Comparison Is The THIEF of JOY

Comparison Is The THIEF of JOY

Is it ture that Comparison Is The THIEF of JOY?  Me thinks YES.  BUT not for us to get despaired because studies do share how we can avoid being caught in that TRAP.  To borrow a common expression of hikers in North America's Appalachian Mountains:  HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE', that is, resist the urge to COMPARE how many miles you cover in a day how far other hikers are traveling.  Nevertheless, let's admit the urge to make comparisons is strong amongst us💴💷💵

Indeed, making COMPARISONS can be harmful and detract from our HAPPINESS.  Sadly, the ways we make COMPARISONS may give us a biased account of our own skills, experiences and capabilities.  Research shows that what underlies this dilemma is FOMO [that FEAR of MISSING OUT] and the sense that others have better social lives than ourselves do.  Apparently, quite many people feel that they spend more time ALONE, go to fewer parties and are part of fewer social circles than other people, including their close friends.  BUT apparently, the root cause of this is comparing oneself to highly visible and sociable people📗📙📘

Our common mistakes revolve around making biased comparisons in other domains, like when we compare ourselves to the fittest person, the best cook we know.  Unsurprisingly, this means that we feel that we fall short of others WHEN we evaluate our own fitness, our cooking and so on.  However, it's clear that WHO we compare ourselves to matters, is something we can control💎💎💎

To quote social cognitive psychologists, their studies show that WHEN we want to feel better about ourselves, we make COMPARISONS to people worse off than we are [or even think of ways that things might have been worse than they are].  WHEN we want to improve, though, we COMPARE ourselves to people WHO are better than we are❌❌❌

This becomes especially effective if we COMPARE ourselves to people we feel like we can realistically become.  In short, COMPARISONS can be the THIEF OF JOY but studies are giving us antidotes.  Primero, recognize that you're likely using an unrealistic target when evaluating yourself.  Segundo, consider WHAT you're trying to achieve when making a COMPARISON.  Tercero, if COMPARISONS have you feeling down, spend some time thinking about POSITIVES, hoping you'll realize that in general, people are NO BETTER THAN YOU❗❗❗

When Do You QUENCH Or QUELL Your Thirst?

When Do You QUENCH Or QUELL Your Thirst?

When Do You QUENCH Or QUELL Your Thirst? Well, we would QUENCH our thirst when we feel thirsty, obviously.  How often do we hear, 'I'VE FINISHED MY MAIN COURSE BUT I'M STILL HUNGRY'.  Even that expression may just be a SIGN of the TIMES.  And the Baby Boomers may well be the last generation to experience life in the traditional stages, namely, PREPARING FOR WORKING LIFE, your WORKING LIFE and then your life AFTER WORKING LIFE💴💷💵

It happens already even when eating as we NO longer limit ourselves to a sitting of entree, main course and dessert.  We eat what we like to eat.  Our perception of our traditional journey through life is going the same way with people deciding WHEN and for HOW long they will work and in whatever order suits one's thinking.  We tend to live life ON OUR OWN TERMS.  No longer is life centered on work though of course work still serves a vital role to our lives📗📙📘

So, WHAT do we want in our 'dessert years'?  WHAT will be the unique ingredients in your preferred recipe?  Certainly, you want it to taste great and to satisfy your hunger to keep on moving forward, growing in mind, body and spirit, enjoyed to the last drop.  Fact is, we live in a rapidly-changing, highly mobile society where individual creativity, innovation, challenge and the DESIRE to keep moving forward is becoming the norm.  In fact, age means little now as we unleash our talents💎💎💎

The 'dessert years'. however, are less about a period of time in our life.  More they are about a change in our attitude towards what life is all about.  The 'dessert years' begin when we start thinking about a transition in our life's priorities from doing WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO to doing WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO.  For most of that transition begins to take place long before any thought of quitting paid employment❗❗❗

Transitioning from making WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO and moving over to WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO won't happen overnight BUT the very thought will drive us towards our coming years.  They say everything happens in three's and that applies to life itself.  Thing is, our life is a CONTINUUM IN PROGRESS, growth and self-actualization.  Takeaway today is for us to know WHEN to QUENCH or QUELL our THIRST in life✅✅✅

