Will The Clouds Yield 'RAIN SHOWER' ?

Will The Clouds Yield 'RAIN SHOWER' ?

Will The Clouds Yield 'RAIN SHOWER' ?  No folks, it ain't matter, right?  Whether rain eventually falls or not, every single tiny speck in our plan has to proceed based on our plan.  Not even the gloomy clouds can stop or delay you from taking your NEXT STEP.  But you might ask, is this concern?  Yes it is, till now, because we have witnessed lots of things held up even by the CLOUDS

In fact, LIFE MUST GO ON.  The SHOW MUST GO ON.  Unfortunately, we are often vulnerable to get impacted by external factors that are akin to force majeure, to 'ACTS of GOD'.  So, where does that lead you to?  Why do you need to put things ON HOLD?  In the first place, we are NOT an aircraft awaiting GO SIGNAL from the control tower.

Care to await the next day's weather forecast?  Tell that to the marines.  Why do we wait for something that's way beyond our purview?  Why put your life in a 'holding pattern' like that aircraft awaiting the control tower's GO SIGNAL to [finally] land?  It just makes NO SENSE, period. Why stall things in your life when rightfully, you got to move on and just DO YOUR THING?  Will you still put your eggs in one basket? Will The Clouds Yield RAIN SHOWER?

This poster says it all.  ARE YOUR PLANS IN PLACE?  Then, if so, DON'T LEAVE THINGS TO CHANCE. why?  Leaving things to chance is abandoning things you rightfully have the legitimate right to make decisions.  If your work performance is in the doldrums, will you tell yourself 'WAIT TILL YOUR BOSS LEAVES the company'?  If your relationship is hitting rough patches, why won't you lift a finger and instead wait for things on the other side to turn up positive?

Yesirrrrs  MAKE THINGS HAPPEN no less.  And NOT for things NOT TO HAPPEN.  In fact, the harshest thing in life is for you NOT to FAIL because you didn't even step forward and pick up the gauntlet Bluntly, not lifting your finger is WORST THAN FAILURE.  At the very least, if ever you fail on something, it's because you did give it a try [and failed] whereas NOT LIFTING A FINGER?  Where does that bring you?  To the long list of defaulters who might be even afraid of their own shadows📗📘📙

There Are NO 'Free Lunches'

There Are NO 'Free Lunches'

Want a FREE LUNCH?  I'm really so sorry folks.  There Are NO 'Free Lunches'. not even if your BFF invites you for FREE LUNCH, not even when your boss treats you for FREE LUNCH, not even if your credit card rewards you with FREE LUNCH? Not even if you receive vouchers left and right for FREE LUNCH.  Why?  Because that so called FREE LUNCH was is not being given to you on a silver platter🔔🔔🔔

Back in school when you were receiving high academic  grades, those were not FREE LUNCHES.  You worked for it.  You earned it. You got it because you deserved it.  Even when you got those INVITES from your boss.  Likely it is because of your VERY good work [not just average work] that led you to that FREE LUNCH.

So, what exactly should we do when we receive that FREE LUNCH?  Obviously, graciously accept it but more than that, 'SAVOR THOSE MOMENTS' because those are your 'shining moments.  It says that all your hard work did pay.  And you are now about to reap all the fruits of your labor.  Even in your relationship with your partner/spouse, once you receive that FREE LUNCH, it means your relationship is going strong and robust and your partner/spouse is appreciating all your efforts to date via that FREE LUNCH📌📌📌

This picture says it all.  It means you have to really partake and enjoy that FREE LUNCH.  Obviously, your office desk and laptop is grinning ear-to-ear with that WELCOME BACK greetings but do enjoy that FREE LUNCH while you have it.  Appreciate every moment because you get what you worked for. There Are NO 'Free Lunches'💹💹💹

