Dropouts And NOT Burnouts

Dropouts And NOT Burnouts

Many years ago, I was then an entry-level then at Oil Giant SHELL when our Dutch I.T. Manager announced that he was going back to the Netherlands because of BURNOUT.  Being naive and very raw at that time [and lo and behold, internet technology was extremely raw at that time], I had to go to Mr Webster and find the definition of BURNOUT.  Fast-forward today, you WON'T believe it, HOW TIME FLIES, the buzzword now is Dropouts And NOT Burnouts, and this pushes me in a dizzying spin and spell.  WHAT THE f____.  WHAT about DROPOUTS📗📙📘

For alignment, in the simplest terms, BURNOUT refers to that state WHEN or WHERE you reached that point you DON'T feel that drive and/or motivation to push with your core activities, e.g. working if you're a worker.  WHEREAS DROPOUTS has no deeper meaning than dropping out from the slate.  And even the statistics from the United States is alarming, with a national dropout rate of 10.9%.  That's HUGE and that's a HUGE problem, ISN'T it?  If a first world country like the U.S. can have that kind of stats data, WHAT can we expect from the data coming from the Third World countries?  BTW, this is NOT to be discriminatory of Third World countries💥💥💥

BUT my take here is that it's quite a stretch for us to concoct a sort of 'EPIDEMIC of OVERWORK' because that's illusionary, to say the least.  YET, the global movement to shift to a four-day working week seems to gaining ground, generating that steam.  Yesterday, no less than liberal U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders floated the idea of pushing for a four-day workweek.  And even in China, many young Chinese are so worried about their country's 996 work culture [9 to 9 six days a week] that they have even started a 'LYING FLAT' movement ['Tang Ping' in Chinese] and brutally they exclaimed 'WE EMPLOYEES ARE TOO TIRED.  WE HAVE TO LIE DOWN'.  But the mind-boggling question is, IS "HARD" REALLY SUCH A BAD THING?  Huhuhu💦💦💦

Interestingly, or rather amusingly, to answer that question seems much more interesting than the apostles of overwork suggest.  Truth is, even the latest economic data show that, on average, people are working fewer hours than ever.  Working hours have even declined the most in countries with higher GDPs because it takes fewer hours of work to earn a comfortable living.  Housework is also much more efficient, thanks to technology✅✅✅

Our takeaway:  Our workers today must work harder than our predecessors for the simple reason that there is so much more knowledge to absorb.  YOUNG lawyers MUST absorb more case law.  YOUNG bankers must command more recondite techniques.  It is possible that AI [Artificial Intelligence] will eventually reduce the pressure on our workers.  Ironically, WHAT's happening is the opposite.  It seems that technological advances seem to trigger the opposite effect WHEREBY it increases the pace and tempo of transactions.  And personally, this is an unwelcome burden as it seems DROPOUTS is becoming more prevalent even as BURNOUTS are now a thing of the past😖😖😖

Shoot Your Shot!

Shoot Your Shot!

In case you're watching basketball games, how often you would hear the crowd egging the player with the balll to Shoot Your Shot?  Probably many times. In real life though, we would often encouragements to Shoot Your Shot for various reasons.  If it's all about basketball itself, even our coaches will tell us that once you got the ball and you're need the 'CUP' Shoot Your Shot.  In relationships, things become a bit trickier because making the first move is often intimidating BUT it can become downright scary if you're uncertain WHERE the other person stands, right?  The FEAR therein DOESN'T mean you SHOULDN'T try BUT before trying, it might be worth exploring your hesitation, the viability and feasibility rolled into one📗📙📘

So, WHAT really scares us?  Is that the very first time you're putting yourself out there OR have you done it before and had painful, embarrassing or worse, traumatic experience?It is essential to remember that every person and context is unique.  Give people that opportunity to prove you wrong, to show up in a way that they choose to.  OR is there something from a previous experience that you have learned that can help inform HOW you SHOOT YOUR SHOT this time❓❓❓

