Keep Your Head On A Swivel [And Watch Your Six]

Do we really need to yell out this quite obvious reminder.  For us to Keep Your Head On A Swivel?  Me thinks we have to, need to.  WHY?  NOT because we live in war-torn areas like Ukraine OR Gaza Strip.  BUT it's because our daily life is NOT in the middle of Utopia OR Shangri-la.  Instead, we live in a world where risks are all over the place, unfortunately even if you DON'T need to cross the street, there remains that element of existential risk somewhere💥💥💥

Even taking things literally as an example.  LIKE you may have jogged that same route hundreds of times without any incident.   BUT WHO knows, one day, something happens, and it's an incident that may leave you with a horrific memory.  In this case, you were 'blitzed' from behind by your attacker.  True, it's damn tough to defend that blitz attack because you CAN'T and WON'T see it coming.  This is WHEN you need to KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL💚💛💜

I heard this from law enforcement people:  KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL AND WATCH YOUR SIX.  Envision a clock, then you are walking towards noon.  So, behind you then is 6 o'clock, directly behind you.  On the other, visually, your comfortable vision range s between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock.  WHICH means, you need to periodically need to check the remaining region between 2 to 10.  The potential predator relies on that element of surprise to be about 70% of his game.  With us identifying a potential predator, we can put up a challenge to his element of surprise and become a much harder target to fall prey.  That's the analogy in life💥💥💥

These are NOT scare tactics, NOT like another Nostradamus piece BUT instead, we would like to increase our own awareness that every step of the way, WHERE possible, we need to keep our ears and eyes WIDE OPEN.  And WIDE OPEN works both ways.  From a positive note, for possible opportunities which we can piggy-back on.  From a cautionary note, for us to be mindful and watchful for any potential risks [and worse, dangers] ahead❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  There is NO room for complacency [except if we are in the midst of those milestone celebrations].  This is life after all.  You DON'T want to get off-guarded.  As that old cliche goes, the worst moments in life are those times WHEN you are caught totally off-guarded.  Take that either figuratively OR literally.  BTW, WHAT do we lose if we KEEP OUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL CHAIR [and WATCH OUR SIX] as well?  We DON'T lose any, not an ounce.  Instead, the UPSIDE is huge dude😊😊😊

Shake The Trees Until Leaves Fall

From an analogy perspective, TREES are likened to roadblocks and show-stoppers.  OR at the very least, without that negative connotation, trees are equated to the STATUS QUO.  If you want to see change, progress OR even transformation, then, Shake The Trees Until Leaves Fall.  Sadly in our life, there are more times WHEN the trees we're facing are more than just a STATUS QUO but instead, they seemingly shape up as roadblocks📗📙📘

Allow me to draw a parallelism in our lives.  If you look around your community after maybe one or two decades have lapsed, ask around, look for your buddy OR friend from way back.  Probably, you would still see and meet your friend from way back in that very same community.  BUT alas, you will NOT see some of them too because people have gone separate ways, some venturing to find the path that leads to their passion WHILE others could have explore roads that were rarely travelled and yet they did SHAKE THE TREES UNTIL those leaves did fall💥💥💥

NOT to sing Allelujah's while bringing further down the ground that NOT so successful ventures in life.  Obviously, we should NEVER pass judgment especially to the not so successful narratives because there are multifarious factors that can come into play BUT essentially, this is WHERE the very essence of SHAKING THE TREES UNTIL [those] LEAVES FALL really matters.  We just CAN'T get stuck up dude❎❎❎

Even WHEN things are running smoothly in life, embracing OR protecting to maintain the status quo may even boomerang to us.  WHY?  That status quo is NOT guaranteed to remain in that exact circumstance because WHO knows, things could deteriorate OR worsen.  WHAT better approach than for us to be proactive and akin in those boxing fights by the best boxers like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, let's GO FOR THE KILL if and WHEN we see the slightest opening worth risking💦💦💦

Our takeaway:  Dude, in a worst case scenario, probably the STATUS QUO is NOT that bad BUT here's the big BUT.  Set aside that worst case scenario stuff because WHY should we be plotting our life plans based on worst case scenarios?  Instead, endeavor to sharpen your 'listening posts', constantly eyeing even for that slightest opportunity for you to progress even by an inch, OR even by just a centimeter.  That snail's pace of progress makes you better off than that snail WHO got stuck up.  SHAKE THE TREES UNTIL LEAVES FALL dude❗❗❗

To Feel Better Is [Sometimes] To Make Things Worse?

