How Often Do You PASS THE ROCK?

How Often Do You PASS THE ROCK?

How Often Do You PASS THE ROCK?  With an analogy with the NBA world, it's quite straightforward to ask that question.  Some players are 'ball hoggers' while some players seem to suffer from 'trigger' phobia, afraid to PASS THE ROCK.  BUT that analogy seems easier in a ballgame like basketball.  WHAT IF the game you're playing, you're the only one?  HOW does PASSING THE ROCK become relevant WHEN we're all by our own self???

LIKE when you're out there hunting by your own self, the outcome of any approach, opportunity OR shot is altogether between the hunter and his OR her own reflection in the mirror, right?  WHEN hunting with a buddy OR your guide, there might be a couple of witnesses BUT ours in life is mostly a solitary pursuit.  At one time, the hunter's desire for success might have been guided by hunger.  For some, it's less simpler💧💧💧

For many, meat on the table remains a primary and valid motivation to hunt, though today, starvation is very rarely a possible consequence at all.  Instead, in life, we are guided more by conscience, sense of ethics and the drive to perform well.  All these do boil down to one word spelled C-O-U-R-A-G-E.  Many people equate COURAGE with fearlessness BUT experts protest that this is a faulty interpretation because COURAGE involves taking action in spite of the fear you feel💦💦💦

Psychologists tell us that COURAGE is that willingness to respond even when you have feelings of anxiety and worry.  So, we are advised to NEVER beat our own selves OR assume that you are NOT courageous if you feel fearful.  Instead, to be courageous means that you are able to act even WHEN fearful.  Additionally, the more we face our fears, the more we can replace our fear-based response with a courageous one instead😊😊😊

Our takeaway:  Many times in life when I stumbled across a discussion [sometimes an argument] with regard courageousness, people often assume that courageousness is something you're either born with OR not.  WHILE it is true that some people could be more predisposed to displaying courage based on its connection to certain personality traits, this virtue is more like a muscle.  Everyone has the ability to become more courageous with the right practice and mindset.  Think about it, BEFORE YOU PASS THE ROCK❗❗❗

When You Keep Putting Something Off!

When You Keep Putting Something Off!

When You Keep Putting Something Off, we are told to please NOT to blame ourselves.  INSTEAD, we got to figure things out.  Do you FEAR failure?  OR is the task itself uninteresting?  OR are you overwhelmed?  OR do you feel you're unprepared OR not qualified to do it?  OR are you distracted by something else you care about more?  OR were you just pressured OR coerced [against your will] to do it?  Either ways, it is imperative to figure out WHY When You Keep Putting Something Off!!!

IF you've ever put off an important task by, say, alphabetizing your spice drawer, you know it WON'T be fair to describe yourself as lazy.  After all, alphabetizing requires focus and effort and MAYBE you even went that XTRA MILE to wipe down each bottle before putting it back.  And it's NOT like you're hanging out with friends OR you're into movie streaming, e.g. Netflix.  A common symptom here is procrastination💥💥💥

BTW, procrastination is more than just voluntarily delaying.  Procrastination is also derived from that Greek word ''akrasia', which means, doing something against our better judgment.  Even psychologists termed this as 'SELF-HARM'.  That self-awareness is a key part of WHY procrastinating makes us feel so 'rotten'.  WHEN we procrastinate, we're NOT only aware that we're avoiding the task in question BUT also that doing so is probably a 'bad' idea.  And yet, we do it anyway💧💧💧

This leads me to explicitly state that procrastination is essentially irrational.  It just DOESN'T make sense to do something you know is going to have negative consequences.  Studies showed that people engage in this irrational cycle of chronic procrastination because of an inability to manage negative moods around a task.  Not surprisingly, procrastination ISN'T a unique character flaw😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  Let us dissect things in simpler terms.  The particular nature of our aversion depends on the given task OR situation.  It may be due to something inherently unpleasant about the task itself [like as boring as cleaning our very own bathroom] BUT it might also result from deeper feelings related to the task such as self-doubt, low self-esteem, anxiety or an underlying insecurity.  Think about it, WHEN YOU KEEP PUTTING SOMETHING OFF [over and over again]!@#$%?