You might play devil's advocate, WHY SHOOT if you're not ready yet?  That's hogwash and baloney dude. To test the waters, you got to SHOOT YOUR SHOT.  BTW, the probability is that in your first batches of attempts, your shot attempts will flop OR fumble.  BUT that's the essence why you need to SHOOT YOUR SHOT because only then will you be able to tweak and adjust things as you fumble and miss in your previous attempts💥💥💥

The blunt message ot us is this:  STOP waiting for everything to be perfect [because it is likely that things will NEVER be perfect]  before you take action on your dreams.  SHOOT YOUR SHOT and adjust from there.  WHEN I took the risk of exploring my career options in Singapore many years ago, I have to admit that there was a high probability of me failing in that attempt BUT unless you swam and dived, I WON'T have that chance❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  DON'T take too long to hesitate making those attempts.  DON'T pre-empt things even before you attempt.  DON'T fear making those mistakes.  DON'T wait for things to be perfect [BECAUSE IT WILL NEVER BE].  DON'T wait to take action when there are NO RISKS because every action has its corresponding RISKS.  DON'T think that you have all the time in world because you got to remember that you live on BORROWED TIME, so if you procrastinate now, there may be NO TOMORROW for you to SHOOT YOUR SHOT.  Lastly, whether you take it figuratively OR literally, the fact is PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.  There's just NO other way to SHOOT YOUR SHOT😀😀😀

Those LOW-HANGING FRUITS!

Those LOW-HANGING FRUITS!

Getting stalled or stuck? With hardly any progress? How about Those LOW-HANGING FRUITS?  BUT the fact is, NOTHING is going to CHANGE unless you do something about it.  And it's true, CHANGE can be difficult BUT some of the best things in life come from challenging and tougher times.  And sometimes we all need a FLIP in perspective even if it's simply just to show us HOW lucky we are and HOW much we need to appreciate WHAT we have📗📙📘

In fact, psychologists claim that in their studies, those really simple things can alter your view point, allowing for greater opportunity and even happiness.  Allow to rewind back from my past and share those LOW-HANGING FRUITS I did grab:

TAKING ACTION - Without beating my chest, through and through my life I am very ACTION-oriented.  WHEN I conceptualize something, it goes through a quick proof of concept and once I validate it as feasible, I go and take ACTION, not dilly-dallying or  procrastinating at all💧💧💧

EMBRACE AN IDEA [without depending on others' opinions] - Sadly, we spend huge chunks of our life caring WHAT other people think.  Then, ironically, we feel sad WHEN others just DON'T care enough.  Now, should we spill a little-known secret that can flip your world upside down?  YES, NO ONE CARES, seriously.  

BE DETAILED of PATTERNS IN LIFE - It is probably unfortunate BUT most of us have a few toxic traits [I had my fair share too, ouch] like you notice friends ditch you time to time

GOT TO SAY 'NO' [if need to] - If you feel drained, exhausted OR stretched, learning to say 'NO' is one of the best things you can do to your life.  It can even transform you and your life, giving you more time for the things you need and less time for others

USE WHAT YOU HAVE - Let's admit it, there's one too many wastage we're witnessing all over the place.  From plastics to food getting thrown.  One SMALL thing you can do in your life [and hope there's a small dent of impact] is to reuse what you have

BE MOBILE - In short, MOVE A LOT MORE.  And it DOESN'T have to be extreme.  BUT there's tons of evidence backing up exercise benefits for us✅✅✅

Our takeaway:  BIG DREAMS are BIG and nice to dream about.  BUT WHAT we need are concrete results.  WHAT better way than you starting to move even by inches even if that means you're barely scratching the surface.  INSTEAD of you reliving the frustrations of millions of people with grandiose plans BUT even as we speak now, millions of 'horror stories' abound where DREAMS have remained as such because NO one bothered to even lift a finger for the LOW-HANGING FRUITS💙💛💚

Where Have Our Hobbies Gone?

Where Have Our Hobbies Gone?