Now, this poster screams for FREE HUGS.  And that's true, in a strong relationship, those FREE HUGS are indeed FREE HUGS. But hey, here it is.  You are being offered those FREE HUGS by your immediate family, your loved ones, your BFF, all because everything in your relationships with them are all going nice and dandy.  No hiccups.  No snags.  No gaps.  No disconnects.  So, you REAP WHAT YOU SOW.  Otherwise, never miss out the fact that There Are NO 'Free Lunches'❗❗❗

What Happens in VEGAS Stays in VEGAS

What Happens in VEGAS Stays in VEGAS

Let's go by the "VEGAS RULES" which says: What Happens in VEGAS Stays in VEGAS.  BUT you might ask, what does this got to do with our personal life?  A lot folks, this is so relevant in our daily lives.  Remember that not everything in life is for 'public consumption'.  Your personal plans alongside your partner/spouse is between the two of you.  Your arguments and family squabbles, all those must remain within the four walls of your home.  Your business plans, that's for you to execute till your business initiative flourishes

Many things in life need to be kept within wraps until it's time to 'spill the beans'.  I have witnessed zillion incidents which were caused by simply an innocent breach with no ill intentions up front.  I've witnessed conflicts that aggravated and exacerbated because things went beyond bounds.  Have you heard of a couple's argument where later on, the in-laws and other family members got embroiled too?  Sadly, a lot of these have happened.

 Let me share something personal.  When I planned to leave the countryside and explore life in the metropolis, NO ONE as in NO ONE was aware except my aunt [who eventually supported me financially until I finally got employed].  Why did i keep things UNDER WRAPS.  My reasons were PERSONAL and it's as follows:

• I was UNSURE of things [if my plans FAIL].
• Premature sharing won't help in my plans at all.
• I might hear more naysayers than supportive ones.
• I want to SURPRISE everyone [if my plan succeeds]

When topics swing to our health, the more things become tricky.  Obviously, if we're in the pink of health, you can scream and shout it across your community.  But WHAT IF something is ailing you or you're manifesting symptoms that may lead to a specific illness, you DON'T want everyone.  At that point, in fact, the only person privy about those facts, besides your family, will be your doctor.  So, What Happens in VEGAS Stays in VEGAS

In fact, if we are preaching What Happens in VEGAS Stays in VEGAS, we're referring to the PRIVACY-SECURITY-CONFIDENTIALITY triage.  And these three legs are sometimes separated by very thin invincible lines.  So, while we keep preaching TRANSPARENCY as one of the best attributes in life, lets not miss PRIVACY-SECURITY-CONFIDENTIALITY because after all, What Happens in VEGAS Stays in VEGAS📌📌📌

Are You 'ONE SHOT AWAY'

Are You 'ONE SHOT AWAY'

How often in our life did we exclaim that we Are JUST 'ONE SHOT AWAY'?  I'd guess a couple of times, you were in that precipice to achieve your goal but in the end, things still went awry.  Did we look back and ask WHY?  Did we do a post-mortem to find out what caused our shortfall?  Or did we just give things a shrug because you just would NOT care less?

Well, chances are, dozens of goals cross your mind each day.  There are things you want to accomplish today, next week, and even next year on your MENTAL TO-DO LIST.  By turning that TO-DO LIST into actionable goals, you can get more done and feel a greater sense of accomplishment.  But it's all about understanding goals.  Achieving goals is NOT as simple as thinking on something you want to do and voila, you would be then completing the task.  No Senor📌📌📌

If it was, many people would end up to be VERY ACCOMPLISHED.  Instead, we think of things we want to complete, take a few steps towards the goal and then....get DISTRACTED [or worse, discouraged]. Smaller short-term goals are easier to reach than long-term goals that require more of a commitment and a very focused and consistent approach.  Its natural to want to see the results right away and when you DON'T, you may stop putting effort again.

