Who DOESN'T want GREATNESS?

 

YES YES yow, we all want GREATNESS! Who DOESN'T want it? For one, GREATNESS is akin to the peak and zenith we can go far.  BUT alas, we can be the GREATEST human in this world, however IF you DON'T believe that, trust me, you WON'T feel anywhere near the GREATEST.  NO matter WHAT your goals are, your aspirations OR dreams are, YES dude you can achieve them and WHEN you do, even the smallest thing, you should give yourself at least a pat on your shoulder.  BUT HOW often do we do that?  I really doubt it.  I myself, several times I've been guilty of this in the past [over and over again, in fact].  WHY and HOW?  It's because I always pre-set lofty goals for myself to achieve.  In the end, WHAT enveloped me was no less than achieving that lofty goal [even if it's light years ahead and even if the probability of my success was less than 1%!@#$%?

On the other hand, if we look back, we might still realize that many times, we felt obliged to seek permission [from someone] before we thread that path towards that elusive greatness.  Many times I did hear self-doubting words like, "DO YOU THINK I AM UP TO IT?"  OR "I'VE DONE IT AND FAILED.  WHY SHOULD I DO IT AGAIN?".  Those are self-defeating mindsets that need almost zero-efforts to further bring you down❎❎❎

True, WHAT a lot of people are chasing is indeed  GREATNESS in one way OR another.  BUT that GREATNESS is NOT worth anything if we DON'T think that indeed we're GREAT.  So WHAT people are really chasing is being content with WHAT they did.  Oooops.  Are you?  True, it DOESN'T matter IF you've gone too far in your journey OR if you're just starting out BUT are you sure you're content enough with WHAT you did so far, to date???

And honestly, I firmly believe that either answer is good.  BUT again, there's a line to be drawn here because IF you're content with WHAT you did so far, then that's good.  Though, quite likely, you DON'T have as much drive to do more as someone WHO answered 'NO' to this same question.  And NOW, to address everyone else.  NO matter WHAT, let us endeavor to keep doing WHAT we want to do and NOT forget doing WHAT has to be done, WHATEVER it takes💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  AS ALWAYS, a lot of things are within our fingers.  It's up for our taking.  BUT alas, sometimes we end up with that 'analysis paralysis', endlessly caught in a loop, pondering the UPside and DOWNside even before lifting our finger.  That explains WHY many times we get stalled.  That's WHEN we could have reached for the sky BUT we were so [regrettably] less aggressive to simply aim for the tree-top.  By then, it might be TOO LITTLE TOO LATE for your GREATNESS [which is somewhere the horizon] dude😌😌😌

How Do We Handle SLUMPS?

 

SLUMPS come and go.  And if you are an NBA hoopster, those are the dreaded days although coaches are fully aware that it comes and goes.  It happens, even to Lebron James, the purported GOAT [Greatest of all time] which is still one of the raging debates WHEN he is compared to NBA greats like Michael Jordan.  How do we handle SLUMPS???

I remember during those years WHEN the web was still at its infancy stage and if existing apps at that time were more geared for enterprises rather than as mobile apps.  Those years, our company had its own basketball team as part of the country's professional basketball league.  And at times, some of the basketball players will walk into our offices to help check their 'biorhythm' state for that day they have a game💙💛💚

BUT WHAT somehow bothers me are the MENTAL SLUMPS which happens to each of us from time to time.  Indeed, it is worst feeling WHEN you have big plans BUT your mind just DOESN'T feel like it.  Surely we can share that feeling, right?  Being in a mental SLUMP can really mess up our goals [OR at least our tasks and plans for day].  Overall, though, it throws a 'monkey wrench' in our priorities💧💧💧

Admittedly, there have been times in the past WHEN I myself I wanted to get myself off the phone because at times, my brain was just NOT 'having it'.  So, the question is, HOW can we get ourselves out of a mental SLUMP fast enough?  Of course, we DON'T want to wait until we feel like doing something because that be so long, whew!@#$%?

