Do Relationships Affect Our Health?

Do Relationships Affect Our Health?

Do Relationships Affect Our Health?  YES dude, absolutely.  And while personal relationships have a significant impact in our life, we often DON'T think about the influence they have on our health.  Over and over again, studies have shown that people involved in POSITIVE relationships with family and friends tend to be happier and live longer than people WHO are isolated [for WHATEVER reasons and circumstances may explain it]📗📙📘

Be EXTRA EXTRA wary of one type of relationship though.  That's PARASOCIAL relationships which is defined as involving OR relating to a connection between a person and someone they DO NOT know personally, like a celebrity OR famous person or even a fictitious character in a book.  To keep things simple, it will make sense that we limit today's thread to real-life relationships [and excluding parasocial ones].  And as we look for ways to manage and improve our personal health, it's worth considering HOW our relationships affect our physical health and emotional well-being.  Certainly, there can be POSITIVE effects✅✅✅

If we surround ourselves with people WHO eat healthy and exercise, we're MORE likely to adopt the same behaviors.  Relationships can also result in NEGATIVE consequences and WHILE every situation is different, let's spend time to dive into common concerns that can be influenced by our relationships with our family and even in our social life.  

DEPRESSION - While this condition has many causes, unstable relationships can contribute to DEPRESSION.  Frequent NEGATIVE interactions can even cause mood swings and emotional distress that over time, may likely affect our physical health💦💦💦

ALCOHOL and DRUG USE - Again, it's more likely that people will engage in unhealthy behaviors such as heavy drinking OR drug use WHEN they spend time with others WHO do the same.  A concrete but not-so-overnight fix for this dilemma is to make POSITIVE changes, like identifying and acknowledging WHEN a relationship is NEGATIVELY impacting one's health and well-being.  Relationships are an essential part of life, so it's really that important to establish and nurture those relationships that provide the greatest joy and POSITIVE impact to your life.  And HOW do we handle relationships that create more NEGATIVITY?  Take a serious, hard look and be focused to fix it pronto!!!

Our takeaway:  Before we get mixed up and I end up being misunderstood, WHAT is more prevalent these days is WHEN we nourish our body and mind BUT neglect our relationships because at the end of the day, our overall health will likely be compromised.  In contrast, prioritizing your 'CONNECTIONS', that is in addition to habits that support your physical and mental health, experts assure us with that embedded conviction that very likely, we have much better chances to live healthier, longer and happier, all rolled into one.  So, DO RELATIONSHIPS AFFECT OUR HEALTH?  Absolutely, dude❗❗❗

Are You Feeling LEFT BEHIND?

Are You Feeling LEFT BEHIND?

Are You Feeling LEFT BEHIND?  Half of the times, we're right.  Half of those times, we're NOT right.  WHY and WHY?  True, we would feel LEFT BEHIND when we keep failing, falling flat on our face while everyone else in the rat race is up up and away. Like WHEN you do an apples-to-apples thing, you would then realize that you're LEFT BEHIND.  BUT many times, we're damn wrong because sometimes, the comparisons are akin to apples versus lemons, oranges vs bananas.  And very obviously, there should be NO comparisons because the TALE of the TAPE won't show up numbers that are aligned.  And that is the worst thing to happen in our lives, once we start comparing ourselves to another person when both of you did NOT kickstart OR takeoff exactly on equal footing, on similar OR circumstances📗📙📘

Let's lay down concrete examples here.   From infancy, some were born with a silver spoon in our mouth while many [like moi] were born from peasant-level families.  Some scions of the 'upper tier' from many countries [including from the Third World] would sometimes cross paths and up there in any of the Ivy League universities in the U.S. or at either Cambridge or Oxford in the U.K.  Very obviously, someone graduating from either of these top tier universities will have a significant head start WHEN compared to someone graduating from the more common tertiary schools that are tiered way below the top tier ones from a 'pecking order' perspective.  And YES, if you're an Ivy League graduate, it's NOT far-fetched that one will have much bigger opportunities of getting a plum job offer from either Silicon Valley OR even from any of the blue-chip New York financial companies along Wall Street😄😄😄

True, it is NEVER pleasant to lag behind others that we consider similar.  The conventional wisdom says to STOP competing with others.  Instead, compete ONLY WITH YOURSELF. BUT again, that's easier said than done.  And with the rise of social media, it's hard to avoid evidence of your colleagues' accomplishments if you want to stay connected.  And true, that evidence can have its benefits.  And it can inspire us all💦💦💦

