Need To Take Your Life Back?

 

In the midst of our frenetic pace in life, it's NOT surprising if sometimes we'll hear someone fantasizing about literally deleting his calendar [because it NEVER runs out of endless pencil-bookings] OR worst, one WHO's contemplating to quit his job OR to escape from his day-to-day realities, one wants to book a one-way flight [to nowhere, ouch] and starting afresh somewhere like a retirement life option in Bali OR in Thailand.  YES, if we heard those folks, they're NOT alone because many more are contemplating📗📙📘

BUT here's the thing.  Studies show that even the most 'high-functioning' and thoughtful people could hit the wall one day.  BUT NOT because they are lazy, dramatic OR lost BUT because they have outgrown a version of their life, and DON'T kno WHAT to do next.  YES, that sounds like burnout and it feels like restlessness, somewhat like wanting to be anywhere BUT here's the thing.  Most of the time, we DON'T need to start all over again BUT simply find a way forward💚💛💜

BUT let's hear it from the experts.  Contrary to the notion that we should be focused for us to TAKE OUR LIFE BACK, they say that in 99% of cases, the real issue ISN'T life itself BUT instead it is our strategy for navigating it.  The old school teaches us to push harder, do more and just shrug off that feeling of getting caught up.  Our mentors in the past would tell us to solve problems via that productivity platform and WHEN something does NOT feel right, we thought we just need to work harder, wake up earlier, and keep powering on till it clicks😌😌😌

NOW, let's here the experts whack us off.  They claim that if the real problem is misalignment [and NOT laziness OR poor discipline], exerting more effort just WON'T fix it.  Instead, it just hides it for a little longer.  Oh Oh, that feeling you're trying to push through?  They say that's NOT a bug but instead, those are tell-tale signs.  NOW the confusion turns from bad to worse when we get mixed signals like:

• You're successful BUT you DON'T feel it
• Yo're doing right things but you feel unfulfilled
• You're unsure if you're navigating the wrong way

Our takeaway:  The past years, WHEN we hear 'RESTRATEGIZE' , threats of a revamp OR a major reorganization pops up BUT experts caution us that it's NOT about throwing everything out BUT instead, it's about pausing and asking ourselves a tough cookie question:  WHAT IF THE LIFE I'VE BUILT ISN'T WRONG BUT THE WAY I LIVE THAT DOESN'T WORK?  In that case, STRATEGIZE dude!!!

A Little Bit Of Planning [Goes A Long Way]!

 

We'll all agree that in life, NOT EVERYTHING GOES AS PER PLAN.  So, here's a devil's advocate question:  WHY PLAN IF NOT EVERYTHING GOES AS PER PLAN anyways?  IF you close your eyes now and look back, did you see yourself here?  Did you imagine you'd have that job OR those friends OR that nice condo OR that relationship you are in now?  Did you picture yourself in that relationship as absolutely perfect and secure only to turn out as messy [OR otherwise]?  Chances are, you saw your life in a certain way.  Maybe your dream was to have a family, to find that special person and settle down.  Maybe your dream was somewhere in the mix of that, possibly in both a relationship and beginning a strong start of your career.  Maybe your dream was NOT about work OR relationships at all but finally coming to terms with the person you are now.  BTW, a LITTLE BIT OF PLANNING GOES A LONG WAY📗📙📘

Admittedly, all my life, I've always loved order, preparation, making sense of the world around me.  And having a PLAN was the best way for me to look forward.  WHEN I knew WHAT I wanted, HOW to get it, and WHERE to go, I could step forward with confidence, with NOT even the slightest tinge of fear OR skepticism if NOT doubts.  BUT if I learned a hard lesson over and over again, it's that the eventual result will NOT always align with my PLAN, even the best laid PLANS can fall short💧💧💧

OH yes, I wanna share this self-discipline I seemed to have embedded within me.  Typically, I would have craft a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.  There were exceptions WHERE only had 2 PLAN options.  And it was an outlier for me to just a single PLAN with NO other option.  WHAT pushed me to have those options?  It's all those 'WHAT IFs'💥💥💥

WHY do we need those 'WHAT IF' scenarios?  It's the very catalyst that will push us to craft a Plan B and even a Plan C.  You might ask me, did I ever fail even if I had Plans A, B and C?  Absolutely I failed several times.  BTW, Having Plans A, B or C does NOT give us that blanket guarantee that we will be shielded from those flops and failures.  WHAT Plans B and C offer us are contingencies as a mitigation to that risk of failing on Plan A❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  WHAT IF you never PLANNED at all?  Apologies BUT we are unsure of your probability of succeeding in your endeavor[s] with nary a PLAN.  It's true there are tons of success stories of people WHO never PLANNED BUT WHAT is untold is that those people WHO went through with UNPLANNED endeavors took a bigger risk given the absence of a PLAN.  Will you now RISK having no PLAN than PLAN???

