Are You Missing The 'MACRO'?

Are You Missing The 'MACRO'?

Are You Missing The 'MACRO'? For simplicity, let us get aligned as to WHAT we're referring to with that 'MACRO' because we're referring to that 'BIG PICTURE' in our life, NOT a fraction, NOT a fragment, and NOT even a pigment of our imagination.  True, sometimes we need to get down into the nitty-gritty of a specific task, while other times, you need to see the BIGGER PICTURE from start to finish.  Absolutely true, with the right kind of strategic thinking, you can stay motivated in the short-term by keeping long-term, BIG PICTURE goals in mind📗📙📘

Truth be told, one of our most unseen human frailty is to keep focusing on the smudges.  Given a clean white paper, we WON'T hear one recognizing it's whiteness BUT instead, that one single obscure tiny-whiny dot gets noticed.  And WHILE that minor observation may be legitimate, that is just another fraction of that MACRO thing, the BIGGER PICTURE.  LIKE when you arrive home for dinner and on your first taste of the home-cooked dish, you'll blurt that it's either bland, salty OR bluntly, quite tasteless💦💦💦

So, WHAT is that BIG-PICTURE thinking we are encouraged to get embedded within ourselves?  That BIG-PICTURE thinking is that ability to take a wide-angle view of any situation OR initiative.  Rather than getting into the weeds, as is the case with more detail-oriented thinking, we focus instead on imagining the more far-reaching implications of a project.  In the very short-term, BIG-PICTURE thinking helps you see the end goal even as you chip away at individual tasks one day at a time💚💛💜

In the long-run, it helps that we follow through on distinct initiatives in the interest of a broader goal.  YES, seeing things from start to finish can be very helpful.  That is the simple explanation as to why, NOT to be biased to project managers, it explains WHY they are generally successful.  True, some people get so bogged down in the minutae of completing everyday tasks they lose sight of HOW to best reach their end goals.  BIG-PICTURE thinkers realize they'll come up short on individual ways BUT they temper knowledge of their failures with the confidence their mistakes will empower them in the long run💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Let us NOT compartmentalize things in life.  And if seem to be living in a silo, extricate yourself out from it because that is a 'ticking time bomb' that will blow you up and out anytime you least expect it.  Instead, never miss out to take the MACRO view, that BIG-PICTURE thinking and then dice-and-drill it because you need such nitty-gritty despite getting glued with the MACROs in life, WHICH you shouldn't miss dude❗❗❗

The Game ISN'T Over Till The Clock Says ZERO

 

Quoting retired NBA Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce:  THE GAME ISN'T OVER TILL THE CLOCK SAYS ZERO.  Well said and that is NOT even debatable for another millisecond.  In the ongoing NBA Finals Game 1, the Indiana Pacers DIDN'T lead for 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds NOT until there was 0.3 seconds left in the game clock when Tyrese Haliburton unleased a mid-jumper that went straight to the cup, whooooaaa, silencing the hostile crowd @ Paycom Center Arena @Oklahoma City!!!

That's exactly HOW it is in life.  For example, if you got entangled in a major property mortgage and suddenly you're out of job.  And there you are, confronted with that huge mortgage liability.  WHAT NEXT?  Do you simply give things up, throwing things up in the air?  NO sirrrrrs.  Instead, you got to go to your mortgagee company and propose a counter-measure to either restructure your mortgage OR explore the feasibility of another counter-measure with the intention of you NOT GIVING UP THE GAME TILL THE CLOCK SAYS ZERO [and it becomes GAME OVER]💥💥💥

This is WHY we play the games, as the old adage goes.  In recent years, the later rounds of the NBA Playoffs [and even the Finals in particular] have somewhat felt rote.  They've gone chalk, so to speak.  The drama was kinda minimal even under the brightest lights of the league's biggest stage.  And this year has been NO different.  A  Playoffs phase filled with suspense, tension and plot twists galore.  BUT at the start of the NBA Finals, the scene was set for a regression to the intrigue-less mean.  BTW, almost every single basketball pundit has NOT picked the Indiana Pacers to win BUT here they are, flipping Game 1💦💦💦