The biggest question to us now is HOW can we harness the positive benefits of competition WITHOUT suffering from that regrettable insecurity it may lead to?  Experts counsel us to reflect as to what triggers SELF-COMPARISONs.  The stress of feeling behind your peers can emerge in many forms💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Those triggers that may happen to any of us could be something transient, such as hearing your boss compliment another colleague, OR it might be something constant such as watching your colleagues leave the 9 to 5 cycle to build businesses of their own.  It will help to ask yourself more incisive questions like, DOES your boss's support of others make you feel inferior?  Do specific friends' accomplishments bring you down?  Do you find yourself regularly scrolling through LInkedIn, Facebook, OR Instagram, inevitably feeling a higher level of insecurity?  If so, you're NOT alone BUT off hand, it is social media which exacerbates our inherent NEGATIVITY BIAS where we put more weight on NEGATIVE experiences than positive ones.  Dude, let's PUT BEHIND that feeling of LEFT BEHIND❎❎❎

2025: Time To Re-think, Reassess and [MAYBE] Reset

2025: Time To Re-think, Reassess and [MAYBE] Reset

YES YES YES, let's bid adieu to 2024 and welcome 2025 [with open arms at that\.  YES YES, it's our Time To Re-think, Reassess and [MAYBE] Reset.  Like it OR not, when the calendar flips over, we really got NO other choice but to align with that flipping.  WHICH means looking back to critically assess HOW did we handle our life in 2024.  And if we caused any snag or snafu, time to benefit from those debacles for us to move forward with 2025🎉🎈🎢

I may sound like an old, broken [vinyl] record BUT 2025 offers us a huge window for many things BUT for brevity, it behooves that we RE-think things out, RE-assess HOW did we handle things last year and depending on your current state NOW, think it over if things are going well, enough for you to keep that momentum OR is it worth considering to push the RESET button if only to start off with a cleaner slate in 2025???

Oh, I like this very simple pristine blue horizon because it makes me realize that we should NOT settle for just one flash in the sky [OR in the pan] but ISN'T it worth it that we picture out a horizon with multiple flashes out there.  WHY?  Because we're NOT born to just trigger one single solitary FLASH IN THE PAN.  Because we have a deep reservoir of capabilities that positions us to trigger more FLASHES in life, way beyond that old, hackneyed FLASH IN THE PAN mindset😔😔😔

YES dude, it's not too steep for us to reconsider all these:

• REVIEW our goals.  You may now be basking with all the successes you have achieved BUT that DOESN'T mean that you're exempted to set your goals for 2025
• IN CASE you haven't set your goals, just DO IT now
• START AFRESH.  As they say, a cluttered place is reflective of a cluttered mind.  BUT it's more than that
• RECOMMIT.  YES you need to reaffirm [to yourself] to achieve the goals you'll set for 2025, leaving NO single stone unturned thereon
• YES, reinforce that work-life balance.  You deserve it
• YES, strive to continue improving your own well-being 

Our takeaway:  NOT to crack the whip but let us NOT belittle the significance when the year flips from 2024 to 2025 because that window flips open to multifarious opportunities FOR OUR PICKING.  Trust me, IF you refuse to pick up the challenge and IF you think it's business-as-usual [BAU], you're completely out-of-sync with the cycles in our life.  BTW, this is the time for you to beat your chest and blow your horn for your successes and achievements in 2024.  After all the hullabaloo, you deserve all those as catalysts WHEN you position yourself for the next frenetic race for this year of the [wood] snake.  HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone❗❗❗

SMALL Steps Can Lead To BIG Outcomes

SMALL Steps Can Lead To BIG Outcomes

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! SMALL Steps Can Lead To BIG Outcomes. WHO can argue with that?  These days, ask around, WHO does NOT enable the ALARM before hitting the sack?  Rarely surely.  BUT why?  Is there nothing wrong if we remain hostage to that damn ALARM clock buzzing and ringing [to whatever chimes you chose] WHEN you're still snoring?  BUT do you know by NOT relying on that ALARM clock, you will become more disciplined to get the sufficient hours of sleep you need in life???