Yes, We Need MISTAKES To Happen

 

Yes, we need MISTAKES more than they need us.  Debatable, right?  You might argue, WHY the hell do we need MISTAKES?  ISN'T that asking for a bullet in our forehead?  NO NO NO Senor.  That's a screwed way to look into MISTAKES.  BTW, it's way off mark to even compare MISTAKES with bullets because unlike the latter, WHICH might NOT hit us at all in life, those MISTAKES are very much within our day-to-day living and WHILE we are NOT asking for MISTAKES, committing it is as human as we can be.  WHO wears any teflon wardrobe to shield himself from MISTAKES?  Yes, MISTAKES are bound to happen WHOEVER you are in life now📗📙📘

BUT the mystery of MISTAKES lies in the fact that many of us [and that includes moi in the NOT so distant past] are afraid to commit one.  I remember WHEN I was very raw in the workforce, I was suddenly 'thrown' to face challenges in the technology space WHEN I was seconded to IBM for a critical 'high profile' project.  NOT having even the sound fundamentals of mainframe technologies at that time, I had to ramp up even after my training class so that I can come up to speed WHEN I deep-dive into my project work.  And I remember my IBM mentor subtly telling me to ensure that 'NO GARBAGE' gets into the feeder system as otherwise, WHAT will get churned out will be GARBAGE no less.  At that point, I remember one time WHEN my mama scolded me and telling me SOY TEMEROSO, that is I seem to be fearful of something, sometimes the 'unknown'💚💛💜

Lo and behold, WHAT happened next, my work at that IBM project was NOT 100% accurate as I missed out identifying one data field that truncated a very critical data with four decimal places, truncating it to one decimal place.  The LESSON I picked up from that critical MISTAKE?  MISTAKES are bound to happen, even if you're so conscious NOT to commit one.  And the underlying piece here is that WHAT is of paramount importance is for us to pick up lessons from a MISTAKE so that, that MISTAKE WON'T recur💥💥💥

BUT before we get tense if we hear that all we got is one solitary reprieve to commit a MISTAKES, that is NEVER a blanket statement.  Because in the topsy-turvy world we live, those 'deja vu' moments may keep coming back just like another iteration.  BUT that exactly explains WHY a second OR third mistake may be bound to happen because permutations in an equation are NOT constant.  As variables swing as extremely as that pendulum old wall clock, so are equations!@#$%

Our takeaway:  Ultimately, regardless of the severity OR harshness of MISTAKES we commit, WHILE some of those MISTAKES are painful, they are valuable tools that help us individuals evolve and eventually succeed in both our personal and work life.  And psychologists shared this encouraging pep talk, that is, handling MISTAKES can even help us relax and enjoy all aspects of life as making MISTAKES is something we have to learn to live with.  If you hear someone say that we can run away OR avoid MISTAKES, that's baloney and in social media, that's FAKE NEWS no less dude😡😡😡

Life Is Akin To Riding Bicycles

In Albert Einstein's letter to his son Eduard, he said: Life Is Akin To Bicycles.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving.  Well said.  BUT if I will play devil's advocate, I'll make a flawed statement that if I do ground to a halt, I WON'T get off-balanced.  Oh Oh Oh, really dude?  For clarity, please DON'T take getting 'offbalanced' literally because in life, that could be translated to a thousand perspectives.  LIKE getting stuck.  LIKE being stalled.  LIKE being off-tracked.  LIKE being out of your roadmap.  LIKE being ejected out from your parachute.  LIKE being thrown out in limbo.  LIKE being in a state of stupor WHERE you end up as neither here NOR there.  WHEREAS, there should be NO argument that if you keep moving in life, you will be literally moving, progressing, moving forward and even if you do stumble, you will end rising and picking up the pieces📗📙📘

So, let's go back to Albert Einstein.  WHY was he widely quoted that LIFE IS LIKE RIDING A BICYCLE.  BUT whether we dissect this literally OR figuratively, YES, we will end up with the same subset of conclusions that have been proven throughout mankind's existence.  Much as bicycles need and expect us to keep and maintain that balance as we progressively move on, that exactly WHAT is all about.  Nothing in life is tilted on one flank, just on one side.  In each of the facets of our life, even if we hate it, we got to do that BALANCING ACT many times over❎❎❎