It likely stays on your mind though, and you put it off or make less effort than you could toward meeting it.  For example, if you want to run a 10k Race, you have to commit to weeks of practice.  You have to build up your endurance, starting slowly by alternating intervals of running and walking until you reach your goal.  It's easy to feel motivated the first week, and even the second week.  But as the days pass, you may find yourself putting off practice until the next day, every day thereafter💊💊💊

 You then start to lose progress you made and feel more discouraged, so you let go of your goal, maybe even pushing something different.  Over time, you may have many half-finished ideas and projects that you never quite complete.  By setting more meaningful goals, you can accomplish more goals.  One thing for sure, if were 'ONE SHOT AWAY', give it a shot AGAIN❗❗❗

 

Have You Stepped Up to the BATTER's BOX?

Have You Stepped Up to the BATTER's BOX?

We DON'T need to play baseball to really understand how the BATTER's BOX is the most coveted spot in the baseball field.  WHY?  It's because that is the sweetest spot in the baseball field where you can hit the ball to trigger a homerun.  That's how and why everyone in the baseball team will move mountains to step up to the BATTER's BOX.  You can be the most outstanding athlete in the baseball field but if you are along the fringes, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? 

In life, let us not miss out coveting to step up to that BATTER'S BOX. It just does NOT give you the vantage point to see the whole field but that's the sweetest position where you can score for you, for your team.  In life, we should always covet for the BATTER's BOX.  It is NOT sufficient that you are in the game.  It's NOT enough that you are part of the play.

Much as there is a 'PERFECT STANCE' in baseball, we can draw parallelism in life where it behooves that we endeavor to find the 'PERFECT STANCE' because that is the #1 pre-requisite for you to do things right the first time.  If you miss out right on that 'PERFECT STANCE'.  you may likely on the way out and end up with a flop because you can't get any farther. 

To quote Pete Rose, the famous American former baseball player famous for being the MLB all-time hitter said"  EVERY TIME I STEP UP TO THE PLATE, I EXPECT TO GET A HIT  IF I DON'T EXPECT TO GET A HIT, I HAVE NO RIGHT TO STEP INTO THE BATTER'S BOX IN THE FIRST PLACE. 

If at all, your hands will be literally full, facing all the challenges when you are on that uphill climb and moreso when you are on a skid.  As much as we admire the famous baseball players, we got to replicate that acumen of the baseball players because that will determine the trajectory you will have in life.  As long as You Stepped Up to the BATTER's BOX, at the very least, you will have one foot in, towards achieving your goal📗📘📙

How Far Should You PUSH Yourself

How Far Should You PUSH Yourself

No sirrrrrs, I am NOT taking back my previous insights and sharings with regard PUSHING ourselves because we really need to do all the PUSHING as far as we can and we could.  But  How Far Should You PUSH Yourself?  Good question and this time around, let me qualify as to how How Far Should You PUSH Yourself.  One piece of advice.  DON'T push yourself if what you are pursuing or attempting is simply INSANELY IMPOSSIBLE.  Just stop it📌📌📌

Even athletes, indeed they push themselves as far as they can but everything is regimented and executed in a controlled phase.  It's an extreme rarity to hear that an athlete succumbed to a fatal heart attack while on training.  In brief, KNOW YOUR LIMITS.  And in case you do not have the know-how as to how your activities need to be phased, reach out to experts so you know How Far Should You PUSH Yourself💊💊💊

BTW, even freeways and inter-state highways have SPEED LIMITS.  Why? Because such is life.  Nothing is unlimited.  In truth, nothing in life is an exception.  NOT even praying.  Yes you can be pious but not at the expense of your health, welfare and well-being.  There was this tale about a man named John Henry who worked as a manual rock crusher.  In a contest against a machine, a steam drill., John Henry would drill more rock manually with his hammer and chisel to win it all but only to succumb to a heart failure.  

Even airplanes are NO exception.  They will NEVER force their landing not until they get the GO SIGNAL from the control tower.  Meanwhile, they will go on a HOLDING PATTERN wherein they will do a roundabout until they finally get the GO SIGNAL.  So, even pilots are trained  as to How Far Should they PUSH their aircraft.