Indeed, changing our lives is hard and scary, so WHAT happens next.  We simply stop.  We forget about it.  We redirect our attention to any other thing EXCEPT changing.  We just DON'T even retry it again, ever.  Our ideas about HOW it should be can block us even before we begin.  We go big.  OR unspecific.  We DON'T even know how to achieve it.  And after a few bumps on the road, we simply shrug off our shoulders and give up.  Really?  That fast to give up???

C'mon dude, can we make things SIMPLE, think SIMPLE, aim SIMPLE?  So WHAT if that's the way every progress works?  With the car that WON'T start, with a scary road to the unknown, and a lot of UPs and DOWNs that make you feel sorry you set off?  BUT hey, I firmly believe that we can STILL do a lot to make this travel, this journey in life more comfortable.  We can even focus on the good and even the small

The mother of all ironies is many us see the BIG-sized stuff, think of the BIG ideas, imagine BIG but end up stalled.  BUT did you ever think that putting a smile on your face the moment you wake up will trick your brain into thinking, LIKE, I feel quite good today.  YES, it's NOT easier said than done.  Do it, it works.  OR sometimes questioning your rationale? And while you may always act rationally, WHY not challenge yourself at times and ask yourself, 'IF IT'S IRRATIONAL, WHY SHOULD I DO IT???

And sometimes I feel so LOW, so depressed, HOW about taking a 2-minute shower under the cold water.  That should ignite your adrenaline no less.  HOW about walking outdoors everyday?  YES, since January 2nd this year, unless there's a downpour, we make sure our hour-long morning walk is part of our regimen.  It's a shot in our arm, for health-sake [and BTW, it's FREE, it cost nada].  SMALL STEPS CAN LEAD TO BIG RESULTS.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Our 2024 YEARENDER: Nothing Shapes Us Better Than ACTION!

Our 2024 YEARENDER:  Nothing Shapes Us Better Than ACTION!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  If we go by the clinical and medical explanations, they would tell us that BEHAVIOR is influenced by multifarious factors, including, amongst others, physical factors like age, health, illness, pain, influence of a substance OR medication.  OR even personal and emotional factors like personality, belief, expectations, emotions and even mental health.  BUT should we agree that Nothing Shapes Us Better Than ACTION!!!

In real life, though, ACTION shapes our behavior and this fundamental truth is key to unlocking our potential and achieving our most aspirational goals irrespective of WHO we are.  Understanding this concept can be transformative in a world filled with endless distractions and competing priorities💧💧💧

Let's think of the last time you set a goal for yourself.  Perhaps,  it was to exercise more regularly, eat healthier OR dedicate more time to a particular endeavor.  You likely started by planning and even strategizing [even for your personal plans], mapping out the steps you needed to take to achieve your desired outcome.  And while that initial phase is important, recognizing that the purpose of your planning is to remove potential obstacles to ACTION is critical to the successful adoption of a new behavior💥💥💥

Psychologists have long studied the relationship between BEHAVIOR and ACTION and the results of their researches consistently point to one common conclusion:  BEHAVIOR FOLLOWS ACTION.  In other words, it is the act of doing that ultimately shapes our habits, attitude and even beliefs.  This was conceptualized as an 'ACTION FIRST' approach that challenges conventional wisdom and offers new perspective on personal development.  Someone WHO wants to improve his social life for example✅✅✅

He may read books on self-esteem, attend workshops on effective communications and while these activities can be valuable, true confidence is NOT achieved through that passive consumption of information.  Our takeaway:  It is through STEPPING OUT of one's comfort zone, engaging in conversations and facing fears head-on to cultivate our confidence.  Indeed, NOTHING SHAPES US BETTER THAN ACTION!!! Fervently hoping a much much better 2025 NEW YEAR for you and your family🎉🎄🎈

ALERT: SIM-Swapping Getting Rampant

ALERT:  SIM-Swapping Getting Rampant

Not to scare everyone BUT SIM-swapping is one of the nastier hacks you can fall victim too.  Simply put, WHAT happens is that it essentially reroutes your cell number to another SIM, to another phone.  NOT only does it mean all of your text messages and calls are going somewhere else, it also means your two-factor authentication codes [which are needed to log in to online accounts OR to initiate financial transactions] are being redirected too.  Yes, this is an urgent ALERT that SIM-Swapping [is indeed Getting Rampant📗📙📘