Our takeaway: Let's agree that a mental SLUMP is kind of broad and may mean something differently to everyone.  To me, a mental SLUMP is WHEN you just CAN'T seem to get myself to do practically anything.  LIKE I'm feeling a bit LOST.  LIKE I DON'T have any direction and my thoughts are all over the place.  LIKE I might be spending a big chunk of my time on social media just to 'KILL TIME' [and getting 'hostaged' by those endless and incessant feeds].  BUT in most cases, it's likely because I DON'T know WHAT to do with myself at that point in time.  That's WHEN my overall mental well-being is figuratively and sometimes literally 'down'.  BUT WHAT's puzzling is that during those episodes, we're NOT depressed BUT on the other hand, NOT happy 'enough'.  In short, it's just that 'LIMBO' that I seem to get stuck at times.  SO HOW?  Let's translate these vociferous words into concrete action:  RISE UP and MOVE❗❗❗

[Re-post from Vegoutmag.com] Evening Habits of Men Who [MAY] Never Move Forward In Life

 

Evening Habits of Men Who [MAY] Never Move Forward In Life [from Vegoutmag.com Jordan Cooper datelined 08.01.2025].  DISCLAIMER:  I am reposting without implying anything as this is the opinion from the author.  QUOTE starts here:  Most people think the key to success lies in WHAT you do from 9 to 5.  BUT in reality?  It's WHAT happens from 7pm onwards that quitely shapes your future📗📙📘

Evening are WHEN your guard drops, your habits show and your REAL priorities leak through.  WHILE some may use this time to RESET, plan and grow, others unknowingly stall their own progress.  Let's about those evening habits:  WHEN DOOMSCROLLING AFTER DINNER.  You know, the moment after you put the dishes away?  That tiny pocket WHERE you could stretch, call a friend, OR plan tomorrow?  THAT's WHEN the phone whisperrrrrrs💚💛💜

LIKE TREATING EVENINGS LIKE A DECISION LANDFILL.  You worked all day, so you leave all the low-grade life admin for the evening.  Travel searches, bills, SMS messages, a dozen micro-micro decisions.  That's decision fatigue dressed as productivity, huhuhuh... By 8pm, the prefrontal cortex is tired, so you take longer, choose worse and resent the time you spend choosing.  That resentment leads to avoidance tomorrow, WHICH creates more evening clutter.  Loop loop loop💥💥💥

LIKE having no wind-down at all.  Some folks treat bedtime like an OFF switch.  LIKE one last email, lights out, expect instant sleep BUT our nervous system loves ramps, NOT cliffs.  A 20-40 minute wind-down is shockingly effective.  Dim lights, get horizontal reading time, light stretching, warm shower, tomorrow's clothes out, phone on DoNot Disturb.  The specifics matter less than the sequence.  Your body starts to predict WHAT comes next.  LIKE ruminating instead of closing the day.  Rumination feels like problem-solving BUT it's mostly emotional spinning.  Dictionary defines it as 'obsessional thinking involving excessive, repetitive thoughts.  That's NOT reflection.  That's mental quicksand.  Two swaps help:  A brain dump that ends in verbs. A time-boxed worry window.  If your mind insists on looping, give it 10 minutes in a chair, no phone, no bed, then close it with one calming behavior.  TRAIN YOUR BRAIN THAT BED IS REST, NOT FOR REPLAY😡😡😡

LIKE defaulting to alcohol OR overeating as 'RELAXATION'?  If the evening autopilot is:  STRESS--->  DRINK--->  MUNCH---> LATE BEDTIME---> FOGGY MORNING, that's a negative compounder.  A simple reframe is to separate REWARD from RELIEF.  REWARD is something you genuinely value.  RELIEF is numbing the day.  If you do drink, make it deliberate LIKE set 'two-drink' nights on weekends, NOT on autopilot Thursdays.  Amd keep a satisfying non-alcoholic default in the fridge so relaxation DOESN'T always mean alcohol😊😊😊

Escaping ESCAPISM?

