarding and helpful enough in their 'healing process'.  In a nutshell, TIME and TIME itself will and cannot guarantee that wounds will be fully healed.  Instead, we've got to reorient ourselves, if possible, redefine the 'rules of engagement' that can keep us keenly interested and engaged until you realize that you're over the hump [BUT a word of caution here, this WON'T happen overnight]❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  One trap that can turn a bad situation to a worse one is RUMINATION WHEN reflection does NOT integrate thought and emotion.  Clinical experts defined RUMINATION as usually ALL emotion OR ALL thought.  Whereas, a healthy reflection integrates both the emotion and the thought to help us gain new inroads towards grasping and achieving a much better clarity in our healing process.  So, DOES TIME HEAL WOUNDS?  Partly YES BUT never depend on time because it is you WHO will drive things to heal💖💖💖

Time To Face Our Mirror?

 

Let's start off our day with a bonus question.  WHAT is the most difficult question we can ask ourselves?  YES you got it, examining our very own FLAWS is actually NOT the easiest thing to do.  You can challenge me on this but it's no mean feat as we innately resist looking at our truly negative qualities and traits, more as a matter of psychological self-preservation.  Accepting this explanation pushes us to a corner though📗📙📘

SO HOW?  HOW can we identify our own flaws [a.k.a. truly negative qualities] without seemingly punching ourselves then?  Frankly, for us to uncover our own faults and flows would need a big dose of courage and maturity, all rolled into one.  I came across a passage from Practical Psychology WHICH says:  THE SHADOW IS A MORAL PROBLEM THAT CHALLENGES THE WHOLE EGO-PERSONALITY FOR NO ONE CAN BECOME CONSCIOUS OF THE SHADOW WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE MORAL EFFORT.  Indeed, this is a tough call we need to face as there is no way to look the other direction💚💛💜

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung opined that each of us has that hidden layer of NEGATIVITY and denial known as the 'SHADOW'.  And that SHADOW is anathema to the face we show the world every day WHICH Jung coined as our PERSONA.  And that we wear that PERSONA as a mask to hide our ugly tendencies from public sight, ouchhhh.  And here comes the expert psychotherapists WHOSE main goal is to ingrate that SHADOW into our conscious personality, for us to acknowledge and accept it, thus becoming more authentic in the process.  Psychologists claim that we humans love to divide, classify and categorize things in our lives and about one another💥💥💥

Researches also showed that everyone of us do harbor our own respective 'demons'.  And the darkest part of our minds make up some of the most important parts of our identities.  BUT for the majority of our lives, social and private, we tend to repress those 'darkest things' that deeply define us.  And those studies did draw ourselves to that concept of the PERSONA!!!

Our takeaway:  From a philosophical standpoint, I'll opine that we need to reconcile with our respective SHADOWS because the harder we fight against it, the deeper those UNSEEN ones get more obscured. And I think the key here is for us to embrace that reality and figure out how to come up with a balanced way to express it in our daily life.  And WHILE that inevitably is a long, confusing, tiring and repetitive process, the result of its success is that 'harmony' with things we are sometimes denied.  True, accepting one's SHADOWS is crucial to complete acceptance of ourselves.  Truth is, our own DARKNESS makes us WHO we are, just as much as our goodness does.  TIME TO FACE OUR MIRROR, dude😡😡😡

Will 'GOOD THINGS' Come To Those Who Wait?

 

So sorry, I spoiled this poster because I just DON'T agree with it.  HOW often do we hear:  GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT  Seriously?  Everytime I heard that, I'll blurt out:  WHAAAT?  WHAT world are you living in dude?  The whole 'GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT' notion is no less than a fallacy for most of us.  The truth is that WHAT most of us experience is that doors DON'T just open and good things DON'T just come because we wait for them✅✅✅

Personally, I DON'T presume to know that this HASN'T been and is NOT the truth for someone, somewhere, somehow.  Maybe good things have come to some WHO have just waited.  Maybe doors have indeed just magically opened for some?  I accept that sometimes this might be true for the people WHO said them, WHO came up with them OR coined them.  Maybe that was their reality?  BUT it's NOT mine though and it ISN'T the reality for any accomplished ones I know❌❌❌

WHAT's interesting and WHAT pushes my curiosity farther and deeper is HOW and WHAT drives some people to excel, WHAT motivates their discipline and WHAT steps have they taken to realize their dreams?  WHAT I learned though is that successful and fulfilled people are NOT waiting for things to happen. Peope WHO are working in their dream careers are NOT waiting for anything to happen.  Instead, they pay the price.  HOW?  They hustle💥💥💥

Let me blurt things out here.  Waiting for good things to happen and hoping for someone to open a door to open reflects that passive and undetermined path towards one's success [and just the thought of it leaves me feeling so powerless, honestly].  I read this in one of our literary pieces before:  THE DREAM IS REAL BUT THE HUSTLE IS SOLD SEPARATELY.  Dude, that is NO LESS than a brutally frank statement.  SO HOW?  We just have to step up and lead our own journeys, create our own experiences and carve our own paths.  True, that is NOT a trial rehearsal, a pre-test OR practice exam.  This is it, dude😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  This thread poses more questions for us.