BUT if there's one thing we shouldn't gloss over, it is the fact that TIME NEVER RESETS BACK TO ZERO.  True, the game clock resets BUT the time we live through life NEVER resets.  Instead, just like that old locomotive, it will continue to chug chug chug along the rails.  Lesson here is, let us invest in time for things and activities that matter.  So, WHAT is the one good and necessary thing we have always wanted to do and have NOT done yet?  We better figure things out before the game gets over with ZERO time left for us to continue going through [and NOT just going through the motions BUT endeavoring to achieve what we plotted to achieve] within the timeframe we have preset for us to achieve💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  HOW time flies.  BUT even if it seems like time is fast fleeting and you seem to be far behind and simply 'eating the dust', the game ISN'T OVER till IT'S OVER.  As some of us end up facing the more serious challenges in life [like a family member seriously ill and never progressing to recover OR your finances going from bad to worse to worst], plot a 'GO TO GREEN' plan for you to GO BACK TO GREEN😌😌😌

How's Your Life's BUCKET LIST?

How's Your Life's BUCKET LIST?

NOT to pressure you.  BTW, How's Your Life's BUCKET LIST?  YES YES yow, life is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest and crafting our own BUCKET LIST of our 'biggest' aspirations can arguably help you achieve those dreams in your life.  To borrow a simple translation [from the jargons of psychologists], creating a BUCKET LIST can be viewed as another way of setting your goals for your own self.  Countless researches show that people WHO are that intentional about writing down goals are MORE LIKELY to reach and achieve their goals.  YES, a BUCKET LIST can help you to remain laser-focused and goal-oriented and even excited to engage in new initiatives and positively impacting adventures in life.  Personally, I'll admit that I can guarantee you having that feeling personal satisfaction to complete [and achieve] an item in your own TO-DO List.  You can just imagine how great a feeling it will be WHEN and IF you achieve your lifelong dreams📗📙📘

YES dude, trust me, crossing things off your BUCKET LIST can provide a sense of accomplishment and pride and that's WHAT psychologists claim will ultimately help build your own self-esteem and confidence.  True, you never know WHEN your own BUCKET LIST experience might come in handy [WHETHER you're learning a new skill, language OR life lesson].  Oh yes, as icing on your cake, do remember that a BUCKET LIST is also a way for you to reward [and even] celebrate yourself.  NOW here's the thing.  A BUCKET LIST is NEVER carved in stone.  NOT at all.  If you find that some [and sometimes many] of your goals from previous years DON'T fit your current aspirations, there should be NO shame OR hindrance for you to tweak and correspondingly adjust your BUCKET LIST💥💥💥

On the other hand, being very incisive [call it 'CHOOSY'] with your BUCKET LIST will absolutely help you reinforce your focus on your bigger and more important goals.  Remember that it's ONLY you and yourself WHO will be crafting that BUCKET LIST so if there's any validation, it should come from you.  And human nature tells us that sometimes, we DON'T see [outright] even our most obvious misses OR mistakes.  So, do create that elbow room for your flexibility to either add, change OR delete a previously listed item in your BUCKET LIST.  BTW, this has got nothing to do with age brackets.  You can be 15 OR 65 today BUT keeping that BUCKET LIST will make sure that there's always that exciting escapade on your horizon😌😌😌

NOT to pre-empt you, some novel ideas for one's BUCKET LIST can include any of the following:

• Visiting your 'dream destination'?
• Learning a new skill?  Like painting?
• As a breakthrough, have something published  
• HOW about volunteering for a cause you're passionate for you to feel you make a difference
• See your fav singer/band.  YES, concert tickets are pricey BUT you deserve that treat, right?

Our takeaway:  WHILE it's true we are all focused with our goals in life, that's NOT everything we deserve in life.  It's MORE than just achieving your goals.  It could even be hying off for that envied holiday in Bali OR Maldives [as you deserve that kind of respite after grinding hard and kicking your ass day-in day-out.  If someone [falsely] accuses you of self-aggrandizement, IGNORE THE NOISE because you know best WHAT you deserve.  So, HOW'S YOUR BUCKET LIST in life dude???

You CAN'T Be Everyone's CUP OF TEA [And That's A-OK!!!]

You CAN'T Be Everyone's CUP OF TEA [And That's A-OK!!!]