 

ESCAPING ESCAPISM?   Surely, either we have seen OR witnessed that several times [OR many times] in our life.  OR probably we ourselves were right at the forefront of things.  Either ESCAPING from something we either we DON'T want OR we hate OR we despise OR we were aghast.  OR in NOT so controversial circumstances, we simply wanted to put off doing something now FOR  a future time we DON'T even exert efforts to figure out WHEN📗📙📘

I've come across this UNKNOWN quote:  "SIT WITH IT.  INSTEAD OF DRINKING AWAY, SMOKING IT AWAY, SLEEPING IT AWAY, EATING IT AWAY, OR RUNNING FROM IT, JUST SIT WITH IT.  HEALING HAPPENS BY FEELING".  Verily true, sometimes we all need to ESCAPE every once in a while.  After a day-long grueling work OR a monotonous daily routine, we may need to either take a quick break, a quick out-of-town OR even watch a movie OR simply play your fav video game💥💥💥

I CAN'T disagree that ESCAPISM does help us rewind, refresh OR even figure out answers to some stubborn questions OR problems we encounter in our daily life.  After all, ESCAPISM in itself ISN'T that bad.  It's NOT even like a stigma we need to cover up BUT here's the catch.  WHEN ESCAPISM turns into reality, there the problem lies❌❌❌

BUT are we aware of those tell-tale signs that things might run berserk?  YES dude, it could start with a 'I NEED A BREAK' statement.  BUT sooner OR later, that break starts escalating to avoidance.  Talking about HABIT FORMATION.  Any chances of digesting reality dismissed as soon as they hit our mind.  And then it starts becoming our norm.  You dread your life so any chance you get, you delve into your movie binge, switching from Netflix to another.  You DON'T wait to breathe after work so you pick the remote the moment you're home and sleep right after, the last image being that last sequence of the movie till your eyes closed😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  YES, we end up disliking one storyline one after another, ending up seeking other people's stories, one after the other, episode after episode, series after series, day after day, binge-watching your way to another reality.  The problem is, that other reality NEVER comes.  Uggggggh.  ESCAPISM.  Taking breaks turns to avoidance instead.  Postponing an idea's execution, numbing the pain with travel, movies and snacks.  NO time to meditate on reality.  Dude, that worsening habit will be wreaking havoc to your life.  WAKE UP.  We got to be ESCAPING ESCAPISM❗❗❗

[Repost from Lifehacker.com] Find & Remove 'STALKERWARE' From Your Phone

 

[Repost EN TOTO from Lifehacker.com 08.03.2025 - from Emily Long].  Find & Remove 'STALKERWARE' From Your Phone. While your mobile device has a lot of built-in features to keep your data secure and protect your privacy, it may still be vulnerable to snooping if someone you know has access to your accounts or manages to install hidden apps—known as stalkerware—that track your every move

These malicious programs may exploit built-in features and permissions on your iPhone or Android to spy on you. Here's how to identify and remove stalkerware from your device. WHAT IS STALKERWARE?  Stalkerware is a form of spyware used to surveil and monitor activity on your device, such as messages, photos, and real-time location, without your consent. Stalkerware is most often found in the form of an app downloaded directly onto your device and may be hidden from your home screen or disguised as something innocent so you're less likely to notice anything suspicious

Some possible signs of stalkerware (and other malicious apps) include large amounts of data usage on your device, your phone running warmer or slower than usual, your battery draining more quickly, or increases in screen time as well as strange notifications. However, stalkerware can be present even without any of these issues.

Before attempting to remove stalkerware from your device or changing shared access to your accounts and apps, it is essential that you have a safety plan in place. Deleting monitoring apps or updating permissions can alert the person who installed them, which may increase the risk of abuse or harassment. SO HOW?  You can view apps installed on your device in your settings even if there's no icon on the home screen. On both iOS and Android, this is in the settings app under a menu titled Apps or App management. (On iOS, you can see hidden apps by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of the list.) Look for anything you don't recognize.  SO HOW?  Review app permissions & settings.  You can see permissions, such as location, camera, microphone, and keyboard access, in your settings on an app-by-app basis

If you have iOS 16 or later, you can use Apple's Safety Check feature (Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check) to manage permissions and sharing with individuals and apps. You can check who you are sharing information with, change devices connected to your Apple account, reset system privacy permissions, and update your passcode, among other settings. There's an Emergency Reset option, which will immediately stop sharing all information from your device, and a Quick Exit button if you need to close out with one tap