Cartoon cards collection.  Comics collection,  Coins collection. Stamp collection.  Where Have Our Hobbies Gone?  I tried to revisit the state of HOBBIES around the world.  In the United States, there were 58,000 members of the American Philatelic Society.  Today, the total members do number less than half that number.  In the U.K., the average age of collectors is over 60.  In Asia, if you ask anyone below 30 years of age, WHO would know anything about comics, coins, OR even stamp collection❓❓❓

Those kinds of HOBBIES  seem to be disappearing and even those eccentric collections like postcards, shells and even luggage labels seem to be in a terminal decline.  You might ask me, WHAT does this got to do with our life now?  Unfortunately, today, HOBBIES remain one of the last apparently legitimate areas of ridicule.  Perhaps that's WHY they've faded away.  How's our life now without those???

NOT to be nostalgic BUT no less than psychologists share the results of their researches WHEREIN they share that engaging in a HOBBY is an excellent way to relieve stress and break away from your daily routine.  And their studies have proven THAT having a hobby can significantly benefit your overall health.  Although some may feel like they DON'T have time for HOBBIES, these activities can enhance physical and even mental wellness and even directly OR indirectly boost productivity.  In brief, it is really that imperative to prioritize self-care and set aside time for HOBBIES.  As an added bonanza, HOBBIES give our brains a much-needed break to engage in creativity

Before I get whacked for strongly pushing for us to give more impetus to HOBBIES, allow me to clear up that in NO WAY am I disowning OR rejecting social media because that will be deeply embedded in our daily lives FOREVER [until probably we circled around in a full circle and go back to the pre-historic and medieval times [WHICH is next to impossible to happen at all].  Nevertheless, it's worth reinforcing here at least the most obvious benefits of HOBBIES, hoping we can still turn things around:

• MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING - obviously.

• HOBBIES reduce stress.  Participating in HOBBIES has proven that it reduces stress levels, resulting in decreased cortisol levels.
• HOBBIES improves relationships & productivity - Team sports have shown the importance of developing social relationships and friendships which can contribute to improved mental health.  Additionally, studies show adults to be LESS LIKELY to experience depression, anxiety OR stress

Let's loosen up, re-engage in our hobbies💥💥💥

Be Genuine, Period

Be Genuine, Period

Not to be defensive but the real truth is I have tons and tons of imperfections BUT NOT being GENUINE is NOT one of them.  In fact, to Be GENUINE, I hold it closest to my heart more than anything else.  It's true to that being TRUE to oneself takes confidence, tenacity and often even bravery WHICH is WHY people tend to gravitate toward those WHO are genuine and authentic.  Let's face it, across cultures and societies, we tend to value GENUINE people and think poorly of those WHOM we perceive as being 'FAKE'.  BUT the question is, WHY IS THAT❓❓❓

Just like children, we adults are strongly encouraged to 'ALWAYS SPEAK HOW YOU FEEL and NEVER BE SORRY FOR BEING REAL'.  After all, WHAT motivates 'FAKENESS' is an effort to appear more appealing OR impressive, so shouldn't we find people WHO care about our opinions more appealing than those WHO, by definition, do their own thing regardless of WHAT we think?  BUT we shouldn't think along those lines because it does NOT augur well from a GENIUINENESS perspective💦💦💦

BUT in essence, we should be more likely to trust a GENUINE person than a fake one because we believe those WHO are true to themselves are also lively to be truer and more honest to us.  As we often associate GENUINENESS with appealing traits such as strength of character and emotional resilience and correctly so, as being true to yourself takes confidence, tenacity and sometimes, even some semblance of bravery💥💥💥

As research studies show, many 'JOURNEYS' of self-improvement and self-discovery involve efforts to live a more authentic life.  Adopting the below-listed habits given by experts will go a long way to help us become a more GENUINE person:

1. GENUINE PEOPLE SPEAK THEIR MINDS
2. GENUINE PEOPLE RESPOND TO INTERNAL EXPECTATIONS, and NOT TO EXTERNAL ONES
3. GENUINE PEOPLE FORGE PATHS
4. GENUINE PEOPLE ARE NOT THREATENED BY POTENTIAL FAILURE
5. GENUINE PEOPLE CAN ADMIT FAULTS
6. GENUINE PEOPLE ARE NOT JUDGMENTAL
7. GENUINE PEOPLE HAVE SOLID SELF- ESTEEM

Our takeaway:  Endeavor to develop that AUTHENTICITY within you.  This is self-initiated and no one else can push you on this.  Observe yourself objectively to develop that AUTHENTICITY and DON'T overlook the need to examine family belief systems to develop that AUTHENTICITY.  And DON'T miss out to identify discrepancies to further develop your AUTHENTICITY.  It can be done, dude✅✅✅

Getting Back On Your Feet

Getting Back On Your Feet

Everyone of us do have experiences [I had tons of it] in life WHEN things DON'T go as planned OR expected.  BUT being able to adapt to situations is a really valuable skill.  And WHILE it is indeed difficult to wade through WHEN it happens, once you've picked yourself back up, past failures can motivate you to do an even much better job the next time around.  As everyone says, 'FAILURE IS THE INEVITABLE PRICE OF TRYING TO DO SOMETHING'.  And indeed, that forces you to be even more creative as you look for new ways to approach a specific pursuit in life.  BUT can we agree that to Getting Back On Your Feet, we need an INSPIRATION but let's admit it, finding INSPIRATION from FAILURE is often easier said than done📗📙📘

I can easily relate myself to this dilemma during those times in the past when I was like near that 'gutter level', so near to the drainage that I could have been easily flushed out by just a normal water flow, without for torrential rains and flash floods to flush me out.  So, you might ask, HOW did I pick up the pieces?  First and foremost, I had to OWN UP to all my misses, my lapses, my shortfalls.  That was some of my toughest times in my life BUT I had to summon the remaining energy and fortitude 'LEFT IN MY TANK' for me to GET BACK ON MY FEET'.  Hard as it may be, I had to recognize that there was NO other way for me to resuscitate things💚💛💜

WHAT is it most psychologists are expecting from us when we are in the doledrums?  Being able to recognize a FAILURE means that you'll be able to re-cast it into something more likely to succeed.  FAILURE teaches you WHAT DOESN'T work, in fact.  Oh, I often hear this:  YOU NEED A SHOT IN THE ARM.  And this reminds us to remember our PAST SUCCESSES.  True, you FAILED this time BUT that is just a piece of a bigger picture💦💦💦

So, experts are counselling us that instead of dwelling on WHERE you went WRONG, remember all the times WHEN things went right.  And find a way to learn from your latest mistake in the same way you've learned from other ones.  And WHAT could be a much better 'ICING ON THE CAKE' than you yourself TAKING ACTION.  Once you've accepted your FAILURE, it's important to make decisions about WHAT you'll do next, because SIMPLY DOING NOTHING will only keep you stagnated WHERE you are💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  It's easier said than done but similar to a RESET or a REBOOT, So your NEXT STEP DOESN'T have to be BIG.  Sometimes, a small CHANGE can become a major turning point.  WHEN other people talk about their careers, it can seem AS IF everything was part of a grand plan.  BUT that is rarely true.  Try just going with something and see WHERE it takes you, dude😊😊😊

Never Reveal Your GOALs

Never Reveal Your GOALs

Social media is saturated with GOALS and DREAMS.  Nothing wrong sharing it in those platforms BUT here's a big BUT.  If you are plotting your major GOALs in life and even before you take the first steps, if you did share it across social media, even if you initially shared it to your close coterie of friends.  Your friends will share it their friends WHO may NOT be your friends.  True, most of them will be sharing it in good faith.  Before you know it, your personal goal you shared to your close coterie of friends has now propagated across multitudes of people whose names you haven't even heard from Adam.  Now, the BIG ASK, what's the fuss if your goal has now spread all over the social media communities?  Not to fuss about it BUT Never Reveal Your GOALs📗📙📘