Allow me to do a random sampling of my countless episodes of BALANCING ACTs.  WHEN I was still in the academe, I had to BALANCE my academic and co-curricular activities.  WHEN I decided to get into the workforce, I had to BALANCE my eagerness versus my 'rawness' as a worker.  WHEN I took that quantum leap of exploring career opportunities way beyond my comfort zone, much as I was hard pressed, I was constrained to BALANCE out my thirst for opportunities versus the risks down the road.  And since risks are like land mines peppered incognito in the roads we thread, the appropriate steps I did was to mitigate the risks.  A few times, I was unable to mitigate the risks [and guess WHAT, yes I fell flat on my face those times] BUT it's part of our life realizations, seriously💚💛💜

At times, I would come across someone questioning that there is NO truth to the balancing acts in life.  BUT dude, we do need to prioritize , make boundaries, and even set aside time for each plate that we are spinning.  BUT it happens sometimes that we do feel exhausted, drained to be precise, and at times quite overwhelmed that we DON'T know HOW we're going to spin even a couple of those plates.  That explains WHY we need to focus on WHERE our help and strength come from.  And each time we trek out in those challenging roads of our life, we do get back into the swing of life and ended up catching up.  And it can be quite overwhelming once we look back at our To-Do List plus squeezing in a couple of 'surfs' BUT we just CAN'T let these things crowd out even as all our plates we are spinning would fall off-track💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Multiple lessons I learnt the hard way many times in life can all be rolled for brevity and that is, let us be cautious enough to avoid stupid mistakes, prevent burnout, and maintain a margin of safety and comfort in life.  Daring enough to bet on ourselves, to do the things we would regret leaving undone, and to be willing to be uncomfortable in the short-term so we can learn and grow in the long-term.  YES YES yow, LIFE IS AKIN TO RIDING BICYCLES😌😌😌

It Never Hurts To Be Nice

It Never Hurts To Be Nice

Being NICE may seem to be the last ever topic we can talk about, right?  NOPE!  Much as being NICE seems to be one of the more uninteresting and frankly, boring topics, let me get your buy-in by reinforcing the reasons It Never Hurts To Be Nice and to have it as our topic today.  First off,  in this tough world we have been grinding, we can bear witness to many exceptions of people NOT being NICE.  Regrettably, in more instances, those instances are detestable because generally, to be NICE will NOT cost us an arm and a leg.  YET, conversely, WHEN we should have been NICE to someone BUT did NOT manifest it, that could have caused an arm and/or a leg to the hapless and helpless person.  Let's ponder about it.  A nicety that entailed not much effort equating to a significant benefit to the supposed beneficiary of your nicety📗📙📘

As science proves that being NICE benefits both the giver and the receiver, the pestering question I often hear is as to WHY some people are so much better at putting others first?  BUT much as I have totally embraced kindness and being NICE in life, the bigger question is WHY are some of us are kinder than others.  And a much bigger question is:  WHAT stops us from being kinder.  Alas, that Covid-19 Pandemic is credited for turning around many of us as one study shows that two-thirds of people became much KINDER and NICER and nearly 60% of the population confirmed to have become beneficiaries of various acts of KINDNESS and NICETIES💧💧💧

Other encouraging findings include the fact that two-thirds of people believe that the pandemic has proven that it ia big part of human nature to be KIND and NICE because it is such a big part of HOW we connect with people and HOW we have relationships.  Indeed, this is very much akin to that principle of reciprocity WHERE it is always a WIN-WIN situation because we like receiving KINDNESS BUT we also like being KIND and NICE💥💥💥

Let's admit it.  Generally, our desire to be kind is actually quite selfish, on one level, because we all have seemingly evolved to have empathy, we have all sorts of 'ulterior motives' [Oooooops many will be hard pressed to admit that, ouch] for being KIND and NICE, the chief one of being that it makes us feel good.  Experts have revealed that from their brain research, there is a warm fuzzy feeling that people feel straight away.  BUT also, it gives us that sense that we are that KIND and NICE person WHO really genuinely cares about other people.  And we want to be good, we want to feel good about our own selves and WHAT we are like???