When Do You ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE

When Do You ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE

Supposedly, this is quite a boring thread, talking about CHALLENGES because we all know that life is full of UPs and DOWNs.  One day, you may feel like you have it all figured out and then in a moment's notice. you've been thrown a CURVE BALL.  Hey dude, this is no isolated story.  Everyone has to face their own set of CHALLENGES.  Question is When Do You ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE💴💷💶

Learning how to overcome will help you stay centered and remain calm under pressure.  And as much as have our individual preferences as to how we should face the CHALLENGES in life, this is NOT rocket science because we have learned quite a few basic lessons in life.   First off. let's MAKE A PLAN.  Whether you are a student or a worker, do anticipate the types of CHALLENGES ahead and plan ahead based on that📗📙📘

Now, before you hit a LOW POINT, always remember you're NOT alone in that kind of predicament.  Some may handle or even hide it better than others.  BUT the truth is, whatever you are going through, there are others WHO have been through it too.  So, you're NOT alone.  You just need to speak out your feelings and express your concerns in life💎💎💎

Now, since you're NOT alone, SEEK HELP. The most common reason WHY people 'in distress' DON'T seek help is because they are ASHAMED !@#$%?   BUT hey, throw away in the window that skewed mindset.  Moving on, FEEL YOUR FEELINGS.  If ever you're masking your FEELINGS, they WON'T go away.  Instead, FEELINGS will become like TRAPPED energy and may even have negative implications to your health❎❎❎

Once you start FEELING and SHARING your FEELINGS, you may also be able to see your situation in a new list, without biases.  And it's NOT far fetched to think that that could lead you to come up with novel solutions and overcome the CHALLENGES at hand.  Taking a step farther, DO ACCEPT SUPPORT.  Asking for HELP is only one side of the coin and the other side means you have to be open and willing to ACCEPT SUPPORT because that will lead you to ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE✅✅✅

Defying The Norm

Defying The Norm

Over and over again, we hear BEST PRACTICES.  And I admit I've been spewing those two words over and over again through the years.  So, yes, BEST PRACTICES may be widespread BUT that does NOT mean that all those are effective all the time.  In quite many instances, in fact, the opposite is true.  BEST PRACTICES can be outdated OR even harmful OR worst, a hindrance to innovation.  And these BEST PRACTICES are all too common in organizations and NOT to a fault, managers [and that includes ME till today].  So we be DEFYING THE NORM📗📙📘

Thing is, just because they worked in the past, OR have been adopted with SUCCESS by some organizations, their very purpose OR effectiveness is rarely questioned, if at all.  As a consequence, these PRACTICES eventually spread and persist.  So, the big challenge staring at our faces now is to identify those practices because UNLESS we have correctly identified them, there's nowhere else for us to proceed as well.  And the much bigger challenge lurking at the background is for us NOT just to be DEFYING THE NORM but proving things right💴💷💵

Years back, I did DEFY THE NORM [without really breaking the law].  I did observe that for those interested to explore overseas job opportunities, they went to job/recruitment agencies and from thereon, one becomes the 'hostage' of both the job/recruitment agency and even the government agencies until/IF ever a breakthrough happens.  So HOW did I DEFY THE NORM?  I directly applied with foreign organizations, wooed them to schedule me for face-to-face interviews.  The rest is history💎💎💎

Which brings me to the two-word phrase SEEK DISCOMFORT.  Let's figure it out how can this phrase will help us build a habit of continuous growth?  And closely linked to SEEK DISCOMFORT are the challenging words WILLPOWER and TENACITY.  Studies show that when a person chooses to perform tasks they would rather NOT do in a given moment, effectively they SEEK DISCOMFORT✅✅✅

Studies have proven that once we manifest to SEEK DISCOMFORT, our brain leads us to express TENACITY and WILLPOWER.  In fact, studies show that SEEKING DISCOMFORT is a sign of progress and actually seeking it can boost our MOTIVATION.  And even moderate DISCOMFORT is already a signal that we're developing as a person and those signages can surface even before we will notice concrete progress of our self-growth.  Our takeaway for today is that DEFYING THE NORM may lead us to our self-growth which will remain a pipe dream if we refuse to be DEFYING THE NORM❗❗❗

Let's Be Wary Of The 'HUSTLE CULTURE'

Let's Be Wary Of The 'HUSTLE CULTURE'

