'The Only Way Out Is Through'

 

NOT my line but allow me to quote this one-liner as it hit me right through my nerves:  'The Only Way Out Is Through'.  Regardless if you're just another fellow in the street OR you're a global leader, I'm sure that at few times [multiple times in my case] in your life journey, you would realize you're in that 'deep long tunnel' and there you are, in a quagmire, kind of pushed against the wall, thinking how to wiggle out.  Until your life is so engaged and glued to that dilemma of extricating oneself from that deep fox hole.  Admittedly, in the past, I did find myself in those deep fox holes, several times, I was akin to that 'headless chicken', kind of panicking scampering end-to-end from one direction to another, only to 'huff and puff', gasping to breath as my adrenaline rush only made me more drained😄😄😄

To the credit of Robert Frost, the great American poet, THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH is the best answer to a big chunk of the challenges we face in life.  Put it this way, many times in life, we were in a specific situation because we were complicit, we were part if NOT the 'architect' behind that situation.  THAT situation we were in dire financial straits?  Probably because we drained our coffers?  THAT situation we were in a conflict [WHEN we were supposed to be NOT part of it]💢💢💢

Many times [if NOT most of the time], we were unconsciousy dragged into a situation we DIDN'T had the slightest inkling that we will end up in a challenging situation.  BUT the thing is, once you have 'crossed the bridge', there's NO way to UNDO it.  Instead, let us figure out HOW the hell we can get out of a situation.  SO HOW?  Just my 2-cents.  Firstly, embrace that situation.  You just CAN'T run away from it, dude!  Avoiding OR refusing to recognize that situation you're in right now will only exacerbate and prolong your dilemma.  It worsens the difficulty and before you know it, that pain within just becomes unbearable at some point☝☝☝

So, WHAT IF we stand pat and we refuse to recognize that you're trapped in that deep fox hole?  Dude, for one thing, you'll be running against time, literally speaking.  Knock on wood, that situation may continue to be slipping beyond your fingers, beyond your control, until you might realize you're approaching that 'lowest point'😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Much as technologies have always included that 'UNDO' function, it's a loud NOoooooo in life, there's just NO 'UNDO' because once you're in a situation, THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.  NOT behind it.  NOT over it.  NOT even avoiding it.  This all boils down to gathering your energy and sheer determination, nothing less dude!!!

Is There Such A "FINISH LINE"?

 

Is There Such A "FINISH LINE"?  The thing is, 99.9999999% of us are so FINISH LINE-focused, be it during our school days, at the workplace, in our personal businesses and even in our holidays and social life.  It's like everything has an ENDPOINT where everyone is so darn glued to compete and complete, AS IF we were in the midst of that very competitive annual Boston Marathon.  BUT hey dude, not everything in life is tied-up to the FINISH LINE, not at all☝☝☝

YES YES yowwww, we always [NOT just often] hear that life is a game and it being a game, there's always a FINISH LINE at the end of that game.  Literally and technically, that is true, that is, if we're referring to a competitive game.  BUT alas, people tend to say that life has a beginning, a midpoint and an ENDPOINT.  And then, things get stretched once we hear that FINISH LINE.  BUT here I am, standing squarely on my feet, I'll vociferously argue that there is NO such thing as a FINISH LINE.  True, life forces us to constantly strive for greater things and even as life forces us to NEVER give up and NEVER surrender.  And as long as people believe that they cannot and should NOT stop trying, then we can reinforce our motivation and even sustain that momentum to keep us going💧💧💧

Browsing through my history files, I came across that 1991 Nike commercial with that headline-grabbing title 'THERE IS NO FINISH LINE".  And WHAT I think makes that Nike commercial a standout is that there were NO words spoken OR sung [at all].  Instead, a runner was shown jogging throughout city streets.  And on the buildings the runner passed by, clips of some of the all-time greats were shown💥💥💥

And that reminds me of perfect examples of people who, deep within themselves, believe that there are NO FINISH LINES.  I'll take on NBA's GOAT Michael Jordan and even boxing's Floyd 'Moneyman' Mayweather, they take on every new challenge in life like there is simply NO FINISH LINES ahead!!!