[ADVISORY from Apple & Microsoft] Your Urgent Attention Needed [Please ignore if actioned by now]

 

EN TOTO, pasted below the urgent alerts from both Apple and Microsoft.   Please ignore this advisory IF you don't have windows or apple devices OR relevant actions have been done.

On Tuesday, March 11, Apple dropped a series of updates for its devices. That includes iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones; iPadOS 18.3.2 for iPads, macOS Sequoia 15.3.2 for Macs, Safari 18.3.1, tvOS 18.3.1, and visionOS 2.3.2 for Apple Vision Pro.

"Impact: Maliciously crafted web content may be able to break out of Web Content sandbox. This is a supplementary fix for an attack that was blocked in iOS 17.2. (Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 17.2.)"

It appears an out-of-bounds write issue (which happens when a program writes data that does not belong to it) allowed bad actors to attack users running versions of iOS older than 17.2. Apple's language implies that these are capable actors with specific targets, and while Apple doesn't say, it's possible that involves high-profile personalities such as politicians or journalists. The company says the issue was blocked in iOS 17.2, but since there are users who were attacked running earlier versions of iOS, it seems this update was necessary regardless.

Microsoft's released its monthly Patch Tuesday update for March 2025 to fix 57 bugs across Windows, Office, Azure, and other Microsoft systems. Seven of the patches address zero-day vulnerabilities, six of which have been actively exploited.  According to Bleeping Computer, this month's update fixes 23 elevation of privilege flaws, three security feature bypass flaws, 23 remote code execution flaws, four information disclosure flaws, one denial of service flaw, and three spoofing flaws

Seven of the flaws fixed were zero-day vulnerabilities, which allow bad actors to exploit systems before an official patch is released by developers. In this case, six of the seven zero-day vulnerabilities were actively exploited, while one was publicly exposed—so it's only a matter of time before actors exploit this seventh vulnerability, as well.

Just to share with our readership here, I maintain my own security tracker of all the attempts coming from all over the globe and NOT to unduly raise fear or worst cyberphobia OR logizomechanophobia [WHICH is defined as extreme fear of using or being around computers, potentially leading to avoidance and significant anxiety].  So, as laymen and non-techies, WHAT can we proactively do for now?  Please ensure that your login accounts are IMPENETRABLE with passwords that should NOT be dates of birth, anniversaries and the like.  At least for passwords, let's be wiser than these unforgiving scammers💥💥💥

Anniversaries Are For WHAT?

Anniversaries Are For WHAT?  

Anniversaries Are For WHAT? For celebrations?  For kanpai/kampai?  Of course, absolutely.  BUT where's the crack?  Correct me if my observation is off-grid BUT more often, ANNIVERSARIES get hard-wired with celebrations.  WHICH is sad because traditionally, ANNIVERSARIES are our opportunity and chance to reflect on a relationship OR a milestone that was achieved [OR call it implanted] on that date.  WHATEVER the ANNIVERSARY is, it gives us a chance to look back over the years since the event we're marking and reflect on HOW it has shaped or transpired on that date sometime ago.  LOOKING BACK means a lot and it can be insightful.  ANNIVERSARIES are an important part of our life.  They remind us of important events [both personal and even cultural]  WHETHER we're marking a birthday, a wedding OR a momentous event in our life [OR even the death of a loved one], an ANNIVERSARY puts a pin on the calendar to remind us of something that matters to us📗📙📘

BTW, ANNIVERSARIES aren't always about celebration.  Most of us will have a day WHEN we remember a friend OR family member who's died and NO ONE should feel embarrassed about feeling emotional OR sad.  It can be helpful if the people around you give a little extra leeway on the day itself.  OR make an extra effort to pick up the phone OR send a message so you know you're NOT alone in thinking of that person💥💥💥

YES, there are fixed dates through the year WHEN we share collective memories, like those who died in wars OR conflicts, OR to mark the passing of time since that dreadful September 11.  YES, they are collectively important for communities and sometimes across cultures and countries.  BUT within our lives, let us NOT lose sight of the fact that ANNIVERSARIES serve an important psychological purpose because they are like CHECKPOINTS in time❗❗❗