In The End, JUST THREE THINGS MATTER, Period

 

$$$$$$.  Properties.  Holidays.  Ealt-all-you-can.  Verily true, generally, many things matter to us.  Imagine days WHERE you spent the whole 8 hours working, then driving through traffic gridlock for another 2 hours and WHEN you arrive home, you're still deep into discussions for THIS and THAT.  And by the time you hit the sack, you're drained as that dried up oil funnel [after your car's change oil].  BUT lo and behold,  to quote American author Jack Kornfield, In the end, JUST 3 THINGS MATTER.   And they are:

• HOW WELL WE HAVE LIVED
• HOW WELL WE HAVE LOVED
• HOW WELL WE HAVE LEARNED TO LET GO

Contrary to what's spread wrongly, those three lines have been often [wrongly] quoted as one coming from Buddha.  We have to credit that to Jack Kornfield although I believe there's a mix-up because Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India.  Back to our thread, unfortunately, like it OR not, we are going to see loved ones eventually die and come face to face with the stark reality that we too will have that path in the future💚💛💜

Early in life, everyone of us would have witnessed the untimely departure of our elders, the older generations.  BUT eventually, that grief has to go 'somewhere' and that manifested more in the way of an intense questioning and seeking, looking for comfort and the idea that there is something bigger than me directing the 'orchestra' of my life.  In my never-ending quest out of curiosity, I explored all the crevices and corners of anything that can explain all these mysteries.  BUT honestly, I WASN'T sure WHAT I was seeking for💧💧💧

Let's face it, when a close relative is going through the end of life's stages, we will realize that sometimes, that guilt feeling will seem to creep in for those times you thought you should have spent more time with your departed parents BUT DIDN'T.  And that will and should spark a new awareness in us, leading us to develop that deep concern and compassion for anyone going through those late stages of their life as well.  BUT WHAT struck me like a 'bolt of lightning' was HOW important it was to enjoy [as in ENJOY] each precious day of our life AS MUCH AS WE COULD so that we WON'T have those future regrets😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  I feel it sometimes takes tremendous efforts to live each moment well.  BUT HOW easy is it to live WELL, love WELL and learn to LET GO WHEN we are caught up with the dramas of life.  HOW easy is it to recognize that anything we are tightly holding onto, a regret, an anger OR non-forgiveness, is like a 'poison', gradually gnawing away at our mind and being and damaging [WHO knows] even our health?  I heard this before.  Can we PRACTICE COMPASSION to help us navigate life a little easier, so we are able to truly live each precious moment of our lives as best as we can.  To quote Jack Kornfield:  IN THE END, JUST THREE THINGS MATTER.  Pick it up from here, dude❗❗❗

SELF-CARE Anyone?

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SELF-CARE anyone?  SELF-CARE may be defined by the term itself, caring for yourself.  It includes anything you do to keep yourself healthy, that's physically, mentally and spiritually.  Although prioritizing SELF-CARE may sound like common sense especially if you're considering longevity.  It's often the first thing to go WHEN you find yourself in challenging situations, WHETHER because of bad health, a financial crisis, job loss, divorce, name it💚💛💜

This explains WHY it is important to keep it at the top of our mind and NOT just an after-thought especially in challenging times.  In a society in WHICH people are expected to work long hours and pass on vacation days, there is an underlying belief that we must always be productive, WHICH can ultimately take away from opportunities for SELF-CARE.  This is the mother of all ironies as our priorities seem to lord over us💧💧💧

Considering the costs associated with mental health services, lost wages and more, spending more time on yourself may ultimately benefit everyone.  Burning the candle at both ends, so to speak, comes with significant consequences, WHICH may include BUT are NOT limited to burnout, depression, anxiety, resentment and a whole host of other NEGATIVE implications in life.  Experts opine that engaging in SELF-CARE routine has been clinically proven to reduce OR eliminate anxiety and depression😌😌😌

Moreover, the same experts opine that it reduces stress, improves concentration, minimizes frustration and anger, increases happiness and improves energy and more.  From a physical health perspective, it has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer. And spiritually, it may even help keep us in tune with our higher power as well as realize our meaning in life.  Enough of these verbose narratives though.  The bigger question is HOW can we practice SELF-CARE in our day-to-day life???