There's something brewing around us these days.  Most of us are so locked-in with our fervor to be better, richer, much more successful, aesthetically better-looking, with more recognitions from society OR at the very least from our family or co-workers.  And to give credit WHERE it is due, most of us end up successful on that note.  BUT after the dust has settled down, there will go again, about to throttle off to the next pit stop, and next pit stop and next pit stop.  ISN'T this becoming a too familiar story?  We live in a world that admires hard work.  We therefore admire self-control, even WHEN it blurs into painful restriction.  Some of the things we do to make us feel better might actually end up making us feel worse📗📙📘

One lady may NOT like the way she looks and often feels fat even though she actually keeps herself painfully thin.  She feels that she is taking care of herself by sticking to a rigid diet and excessive exercise regimen.  Extremely critical of herself for almost everything she does, she feels secretly proud WHEN she can feed a delicious meal to everyone else without succumbing to the temptation to eat it herself.   Oh Oh.  Scary Mary.  That pride at WHAT she sees as her accomplishment can also be her downfall.  In the the end, WHAT she's good at is destroying her physical and mental health.  If one is anorexic, that person could even be at risk of starving to death.  Reminds of world celebrity Celine Dion WHO is admired by everyone BUT we commiserate for the struggles she's facing with regard her health💚💛💜

Heard of someone so hardworking, burning the midnight oil day-in day-out.  After clocking out from work, he goes drinking with his buddies because it helps him feel relaxed and he proclaims he's NOT hurting anyone with his drinking  BUT that may NOT be true.  HOW do we know his wife's NOT worrying WHEN he drives home after getting that intoxicated?  Of course, HOW sure are we, if his drinking was NOT triggered because he just gotten passed over a promotion at work?  At the end of the day, too much of a good thing, WHETHER it is something we generally think f as healthy, like a diet OR exercise OR it is something we think as potentially unhealthy like too much alcohol OR fried food OR chocolate may actually backfire on us💥💥💥

And it is that backfiring of the very thing that we started doing to make ourselves feel better that can end up making us feel worse.  I vividly remember I was in a Philosophy class and my classmate asked in class, if it is possible to daydream too much.  Our professor bluntly said that if we do too much of something that's good for us [at that time], t can also become bad for us, eventually, like it OR not.  I've seen people recuperating from an illness and now at the therapy phase.  BUT how long can one remain in that therapy phase.  I've witnessed some WHO got stuck in that therapy cycle❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  WHAT's the fix for this conundrum?  Let's consider MODERATION in almost every single thing we pursue, WHETHER that's our diet regimen, our exercise program, our drinking relaxation with our buddies OR even shopping [for shopaholics].  Let's NOT attempt to break the glass ceiling because we're NOT intending to end up as a record holder in the Guinness book of world records, right?  So, Is It True Trying to Feel Better Will Sometimes Make Things Worse?  If it is, let's disprove it by embracing moderation instead, dude😁😁😁

Overwhelmed Or Overworked?

 

Overwhelmed OR Overworked?  NOT to fret.  NOT to worry either.  As the poets wrote, WHY rush?  Even nature itself is NOT rushing, right?  Even an oak tree takes a hundred years to grow, and another fifty years to live and another hundred years to die.  That's like a hundred thousand sunrises  give OR take.  Looking at our human race, HOW many of us an imagine to have this kind of patience?  I would rush.  You would rush.  And once I step out of my home, I see people rushing left and right.  And WHEN you're cruising along the road, be on the ALERT because road warriors have that disrespectful way of cutting down your vehicle at your very nose📗📙📘

For alignment, OVERWHELMED is defined in a generic way, i.e. EVERYTHING SUDDENLY SEEMS SO MUCH AND WE DON'T BELIE WE CAN MANAGE.  So, WHILE some types of "OVERWHELM" are harder to explain, it can actually be symptomatic of potential health issues at play.  And typically, there are things that will OVERWHELM anyone of us anytime primarily because they are outside that 'range' of normal human experiences, and at times, this becomes traumatic💥💥💥