Our insight for the day:  Never taper off.  Keep going.  Aim high and higher.  Never pull the brakes simply because of our piece today.  But nothing is unqualified.  BTW, sadly, my high school classmate who was a Navy Captain succumbed to death after he went through a heart-stomping rigid exercise which he missed to realize that in life, regardless of our fitness, we need to be aware How Far Should You PUSH Yourself❗❗❗

Stress KILLS, period

Stress KILLS, period.

No sirrrs, this is NOT to raise an alarming warning [although indeed today's piece is intended to raise the alarms for a potential RED FLAG📌  Point is, Stress KILLS, period.  BTW, if there is a #1 top priority in our life, it is our HEALTH.  And if we're getting STRESSED, it is our HEALTH that is at the receiving end.  GOOD NEWS to us all, STRESS can be pre-empted and avoided, where possible.  It's NOT something that is inevitable to happen beyond our control📙📘

OVERTHINKING is not in itself a medical term but research shows the habit can have real impacts on our well-being.  Oftentimes, overthinking involves focusing on the NEGATIVE, rehashing the past, dwelling on BAD experiences or even worrying about the future.  Psychologists state that in their studies, when we ruminate on certain thoughts, it can snowball into bigger and more extensive negative thinking.  

 When that OVERTHINKING becomes destructive to our life or really impairs our daily functioning, that becomes IMPACTFUL  it could be as simple as talking about APPETITE and once things affect your appetite, if you're lost in your thoughts, you're starting to isolate from other people.  Ruminating on the worst possible scenarios and outcomes can be a misguided form of SELF-PROTECTION. For some people, it can be some form of defense mechanism.  Worst of the worst, OVERTHINKING can affect your physical health.  Once OVERTHINKING creeps in, headaches and body aches are not far out to happen next. OVERTHINKING is also associated with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and borderlinie personality disorder.  Indeed, Stress KILLS, period📒📒📒

To break that habit, psychologists state that a good first step is to take note of what TRIGGERS your OVERTHINKING.  It might stem from a past trauma, or something in your life that's currently a source of STRESS.  Once you identify those TRIGGERS, you can start finding ways to overcome them🏮🏮🏮

A common advice by psychologists is for us to take CONTROLLED BREATHING exercises.  According to them, it will help us shift our focus to our breathing and calming down their central nervous system.  And then, activities [like blogging and journaling] really helps us express and process the thoughts that are in our head.  So, any type of mindfulness activities where you're focused on present moment can keep you out of your thoughts that will lead to Stress because that KILLS❗❗❗

Outcomes Matter

Outcomes Matter

From the time we wake up every morning, LIFE never stops.  The frenzied activities will keep us occupied till we hit the sack at night.  For those who are goal-focused, many of us are caught up and 'hostaged' with the myriad things that need to be done to achieve along the way but in the midst of all the hullabaloo, we sometimes tend to overlook that what should not be lost is that Outcomes Matter.

These poster of light bulbs are a classic example.  When boot campers were asked to produce a light bulb, everyone did produce but only two did function as expected.  What was lost to the majority here is that Outcomes Matter.  We should not get caught up with the myriad of details when in fact what really should be at the core is that Outcomes Matter.  

You could be surprising your partner/spouse with flowers and cakes but what matters most is your expected Outcome, that is, for your relationship to be robust, enduring and lasting your lifetime.  If you are putting up a startup business, you can spruce your place with all the fancy things but Outcomes Matter and what's your expected outcome?  It is for your sales to start going up and up.

Why is it so many of us do get lost in the maze of life?  It's because we end up distracted with all the incidentals on the fringes.  At work, you may be doing anything to impress your bosses but while that's a PLUS, what counts are YOUR deliverables, YOUR results, YOUR output. fOutcomes Matter

In life, if you envision yourself to be a top tier executive, that goal is the best one to aim for but along the way, you will get embroiled in 'skirmishes', hitting snags here and there.  But that's fine as long as you DON'T lose sight that Outcomes Matter❗❗❗

Begin With The End in Mind

Begin With The End in Mind

Many of us really think a lot and to be frank, many of us OVERTHINK.  Even when we're about to hit the sack, you could be rolling left and right on your bed because of OVERTHINKING.  Hey, that's not really wrong per se but can we Begin With The End in Mind.  That could do wonders for us because right away, it will DECLUTTER our mind and DECONGEST our thinking.  Whatever is/are our priority right now, Begin With The End in Mind.