You CAN'T Be Everyone's CUP OF TEA [And That's A-OK!!!].  BUT to think about it, you DON'T even like everyone to begin with.  And you CAN'T make everyone think and feel as deeply as you do.  That is indeed a human tragedy because we understand ourselves at the depths. Quick question.  Have you ever been selfless just for others' sake?  You might NOT be fully conscious about it BUT WHO knows, you might be a 'people pleaser'?  Prioritizing others' happiness over your own, fearing rejection and even hate and constantly struggling to even say NO.  You may even be constantly needing to be available for everyone.  In the past, I tried to make myself useful so that people WON'T reject OR replace me so easily.  I even tried to learn many things so that I could always be there for them.  YET, I failed to value myself since the world previously taught me that I'm ONLY valued if I had something to give📗📙📘

NOW, here's the kind of harsh truth.  NOT everyone will do the same for you regardless if you go beyond your own limits.  Some people will only remember you WHEN it's convenient and once they've taken WHAT they want OR WHAT they needed from you, they'll literally disappear without a second thought.  Sounds familiar?  They WON'T even care about the way you did care about them.  See HOW one's memory becomes that short with a limiting factor?  YES, I have to admit, at some point in the past, I realized I was getting exhausted from being a 'people pleaser'.  That idea of being liked by everyone is indeed a fantasy that belongs in fiction, NOT reality💥💥💥

YES, after so much ordeal, I have accepted that I'll never be everyone's CUP OF TEA.  I'll NOT be always qualified in someone's eyes, in someone's standards.  NOT everyone will like me BUT I still hope to find and come across true and genuine people.  And to be honest, there are one too many of them.  Challenge is, you just need to identify them from that huge mammoth crowd.  They are the ones WHO will support me and be by my side even through my most difficult ordeals.  YES, I was getting by, learning a hell lot and establishing my boundaries even though it's difficult. And I did learn to filter WHO has access to me and my own inner peace😌😌😌

YES, through the years, I kept pushing forward, even on days that were quite difficult to continue because it hurts.  YES, sometimes it can feel quite incredibly unfair BUT I did realize that we CAN'T force others to understand OR love us as we wish!@#$%?  Mixing empathy with people-pleasing can lead us to that deep disappointment and even pain within us.  That's WHY it is really imperative NOT to take on others' energies constantly.  Because sometimes, just observing is enough.  YES, you may find the courage to detach from situations and people WHO DON'T serve you right anymore [BUT that's another narrative]❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Be WHAT you are.  Meet your own expectations and goals and be wary and cautious NOT to [falsely] raise expectations of others because that is a common issue WHEN people either start to frown on you OR worse, they start looking down on you.  Everything boils down to being true and genuine in our daily lives.  Never ever come up with a false facade, even if sometimes that is unintentional because intentional OR not, people will NO doubt make their [INSTANT] judgment call on you.  YES dude, YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE's CUP OF TEA [and hey THAT's A-OK]!!!

Is Self-Improvement That Boring???

Is Self-Improvement That Boring???

Is Self-Improvement That Boring??? YES YES yoH, it is such a boring thing to talk about, right?  WHY?  I'll play devil's advocate.  BECAUSE there are more pressing things in life.  BECAUSE I won't get penalized if I DON'T self-improve now.  BECAUSE while it's important, it's NOT at the top of the totem pole.  BECAUSE it DOESN'T hurt me if I put off till tomorrow, till next week, till next time.  BUT no sirrrrs, SELF-IMPROVEMENT should be topping our priorities📗📙📘

NOW, let's admit it.  Anything that seems OR looks hard is indeed boring.  BUT dude, actually it's NOT.  WHEN we realize we are gaining an unfair advantage over 99% of the world, we just want to get more better in the game.  YES, monopoly even excites us.  Of course, we got to do it for our own self.  BUT the real joy pops up WHEN the competition gets totally smashed with some eXtra effort.  For sure, adventure itself is hard💧💧💧

BUT can I tell you WHAT'S harder?  Pardon my being frank BUT being a mediocre piece of 'shit' is really that damn hard.  Especially these days when cheap dopamine is now a normal business.   Processed food.  Netflix.  Reels.  Even that snoozed button.  And do we think this is a coincidence?  Wake up dude.  Almost all the biggest companies are even chasing for your own attention.  Because they want it at any cost.  Your own attention is their very source of revenue.  So, WHY DON'T we brainstorm WHERE do we go from here✅✅✅