Otherwise, typically, one of the most common causes for us to get OVERWHELMED are the life changes that do take time to process, such as going away [and that means packing up your clothes] as for the first time, you will be away from home for the duration of the academic terms as you attend university at the capital city.  OR as an aftermath of that acrimonious breakup OR divorce.  OR bereavement.  OR transitioning to a life change, like working overseas with different cultures for the very first time.  Admittedly, I went through all these life changes, especially WHEN I decided to 'cross the Rubicon' WHEN I flew over to Singapore and suddenly, I was in a very fast paced and multi-cultural work environment💚💛💜

Obviously, we all have our limits over WHAT we can and CAN'T manage, time and energy-wise.  To translate those OVERWHELMING situations into the simplest words, everything will point to an undeniable fact that at that point, we are experiencing various forms of stress.  And verily true, STRESS is a response to a trigger we can pinpoint.  And WHEN left unchecked, STRESS can lead to BURNOUT [I head that no less from my very first expat boss [WHO coincidentally is from The Hague]😊😊😊

Our takeaway:  Sometimes, it is that 'straw that broke the camel's back' feeling BUT for some of us, it seems like a storm descending upon us until we feel lost with our reactions and even emotions.  The thing here is that there is NOTHING WRONG to feel overwhelmed BUT it is imperative that you endeavor to immediately regain control of the situation ASAP, definitely NOT come next day.  Think of it as a ticking time bomb BUT enough to give you time to extricate yourself.  OVERWHELMED or OVERWORKED, that should NOT be enough to bring you down dude, NOT for long❗❗❗

Why We Should Keep 'MOVING FORWARD'

 

KEEP MOVING FORWARD.  Very true, those powerful words are much easier said than done.  True, at some points in our life, we all felt stuck at some point.  Perhaps you yourself is feeling stuck right now.  WHEN that happens, it can feel just impossible to keep MOVING FORWARD toward your goals and dreams.  Been there, had that.  Maybe, you're feeling a little stuck working on a creative project, like writing an article OR painting of a piece of art.  Perhaps you just ventured into a new business, took on a major project at work, OR began a new health OR fitness regimen.  Verily true, once you get into the fray for the first time, that initial excitement is oozing, and sometimes it even seems to be overflowing📗📙📘

Eventually, that excitement will simmer down and worst, it MAY eventually evaporate in thin air.  So, WHAT NOW if indeed you're stuck? WHEN you feel trapped in a job you hate, a relationship that ISN'T working, OR a boatload of debts OR a life that has a little resemblance to the one you imagined.  Verily true, sometimes we just want to throw in the towel and just give up BUT DON'T give up just yet.  WHETHER you feel stuck even in dry concrete, trying to make a small OR big decision OR wondering WHAT you're doing with your life, it's NOT the end-of-the-world❎❎❎

Hold on, WHAT I often here from counsellors is for us to STEP BACK.  And to quote Einstein:  "NO PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED FROM THE SAME LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS THAT CREATED IT".  Simply put, you need to escalate your efforts to extricate yourself from that deep foxhole.  Meaning, let us access a different level of thinking by assessing our current situation from a fresh, reset viewpoint [and that skewed and convoluted perspective].  In short, let's take a REALITY CHECK and ask ourselves:

• WHERE are you that very moment?
• WHAT got you there?
• WHAT is it you really want?