Wikipedia tags SIM-swapping various ways, e.g. Port-out scam, SIM-jacking, SIM-splitting, name it, BUT simply put, it clearly defines SIM-swapping as an 'ACCOUNT TAKEOVER' fraud that generally targets a weakness in a two-factor authentication and two-step verification in which the second factor OR step is a text message [SMS] or call placed to a mobile phone.  This fraud exploits a mobile phone service provider's ability to seamlessly port a phone number to a device containing a different subscriber identify module [SIM]💦💦💦

So, HOW exactly SIM-swapping gets triggered?  This rampant scam begins with a fraudster gathering personal details about the potential victim [that explains WHY we have the DATA PRIVACY LAWS - but is everyone complying to it?] either by use of phishing emails OR by buying them from organized criminals [this is very true, BE EXTRA WARY when registering your personal details because that could end up in those 'marketing databases FOR SALE, whew !@#$%?]

The key to a SIM-swap attack is tricking your cellular service provider into swapping your existing cell number to a new SIM.  The tricky part here is that different carriers have different security checks in place to prevent this BUT essentially, a scammer will need access to some sensitive information so they can IMPERSONATE you, your address, your security question, your personal details [so, BE WARY]!!!

Our takeaway:  Here's a preemptive practical and proactive best practice I did invoke just yesterday.  WHEN I received an SMS containing a new OTP [WHEN in fact I was NOT performing any mobile banking transaction], the first thing I did was to CHANGE PASSWORD [because that means someone has attempted to breach your 2FA.  Always remember hackers have a variety of ways can get hold of your personal information.  Sometimes, it's NOT your fault [if there's a data breach] but even then, this warns us NOT to effortlessly input your personal details in every single link volunteered by Sales people purportedly for legit purposes [HOW assured are we that that info WON'T be UP FOR SALE to unscrupulous third parties]?  YES, SIM-swapping is getting rampant and it's unabated❎❎❎

Why Smallness Matters

Why Smallness Matters

Allow me to share this Quora.com post by Bruktawit Abebaw:  A WOMAN TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER WHILE WAITING IN THE CHECKOUT LINE AT COSTCO.  SHE SAID, 'EXCUSE ME, YOUR HAIR IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL'.  I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT SOMETIMES THESE WAVES HIT ME.  I CAUGHT A LUMP N MY THROAT, MY EYES SWELLED AND INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING 'THANK YOU', I SAID INSTEAD 'I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW MUCH THAT MEANS TO ME.  A FEW YEARS AGO, I WAS GOING THROUGH CHEMO AND KEPT PRAYING FOR IT TO GROW BACK BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN I'M LIVING CANCER-FREE AND THIS SUNDAY I'M CELEBRATING MY 5TH YEAR OF REMISSION.  Indeed, Smallness Matters.  WHO would expect that that casual remark meant a lot❗❗❗

YES, sometimes, the best way to remember the value of SMALL-SMALL things is to look for those random acts of kindness can do for others, even if it's nothing more than a casual remark like what transpired at the Costco queue.  Let us NOT underestimate the power of delivering a meal to a sick friend, inviting a new co-worker to eat lunch with you [WHICH has become more of a ritual for me through the years because at that point in time WHEN someone is very new in the organization, being invited by the boss himself should at the very least reaffirm with the newbie that he made the right decision to board that ship💧💧💧

I remember WHEN I had to initiate some minor renovations at home. I had about less than 10 workers WHO I witnessed working damn hard under the scorching sun.  WHEN the clock was ticking towards noontime, I told them that I'll give each of them a 100-peso allowance for their lunch [which I'll dole out then for the next 2 weeks until all the civil works were done].  I knew then that the 100-pesos hardly dented my pocket BUT I was quite sure that it meant a lot for them, at least to get over the burden of spending for their daily lunches.  It was the same sentiment I made it a habit of treating my new staff for lunch on his/her day-1 [which reminds me, my Dutch boss treated me for lunch on my day-1.  The stark difference was that my boss treated me for lunch at his favorite bar [with girls dancing right at high-noon]!@#$%?