Now, before I get doubted that I am into double-speak, please allow me to admit that I do WALK THE TALK.  Many years ago, NO ONE, as in NO ONE, and NOT even my loved ones, knew the major GOAL I plotted for the next twelve months.  NOT a knee-jerk reaction to events that may trigger personal decisions, I thoroughly assessed the horizons and I told myself, nope, I DON'T want to spend the next ten years in my home country.  NOT because I fell out of love with my home country and culture BUT rather because I plotted my medium-term career plans.  NOT out of selfishness.  NOT out of non-transparency.  NOT out of ill-intentions.  NOT out of bad faith.  Now, WHO amongst you ever announced a personal goal to lose weight to the world and ended up staying the same OR even gaining more weight than ever❓❓❓

We can even look back to those year-on-year New Year's Resolutions we are all so damn busy right before the New Year kicks in.  Yes, you can think of resolutions as setting goals or setting intentions.  Being satisfied with progress towards our GOAL is associated with positive emotions.  These positive emotions provide the motivation necessary to continue pursuing our GOALs.  Unfortunately, setting a GOAL does NOT always culminate in the desirable changes.  Thus, a critical solution would have to address how to close the gap between the intention and the execution [at work, we call it IMPLEMENTATION].  the demonstrable way to close the gap between intention and implementation is to 'PRIVATIZE' our intentions.  People tend to make their GOALs public , BUT research has shown that publicizing GOALs might jeopardize chances to achieve the GOALs📌📌📌

Researches by experts reveal that when we publicize our GOALs, especially the ones that have to do with our identity, our goal-related performance is compromised.  Ironically, this effect was only found for participants WHO are very committed to their GOAL.  And the experts state that the LESSON LEARNED is that the more passionate you about your GOALs, the more secretive you should be❎❎❎

From a layman like me, the question is, WHY would making our GOALs public reduce the likelihood of achieving them?  Experts explain that making GOALs and any progress toward implementation generate positive rewarding feelings.  In order for these emotions to be motivational until our GOALs are realized, that 'REWARD' has to be time-released.  Dude, for now, keep your GOALs to yourself.  Beat your chest and blow your horns once you achieve it❗❗❗

Why BAD Decisions Are BAD

Why BAD Decisions Are BAD

Yessssirrrs, a BAD DECISION is all you need to ruin your day.  That too starts the minute you wake up in the morning and you hit the snooze button.  You begin scrolling like a robot and there you go, you're about to ruin your next 24 hours.  NOT in a bag-bang way BUT slowly you are going to tuin every single hour.  That's how that vicious cycle works [and misfires].  So WHERE does our productivity goals for the day go?  So, Why BAD Decisions Are BAD?  Is it that HARD to actually NOT make BAD decisions?  Is it that HARD?  Nope, NOT THAT HARD.  NOT hitting the snooze button.  NOT touching unhealthy food.  NOT wasting time on movie binges📗📙📘

Seriously, it actually feels HARDER to stay in this rut.  Sadly, many people tend to confuse productivity with complex concepts.  To quote the oft-quoted one-liner from Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, KEEP IT SIMPLE [k-i-s-s].  Make GOOD decisions and your productivity WON'T be impacted, period.  So when is a BAD day indeed a BAD day?  It is WHEN you have to hit the RESET button.  True, we all have bad days.  And at times it starts right after you wake up, one foul-up after another leads to a bigger foul-up. BUT letting your energy flow away that too with deliberate choices is complete nonsense [I'll call it stupidity] and just because you're having a BAD day DOESN'T mean you have to watch hours of Netflix OR eat like it's your last meal OR just be a 'lazy dog' the whole day❓❓❓

A GOOD sleep.  A few minutes of meditation.  Time with your loved ones.  Healthy foods.  And some real, genuine reflection on your current life.  That's the long and short of life's simple recipe to get back ON TRACK.  It's true we make BAD choices, BAD decisions, at times because our life sucks.  At times, we seem bored with our daily life.  LIke NO adventure.  NOTHING exciting.  NOTHING else but a monotonous life.  That's BAD💥💥💥