WHO really wants to sit around waiting for something?

WHO among us is waiting around for the door to open?

WHO wants to yield all of his power to someone's whims?

True, sometimes miracles do happen [BUT those are very extremely rare outliers].  In those very rare instances, maybe a door will indeed get opened to us out of the blue.  Want to wait for those outliers?  Go ahead, good luck dude BUT should we NOT pay the price to make things happen?  Much as hope is good, even hope itself requires action so I strongly belief we need to go out there and hustle.  After all, GOOD THINGS DON'T COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT!!! 

Life Risks

 

LIFE RISKS, indeed this is kind of boring stuff to talk about.  BUT again, LIFE is about RISK.  Everyday is a RISK.  BUT to live a life aligned to our dreams, every RISK which takes us near our life's dream are worth taking.  So, do we worry RISK-taking in life?  If we're answering in the affirmative, NOT to be sounding like an alarmist, BUT we got to change our perception about RISK.  BTW, WHAT I observed a very common disconnect is the negative connotation RISK brings along its time that 4-letter word is heard💚💛💜

BUT can we agree that NOT all RISKS in life are indeed RISKY!!!  And ironically, WHAT is often missed out that during those times WHEN we decide NOT to take on OR face the RISKs, that itself could be a RISKY decision.  Thing is, in life, some RISKS are worth managing but some RISKS are worth taking to live a meaningful life.  No less than Facebook and Meta top honcho Mark Zuckerberg was well quoted:  THE ONLY STRATEGY THAT IS GUARANTEED TO FAIL IS NOT TAKING RISKS😡😡😡

If welook around, WHY are there INSURANCE companies?  They are there to give us the cover and [financial] protection from RISKS.  BUT here's a $64 question:  Do we need those INSURANCE companies for every RISK we will face in life?  NO sirrrrrrs.   There's a long list of RISKs WHICH we should be talking and taking in life in order to live our life without regret.  And taking those RISKs will cost us NONE, NADA, KEILNER!!!

• PURSUE YOUR DREAM - True, that could be RISKY and many things can go wrong.  Your $$$$, your career, your family, everything can be at RISK BUT those are the RISKs worth taking.  The most frequent regretful words I heard a zillion times is:  I SHOULD HAVE blah blah blah 
• CAREER RISK - Fact is, many people dislike their jobs and I guess this is a widespread feeling, that fear of changing their jobs, that fear NOT getting a suitable job
• RISK of FAILING - This paralyzes one to take action.  And WHAT's missed often is that only by failing will one eventually succeed as failing teaches us more

Our takeaway:  As we all have our own comfort zones, 'MOVING OUT' and 'MOVING AWAY' from it is the way to go IF you want to move ahead in life and take on the RISKs that get into your way.  With your courage, you are expanding your comfort zone as your courage is your willingness to take RISKs.  YES YES yowww, life is about RISK.  In fact, every day is a RISK.  Even crossing the street right next to your home exposes you to the RISK of being ran over by vehicles.  So, would you rather get stuck in your home!@#$%?

Whatever It Takes, EQ It Is!

 

Recently, I attended a clinic hosted by a well-reputed resource in Psychology and the event started off with him instructing us to do these:

• To close eyes & sit quietly in a comfortable position 
• Bring to mind something a little sad [BUT NOT much]
• Observe as to where in your body you feel sadness
• Place a hand @ that part of your body in a caring way
• Repeat the above steps BUT substitute different emotions for sadness like fear, anger and joy

Immediately after the exercise, I DIDN'T wait for another second to raise my hand and with that curiosity, I asked for WHAT was that exercise for.  The host enlightened us that increasing our awareness of these bodily sensations is key to becoming more EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT.  And WHEN we examine our emotions carefully, we see that they consist of a bodily sensation accompanied by a thought, an image OR both💚💛💜

Apparently, the more clearly we can recognize emotions in our bodies, the more clearly we know WHEN a feeling is arising within us.  Surprisingly, our resource said that sensations can serve as an 'early warning signal' for problematic OR negative emotions that we might NOT want to act on automatically.  LIKE for instance, imagine your spouse OR partner says something that upsets you in front of your close friends.  Take a moment to feel those sensations of anger in your body, BUT DON'T react OR say something [NOT EVEN take action] right away BUT instead wait a few moments till you can think clearly first way before you take that action OR reaction❎❎❎