Numero uno.  SET GOALS for yourself.  WHAT is it you want to improve about yourself OR about your current situation?  Identify those steps you need to take in order to initiate those improvements and set goals and deadlines for accomplishing those steps.  Numero dos.  DISPLAY YOUR GOALS [even within the confines of your room].  Setting goals is great BUT it's utterly useless if you can set them OUT-OF-SIGHT and OUT-OF-MIND.  Hold yourself accountable with yourself and with your family by writing down your goals.  DISPLAY them such that you CAN'T avoid seeing them everyday after waking up and before bedtime.  NOT a tough ASK, dude, ISN'T it💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Start with those low-hanging fruits LIKE... cut down on SCREEN TIME.  LIKE... eliminate a BAD HABIT [you should know that, if you have it].  LIKE... Perform your tasks based on your validated priorities.  No random picks.  LIKE... reset your expectations by accepting imperfection.  The reason many of us give up after making one mistake is because of that mindset.  So, IS SELF-IMPROVEMENT THAT BORING😕😕😕

[Re-posting EN TOTO] Urgent Google Chrome ASAP To Fix Critical Vulnerability

Re-posting EN TOTO from lifehacker.comn 06.03.2025 Urgent Google Chrome ASAP-Fix Critical Vulnerability [by Emily Long]:  If you use Google Chrome, you need to update your browser right now. Google just released an emergency patch for a three security vulnerabilities, one of which is a zero-day that has been actively exploited.  Zero-days are high-severity flaws that are either actively exploited in the wild or publicly disclosed before the developer pushes an update to fix the vulnerability

The latest Chrome zero-day—labeled CVE-2025-5419—is an out-of-bounds read-and-write vulnerability that affects the V8 JavaScript engine, which would allow a remote attacker to "exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page."

The flaw was discovered and reported on May 27 by Clement Lecigne and Benoît Sevens from the Google Threat Analysis Group. While Google has acknowledged that the zero-day has been actively exploited, it hasn't disclosed any additional details as to how or by whom to prevent other bad actors from leveraging the bug until more Chrome users have applied the patch.

Google has confirmed that it pushed a configuration change to the Stable version of Chrome to address the vulnerability the day after it was discovered. On Monday, the company released a Stable channel update with patches for the zero-day and two additional security issues

Users should ensure they are on Chrome version 137.0.7151.68/.69 for Windows and macOS, and version 137.0.7151.68 for Linux. Check your version by opening the Chrome menu and selecting About Google Chrome. If an update is available, allow it to complete and relaunch your browser to install it.

Uncertainty Is Our Only Certainty!

Uncertainty Is Our Only Certainty!

Allow me to share here the Quora.com post of Ed Conley:  WHEN MY MOM WAS 100, SHE WAS STILL DRIVING and tells her son "I'M SO HAPPY". WHY MOM?  BECAUSE I HAVE NO FUTURE.  WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I HAD A FUTURE AND I WASN'T SO HAPPY'.  So, there you go.  Nope dude, I'm NOT implying we should live till 100.  BUT the thing here is WHY worry about the FUTURE WHEN Uncertainty Is Our Only Certainty???

Oooooops, before I ger whacked here, I'm NOT implying that we should NOT plan for our FUTURE, our family's FUTURE.  Point here is, YES GO AHEAD, plan your and your family's FUTURE BUT the thing is, life is filled with uncertainty and worries WHEN we start talking about the FUTURE.  WHILE many things remain outside our control, your mindset is key to coping with difficult circumstances and then confidently facing the UNKNOWN💥💥💥

YES YES yow, UNCERTAINTY is all around us.  WHO was certain enough that US President Donald Trump will literally bounce back to become the world's most powerful authority again?  WHO thought that YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, a non-smoker, will die due to Lung Cancer?  WHO expected Indonesia Prabowo Subianto to be today's President WHEN he ran for President for the 3rd time?  And heard of celebrities in their 30s WHO unceremoniously died recently?  And heard of household names awash with wealth but are suddenly NOW languishing in poverty?  Years ago, I was liaising with my bubbly and active agent for my condo rental. One day, she was NOT responding to my messages.  WHEN I checked, she died from a cardiac arrest???