Our takeaway:  Per se, I am NOT aghast and against FINISH LINES because they are normally the catalyst that will trigger our adrenaline rush.  BUT here's the thing.  If we will end up embedding FINISH LINES in every single endeavor we will engage, that is a 'tall order' we CAN'T crack many times more.  WHY?  Because FINISH LINES have the benchmarks and thresholds we need to keep up BUT let's NOT forget we are neither a Superman OR Superwoman.  We've got our own capacities and limits.  WHY measure up to the pre-defined FINISH LINES WHEN you can tailor and customize your own FINISH LINE realistically?  YES there is a FINISH LINE BUT it's for us to define it [and NOT the other way around]😡😡😡

When Is NORMAL Really NORMAL

 

When Is NORMAL Really NORMAL?  Problem is, WHEN something is either seen, observed OR just perceived as common, then it becomes NORMAL.  And that's the huge disconnect is the NOT so obvious fact that even if something is COMMON does NOT mean that it's NORMAL.  WHEN I look around our communities, on the surface, it does NOT seem like there are reverberations beneath that huge disconnect.  It's true our respective societies would show and manifest lots of positivities.  This was even much apparent during the Covid-19 Pandemic WHERE volunteerism sprouted everywhere and obviously, medical researches witnessed its own leaps and bounds with short-term and fast-tracked breakthroughs.  All along, we were witnessing [sometimes NOT so obviously], lots of broken things across☝☝☝

Sadly, it is so effortlessly easy to assume that almost everything is just NORMAL today.  BUT can we agree that if we look around, some of the people we even know first-hand are quite dysfunctional?  Compliant to data privacy, we DON'T need details to openly admit that tjere's too much abuse, divorce [and even de facto separations in countries WHERE legal divorce is difficult [and sometimes costly] to secure.  Add in addictive behavior, we will realize that it's often tagged as far too common [BUT does being COMMON make it that NORMAL?]???

WHEN a plurality [if NOT majority] of marriages end up in the rocks, does that COMMONALITY make it NORMAL?  Of course NOT!  BUT if it's NOT NORMAL, has there been concerted efforts and advocacies to address the unabated increase and worsening of divorce rates across countries?  And in today's internet technologies, the proliferation of pornograhic sites tops the charts and even pedophilia, WHICH used to be a headline-grabbing news before, seems as NORMAL as taking one's regular meals💧💧💧

BUT to me, this boils down to attacking the bull by its very horns.  It behooves that we address the very root cause to rectify things and if it is something that just needs tweaking, then nursing that element back to health.  The worst misstep we can do [or NOT do at all and simply ignore] is to take things at its face value, that is, WHEN things are that common, it becomes NORMAL.  We can start with social media.  While subscribing and following in Meta FB seems just NORMAL, you DON'T subscribe and follow BY DEFAULT at all!!!

 Our takeaway:  Supposedly, we should NOT be wasting our time dissecting as to WHEN is NORMAL REALLY NORMAL.  Breaking it down within semantics, to be NORMAL means it is part of the generally accepted norms, WHETHER it's the old traditional norms or our new societal norms.  So WHAT's the catch?  Simple dude.  Anything that CAN'T be accepted hook, line and sinker and unconditionally embraced with open arms simply points us to the fact that that thing at hand is NOT NORMAL. So, WHEN IS NORMAL REALLY NORMAL😡😡😡

Are We Better off IF WE LISTEN MORE?

 

Are we better off IF WE LISTEN MORE?  Me thinks that way.  BUT the bigger question looming behind that teaser is this:  IS LISTENING DIFFICULT?  Yes, that's a 50% bonus question because half of it is a no-brainer WHILE half of it could a 'tough nut to crack'.  So, WHEN is it damn easy to LISTEN?  YES YES yowwwww, WHEN people are singing praises to us, alongside all the 'Hossanas in the highest' refrains.  It's true indeed, WHEN everything seems shiny and dandy, LISTENING is so effortless.  BUT here comes the tough question.  HOW can the flip side of the coin tell us that it could be difficult to LISTEN?  Been there, went through it and in the past, I'd say roughly half of the time WHEN it was time to LISTEN, I felt loud decibels are noises no less💥💥💥