Oh Oh Oh, I observed this perennial 'show stopper' in us WHEREIN some of us [sometimes] would feel that pressure of BEING NOTICED.  YES it is so easy to feel like we are being overlooked at home, at work OR even within our community WHEN we are into those SMALL-SMALL things we're doing in GOOD FAITH because let's admit it, they are NOT usually those glamorous things in the first place.  And it can feel more gratifying to be the loudest voice in the room BUT we need to remember that just because a voice is the loudest DOESN'T mean it's the one making the biggest difference✅✅✅

Our takeaway:  Can we SLOW DOWN?  BUT hey, our daily lives seem to move damn fast, right?  We rush from meeting to meeting.  Even WHEN most of us got locked-down by the recent pandemic, the frenetic back-to-back Zoom calls and meetings were back-breaking to say the least.  BUT I realized that [that] frenetic pace of our lives is one of the very major culprits WHY many of us seem to be missing out those little-little things, those SMALL-SMALL stuff in life [which to others would mean heaven and earth all rolled into one].  For brevity, one option we can consider when SMALLNESS MATTERS is to practice gratitude, dude😊😊😊

Is Your Cup Full Or Overflowing?

Is Your Cup Full Or Overflowing?

During trying times, you may feel that your positive energies are dwindling, sometimes your cup may seem more empty than full.  When your cup feels diminished, HOW do you refill it?  If one of your goals is to take some time for yourself, HOW can you carve out some minutes each day that are just for you?  WHAT can you say NO to, so that you can YES to you?  To reclaim time and space for yourself, we need to find out if Your Cup is Full Or Overflowing???

Now, the purpose and use of CUPS can be discussed in many contexts.  And one of my favorite iterations of the word CUP is the metaphor 'IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY'.  True, it seems a complicated question because the answer changes depending on WHAT is occurring in your life.  BUT either way, the glass needs to be filled to some degree in order for the question to exist.  Same goes for humans.  Something needs to be in our CUPS in order to thrive.  So, WHAT does that mean, exactly???

That metaphor of filling our CUP typically refers to the idea that a CUP and WHAT is inside function as a meter of WHETHER or NOT our personal needs are fulfilled.  When our CUPs are filled, it shows that we are in a healthy state to provide for others' needs are fulfilled.  And the less we have in our CUPs, the less capable we are of helping others.  This is something where psychologists coined the jargon 'GIVERS'  as in Psychology, the three reciprocity styles are termed as either GIVERS, TAKERS or MATCHERS❗❗❗

While GIVERS are characterized by their prosocial traits, such as selflessness, they're those people in your life whose natural impulse OR tendency is to take on others' problems typically before their own.  This separates them from TAKERS and MATCHERS.  Psychologists, however, highlight that GIVERS can take on that unhealthy traits of TAKERS when their own CUPS are empty.  Researches further showed that unhealthy GIVING can be associated with negative outcomes such as feeling overwhelmed by others' problems or feeling frustrated❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  If I was asked many years ago, I would be guilty to admit that I used to thrive on BEING BUSY [oooops, it's admitting that I seem to have NO boundaries] BUT now I admit that I fully know that in order to thrive, you [and that includes moi] must rest first.  So, to the GIVERS out there, while you are appreciated and your role is valued, we need to revisit our intentions so that, regardless in the future WHETHER your CUP is half-full OR half-empty, we can honestly admit ours is full because regardless, we're here ready to help💥💥💥

It's NOT The Last Possession That Wins For You!!!

It's NOT The Last Possession That Wins For You!!!

In a rematch between NBA inter-state ballclubs Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic, it was a perfect picture of tables turned around upside down.  In their first match, Miami Heat led up to 20+ points for 3 quarters until they folded up.  In their rematch today which ended as a clutch game, Orlando Magic led by double-digits 3 quarters of the game until they got nipped by a Tyler Herro killer mid-jumper in the last 4 seconds.  At the post-game conference, Coach Jamal Mosley was NOT apologetic with regard Orlando Magic's fumbling act, explicitly stating that in the NBA world, "It's NOT The Last Possession That Wins For You!!!"  WHAT he meant was that the end-result of the game was shaped many many possessions WAY PRIOR to that LAST 2 MINUTES.   If I may add, that truism extends even to our everyday life, way out and beyond the NBA basketball rough-and-tumble world 📗📙📘

That said, Plato, the Greek Philosopher was widely quoted: "THE FIRST AND BEST VICTORY IS TO CONQUER SELF".  Having said that, learning to effectively lead yourself and others all comes down to DISCIPLINE [SELF-DISCIPLINE in fact].  Happiness, success, and fulfillment, they all stem from FOCUS and SELF-CONTROL.  I remember the zillion times WHEN every morning, I had to come down from my hotel room, facing an eat-all-you-can buffet, that prospect of making a quick buck, OR that lazy lure of sleeping versus getting up on your feet.  And studies have consistently shown that people with better SELF-DISCIPLINE are much HAPPIER.  WHY oh WHY???