Sometimes, people do end up mixing up IQ versus EQ [emotional quotient]  BUT they are simply poles apart as EQ is crucial for us to be navigating life effectively both in our personal and even professional life.  That then allows us to understand and manage our own emotions as well as recognize and even influence the emotions of others.  WHAT's sometimes lost in the maze is the fact that it more often, it takes 2 to tango.  The way you react will influence HOW the other party may react.  That's WHEN EQ kicks in💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  True all these are easier said than done BUT let's take stock of things.  If between 2 parties, if both can leverage on their acceptable EQ levels, it's like those interest incomes we either earn [in our bank accounts] OR those interest charges [in a bank loan] WHERE the amount compounds and multiplies.  That goes true WHEN that positive EQ kicks in, it will likely lead to better, clearer communications then leading towards better relationships [WHEN even gaps OR frictions are averted].  So, this all boils down to us asking ourselves if we recognize the emotion we are feeling?  And can we manage those feelings WITHOUT allowing them to swamp you?  If we responded in the affirmative to all these, it is likely that your EQ is NOT in a 'bad state' that needs to be repaired OR reversed.  Boring as it may sound, we need to increase and improve our EQ capability.  Ooops, advanced HAPPY VALENTINE's Day to our readership😀😀😀

Stuck OR Stalled?

 

WHO says we're destined to be stuck up OR stalled?  That's fiction and baloney NO LESS.  It's true we've seen OR witnessed some helpless OR hapless souls in that predicament BUT except for outliers, many of them were a huge factor for the reasons as to WHY they are either stuck up OR stalled in a place WHERE they would have wanted to leave [be it the workplace, business, relationships OR any of our societal collaborations]📗📙📘

Here's the thing though.  As humans, we have emotions and many times, we get attached a lot to things and WHEN it's time for the new things, we just CAN'T leave behind the old ones.  Even WHEN it's time for us to evolve, many times, we tend to stick to that old, rickety plan.  Our reason:  WHY FIX WHEN IT AIN'T BROKE, right?  Nope, that's very wrong dude.  Thing is, life punches us like anything and if we're NOT going to change, life is going to change you at any cost [even at your cost, in fact]😡😡😡

True, that evolution process is NOT easy and sometimes, it seems 'unpalatable' if NOT unattractive.  BUT eventually, WHEN crunch time comes, WHEN it becomes decision-point, we have to leave things behind and one many times, even our own emotions become one of those collateral damages WHEN we feel like something is being taken away from us [against our own will].  BUT hey, one hard lesson I did learn through the years is that life never fails to give us things behind.  And then our emotions get hurt.  LIKE we feel something is being taken away from us.  BUT dude, life never fails to give us things back with better interest.  And this cycle continues with time💚💛💜

BUT WHAT's the best part?  IF you are leaving something now, you will get things back with loads of interest.  YESSSS, life ISN'T meant to be lived in a boring way.  Because we DIDN'T come here to get into the boring things.  Question for us.  Just one life and you want to waste it in a boring stuff?  Frankly, even psychologists claim that we humans are meant for adventure.  Without it, it's like life is half-dead [WHICH we DON'T want at any cost, right]?  YES, if it's time to literally take that adventure initiative, go for it💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Before some of us will feel daunted, we DON'T have to do all things in just one go!  BUT we should NOT veer into those 'boringness'  because even the experts are egging us to beat our old self.  Then, we call it progress.  BUT even then, we should NOT even aim for results to come out like that 'Big Bang' Theory because nature has its plans for us.  And as they say, it DOESN'T fail to add up some 'flavor' to our lives.  Simply put, it's framing our mindset, that we're NOT leaving for new things BUT if hear ramblings around, let it be, because they are eventually pushing you to WHERE you plan to go and let that be your 'Smart Alec move' and be gently reminded that there is NO perfect time to leave BUT everything boils down to our inner guts.  GO WITH YOUR GUTS, make things happen😁😁😁

Can Life Be Easier Than What We Think?

 

Describe life WHATEVER way you want it BUT as this poster goes, LIFE IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK.  BUT I do agree that there could be problems with wanting LIFE TO BE EASY.  This ISN'T intended to be a post in support of drudgery OR making life difficult for yourself.  Frankly, I'm all for doing things in the most straightforward and simplest way, HOWEVER, believing that life should be inherently easy and straightforward is often a fast pass to dissatisfaction, frustration OR worse, anger OR worst, even depression.  True, sometimes things will come easily to you and it is indeed important for us to enjoy those parts of our life that seem to slot into place.  HOWEVER, WHEN people assume that things should [REALLY?] come easily and [STILL?] believe at some level that the core aspects of life such as relationships and work should generally be plain sailing, it often leads to feeling cheated📗📙📘