And if you're now at the edge of your seat, curious enough to hear those moments WHEN admittedly, I was struggling with LISTENING, it was during disconnects that were worsening to become full-blown arguments and conflicts.  There is hardly a difference if the conflict is between global powers OR even between couples.  Each of the protagonists will tend to dig in, take a hardline stance, combative and aggressive to the end.  And even arbitrators will hardly make its mark because often, the protagonists just WON'T listen to anything that he does NOT agree with, WHICH becomes tantamount to NOT LISTENING.  That's the issue of those DIVIDEs☝☝☝

YES, that's WHEN LISTENING IS HARD.  As it turns out, LISTENING is a kind of superpower that, frankly, few people have [BTW count me amongst the majority].  True, everyone of us have heard about active LISTENING and if we approach any counsellor, they will sing the same tune.  And yet, we all know that somehow it just ISN'T as easy as it sounds.  I mean, WHILE technically it is NOT hard, BUT translating it into action and practice may seem to be next to being that impossible indeed💚💛💜

All along, my key realization is that the kind of LISTENING that nurtures intimacy and connection is LISTENING that is deeply rooted in the intention to emphatically and compassionately understand.  More specifically, the intention we have is often to seek to compassionately understand.  BUT unfortunately, perhaps, despite our good faith and best intentions, this precisely becomes the very reason WHY LISTENING IS HARD😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Back to our $64 question.  ARE WE BETTER OFF IF WE LISTEN MORE?  But of course, absolutely dude!  As long as our ego and pride DON'T prevail, I can guarantee that LISTENING MORE makes us better off.  I have enough reasons to believe this stance WHEN I vividly recall those countless moments I was seating across the table with C-levels.  More often, I was doing the talking and they were spending a bigger chunk of that 1-on-1 ACTIVELY LISTENING.  And I'll be the first one to admit that those moments made me BETTER OFF because probably 98% of those times, I did reap the benefits and advantages of people LISTENING MORE.  Really, moot and academic, dude!!!

Build The Strength That Will Last

 

Everyone wants to TICK ALL THE BOXES, right?  Absolutely we all want it.  We want all the STRENGTHs to plug-in whatever chinks and holes we have in our armour BUT hey, that's the trap [where often we get trapped over and over again].  We tend to so immerse in amassing ourselves with as many STRENGTHs as possible [and that's NOT bad] BUT here's the huge BUT.  Is it realistic for you to be angling for all the STRENGTHs?  Nooo sirrrrrrs, you can be angling for it BUT trust me, you will fall short of achieving 100%.  WHY?  Simple.  Because, we can only eat and digest WHAT we can chew.  Beyond that, forget it, tell it to the marines, dude.  In brief, let us BUILD THE STRENGTH THAT WILL LAST [note the SINGULAR form of STRENGTH because we DON'T want to be overly ambitious to the extent that it WON'T be realistic enough💚💛💜

HOW many times have we heard OR witnessed someone having a mile-long list of target goals to strengthen himself.  And BTW that's laudable because many others can only show nothing more than an empty plate, ouch😡😡😡 And I admit, at some point before, I was having that mile-long list as well.  And if you ask me, HOW was my score?  Red-faced, I will admit that I failed miserably, missing more goals than hitting the goals I did set.  In my own post-mortems, I did question myself as to WHERE did I err, HOW I did miss hitting the mark, and WHY in the world I will end up miserably bad WHEN I had all the self-motivation that has driven me on overdrive mode over and over again?  Indeed, during those failed phases in my journey, I never ceased questioning my STRENGTH then???

UNTIL in my deep soul searching, I realized that I wanted to eat more than I can chew.  I [wrongly] thought that I can muster them all.  I was so enamored with myself, thinking that I was gifted with the powers of a potential Superman [of course, I was wrong to believe in fiction in the first place].  NOT until I realized that despite my long list of dream STRENGTHs, some were need-to-have and many more were nice-to-have.  And that was WHERE I got lost in the way, [wrongly] thinking that my long list of STRENGTH goals were all need-to-have.  LIKE being a certified solution architect and at the same time excelling like a chef?  No way 'Jose.  That just WON'T work and indeed it DIDN'T work!!!