This is akin to us getting lost deep into the woods.  Verily true, e can keep moving forward, looking for our way out.  Next thing we knew, we could be in panic mode, and going in circles.  OR you could head back the way you came.  Imagine instead that you could stop , take a deep breath and zoom out from your situation.  Imagine that you can fly above it all AS IF you were in a helicopter and look down at yourself amongst the trees.  WHAT could you see OR notice differently from this perspective with a different route, people there to support you, the way out is closer than you thought?  Another way to zoom out is to look at your situation s a neutral observer.  Imagine you're a fly on the wall watching your own life WHAT insights would you give yourself😊😊😊

Our takeaway:  SO WHAT?  SO HOW?  Let me dip into my own travails from the many past years.  WHEN I found myself stuck in mud, I sat down and scribbled as many options as possible [and that included sort of 'crazy' options].  So, WHEN I thought of everything and asked myself 'WHAT OTHER OPTIONS I HAVE', that allowed me to dig deeper into my arsenal, NO matter how thin and run-down my arsenal is at that point.  Because only then can I RESET, REBOOT and RESTART all over again.  YES dude, we gotta KEEP MOVING FORWARD❗❗❗

Going Once, Twice OR It's Gone!

 

Going once, twice OR it's gone!  NO sirrrrs, our thread today is neither that song of Bob Dylan nor HIkaru Utada.  I just want to share one [overdue] realization I had that indeed, life is a continuous journey of growth and self-discovery, filled with ups and downs, challenges and moments of triumph.  Along this path, surely many of us have encountered transformative rules that could have reshaped us📗📙📘

YES, very true, even our very own perspectives are never cast on stone. It gets reshaped either for the better OR if the stars are NOT aligned, for worse.  Let's start with frugality.  I've seen, met and known countless people WHO were so frugal because they are so generous to so many other people.  And WHAT else can be more laudable than being that generous to people NOT just to those we know BUT most heartwarming is WHEN we're generous even to strangers, people we hardly know.  NOW, time to swing back the klieg lights upon our own selves because of most paramount importance is our us, even before we start delving into others' lives💥💥💥

At one time before, I was having coffee with a psychologist and our tete-a-tete turned towards generosity and selflessness.  Out of the blue, the psychologist asked me:  Would you agree we should be as selfless as possible?  With alacrity, I said, BY ALL MEANS.  BUT here comes his rejoinder.  He retorted:  I beg to disagree with you because we got to be SELFISH too.  Pushing farther, he challenged me with this frank question:  SHOULD YOU NOT BE SELFISH?  I retorted back:  I'm sorry, I DON'T have the tail OR head on this.  In a moment, I was like in 'blank space', unable to process even a fraction of a thought❎❎❎

Then, he went on his spiel starting off by warning me that unfortunately, the word 'SELFISH' has always that negative connotation.  The long and short of it, everyone of us will, without hesitation, admit that we DON'T want to be associated at all with 'SELFISHNESS'.  BUT here comes the SME who tells me that SELFISHNESS allows us to be good to others because we were first good to our own self.  To put oneself above others is always seen as inherently wrong BUT if you DON'T put yourself first, WHO WILL???

Our takeaway:  This reminds me of that oft-quoted one-liner:  AN EMPTY CUP CANNOT POUR INTO OTHERS.  And WHEN we are SELFISH, it allows us to take care of ourselves so we can tend to others.  True, most people are nursing that feeling of guilt OR shame WHEN they put themselves first BUT we are challenged to realize that it is A-OK to make sure your needs are met FIRST and FOREMOST.  Let's NOT run rings around this because for you to be selfless, you gotta be SELFISH to some extent dude😁😁😁

So, WHAT's Wrong Being ORDINARY?

 

We all have seen that person in our lives WHO seems to have it all put together.  NOT only do they excel academically, making it to the Dean's List every semester and being atop the class as well BUT they seem to be that ideal outgoing and 'know every person' on campus.  They are even officers of multiple school organizations, captain of this and that athletic team, just being everywhere.  On the other hand, most of us are that ORDINARY.   So, WHAT's wrong BEING ORDINARY?  Sadly, WHAT we recall more often are those people WHO do practically anything and everything.  Truly, these students are WHO society labels as the 'leaders of the next generation' as they are the hardworking and outgoing people📗📙📘

Social norms lead us to [wrongly] believe being an ideal person is WHAT we should all strive for.  Being EXTRAORDINARY is WHAT seemingly makes people that 'SPECIAL' and WHAT gets you to be 'recognized'.  BUT hold on, dude.  Is this realistic enough?  Logically, it's impossible to be that EXTRAORDINARY and be 'EVERYWHERE'.  And if you're part of the workforce, your tied up at least 8 hours😞😞😞