Oh Oh, we all need to get back into that BIG TENT realization that people make thousands of decisions each day and every day, some are quite BIG ones, some are SMALL decisions.  And while of those choices do turn out great, chances are that NOT every decision you make will be a good one.  In my basic understanding of statistics, that's the law of probabilities applied in real life.  And WHEN you look back, you may wonder WHY you made those decisions, particularly the ones that turned out poorly OR led to feelings of regret.  BUT remember many factors come into play before choices are made and at times, it is NOT that easy❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  While it goes saying that you will probably continue to make BAD decisions from time to time, you can gain a deeper understanding of the process behind these sometimes irrational choices.  Understanding how these processes work and influence your thinking may help you to make better decisions in the future.  And at times even mental shortcuts may come into the picture.  So, if you had to think through every possible scenario for every possible decision, you probably WOULDN'T get much done in a day. At the end of the day, it boils down to us going BACK TO BASICS, arriving at informed decisions instead of off-the-cuff ones especially WHEN and WHERE emotions get into the way.  WHY BAD DECISIONS ARE BAD!@#$%?

How To FAIL RIGHT

How To FAIL RIGHT

WHO says we humans are infallible?  WHO says we're clothed with teflon such that we WON'T and CAN'T FAIL?  I think this is a given and no one will dare to argue BUT why DON'T we ask ourselves, How To FAIL RIGHT?  Because in the first place, we CAN'T just shrug off our shoulder each time we fall flat and FAIL.  WHETHER a FAILURE causes only a dent OR you turn black and blue, How To FAIL RIGHT???

Thing is, the two parameters of FAILURE are HOW and WHY you FAILED as that differentiates the GOOD versus the BAD type of FAILURES.  While the GOOD types are more related to experimentation, the BAD types are more related to inattention or lack of training.  The thing is, nobody wants to FAIL.  In fact, where possible, we have to avoid FAILURE at all costs.  BUT analysts believe that there are three things to know about FAILURE, namely:  THAT it happens.  THAT it can be destructive in ways you would have never expected OR imagined.  THAT there was a 'RIGHT WAY' to do it, thus averting OR avoiding it.  BUT what separates the GOOD FAILURES versus the BAD FAILURES?  It is the way we handle it forward💧💧💧

First things first, inspirational speakers tell us that "FAILURE IS AN OPTION".  Now, to align definitions, let us peg OPTION to CHOICES, meaning, if you had an OPTION, you had that CHOICE to make and decide.  Nevertheless, once FAILURE did hit us, first thing to do is to SEPARATE THE FAILURE FROM THE PERSON.  Else, tying up a person to a failure taints things and it could lead us to a biased judgment, like, 'OH, IT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S JOHN WHO DOES IT'!@#$%?

So, WHY do we need to separate the FAILURE from the person?  Retracting the steps to understand WHAT went wrong helps you to be less emotional and go straight to FAILURE itself because the first step to deal with FAILURE is to accept it.  IF in the first place we DON'T admit it, there is NOTHING to talk about.  So, you have to admit something has been proven wrong and from there, analyze the FAILURE with the basic questions of:  WHAT happened?  WHY did it happen?  Is it because of you?  OR is it because of a situation???