Why do many athletes and sportsmen excel in their respective events?  Simple.  It's because they always Begin With The End in Mind.  Rafael Nadal.  Lebron James.  Michael Phelps.  Tiger Woods.  They all plotted their 'loooong' journey by Beginning With The End in Mind.  We have seen the success stories of these sportsmen kicking off when they plotted their intensive training programs that spanned years and years.  Besides the element of time, they invested in top tier trainers and just bottomless drive to excel in their respective events.  Why did they not go OFF TRACK ?  Simple.  They did begin their respective journey with the end in mind.

Let's begin with our relationship with our partner/spouse.  If your End in Mind is to have a robust relationship that will last a lifetime, then, work things out on a consistent basis to develop, evolve and sustain the robustness of your relationship.  If you have a startup business now, be focused on your business goal as achieving that will guide your NEXT STEPS📌📌📌

Magnus Carlsen, today's #1 chess player for the past ten years, has been lording it over with the rest of the pack eating the dust with next best chess player a far second.  Yet, for the rest of the Top 20 super grandmasters, why have they been so successful?  It's because these chess grandmasters are one of the most disciplined folks ever because they always Begin With The End in Mind📗📙📘

So what's our formula so that we don't veer away from our mantra to Begin With The End in Mind.  First off, you got to have a ROADMAP no less.  That ROADMAP will take you from where you are now until you get to your destination.  And if along the way you get OFF-TRACKED, take drastic measures for you to get back ON TRACK.  Remember to Begin With The End in Mind📗📗📗

When Things Go Awry

When Things Go Awry

We all know it and do it.  We plan and then we execute the plan.  Good for us, most of our plans do run true to form but as  the adage in Murphy's Law goes, "ANYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG WILL GO WRONG'.  And that's normal.  We can't always have our way because sometimes, When Things Go Awry, that's bound to happen later if not sooner.

No amount of expertise or acumen from SME's [Subject Matter Experts] can ever guarantee that Things SHOULD NOT Go Awry because no one and nothing can reverse the course of things developing on the ground.  You can even have all the tools you need in life but always remember, somewhere along the way, things will either get disconnected or disjointed.

In fact and in truth. no amount of armour can give our life a fortress solid enough not to get cracked or worse, to collapse and crumple.  History is littered with stories of heroes and famous athletes who went on a streak of successes but somewhere down the road, the rope finally snapped when the last of its fibers just can't handle it anymore.  Such is life.  We got to brace ourselves for a Scenario B and even a Scenario C.

Problem is, most of us got so spoiled and wrongly thought that life will always be nice and dandy.  Not true at all.  In fact, this is a fallacy proven over time.  You might think Lady Luck is with you [TILL FOREVER] because you never ran out of successes and all the stuff.  NOT UNTIL one day when things ended up like a train wreck. But we WON'T waste our time to think if those exceptions can be nipped in the bud [because they just CAN'T because they are bound to happen].  What should keep us busy is figure out how to handle things when everything 'GOES SOUTH'.  I've personally known people who were awash with $$$$$$ for decades NOT UNTIL lightning struck them damn hard.  Sadly, they were unable to pick up the pieces again.

Oh, this is one of the most boring posters I ever came across but I still grabbed and posted it here.  Why?  Because its message grabbed me by my lapels.  This truism did stick on me till now.  Since that time I came across this adage, I always braced and prepared myself if ever I do fall flat on my face.  And WHEN THINGS GO AWRY, what do we do?  RISE UP as fast as you can.  NEVER linger and roll over the ground, wounded and bruised because you'll be prolonging your agony.  All these, though, can be averted if we're prepared WHEN THINGS GO AWRY✅✅✅