Our takeaway:  My conjecture is that perhaps the single most common reason people give for NOT participating in SELF-CARE is due to a lack of time.  Sounds familiar?  YES, I've used that excuse [a.k.a. alibi] in the past.  Over time, you may significantly enhance your overall health and well-being.  And even if you're just beginning, trust me there can be results you can realized much earlier than expected💥💥💥

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

 

Very true, YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA [and THAT's A-OK !!!!!].  There's a unique kind of freedom in realizing that you DON'T have to be loved OR understood by everyone  In this frenzied world that constantly pushes us to fit in [sometimes NOT obligingly], to be LIKED and to MEET expectations, it is that easy to feel like something is wrong with us WHEN we DON'T.  BUT here's the truth.  You were NOT made to be everyone's favorite and you DON'T have to be.  Verily true, NOT everyone will appreciate your quirks, your passions, OR the way you express yourself [and that's perfectly A-OK].  We need to note that we are NOT here to mold ourselves into a version to please others📘📙📗

SO HOW?  Dude, we are here to be that authentic, that raw, that genuine enough and unapologetic at that.  I remember someone was widely quoted "DON'T WATER YOURSELF DOWN JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN'T HANDLE YOUR FULL FLAVOR".  I also remember my lifelong premise that generally, when you walk into a room with 10 people, expect 10 unique personalities and YES, 10 different opinions.  Once you deliver your spiel, DON'T expect them to be your 'rah-rah' cheering squad because these days, people will even invoke 360-feedbacking, WHICH is skewed because peddling one's opinion was never in-scope for the 360-feedbacking practice!!!

Very true, there will be people WHO will criticize you until you reach the precipice of the mountain.  Brace yourself, people will criticize you, misunderstand you OR will simply walk away and it's NOT because you lack something at that moment.  Likely, it's because you did NOT 'meet the bar', they DIDN'T hear from you WHAT they wanted to hear.  In short, at that moment, you are NOT their taste.  BUT let us NOT lose hope because someone out there will savor every part of WHO you are and those are the people WHO matter most in your life, the genuinely appreciative people WHO fully know and understand you well enough, INSIDE OUT😋😋😋

In the corporate world, things can be ten times tougher.  I remember I had to collaborate with our Global Sales Enablement for a major deal we were working on.  Even after I squeezed myself 'HIGH AND DRY' to infuse all my inputs into the bid proposal, I told myself to temper my expectations and at best, expect the 'worst feedback'.  WHY?  Apparently, it is human nature to look for something that's NOT IN THERE.  I remember I was doing some window-shopping and shoppers would walk IN AND OUT.  And within hearing distance, I heard 99% of them and almost all were looking for something that was NOT in that product display❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  This highly pressured world we live in DOESN'T need another version, another copy of yourself.  Instead, WHAT it needs are people WHO are brave [literally speaking] enough to stand to their truth, EVEN IF that truth ISN'T always welcomed with open arms.  Your own WORTH does NOT and will NOT decrease simply because someone else fails to see it.  It shines regardless, steady and unwavering.  So, STOP shrinking to fit into pieces that were NEVER MEANT for you. STOP apologizing for being different and instead be bold and unyielding.  YOU CAN'T BE EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA [AND THAT'S A-OK]!!!

Do We Pivot When We Make A Mistake?

 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation WHERE life throws a massive curveball your way, leaving you feeling so overwhelmed and unsure of your NEXT STEPS?  YES dude, I've been there, in that deep dungeon several times in the past, and as I learned through the rough-and-tumble game of life, we need to have the balls to PIVOT WHEN WE MAKE A MISTAKE📗📙📘

Problem is, PIVOT is so overused [and because of that, it has been essentially ignored [even by myself sometimes]] BUT the problem is, PIVOT DOESN'T even ping your radar anymore.  Listening to psychologists, PIVOTING may NOT mean WHAT you think it means and it's NOT always the best way to navigate a crisis.   The first mistake being highlighted is that we tend to use PIVOT as a 'catch all' word to describe a change in a situation💧💧💧