YES YES yow, that was my key realization.  Even in my narrowed list of need-to-have STRENGTHs, I learnt [the hard way] that the very STRENGTHs we should indeed prioritize in building as part of our core are those STRENGTHs we need during those 'HARD TIMES'.  And if you ask me WHAT tops my list, it is our darn need to reinforce our RESILIENCE because regardless of the storms we will weather, it is our RESILIENCE that will make OR break us.  It's NOT our domain knowledge OR technical skills that will matter most.  WHAT will carry us on OR break us apart is our RESILIENCE in the midst of our travails😡😡😡

BTW, let's be crystal clear about this.  Developing and embedding RESILIENCE within us does NOT and will NOT guarantee that we will achieve a string of successes in life the way we dreamt it to happen.  So, for that doubting Lothario to ask us WHAT for should we build and reinforce our RESILIENCE, it is plainly obvious.  RESILIENCE will carry us on in our journey, even after hitting one failure after another.  Without that RESILIENCE, someone failing might just wave the white flag right on the spot.  BUT that's adding insult to injury, right dude???

Our takeaway:  Please DON'T get us wrong.  If you happen to have built your arsenal of STRENGTHs convincingly, by all means, if you want to take on the whole world and the entire universe, go for it dude, you have earned your spurs.  BUT if your record as we speak now seems to be 'spotty' at best, then, please take stock of things, be realistic, hoping that you will commit to only eat WHAT you can chew.  WHAT IF you did build that arsenal of STRENGTHs BUT NOT solid enough to withstand the challenges ahead?  Then, it behooves to revalidate and revisit those STRENGTHs because likely, that needs more of a REBUILD and even a REWORK because our bottomline is to BUILD THE STRENGTH THAT WILL LAST💥💥💥

Lessons Learnt Late [Ouch, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!]

 

Verily true, there are tons and tons of LESSONS LEARNED in life but as the old cliche goes, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, right?  I DON'T need to look farther than the corporate life I have had through the years.  NOT that I regret it at all.  On the other hand, I remain enormously grateful I spent the best years in the corporate world.  BUT ironically, would you believe, even as we speak now, I am learning tons of lessons, very much late in life.  BUT rest assured, we DON'T intend to rattle that off in this blog, lest we will end up burning the midnight oil to cover the whole nine yards💥💥💥

If there's one key thing I learned positively [before we go over to the lessons learnt late], it is the fact that in the corporate world, I can vouch over and over again that performance is rewarded, by and large.  And if it happens you are at the 'right place at the right time', such rewards can literally be 'rewarding'💚💛💜

BUT, much as rewards in the corporate setting are just too attractive enough to lure anyone else, there's this irony WHEN it comes about to one's indispensability.  Frankly, we all feel good if we seem to seem indispensable, the mother of all ironies is that it inadvertently [more often, NOT intended and premeditated even by my bosses then] functions like a trap, one that prevents one to get promoted, all because, ironically, you're indispensable😡😡😡

And as one progressed in his career path, we CAN'T be blamed if we tend to be constantly optimising for other people's approval.  BUT at some point, that has to ground to a halt.  WHY?  Because we CAN'T hinge on other people's approvals every step of the way.  As long as you're 'delivering the goods' in good faith, rightfully you are at the right place☝☝☝

Our takeaway:  One key realization I am so eager-beaver to share is the fact that there is a marked differentiation between the lessons in school versus the lessons in life is that WHILE in the former, they are served on a platter for us to simply pick it up, down the road, the lessons are often clothed and cloaked for one to exert an effort to uncork it.  BUT uncorking is one.  LEARNING LESSONS is as crucial as uncorking it because before we know it, LESSONS get LEARNT LATE, ouch😡😡😡

YES, Life Is NOT A Sprint!