Oooooops, apologies if I painted a very dark horizon so let's swing to those couples now at the advanced age.  YET they are enjoying the bright sunshine everyday and do we see apprehensions OR worries in their faces?  NO traces, right?  YES, I'll loop back to that Quora.com post of Ed Conley WHEREIN his 100-year old mom confided that she's HAPPY because she has NO worry because she has NO future to worry about.  True, we're all different in HOW much UNCERTAINTY we can tolerate😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  This is a no-brainer folks.  We have discussed HAPPINESS a zillion times and nothing can take away the fact that we can best find and enjoy HAPPINESS right NOW, at the PRESENT, in the MOMENT.  WHILE it's true that NOT all our NOWs, PRESENTs and current MOMENTs can be considered as HAPPY ones but how about looking at the glass with half-water as half-full instead of half-empty?  Oh Oh Oh, in the spirit of DECEMBER, sharing this HAPPINESS CALENDAR.  Yes dude, UNCERTAINTY IS OUR ONLY CERTAINTY❗❗❗

Enjoy The Moment [EVEN IF It's Hard]

Enjoy The Moment [EVEN IF It's Hard]

In my daily browsing today, I stumbled across a heart-punching story about the late YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.  She died last August from lung cancer [despite her admission that she NEVER smoked and NEVER manifested symptoms of her illness NOT until she got diagnosed with it.  And two months before she died, she recorded a short video [which upon her instructions, it can only be released only 'months after her death'].  Without playing here that heart stomping video, her very practical but very relevant advice to us all was this one:  Enjoy The Moment [EVEN IF It's Hard].  She then admitted how life can be mysterious, with all the twists and turns NO ONE amongst us can predict OR anticipate📗📙📘

Her very insightful words shared to us all revolves around the fact that almost all of us are too engaged with one too many priorities in life.  In the end, we tend to miss life itself, the very MOMENT, the PRESENT.  Very true, many of us get hostaged OR at least embroiled in that punishing 'rat race'.  WHAT happens next?  We end up missing to enjoy the MOMENT, the very PRESENT, the NOW📌📌📌

Ironically, Warren Buffett, the world's 6th ranked billionaire [based on the latest 2024 ranking] celebrated his 94th birthday BUT instead of having all the parties and celebrations, he amended his hitherto issued inheritance instructions to bequeath 99% of his $130+ Billion wealth to the four family foundations.  Anticipating that his three children [WHO were designated to administer in bequeathing 99% of his wealth] were already aged 66, 69 and 71 to date, he designated additional administrators [just in case his children would not last long enough]😔😔😔

Going back to the very kind words from the late YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, she DIDN'T mince words that the most precious and treasured moments we should cherish and enjoy is the NOW, the PRESENT.  Before she died, she already got hit very badly WHEN his son died earlier.  And WHEN she died months after, that was a painful 'double whammy' to her bereaved family.  The question is: Is your MIND FULL???  Or MINDFUL???

Our takeaway:  All these shared narratives from the late YouTube CEO and even from Warren Buffett [WHO's still very much alive and healthy with all his cognitive capabilities still in 'A' mode, I believe that in case some of us are still missing that point of enjoying the MOMENT, the PRESENT, the NOW, it is NOT too late to rectify ourselves and think about all these.  With the way life can be unpredictable, we never know WHEN the next twist and turn will happen.  YES dude, EVEN IF IT'S HARD, ENJOY THE MOMENT, ENJOY THE PRESENT, ENJOY THE NOW!!!

Use It Or Lose It!

Use It Or Lose It!

Question:  HOW STRONG IS YOUR STRENGTH?  Surely, I'll hear confident if NOT cocky reactions to that pointed question.  And I WON'T question your response because I know for a fact that you have a solid basis for such level of confidence.  NOW, the challenge to us is to Use It Or Lose It!  HOW often did we miss out leveraging on our known STRENGTHS???