Furthermore, it can also feel AS IF there is something wrong with you if you find certain parts of your life that challenging while other people seem to sail through it, right?  Finding things difficult can somehow become a fault OR even worse, an indemic character flaw OR defect.  Then, understandably, this often leads to people giving up OR can contribute to a perpetual sense of failure.  Relationships end because sometimes the parties involved feel 'too difficult'💚💛💜

So, WHERE does the belief that life should run smoothly come from?  Let's dip into some life hacks in our sleeves dude.  LIKE WHEN someone raises their voice.  True, each one of us did raise our voice at one point OR another in the past BUT having said that, yelling is NOT healthy for any relationship NOR is it a great way to yield healthy results💥💥💥

I remember one of Mark Twain's poems saying "ANGER IS AN ACID THAT CAN DO MORE HARM TO THE VESSEL IN WHICH IT IS STORED THAN ANYTHING ON WHICH IT IS POURED".  BUT before we react prematurely, we need to understand WHY someone is yelling and we need to be thoughtful as to HOW we will react to that yelling.  YES, in the end, it is the right and appropriate approach that can likely help diffuse an ongoing friction that seems to conflagrate.  In the quickest way, NEVER AGREE to someone's arguments you totally agree to it.  I've known first hand people WHO are so conciliatory, ending up to be nodding WHEN he does NOT agree to it😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Looking back, I'd admit many times I was in those 'downtimes' and WHAT happened next, you can guess it right now, I ended up anxious and stressed.  My way out?  I grabbed my paper and pen, scribbled anything and everything I wanted to blurt out.  Psychologists have coined this as 'expressive writing' as you literally express out your inner thoughts and feelings with NO filtering.  Trust me, it can be an effective way of engaging with our bottled-up emotions WHICH, in turn, releases stress and would even boost our mental health.  So, CAN LIFE BE EASIER THAN WHAT WE THINK???

Keep Your Eye On The Ball

 

WHETHER you're into sports, in business OR even in your personal life, allow me to piggy-back on this age-old quote:  KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL.  Let's start with our careers.  When we were like the upstarts @ the workplace, FUN would have prevailed on us many times [and that's just fine] BUT sometimes, things get stretched to the extent that our eyes get caught up with another thing other than the ball WHICH we need to focus on, UNTIL we lose sight of the ball.  Guess WHAT happens WHEN you lose sight of the ball📗📙📘

From our career, let's sneak into our health.  WHEN we start reaping the initial FRUITS OF LABOR, it's fine we reward ourselves left and right BUT sometimes, WHAT gets sorely missed [OR I'll bluntly say IGNORED] is our health.  Unlimited booze, chain-smoking, frequent late nights and long-night sorties even on a Monday OR Tuesday [WHO says we should only sing TGIF during Fridays?].  Count years OR to be realistic even a decade OR two after, let us hope that that kind of a 'high risk' lifestyle DIDN'T take its toll on your health?  I really pray and hope so BUT I've been through tons and tons of narratives WHERE, many years after, we would be saddened with very bleak updates with regard deteriorating health conditions of people WHO we know up close through the years.  Question is:  Can we still arrest that alarming skid?  Absolutely can BUT if at all, we got to start it early in the game and for the duration of the game we're playing, KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL because if you breach and miss that ball, you might miss the ballgame itself💚💛💜

Business are NOT different from our health and our career.  Businesses, WHETHER we're talking of small-scale endeavors OR the big-time ones, FOCUS is required and that is needed from the time you kickstart your bright and brainy idea until you kickoff that business and for the duration of it, KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL, no exception💥💥💥

Let's swing over to relationships.  I've witnessed first-hand the known diasporas of people working 10,000 miles away from their home country, to earn a living, to support his family and so on.  And I'd say roughly 95% of those very legitimate purposes are achieved.  Fast-forward 10 to 20 years later, can you guess how did things develop and evolve after the dutiful breadwinner steadfastly ensured attending to all his 'financial commitments' to his family?  Many families have been negatively impacted by these labor diasporas because WHAT's missed there is the fact that if the breadwinner is 10,000 miles, there is a good chance he CAN'T KEEP HIS EYE ON THE BALL [even these days with all the Zoom and MS Teams] and before the breadwinner finds out the end-result, the kids he raised [albeit remotely] have grown up off-track, misguided at least😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Anywhere and everywhere, there is always the BALL we need to KEEP AN EYE.  No one is shielded OR exempted from this imperative.  If we will compile all the travails and tribulations at least amongst people we know, I am very confident that we will secure an uncontestable consensus that we all need to KEEP AN EYE ON THE BALL for the duration of the ballgame we are checked in [UNLESS we want to get derailed OR off-tracked in our journey?  It's NOT too much to ask dude, for us to KEEP AN EYE ON THE BALL, right???