ANNIVERSARIES are reminders for us to pull over and remember the people we used to be as well.  And those times become moments of reflection and even observe how memories itself will evolve over time.  NOT to politicize things, I remember a public holiday celebrated here in my country where everyone from one side of the political spectrum will come in droves, ending up blocking the main highways, to celebrate the death of a declared 'national hero'📌📌📌

Our takeaway:  In the shortest words, ANNIVERSARIES are with us for the following:

• YES, it's a MILESTONE!
• YES, it's a chance to RECONNECT!
• YES, it's a chance to be REFLECTIVE!
• Ooops, it's an excuse for a GETAWAY!
• And YES, a time to look forward to the future!

Is BOREDOM Good For Us?

Is BOREDOM Good For Us?

IF there is a five-letter word I dread the most, it is the word ' B-O-R-E-D'! BUT hey, psychologists tell us that BOREDOM is Good For Us?  REALLY?  Sadly, since time immemorial, BOREDOM has gained that 'notoriety' and reputation for being a NEGATIVE state of mind BUT now, studies show that BOREDOM has its innate benefits for our mental health, like improving creativity, curiosity and even self-control.  BUT hey, let us be cautioned that everyone's brain is unique and different, so BOREDOM can be an individual experience.  NO WAY should we expect to replicate one's experience to his siblings or immediate family📗📙📘

Even neuro-scientists have joined the fray on the basis that our brain works 24/7.  Surprisingly to me as a layman, EVEN when we're asleep, the brain NEVER sleeps.  Instead, it is resolving solutions, making decisions and thinking about possibilities even WHEN you're NOT aware of it.  That explains WHY our brain is tagged as the 'ALWAYS ON' organ so devoted, it NEVER takes a break OR a vacation like we do😌😌😌

According to brain scientists, for every single ability you have, you have brain cells that are communicating even if you're just walking, you have brain cells communicating with the muscles to move.  So, YES, our brain is constantly at work.  They do eat and even create waste, so sleep is the optimal time for the waste to get cleared out between the cells so they can actually function.  Let's look at our daily life in relation to the garbage collectors WHEN they go on strike.  That's exactly the same thing going on with our brain cells💧💧💧

If we wake up to an alarm before your own system is ready to wake up, you would have cut part of a cycle of sleep off that your brain wanted.  So, sleep is all about rejuvenating our brain.  An alarming study showed that sleep restrictions actually amplify your anger.  It's AS IF the brain gets mad WHEN it DOESN'T get the rest it needs.  You might wonder, do you just SIT AND DO NOTHING?  Oh Oh Oh, I can imagine you yourself rolling your eyes, glancing at your TO-DO list.  You're up to eyeballs at work, deadlines looming and you CAN'T even find enough hours in the day to juggle emails, work remotely and even 'home school' your kids.  It's counter-intuitive BUT doing nothing is productivity's 'BRAKES' to do something💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Allow me to share this very recent observation I had here at home WHEN we got hit with an outage by our ISP [internet service provider].  And I did notice my daughter's BOREDOM was getting stretched, so I even egged her to turn-on her room's aircon BUT I ended up doing it myself.  In a bit, I noticed she was tinkering with her tons and tons of 'little-little' stuff of accessories and she started piecing together to design and started customizing bracelets she will gift to her close friends.  That was just a typical but classic scenario WHEN boredom can be that catalyst for us to throttle up our CREATIVITY.  Oh Oh Oh, for vapers and smokers WHO will immediately light up a cigarette stick OR even grab a shot of alcohol just because he's BORED, better be FOREWARNED and forearmed [no offense meant here]❗❗❗

The Days BEHIND Us Determine The Days AHEAD Of Us

The Days BEHIND Us Determine The Days AHEAD Of Us

I was watching the Netflix thriller SNIPER ULTIMATE KILL and while mourning a fellow sniper who committed suicide even if he was at the TOP OF HIS GAME, a fellow sniper murmured that The Days BEHIND Us Determine The Days AHEAD Of Us.  Well said and I immediately thought that's my thread for today because it is damn reflective of our life, the days behind us seem a distant past WHILE many of us are preoccupied with the days ahead📗📙📘