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!  Now, let's both our feet get back to the ground because this gets real.  Let's Be Wary Of The 'HUSTLE CULTURE' because it is a THREAT now that cuts across cultures, jobs, race, name it.  For alignment, let's get Mr Google's definition of HUSTLE CULTURE:  Is when a workplace environment places an intense focus on productivity, ambition and success with little regard for rest, self care OR any sense of WORK-LIFE BALANCE📗📙📘

So, you might ask me, "WHAT's THE FUSS" if that HUSTLE CULTURE is NOT an issue in my current work environment?  To me, the issue of HUSTLE CULTURE is NOT company-specific.  True, if a company does NOT have WLB [work-life balance], that exacerbates the plight of us under the HUSTLE CULTURE threat but the thing is, this hitherto hidden thing is brewing all along💩💩💩

If we need to point our fingers somewhere for this HUSTLE CULTURE, blame it on SOCIAL MEDIA, fair and square.  Let's visualize these scenarios.  If I'm a worker onsite in office, with those DISTRACTIONS a.k.a. NOTIFICATIONS, much as you want to resist getting into your smart phone, those incessant NOTIFICATIONS will never stop pestering you.  To be fair to each of us, we DON'T succumb to those notifications right on the first TING or DING as they keep TINGing & DINGing until you succumb to it, and that's the time when you finally open one NOTIFICATION, then next, then next!@#$%?

So, HOW do we avoid this toxicity?  Fairly simple.  Regardless if you're in off OR working from home OR doing your home chores, keep that damn smart phone either at your office locker unit OR when working from home, please DON'T DON'T place that damn smart phone right beside your laptop keyboard, PLEASE❎❎❎

At the end of the day, true you managed to complete all your tasks but after getting cornered into MULTI-TASKING by working and 'on the fly' succumbing to those endless NOTIFICATIONS [which, to be honest, you allowed it to DISTRACT yourself.  Can we aim for our first target this 2024?  To cut down on this HUSTLE CULTURE, please❗❗❗

Let's Welcome 2024 With LESS DISTRACTIONS

Let's Welcome 2024 With LESS DISTRACTIONS

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR to us all !  Yes please, Let's Welcome 2024 With LESS DISTRACTIONS.  Unfortunately, in this age of DISTRACTIONS, attention is a luxury.  Our modern life is indeed an endless cycle of DISTRACTIONS and meaningless tasks.  The demands on our time can quickly overwhelm us and leave us feeling depleted📗📙📘

Now, let's look back on year 2023.  Can you even remember the last time WHEN you were able to put 100% FOCUS into the work you were doing without letting a single distraction interrupt you?  CAN'T quickly remember, right?  NOT to worry about.  This is a problem with all of us.  We tend to FOCUS on WHAT TO DO and thus neglecting WHAT NOT TO DO.  BTW there can be hundreds of disruptions BUT let's FOCUS on the most common DISTRACTIONS📌📌📌

Let's start off with the most IRRITATING DISTRACTION which is the NOTIFICATION.  You're working, totally focused.  Suddenly, a NOTIFICATION pops up in your phone.  Then another TING, TING TING.  One after the other.  Non-stop in fact.  Then you glance at your phone.  And you are like, 'I AM FOCUSED, I WON'T GET DISTRACTED'.  Then a few more NOTIFICATIONS arrive.  And a few more.  That's it😈😈😈

So, that's it. You stopped working then and there you are, you start checking all the NOTIFICATIONS one after the other.  SOUNDS FAMILIAR?  Yes we're all in that same boat [regardless if you're now working onsite or working from home].  Eventually, it is your work that gets hampered, right?  Can we now realize the ramifications of these DISTRACTIONS☝☝☝

Besides NOTIFICATIONS, be cautioned of consuming CHEAP CONTENT.  Remember, the CONTENT you watch shapes up your mind.  On the other hand, CONTENT which is inspiring, insightful and growth-oriented builds a great mind for you.  WHEREAS, CONTENT which includes HATE, celebrity gossip, and sheer NEGATIVITY builds a mind that becomes the reason for that DISTRACTION turning as your DESTRUCTION.  HAPPY NEW YEAR💥💥💥

How About A Year-ender Insecurity Check!

How About A Year-ender Insecurity Check!