There's a catch here, though. For purposes of this healthy exchange of insights, we'll limit our discussion on STRENGTHs to us adults.  Let's leave out for now the STRENGTHs of children because that's another narrative.  So, the bigger nagging question is, WHAT stops us from tapping our inner STRENGTHs?  It's true that it is important in life to recognize our mistakes BUT it's equally important to recognize our own STRENGTHs.  And here's the scary thing.  The hardest BUT most important thing to do is to recognize our STRENGTHs and WEAKNESS at the same time, indeed a tall order BUT this is an outlier😌😌😌

HOW often do we hear either a work colleague OR even a family member blurt: 'I KEEP MAKING THE SAME STUPID MISTAKE'.  YES, to me, that kind of statement seemed to me to be another one of the many ways that a person can put himself/herself down on a regular basis.  And self-esteem issues will exacerbate things.  Psychologists have been having a field day running tons and tons of researches as regards humanity's general preoccupation with faults.  Sadly, one of the ways we protect our own self from further hurt and rejection is to put ourselves down.  NO WAY, Jose because it's as if you're saying, YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING TO HURT ME.  I BEAT YOU TO IT!@#$%?

Thing is, the issue at hand is fairly straightforward and that is, we need to focus on our STRENGTH, period.  BUT if we look around [Oh Oh, I was guilty of this a couple of times in the past], we tend to pay attention to our weaknesses and our own failings BUT almost never to our STRENGTHs and successes.  YET, by focusing on our mistakes and those things we believe we're wrong, the more we're making it really damn hard for ourselves to ever enjoy WHAT we did right❎❎❎

SO HOW?  Do we just recognize that pattern?  NO sirrrrrrrs.  Just recognizing that pattern shaping up DOESN'T make it change.  From my past failings, I consciously focused on WHAT I like and admire about myself which can help BUT again, often it's NOT enough to change a lifelong pattern of self-criticism and low self-esteem.  Our takeaway:  For one thing, if we are very critical of our own self, we may miss out to recognize our very own STRENGTHs.  And this becomes especially true if we are using our self-criticism as a kind of protection from criticism we expect from others.  BUT this is unduly unfair to us.  C'mon dude.  For our STRENGTHs, either we USE IT or LOSE IT❗❗❗

Is Pursuing Balance Really Worth It?

Is Pursuing Balance Really Worth It?

WHY is finding BALANCE so hard?  That BALANCE between resting and working? That BALANCE between saving and shopping?  That BALANCE to spend time between family and your buddies.  That BALANCE taking things lightly and seriously.  That BALANCE between being understanding and considerate versus being firm and rigid.  Question is, Is Pursuing Balance Really Worth It???

YES, at the heart of today's modern discourse on success lies that elusive concept of BALANCE.  From self-help gurus to executive seminars, the call to harmonize work and personal life echoes deafening loud and clear across the chambers.  We are bombarded with advice on HOW to achieve BALANCE, yet in reality, most of us find our own selves constantly struggling to maintain it.  And that's the mother of ironies here💦💦💦

So, the perplexing question [in case you're itching to ask] is:  WHY is BALANCE so damn difficult to attain?  It may be because the very idea of BALANCE implies PERFECTION, a PERFECT equilibrium between all aspects of our lives.  And let's face it, PERFECTION is indeed an unattainable goal.  We are human and therefore, inherently IMPERFECT.  YET, we continue to strive for BALANCE because it promises a sense of control and fulfillment💥💥💥

YES we believe that if we can just find the right formula, we can have it all [OH REALLY?], a successful career, loving relationships, and even a healthy lifestyle.  BUT as someone WHO constantly juggles myriad responsibilities, I did realize that BALANCE is NOT a destination BUT instead an ongoing pursuit.  It requires constant reflection and adjustment and that point of accepting IMPERFECTION itself❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  As the term 'IMBALANCE'  seems to eulogize a tranquil state of equilibrium, it is often misconceived as akin to stagnation.  BUT BALANCE in life equates to knowing WHEN to double-down on our commitments without jeopardizing our familial ties.  It's that intuition to invest in one's health WHILE fostering intellectual growth and serenity.  Quite simply, it means finding the right rhythm in one's life WHERE no aspect overshadows the other.  YES dude, that PURSUIT of BALANCE is more than a journey.  It's an expedition in fact.  So, the question WHICH we need to finally grind to a halt is:  IS PURSUING BALANCE REALLY WORTH IT???