YET, we come across people WHO seem to live their lives like SUPERMAN and SUPERWOMAN as they seem everywhere.  After clocking out from work, they would rush to the gym, then they're into volunteerism OR even venturing into their extra income-earning initiatives.  Of course, there's nothing wrong with being that incredibly involved either.  Because if you are that person, then you got to be incredibly proud of yourself✅✅✅

I remember WHEN I was very raw straight from university, with both ears still wet, and I started to plunge into the job market.  I realized I had to prepare my CV/Resume.  Whoah, I was in that dilemma because I asked myself, HOW can I fill that one-pager?  Guess WHAT?  NOT effortlessly, though, I managed to populate that one-pager by adding the line details when I was just another member of the school's editorial member until my senior year WHEN I was the Editor-in-Chief📌📌📌

Our takeaway:  The pervasive message of our time asserts that success is essential in every facet of life, be it education, career, friendships OR relationships.  In our relentless pursuit of success, many of us toil ceaselessly, ingrained with that belief that triumph is really the very GATEWAY TO HAPPINESS.  Looking back at all the spheres in my life, I can wholeheartedly admit that I was NOT consistently EXTRAORDINARY.  In fact and in truth, most of the time, I was just another ORDINARY folk BUT that does NOT diminish the successes I did achieve till to date.  Looking at your respective lives, yes dude, nothing wrong to be ORDINARY [in case you're NOT that EXTRAORDINARY😁😁😁

[Scam Alert] Latest Phishing Scheme NOW Targetting Facebook Users

 

Let's start with facts and statistical data.  As per FSecure, QUOTE 62% of social media phishing incidents use Facebook as a lure, with one campaign in 2023 sending around 100,000 phishing messages per week to Facebook users.  Furthermore, Phishing Tackle noted millions of users visited Facebook phishing sites in 2022 UNQUOTE.  As we speak today, the alarm decibels have compounded!@#$%?

Pasting here EN TOTO from lifehacker.com [from Emily Long 08.11.2025].  SCAMMERS ARE TARGETTING FACEBOOK USERS WITH THIS PHISHING SCHEME.  This scam begins like many do, with an unsolicited email. The subject line is somewhat alarming—“We’ve Received a request to Reset your password for Facebook Account !”—and despite the odd use of capitalization, you may click just to be absolutely sure there's nothing you need to do. The body states that you're receiving this email because someone just logged into your account from an unrecognized device, and Facebook wants to verify it's really you. There are two buttons to choose from: "Report the user" and "Yes, me."

While many phishing schemes prompt you to click a link that leads to a fake website designed to steal your credentials, this one (like the recent Instagram scam) uses mailto: links instead. If you click either of the buttons or the unsubscribe option at the bottom, your device will launch your default mail program and open an email with a prefilled subject line matching the button text. The reply email doesn't go to a domain owned by Facebook or Meta, though scammers use a technique called typosquatting to make the address look at least somewhat legitimate, such as belonging to companies like Black Diamond or Vacasa💧💧💧

This may seem relatively innocuous, as you haven't actually provided any personal information in your reply. However, hitting "send" validates your email address so scammers can target you in the future. They may also try to build a relationship with you over email and gain your trust over time. Mailto: phishing is more likely to evade email filters compared to malicious links, so scammers can actually reach your inbox.  As with all scams, this one uses urgency to convince you to act, because of course you want to protect your account from unauthorized logins [QUOTE ends here]!@#$%?

In my case, 2 weeks ago, I received a mailer warning me that there was a suspicious login at a specific provincial address/location [WHERE I've never been in my life] and along with it was a LINK for me to "PURPORTEDLY" 'force-logout' that unauthorized login.  THAT's IT!  Scammers are playing on HUMAN FEARS.  Once we panic, it's GAME OVER dude.  Again, to be FOREWARNED is to be FOREARMED💥💥💥

Put in the 'REPS'

 

NO sirrrrrrs, please DON'T get me wrong.  I am NOT a too-late-the-hero gym buff convert [just because of this thread].  for alignment, 'REPS' is a slang derived from 'REPETITION'.  Having said that, you might wonder, WHY on earth are we wasting our thread today about PUTTING IN THE REPS?  YES, I got to confess, I've witnessed many times folks jumping from the frying pan straight into the fire even they haven't PUT IN THE REPS📗📙📘