IF Philosophy is good at one unique thing, it is pointing things out that seem so obvious BUT we humans DON'T even notice them and making them suddenly seem unnervingly strange.  So, the $64 question is: WOULD YOU RATHER THAT YOUR BEST DAYS WERE AHEAD OF YOUR, OR BEHIND YOU?  There's just NO right OR wrong answer here because at the end of the day, this is your personal decision BUT to state the obvious, of course we'd all prefer our best days to be ahead of us.  Heard of the typical career of sales folks?  Probably you heard of the top notch sales executive WHO always rakes in top honors during the sales recognition.  BUT here's the BUT💥💥💥

This is NOT news at all.  Each time the top sales executive achieves the mark, in the next round, his bosses will move the goal post and he has to achieve that new target.  And that vicious cycle will never end, trust me.  The thing is, nobody wants to think that they have already peaked.  And that might even seem perfectly rational.  After all, if your future is going to be better than your past, your life overall will ultimately contain more goods than it would IF things just coast along as they are, or worse, if things started to decline OR even just dip.  BUT this is WHERE those weirdly artificial thought experiments really come into their own💚💛💜

Having said this, psychologists have recently uncorked something yet unbeknownst to us all.  That generally, we humans are biased towards the future, a bias that seems so deep we DON'T even notice it, a bias that can at least in theory lead us to act against our overall best interests.  As an analogy, let's take a bee sting that hurts the same as Tuesday as it does on Thursday regardless WHETHER today is a Wednesday OR Friday.  So, WHY would we rather be stung yesterday than tomorrow???

Our takeaway:  Logic-wise, this bias seems to work differently depending on WHETHER we're thinking about our own future OR those of others.  Respected philosopher Caspar Hare was even quoted that our bias seems different depending on WHETHER we're near OR far from the person WHOSE welfare we're considering.  In a quite philosophical train of thought, we often say that someone is 'gone too soon' BUT we never lament that someone was 'born too late', right?  UNLESS we mean that they would have thrived better in an earlier epoch than they do now.  YES, just as non-existence is non-existence, just as pain is pain.  YES dude, THE DAYS BEHIND US DETERMINE THE DAYS AHEAD OF US😊😊😊

When Do You Cross The RUBICON?

When Do You Cross The RUBICON?

Many of us reside either in valleys, peaks or even along the coastal lines.   Some of us reside in landlocked cities while some live in either islets or in bigger islands like Hawaii OR Long Island.  Regardless, one day, we'll be asked this one:  When Do You Cross The RUBICON?  Will you dare to accept the challenge and argue that NO way you'll cross it one day?  Be forewarned dude, just DON'T eat your words because in our life, it is a given that from time to time, we need to make decisions, even for decisions we tried to avoid and delayed📗📙📘

I can personally attest countless times WHEN I did bear witness to people WHO dared NOT to cross the RUBICON, avoiding making decisions and WHERE it CAN'T be avoided, delaying and delaying the game.  Alas, as the old cliche goes, YES YOU CAN HIDE BUT YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY.  Such is the harshness of life.  NEVER run away from life's turmoil's and travails because one day, it will catch up on you💧💧💧

Relationships are good case studies.  There is this utter false belief that things will fix by itself, THAT you DON'T need to be confrontational, THAT you DON'T need to be hot-headed, THAT you DON'T need to be that impatient because one day, one night, the starts will align and voila, you would have overcome that lingering problem that you did avoid through the weeks and months.  If you will challenge me of stories that there were 'horror stories' that turnaround around favorably, those are outliers dude!!!