 

WHO says LIFE IS A SPRINT?  Noooo sirrrrrrs, it is definitely NOT.  True, there were obvious outliers, LIKE I remember WHEN I was taking my own sweet time at the cozy airport lounge, totally forgetting that time was ticking off for the long-haul flight I was boarding.  Whewwwww, I remember I was LIKE huffing and puffing even if I was going through the interconnected walkalators.  BUT other than those outliers, I firmly stand on solid grounds that YES, LIFE IS NOT A SPRINT at all.  WHY do we hear narratives of some folks falling flat on their face?  You're 'spot on' dude, that folk must have been SPRINTING no less📗📙📘

Let's do a quick 'dice and drill' here.  WHAT sets apart SPRINTS and MARATHONS?  Simple, simple dude.  With SPRINTS, it's akin to have all your cylinders in full throttle.  Those times WHEN I was on a long-drive and I had to overtake a slew of vehicles, sometimes, 20-wheeler trucks all in one go.  Those were times WHEN I had to give my 'all out'💚💛💜

From an infusion perspective, there's a super-huge difference WHEN comparing SPRINTS and MARATHONs.  WHEREAS in SPRINTS, you've got all your cylinders 'on fire', in MARATHONS, you've got to pace yourself, reserving your energy, your fuel for the long-haul.  With that famous Boston Marathon, I've heard of marathoners WHO would breeze past throngs of runners only to find themselves 'eating dust' towards the last mile OR so.  WHY?  Simple.  They DIDN'T pace themselves well enough OR if they did, their pacing was just totally way off the mark.  Such narratives happen over and over again our life.  Bright students in school WHO doggedly work right on Day-1 of classes only to falter towards that crucial 'last lap' because other competitive students reserved their energies for the last lap as well💥💥💥

It's true, sometimes we hear cliches that OPPORTUNITIES knock only once.  Verily true many times.  BUT again, it hinges on one's perspective.  If you take that opportunity you now have as a 'once-in-a-lifetime' kind of thing, then, go for it.  BUT seriously, how often are there 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities?  I guess you can count on your fingers and throughout your lifetime, you will NOT run out of fingers counting it through your pair of hands.  That's the thing.  With human nature, we tend to kind of 'stereotype' opportunities as 'once-in-a-lifetime' stuff WHEN in fact, more often, they are NOT 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities at all.  Because down the road, similar opportunities will 'pop up' from time to time☝☝☝

Our takeaway:  Bottomline here is that you've got to finish that race, that marathon of our life.  Do whatever it takes for you to finish that marathon.  Moreover, if you can finish it several notches way ahead of your target-goal, then you're much better off.  As long as we DON'T forget that LIFE IS NOT A SPRINT dude😌😌😌

Is Your Work Your Life?

 

Is YOUR WORK YOUR LIFE?  Better NOT dude! BUT before I get whacked by the workforce [and by companies and organizations], please DON'T get me wrong. Through the decades, I fully embraced my work life, NO IFs, NO BUTs.  WHY?  For the most obvious reasons, e.g. Firstly, it's our means to an end, i.e. our work provides the financial support needed to pay for our food, shelter, home and even life's basic daily needs.  Add to it is funding our passions, hobbies and interests💚💛💜

BUT through the years, even WHEN admittedly I was a 'road warrior' myself, I would hear some vent out in frustration like "I NEVER SEE MY FAMILY".  This is a dilemma exactly as we have reached a point in human history WHERE having a job can mean giving up your favorite activities, downtime and even time with people WHO desperately need you, like your immediate family, amongst others.  Getting all the pieces of your life together LIKE finding the 'right' job, setting boundaries around your personal life and otherwise doing your work is a lifelong endeavor😡😡😡

BUT I have to temper the expectations if one is a damn optimist.  Finding our path in life is a slow and gradual process.  Nothing instant.  Nothing overnight.  And the key is to begin our journey by realizing that every step will be your very own decision, NOT even a decision WHEN you have to 'pass the buck' if it becomes NOT the best decision after all.  And taking responsibility for your life and every aspect of it is our very first assignment, and nothing gets higher than it in the totem pole💧💧💧