Heard of a fresh university graduate so eager-beaver to plunge into the job market on the basis that he/she graduated with academic honors?  NOT to belittle our graduates garnering their honors because surely they deserve that kind of academic recognition.  BUT the job market is a totally new ballgame.  That explains WHY we'll here entry-levels via TRAINEE or ON-THE-JOB as it gives a raw talent a crash course to at least 'weaponize' him before he gets bruised❎❎❎

Thing here is that there is a widening gap and disconnect.  Many [wrongly] think that if they sort of 'burn the midnight oil', voila, come next morning, they are READY enough.  BUT the hard lesson I myself learned here is that time is NOT enough.  Sometimes, people ask me for career advice and usually, NOT their fault, many are curious enough wanting to know about skills to learn, books to read, WHERE to find inspirations, stuff like that.  BUT my recurring advice is NOT about WHAT to learn.  It's more on HOW TO LEARN instead💧💧💧

Frankly, my sage advice is to find ways to get in LOTS OF REPS, especially early in your career life.  Look around for organizations WHERE REPETITION and iterative design are part of and embedded enough in that organization's culture.  And IF you CAN'T find that culture, do WHATEVER you can to create it by yourself, for yourself.  In short, to GET IN REPS is that idea of a structured learning approach through REPETITION.  Think of a musician, a violinist doing scales, OR an NBA hoopster practicing hundreds of shots.  I even heard this narrative from the Miami Heat NBA ball club where the Fil-Am Coach Erik Spoelstra dropped by the practice court and saw one shooter really DOING THE REPS💥💥💥

And before you expect things wrongly, you thought Coach Spoelstra will pat the player on his back?  NO sirrrrrs.  Instead, he challenged the player to get the ball into the cup a 100 times before he packs up for home, whew,  3 years down the road, that player, BTW that's Duncan Robinson, was offered a $90 Million contract, the biggest offer ever to an undrafted NBA player.  That's how far the Michigan player ended up with that huge NBA contract.  Again, it's all about PUTTING IN THE REPS😁😁😁

Results Matter, Period.

 

RESULTS MATTER, period.  Allow me to share EN TOTO this Quora.com post by Rebecca C.  A Minister and a Taxi Driver at the Pearly Gates 🚖👨‍⚖️😇  A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates.  Ahead of him is a guy who’s dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, a leather jacket, and jeans.  Saint Peter addresses this guy,  "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?"  The guy replies, "I’m Joe Cohen, taxi driver, of Noo Yawk City."💚💛💜

St. Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver,  "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."  The taxi driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it’s the minister’s turn.  He stands erect and booms out,  "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Calvary for the last forty-three years."  St Peter consults his list. He says to the minister,  "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."  "Just a minute," says the minister."That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?!"  "Up here, we work by results," says Saint Peter.  "While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed."!@#$%?

Did you ever wonder HOW you arrived exactly WHERE you are today in your life?  HOW you arrived WHERE you live now, WHERE you work and ended up in the relationships you are in OR know friends you associate with?  OR did you ever wonder WHY your body, fitness OR state of health is at the present level of condition it is in?  OR WHY is your skill levels may have peaked years ago without being prepared to cope with the fast-paced changes of technology tools out in the workplace???

Whether your self-assessment turns out to be either very positive OR very negative, the results did NOT just occur by choice OR sheer luck.  WHERE you are today is a result of the cumulative actions and decisions that you've made OR did not make during all those previous years of your life.  Frankly, this statement is a hard pill to swallow for many people because they have hundreds of reasons and excuses to blame for their sordid state of affairs [right now]💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  There is NO running away from the obvious fact that EVERY action we take and EVERY choice we make actually counts during our life.  There are just NO exceptions to this rule.  And IF you neglect one too many disciplines, eventually you have to pay and face the consequences.   BUT there's a light at the end of the tunnel here.  IT'S NEVER TOO LATE  TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES from here onwards.  YES, as St Peter said at the Gates of Heaven, RESULTS MATTER😄😄😄