The analogy of decisions in life that do frighten people can be pegged to real-life situations WHEN people WHO come across large bridges would be overwhelmed with fear.  Technically called GEPHYROPHOBIA, that's the abnormal and persistent fear of crossing bridges.  Mix that with ACROPHOBIA, that fear of heights, crossing the bridge can become a terrifying experience.  Let's map that to our decision-making💦💦💦

Our takeaway:  WHILE it is not easy enough to grapple with decisions that may have its far-reaching implications, allow me to share HOW I handled that dilemma before.  I talked to myself and I challenged myself to have, at the very least, two options, like it's a go OR not, a yes OR no, a push OR pull.  And I DIDN'T give myself an option to skip OR avoid making a decision.  Obviously, I always reminded myself that I need to arrive at an INFORMED DECISION, devoid of assumptions and guesses.  And lastly, I reminded myself that WHEN I CROSS THE RUBICON, there's no turning back❗❗❗

Can We Make Life UNCOMPLICATED?

Can We Make Life UNCOMPLICATED? BUT hey dude, ISN'T life that SIMPLE enough?  Yes it is absolutely SIMPLE BUT here's a big BUT.  It gets COMPLICATED when we 'UNSIMPLE' it.  And psychologists all point to the same corner in our life, WHICH is, our BELIEF SYSTEM.  They point out the problem starts WHEN we think something, feel something else, and do something else COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.  That is a classic case of COMPLICATED humans, if we may say so📗📙📘

WHAT's quite perplexing is WHY we human beings would sometimes wait for the 'NOW or NEVER' situations in life.  MAYBE because we DON'T do the things we say we are going to do.  We do things our BELIEF SYSTEM approves of.  Indeed, there are multiple layers of our human nature BUT the undeniable fact is that the core remains the same.  And that 'CORE' mindset is WHO you are.  Like you can tell yourself that you want to travel, see and explore the world BUT if your CORE BELIEF is that you cannot survive outside of your family, your circle of friends and your 'CERTIFIED ZONE', then, NO WAY Jose, you are NOT going anywhere, that I can bet.  So, WHERE are we at that point?  This becomes tricky indeed💧💧💧

So, WHERE do we go from here?  If we want to achieve something, BUT cannot get yourself to work toward it, then consider to start by taking that 'TINIEST' action you can.  And psychologists advise that we take this path on a CONSISTENT basis, our brain will start 'ACCEPTING' the fact and be like "THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO"💦💦💦

And to borrow the technical jargon of experts, from thereon, there is NO ESCAPING because that message will reach each cell of your body and eventually, slowly, gradually, you will have WHATEVER it takes that you want.  At hindsight, we humans tend to think that we can do something on our own and that we are independent enough.  Firstly, it's all a lie.  We are interdependent creatures.  We need the help of other people.  More importantly, we need every cell of our body to believe in the same thing as we do.  Our brain, cell and soul should be aligned💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  WHILE we keep saying that life is fairly SIMPLE, it is a 'fact of life' that from time to time, there are COMPLICATIONS that are part and parcel of the realities in life.  BUT the least we can do is to stick to our CORE BELIEFs.  Follow WHAT you want.  DO WHAT heeds your wants.  Yes, there are always external factors looming all around you BUT at the end of the day, you should NOT lose control of your steering wheel.  You got to fully CONTROL and maneuver it to the direction you want to thread.  Just DON'T COMPLICATE LIFE, if at all😌😌😌

Unshackle Yourself. YOU've Got To Be YOU!

Unshackle Yourself.  YOU've Got To Be YOU!

Your parents want you to be a monk OR a priest.  OR your spouse/partner wants you take that 'path'.  Your best friend thinks you should take a pivot.  Your workmates believe that you got to low-key.  Your competitors want you to step off from the gas to give them a 'chance to shine'.  WHERE do you go then? Unshackle Yourself.  YOU've Got To Be YOU!  NO one else can tell you, direct you or throw military-like instructions WHERE you got to toe the line📗📙📘

This reminds me of Bill Gove, touted around the world as the 'FATHER OF PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING'.  BUT I WON'T spend time to banner his credentials though.  Instead, I did grab his poster which screams:  IF I WANT TO BE FREE, I'VE GOT TO BE ME.  NOT THE ME I THINK YOU THINK I SHOULD BE.  NOT THE ME I THINK MY WIFE THINGS I SHOULD BE.  NOT THE ME I THINK MY KIDS THINK I SHOULD BE.  IF I WANT TO BE FREE, I'VE GOT TO BE ME.  No flowery words there but it speaks volumes because many of us end up OFF-TRACK because someone else expects YOU to be YOU based on WHAT they want YOU to be YOU!@#$%?