As today is the last day of 2023, how about we do an Insecurity Check [PLEASE].  This is NOT to be witch-hunting but we'd like to grab this opportunity to do a PULSE CHECK so that, if ever, we can do a REBOOT & RESET when 2024 kicks-in tomorrow.  Note that we're NOT trying to cause a SCARE here because feeling INSECURE is our natural, problematic behavior which can worsen if left UNCHECKED💴💷💵

What's potentially alarming, though, is that INSECURE types are extremely risk averse and unproductive.  At worse, some can be downright nasty OR display abusive behaviors.  Not to pin down on ourselves BUT we got NOTHING TO LOSE if we run this SELF-CHECK [please DON'T announce this SELF-CHECK to your neighborhood and NOT even your beshies and BFFs] please💚💛💜

So, here's the tell-tale signs of INSECURITY:

• FREQUENTLY changing direction
• UNABLE to express a firm opinion
• CHRONIC inability to make decisions
• OVERLY concerned of what others think
• CONSTANTLY seemingly busy even if not
• PUTTING others down for his own interest
• PARANOID meddlers for others to question practically every move or act they do

Quite a list of manifestations here but let's focus on the LOW-HANGING stuff.  And researches show that one of the key reasons INSECURE types stay that way is because they are afraid to say NO to people.  So, you might wonder, WHAT's wrong with saying YES to each request by others to you❌❌❌

So WHAT's our takeaway today?  Simple.  Each time you say YES to someone else at the expense of yourself, it is AS IF you're telling your mind that WHAT you want ISN'T that important.  If this becomes a habit, it SHOULDN'T be surprising when your mind DOESN'T value itself anymore.  Want to feel more SECURE?  Learn to stand up for yourself.  Here's hoping you hurdled your INSECURITY CHECK and your 2024 will be much better than 2023. HAPPY NEW YEAR❗❗❗

Should Forgetfulness Bother Us?

Should Forgetfulness Bother Us?

Should Forgetfulness Bother Us?  No sirrrrrs.  And DON'T even suddenly entertain thoughts about ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] because that is a totally different narrative.  For our thread today, let's keep things simple as we dissect FORGETFULNESS literally either as a manifestation OR as a consequence BUT nothing more than that❎❎❎

Forgot your grocery list?  CAN'T find your car keys?  CAN'T remember the name of your gym trainer?  YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  Everyone forgets things once in a while.  I am GUILTY of that a zillion times.  Nevertheless, memory loss, even fleeting ones, should NOT be taken lightly.  Although there are NO guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss, good grief, there are practical tips openly shared to us by studies and experts, and it WON'T even cost you a penny.  NO medicines.  NO eBooks.  NO therapy❌❌❌

The most common and practical advice is for us to be physically active EVERY DAY.  Experts advise that physical activity raises blood flow to our whole body, including the brain.  This might help keep our memory sharp.  Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of either aerobics or at the very least brisk walking every week BUT if you DON'T have the time, try a few 10-minute walks throughout the day💟💟💟

Very close to the heels of one's PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is to STAY MENTALLY ACTIVE.  Just as physical activity keeps your body in shape, activities that engage our mind help keep our brain in shape.  And those activities might help prevent some memory loss.  Even doing crossword puzzles.  Reading.  Playing games.  You DON'T need to BREAK THE BANK❗❗❗

As we bid adieu to 2023, let us NOT be that penny-conscious because we have little-little kinks in life which we can sort out and fix even sans $$$$$$$$.  And except for assets and debts, looking after our HEALTH starts with being mindful with seemingly harmless manifestations like 'WHERE DID I PLACE THE KEY?'  WHAT's our takeaway today?  Clear up that path we need to thread of the little-little debris because down the road [even before reaching the next fork and the next-next fork], there will be likely BIGGER things to clear up in our life journey.  Meanwhile, allow me to fervently hope that you and your families will reap more fruits of your labor this 2024.  HAPPY NEW YEAR🎉🎉🎉

Walking, Walking, Walking

Walking, Walking, Walking

Walking, Walking, Walking.  No sirrrrs, I'm NOT aiming to be a self-proclaimed HEALTH guru BUT instead, just sharing whatever tidbits I do pick up along the way.  Oh yes, as my gift to myself [at least for today], I DON'T need to exert efforts for our thread today because surely, everyone is onboard when we hear over and over again Walking, Walking, Walking📗📙📘