Problem is, much as many of us are consciously aware of PIVOTING, sometimes we tend to be 'shooting straight from the hip'.  Problem is, off-the-cuff reactions would mean that actions are taken OR effected with the least logical OR practical thinking to process.  LIKE those knee-jerk reactions.  LIKE emotionally-triggered actions bereft of a purposeful meaning.  That leaves you in the damp even before the next twist happens💥💥💥

Bottomline is, it all boils down for us to be LEARNING FROM [our] MISTAKES.  PIVOT OR NOT, we should all piggy-back and run an 'RCA' [root cause analysis] for each faux pas we make.  PIVOTING for the sake of running away from a problem DOESN'T resolve the problem with finality.  End-result is that unclosed problems keep piling up till things get compounded❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  I CAN'T disagree more with this one-liner BUT I need to qualify and harp back that a mistake NOT RCA'd [i.e. root cause analysis] may mean that lightning could hit you again.  Regrettably, that could trigger a vicious cycle that will go and run berserk.  In the shortest word, YES, PIVOT WHEN you make a misstep BUT never lose sight that PIVOTING is only a QUICK FIX and may NOT be the FINAL FIX dude😌😌😌

What You Seek Is Seeking You

 

Persian Sufi Poet Rumi has been widely quoted many times:  WHAT YOU SEEK IS SEEKING YOU.  I believe this is stating the obvious BUT WHAT makes this quotable quote from Rumi stand out is the fact that it is truly relevant everyday in our life.  Samplings of this truism:  Someone was awarded a scholarship @Harvard.  WHY & HOW he bagged it?  BECAUSE he did SEEK for it.  That NY trader who amassed a huge windfall from the recent downturn of the market.  WHY & HOW he got it?  BECAUSE he was very closely monitoring the market behavior [and NOT to encourage INSIDER TRADING because this is a breach as per regulators BUT even that illegitimate INSIDER TRADING is happening because someone did SEEK for it.  That proud groom-to be about to get married with the Miss Universe candidate from Venezuela, Americas OR the Philippines.  WHY & HOW?  It's because he did SEEK and woo his bride-to be💚💛💜

For Christians, even the Bible gets to quote this SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND verse in Matthew 7:7.  Looking back through the years, if I had one pursuit that was embedded within me, it is the 'SEEK' mindset, akin to the 'heat-seeking' missiles that ultimately led to the fatal end of Iraq's despised despot, Saddam Hussein.  I can rattle off HOW many times I did SEEK out for something?  A zillion times I recall📌📌📌

WHEN I dreamt to work in the corporate world, I did SEEK the biggest possible players and I ended up with Shell Oil.  WHEN I was angling for a management role [WHICH I can't secure so soon @Shell Oil because many of my colleagues were digging on the 'long haul'], I did bag that management role @Dole Food.  WHEN I started to believe that the GRASS IS GREENER AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, I started eyeing at the Singapore job market.  In God's Grace, I [very smoothly] transitioned WHEN I migrated to Singapore.  WHEN I thought it's inevitable to run the full circle [and go back to my home country], no less than the country head of a U.S. MNC flew over to Singapore to interview me.  And YES, I did bag that equally juicy role back in my country.  WHEN I told myself that I was a born 'road warrior', I got it as I enjoyed every business trip even if it entailed 'living in a suitcase' alongside the long haul flights😋😋😋

Flipping things, WHAT IF we DON'T seek out things?  Of course that is one's prerogative.  NO one can compel us to do so.  BUT be prepared to face the ramifications, WHICH could be long, like:

• MISSING OUT opportunities - that's stating the obvious
• MISSING OUT the better option - ending with bread crumbs
• MISSING OUT borrowed time - lost time is lost time, period
• MISSING OUT better benefits - benefits are NOT constants!
• MISSING OUT efforts exerted - efforts are NOT constants!
• MISSING OUT upsides - which are NOT constants either!
• MISSING OUT all other upsides - which are NOT constants

Our takeaway:  NO hard-sell here.  NO sales pitch either.  A hell lot out there is for our taking.  And to egg and convince someone to go full throttle is akin to doing a disservice to the person.  From a physics perspective, the energy should be ignited from within [and NOT via any other extension].  WHILE success is NEVER guaranteed, let's agree that your probability of succeeding is much higher if you SEEK WHAT YOU WANT TO SEEK❗❗❗