BUT hey, do you believe that YOU can reinvent yourself and change WHO you perceive yourself to be and your relationship to the world?  OR do you believe that you are destined to carry on as the person you have always been?  Half of you probably like WHO you are BUT some of you might still feel stuck in a rut, locked in an unsatisfying relationship, OR just plain ridden with guilt and self-hatred???

HOW often you hear this refrain:  I CAN'T HELP IT.  THAT'S JUST WHO I AM.  OR HE'LL NEVER CHANGE.  And the truth is, he might NOT.  BUT you can make a different choice for yourself if that is WHAT you want to do.  There are always key turning points in people's lives that make a difference in relation to WHO we become.  Some events are traumatic and painful and take us into 'dark places' WHERE we might wander for years❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  WHATEVER travails we wade through, I fervently believe that some of us need to take that journey so that we can chart a course back to the light of living freely and with joy.  Some of us, after we heal our own lives, bring pieces of that map back with us to pass on to others.  In the shortest words possible, we DON'T have to string our days together, feeling like we are the same person from Day-1 till the next, till our last days.  You just DON'T have to.  There is absolutely NO reason WHY you have to feel the same way tomorrow [WHATEVER transpired in your life today].  You gotta UNSHACKLE YOURSELF.  YOU'VE GOT TO BE YOU, dude❗❗❗

That 'VOICEMAIL ANXIETY'

 

WHO loves VOICEMAILS?  NOT me, NOT these days. Factually, VOICEMAILS were like my 'oxygen' at work many donkey years ago.  Every morning, WHEN I stepped into my office, first things first after my room's 'intelligent functions' [lights, AC, laptop startup, etc] have their SOD [start of day] stuff.  And YES, during those routine startups, I'll get into my Cisco phone and very patiently, retrieve and play VOICEMAILs. Oh, That 'VOICEMAIL ANXIETY'📗📙📘

In today's world, WHEN we think of protecting ourselves from hackers a number of obvious things will creep into our minds.  LIKE we know the dangers [APOLOGIES I'll tag it as more a danger than just a risk] of using public WIFIs, weak password, and having poor firewall security.  We also know better than to click on suspicious links OR mount random USB drives that we happen to find lying around😃😃😃

Hell, some of us might even take Xtra precautionary measures like using a VPN tunnel, 2FA [2-factor authentication if available] and even reaching out to our mobile phone providers/carriers for other security hardening measures like putting in protocols in place to prevent 'SIM JACKING'.  Let's face it though.  With all our smart devices, social media accounts, and IOT [the INTERNET of THINGS], there are just endless avenues a hacker can take if they really want to try and hack us, God forbid🙏🙏🙏

Very factual, we certainly CAN'T just spend all day long worrying about everywhere we might end up as vulnerable and for the most part, we DON'T have to.  We tend to rest our heads on the shoulders of the big tech giants in Google, Amazon, Meta's FB, Verizon and the like.   At the end of the food chain, there we are, still clinging in to VOICEMAILs?  Without unduly raising apprehensions and fears, even the brightest tech companies often overlook things that can leave us with our pants down, so to peak💧💧💧

Our takeaway:  You might retort back like 'JOKES ON YOU MY FRIEND, I DIDN'T EVEN SETUP MY VOICEMAIL ON MY PHONE'.  On that note, EVEN IF you DIDN'T, it DOESN'T mean that you DON'T have a voicemail  because most cellular providers automatically provision a voicemail and IF you DIDN'T set it up, you are likely even MORE vulnerable.  Hold your breath.  NO ONE can stop now those hackers to setup your VOICEMAIL [you're right, hackers can tap on that freeware 'PhoneInfoga' as they rummage through and extract your valuable info [both from your active and even inactive number].  End of story:  I will leave things up to you as I DON'T want to drive you scared by now💥💥💥