Experts talk about the ATTRIBUTION Theory which distinguishes DISPOSITIONAL versus SITUATIONAL attribution.  Like when a FAILURE happened, with DISPOSITIONAL attribution, you will say 'THIS WENT WRONG BECAUSE I DID NOT DO MY BEST' whereas in SITUATIONAL attribution, you will endeavor to find the causes from the situation.  Our takeaway:  Even when you believe you FAILED because of WHAT you did, FAILURE can be told as something that happens to you and NOT something that you are.  In a nutshell, this is what experts are saying HOW TO FAIL RIGHT💥💥💥

Nothing Is TOO HARD, Seriously

 Nothing Is TOO HARD, Seriously

Stress levels are way too high everywhere as according to a report, 35 percent of people worldwide said they were STRESSED and 35 percent confirmed that they experienced WORRY the day before they were surveyed.  So the bigger question is, WHY is it things seem much harder than it really is?  You might find yourself pondering WHY everything feels so hard.  Perhaps you're comparing yourself to your peers so hard?  And maybe you're noticing that they DON'T seem to be experiencing the same level of anguish.  Yes, this is one huge gaping hole and there could be multifarious factors in it.  BUT to simplify things, let's agree that everyone's journey is different.  BUT just because your peers DON'T seem to be struggling now, they may have it privately📗📙📘

As recent as the 2021 Gallup Survey, four in ten adults worldwide experienced a lot of worry [42%] or stress [41%] and physical pain [31%] while sadness [28%] and anger [23%] prevailed on the rest.  Yes, there's a myriad of factors that can contribute to life feeling singularly harder for us than for others.  We may be in that 'developmental' phase of our life that involves a big change, because change, even under the best of circumstances, is seldom easy.  It could be like finally leaving home for the first time to attend college in the city OR changing jobs, getting married, having children, getting divorced or even having your adult children [finally] move out.  Part of why CHANGE IS SO HARD is because it involves us changing our behavior.  In fact, research shows that changing our behavior ISN'T a linear process.  Instead, it is one full of clumsy starts and stops, leaps in progress only to regress to former behaviors quickly💧💧💧

if anything, the fact that things are feeling HARD in the face of CHANGE can be an indicator that you're working to CHANGE your behavior and that is a process that, by design, ISN'T easy.  WHEN acknowledging the impact of personal challenges, we'd be remiss to speak about this feeling of life being extraordinarily difficult without acknowledging HOW personal challenges impact hardship.  We all have different circumstances that can increase the intensity of our hardships though.  Experts point to FAMILIAL DYSFUNCTION as the most common circumstance that can increase the intensity of life feeling HARD.  Like you could be navigating a breakup or having lost someone in the family.  Alternatively, you may find yourself 'gridlocked' in conflict with your boss.   Thing here is that we need to thrive in community.  Without it, we may end up in social isolation💦💦💦

And experts do warn us that it turns out, social isolation and loneliness can even contribute to adverse health outcomes.  Another one of those circumstances is when you are in a crisis, either suffering from abuse, addiction, poverty, OR a chronic illness.  These factors cannot be overlooked and inevitably make life feel extraordinarily challenging.  We do have strategies to support you in this difficult season of life BUT first, we need to acknowledge HOW society may be contributing to HOW you feel.  Coming off the heels of that dreaded Covid-19 pandemic, most countries are now going through their respective 'economic turmoils' and that's apart from the war-torn conflicts both in Ukraine and at the Gaza Strip.  Then comes the financial stressors that have only exacerbated by skyrocketing interests of loans, mortgages coupled with economic inflation and even those whispers of a recession underway💥💥💥

So, the maddenning question is WHAT TO DO WHEN LIFE GETS HARD?   So, perhaps we all know WHY life is feeling HARD.  Now it's the time to consider WHAT we can help when feeling this way.  It's common to feel full of rage WHEN you're in this headspace.  In fact, it may even feel like you've hit your BREAKING POINT and are deeply angry.  BUT when we can face our anger head on without any distractions, we can use the energy to further propel ourselves forward, pass difficulties and beyond.  Our takeaway:  Do REST.  While it may feel counterintuitive to some, experts strongly encourage us to REST when navigating through life's hardships.  NOT only is REST a powerful antidote to our culture of constantly needing to perform, do and take action [even in the midst of hardship] BUT it can also do wonders for our well-being.  To quote experts, 'WHEN YOUR MIND IS WELL-RESTED, IT BECOMES CLEARER AND CREATIVE.  Dude, NOTHING IS TOO HARD, Seriously😀😀😀