Because with SELF-DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL we actually accomplish more of the goals we truly care about.  YES, SELF-DISCIPLINE is that 'bridge' between our defined goals and our accomplished goals.  Think about it, it could be the longest imaginary bridge to exist in this world because even for those WHO were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, that imaginary bridge between their defined goals and our accomplished goals are more than just a mile-long because along every stretch of that bridge are traps and 'land mines' embedded to betray our journey and WHAT better way to get over the hump than with SELF-DISCIPLINE and SELF-CONTROL✅✅✅

To quote an author I missed the name now, his book claimed that people with a higher degree of SELF-CONTROL are likely to spend LESS TIME debating WHETHER to indulge in behaviors and activities that DON'T align with their values and goals.  WHY?  They are that more decisive.  They DON'T let impulses OR feelings dictate their choices [WHICH sometimes leads us to waffling and indecision].  Instead, they become their very own 'architects' of their own beliefs and the actions they take to achieve a desired outcome.  And as a result, they AREN'T as easily distracted by temptation and tend to feel more satisfied with their own lives😊😊😊

Our takeaway:  Allow me to quote Bruce Lee, the great Chinese martial arts expert WHO said:  TO HELL WITH CIRCUMSTANCES.  I CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.  Simply put, let us NOT wait for that LAST 2 MINUTES of the ballgame [because of our misguided fallacy that the LAST 2 MINUTES will still bring eternity in the ballgame.  NO sirrrrrs, 2 minutes is 2 minutes and nowhere does it approximate the 48 minutes of a basketball game.  Same argument runs true in our life.  Let us NOT wait for that LAST 2 MINUTES dude!@#$%?

[All-year-round] Be The BEST VERSION Of Yourself

[All-year-round] Be The BEST VERSION Of Yourself

In the NBA, Jimmy Butler, one of the league's top-tier players, makes the competition more wary of him WHEN the NBA tournament reaches the playoff phase because by then, he gets dubbed as 'PLAYOFF JIMMY'.  Meaning, during the playoff phase, competition gets more threatened because he shows up in his BEST VERSION.  A month ago, when he was angling for a contract renewal, Pat Riley, the revered Miami Heat 'godfather' stomped his foot down and chimed, he wants to see in Jimmy an [All-year-round] The BEST VERSION Of himself.  That stopped the conversation then and there, and now Jimmy has to prove [All-year-round] To Be The BEST VERSION Of Yourself [NOT just during playoffs]📘📙📗

True, everyone wants to become the BEST VERSION of themselves BUT few actually do it.  More often, the wish does NOT match the outcome and the results.  It's because we are our WORST ENEMY  when it comes to achieving success, chasing our dreams, and living a life that's filled with passion and purpose.  Worse, some of us are self-destructive without realizing it and others are conscious of the fact, but lack the tools or knowledge in order to improve💧💧💧

BUT regardless, most of us are unaware that we do have habits that continually get into the way of becoming a success in our endeavors.  So, WHAT does the BEST VERSION of yourself mean?  The definition itself can be subjective because your own version may NOT be the same as your family or close friends.  Considering this, DON'T give in to the temptation of comparing yourself with others.  BUT instead, remember your personal definition of your BEST VERSION is WHAT matters, period💥💥💥

Additionally, your BEST VERSION does NOT need to be the same thing forever.  Over time, even your very own definition of your BEST VERSION will evolve and change in all areas of your life.  So, DON'T even be hesitant to be flexible because as you thread along, you could be moving your goal posts, levelling up and challenging yourself to take aim for the next level.  Generally, your BEST VERSION means taking control of your life.  WHEN you call the shots, you become more empowered to make decisions towards your happiness.  More than that, let us remember that our BEST VERSION does NOT always mean winning OR prevailing over the field OR competition❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  Even if you ask your partner/spouse, family or close coterie of friends, everyone will tell you that UNLOCKING your BEST VERSION is NEVER an overnight process.  It could even take donkey years.  For some, it takes decades.  For a few, it takes a lifetime before he/she reaches his/her BEST VERSION.  Just brace yourself for the ride and enjoy your journey to be your BEST VERSION❗❗❗