Before I get accused of 'doublespeak', I need to be transparent that even as we speak, I CAN'T claim that I do WALK, WALK, WALK regularly BUT again, NO excuses.  Mea culpa.  I DIDN'T have that burning commitment to my HEALTH through the years. I WON'T pass the buck and blame it on the culture I grew up BUT that's a given as I grew up in a culture of FUN and FOODS GALORE.  Where communities will celebrate even with the slightest reason to celebrate.  FOODS and DRINKS all mattered, in the spirit of 'COOPERATION'💵💴💷

And here's a soft touch to WALKING.  While WALKING for 30 minutes daily is a great way to improve your HEALTH, IF you CAN'T manage 30 minutes daily [hey dude, we NEVER run out of reasons WHY we CAN'T spare 30 minutes, right?], even SHORT WALKS more frequently will be beneficial to your HEALTH.  As the adage goes, SOMETHING is better than NOTHING📌📌📌

If you 'Google search', there are zillion search results from 5 to 10 to 20 to 100s of WALKING benefits.  Regardless of those numbers, allow me to share some of the benefits I got from my 'Google search':

• REDUCED risk of heart disease & stroke
• INCREASED heart & lung fitness
• IMPROVED conditions in hypertension
• IMPROVED relief in diabetes
• IMPROVED high cholesterol situation

Let's be brutally frank here [as I've been GUILTY of this a zillion times].  IF we DON'T have our own 'BUY-IN' into something, we will have a thousand reasons WHY we CAN'T pursue something.  Problem is, in life, we are constantly in motion.  Even if there was a 2-week holiday breaks for students and government employees, there was NO single day WHEN we found ourselves idle and left twiddling our fingers while engaged in social media way beyond our eye soreness and fatigue.  As 2024 ushers in, please consider WALKING, WALKING, WALKING✅✅✅

DON'T Mess Around With Your Health

DON'T Mess Around With Your Health

DON'T Mess Around With Your Health.  I think, while this is not debatable, this may be the best time to discuss during this 2023 year-ender.  Because frankly, while HEALTH is the top-priority in First World countries, sadly that does NOT seem to be the case in Third World countries.  NOT because they DON'T want though📗📙📘

In the spirit of the upcoming New Year, please allow me to have a 'lighter blog' for today and I'm sharing this blog from Tom Ryugo [from Quora.com 12.23.23]:

Joe went to see his doctor one day because his elbow was hurting. The doctor asked him to provide a urine sample.

“Why should I provide a urine sample?”, asked Joe. “It’s my elbow.”

“I have a new laboratory analyzer that can diagnose any ailment with a urine sample”, answered the doctor. With that, he took the urine sample. Ten minutes later, the doctor returned and said “You’ve got tennis elbow. You need to rest it.”

Joe went home and got an idea. He got his wife to pee in a sample bottle. The his daughter peed in it. So did his son. Then he got the dog to pee in it. Then he put a few drops of motor oil from his car in it. Finally, Joe beat off and ejaculated in the bottle. The next day, Joe took the bottle back to the doctor and asked if his machine could diagnose what was wrong.

Half hour later, the doctor returned. “OK wise guy,” said the doctor. “Your wife has VD, your daughter is pregnant, your son is gay, your dog has mange, your car is going to blow a gasket, and if you don’t stop beating off, your tennis elbow won’t get better.”😁😁😁

Seriously, many years ago, I never took seriously those laboratory blood tests NOT until my doctor-friend alerted me that I better be serious.  Today, I'll be the first one to push everyone to be proactive in managing their health.  HOW?  Take regular Lab Tests as prescribed by your personal doctor.  NOT to discriminate doctors BUT you're guaranteed to be given an almost 100% focus if you're consulting the same doctor even for your proactive health monitoring [instead of consulting a new doctor each time you need to].  WHY not, right❓❓❓

HEALTH-related problems we're saddled across cultures and countries are just one too many.  Mental Health.  Obesity & Overweight.  Substance abuse.  Physical activity and nutrition.  Any of these problems by itself could just lead us to the problems at the surface.  Wait till your doctor advises you to take Lab Tests and hold a deep breath for the results because that should give you a clearer picture of the path you will be leading to😂😂😂

I am NEVER and WON'T ever claim to be an expert when it comes to health and medical advice BUT multiple studies show that the TOP 2 major illnesses claiming hundreds of thousands [even running up to millions] are cardiovascular problems and diabetes itself.  This is NOT an alarm but more of a WAKE-UP call for us, hoping we take proactive steps this 2024❗❗❗