Oh Oh Oh, I heard this 'exit clause' many times:  IT WAS NOT MY DECISION!@#$%?  Seriously, that's the problem at our very core.  We tend to put blinders on ourselves so that we DON'T have to ask those hard questionswe are beginning to ask.  YES, we do hurt ourselves by doing so.  The analogy here is that the very first step to getting the life you want is to realize that you are driving your very own car.  You get to and have to make all the decisions.  You CAN'T blame anybody else for your situation OR tell yourself that other people are more powerful than you are💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  All along, the key thing here is to believe that you can accomplish WHAT you set your mind to achieve.  And once you take that step, the way forward becomes much clearer then.  NOW, HOW often do we hear "I AM TRAPPED IN MY JOB"?  Seriously, you and me are NOT trapped in our job.  We are NOT a victim of our own success either.  WHAT do we need then?  Let's find and get more altitude.  And WHEN we drift up to a higher level and see the situation from there, we can realize that WORK IS NOT LIFE!!!

When Things Are GREENER And Less GLITTERY!

 

When Things Are GREENER And Less GLITTERY, it becomes a no-brainer.  WHO does NOT relish and cherish GLITTER in the first place?  I LUV it.  You LUV it.  Everyone LUVs it.  BUT that's about it dude!  Because, in real life, GLITTERs DON'T pop-up everyday!  In truth, GLITTERS may NOT be one-offs BUT save for the scions of the rich and famous.  Instead, GLITTERS come in sparingly.  So, WHEN THINGS ARE GREENER and less GLITTERY, that's WHAT we need to live with💚💛💜

BUT here's a troubling question.  Are we settling in for a lackluster life?  Frankly, I believe in zillions of things BUT one thing you CAN'T swing me back is settling.  WHETHER you are settling for a relationship that DOESN'T meet your needs, a job that DOESN'T light up your soul OR a lifestyle that might NOT even inspire you.  BUT again, here's the trap.  WHAT happens WHEN everyone's doing it?  We've been taught that work ISN'T supposed to be fun, that marriage is hard and that life is about making the best of the cards you are dealt.  YES, somewhere along, we have created a society of settlers complaining about our lives and accepting that this is HOW things are.  Seriously???

Another TRAP we sometimes fall in is the mindset that "MY LIFE IS A-OK"!  Then, you retort further with "WHO AM I TO WANT MORE?"  Depending on HOW you were raised, you may think it's selfish to want more than you have.  You think that by having more money OR wanting more happiness and joy in your life that you're just being ready.  You may even believe that by having more for yourself, you are taking away from those WHO are worse off than you.  Then we start thinking and ask ourselves:  I SHOULD BE HAPPY WITH WHAT I'VE GOT.  To make matters worse, at times, we seem to fear the unknown.  WHILE your life may be a bit lackluster overall, you may find comfort in the monotony of things.  Reaching for bigger and better things that you truly desire could lead you to experiences that are far way outside your own comfort zone and that's scary, dude, to be honest💥💥💥

At times, we [wrongly] think that it seems too late to change.  Up close, I've seen the miserable circumstances of people I know first-hand.  WHEN we have invested so much time and effort in our life, to an extent that you CAN'T fathom making OR initiating a change this late in the game, that traps us.  So, HOW would you restart or reboot?  WHAT then if you fail?  YES, that question can float through your mind and instead of imagining the best possible outcome, we tend to allow our own fears to overwhelm [i'll call it OVERPOWER] our desire.  Until, eventually, you will end up succumbing to the realization that, THIS IS IT [which is NOT the case though] UNTIL you get locked in and bounded by your 'current reality' WHERE every choice you make is based on your current reality and you are stuck in that story.  YES, in your mind there is NO other way.  BUT that's NOT the case dude❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Think about it.  Maybe, you have forgotten WHAT it feels like to dream?  WHEN you were much younger, WHEN you were feeling unleashed for the first time, you [wrongly] thought that anything was possible BUT as we matured, we seemed to have let go of the wonder and magic of life and instead, we tend to end up focusing solely on WHAT is directly in front of us.  At times, we DON'T even remember WHAT it feels like to be inspired anymore.  We seemed to have let our logical mind guide us to merely surviving.  BUT life has LESS GLITTERS dude😡😡😡

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😡😡😡