Our takeaway:  One think I noticed through the years is that people WHO have been told they should be KIND and NICE are naturally more likely to notice and detect those NOT so obvious opportunities to be KIND and NICE.  True, they have expectations WHICH might be the expectations of their religious teachings OR it might be the expectations of those around them.  And if there is one thing that concerns me, it was WHEN I came across the #BeKind on social media because it tends to shut people down from talking, to suggest that they CAN'T hold an opinion simply because they've got to be KIND and NICE.  Really?  BUT obviously we do want social media to be a kinder place BUT if KINDNESS then gets weaponised and used to stop people talking, then that's kind of worrisome because essentially, IT NEVER HURTS TO BE NICE, dude💚💛💜

Never Set Yourself On Fire To Keep Others Warm

 

I stumbled across this one-liner just now and I thought this deserves to be our thread today:  YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SET YOURSELF ON FIRE TO KEEP OTHERS WARM.  And that made me realize that I did witness several times in the past WHEN people were attempting to take care of others BUT in the end destroying one's self in the process.  And I thought they should initiate some no nonsense 'soul searching' because that's the last thing we can ever ignore📗📙📘

BUT I realized that generally, people meant well, that there was NO bad faith, NO ill intent.  BUT I myself I did witness people with the best intentions to even over-extend himself because he DIDN'T want to hurt other people.  I could like visualize someone lighting himself up and grit his teeth through the pain to make others feel better, caring for himself ONLY AFTER he got assured that that other person is now safe and secure.  REALLY?  Seriously?  Although in all honesty, these realities is hardly surprising to me because we CAN'T control the decision-making of others, NOT even our immediate family members.  BUT WHAT's quite unfathomable is 'BURNING' oneself❎❎❎

WHAT surprises me is that act of 'BURNING'.  WHY indeed because psychologists declare that that act of 'BURNING' seems to be a leftover of someone being a 'victim' in the past.  NOW, if you have your own needs BUT they are NOT being met, psychologists explain the likelihood that in the very first place, you were NOT looking for it.  And WHEN one feels lost, you would admit in all honesty that at some points in time, you simply DON'T know WHAT you need.  BUT in reality, we have our legitimate needs.  We all do have those needs.  And yes, you need to be heard too.  We all need time and space to express our own individuality.  And that includes respect and even loving care💥💥💥

BUT in real life, the default is that many things in life we're NOT getting it because we NEVER ask for it, we NEVER look for it.  It's kind of saying WHY will you receive something you never ask for.  Unfortunately for some WHO went through emotional OR even physical abuse, those needs [WHICH we should be asking for] WON'T and DON'T even matter.  And to compound a bad situation turning worse, IF one is in that kind of situation, you could end up growing up thinking that way and even bringing that toxic thinking eventually into your marriage and by the time you've got kids, even into your parenting💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  Bottom line here is for us to break out of that mindset.  Take small [a.k.a. baby] steps to set boundaries in terms of needs such that by default, draw the line WHEREIN your needs will be prioritized [unless of course outliers happen like emergencies].  And YES, similarly like our vehicles, we need to 'tune up' ourselves, tweaking and adjusting here and there WHILE taking that balancing act between your needs and the needs of others.  Bottom line is, NEVER SET YOURSELF ON FIRE TO KEEP OTHERS WARM😡😡😡

Are People The Solution To Loneliness?

 

This is like kicking to dust in the midst of summer.  Are people the solution to LONELINESS?  Indeed, quite a controversial question that can stir the hornet's nest.  BUT alas, it's human nature, WHEN we're gripping with LONELINESS, we always think that people are the solution.  No Senor!!!

From a layman's perspective [without tapping all those clinical researches], I strongly believe that the best antidote to LONELINESS is to face it head-on, either tear it down OR succumb to it at its very fringes.  Sadly, WHEN we get pushed much deeper into that morass, there is a default feeling that you're alone in that struggle and the only way to get you extricated from it is to leverage on someone else.  Seriously???

Ooooops, I WON'T be that ashamed to admit that I did have my fair share of those LONELINESS episodes [and it's NEVER easy dude].  Problem is, WHEN we're feeling lonely, the defaulting natural thing to do is to seek out company, to message OR call out a friend OR easily say YESSSSSSS WHEN someone invites for a hangout, especially those Friday nights, TGIF kind of thing. BUT counterintuitively, a new study finds that IF we're lonely, being around other people may NOT actually help us feel any much better💚💛💜

Tapping into recent researchers, they found out that people WHO felt lonelier had lower well-being in that moment, in terms of the kinds of emotions they were feeling, like happiness, anger, sadness and boredom, as well as their sense of satisfaction and meaning.  Personally, I DIDN'T get shocked with those results.  BUT WHAT was kind of surprising is that this pattern was even stronger WHEN people were in a social situation, WHEN we might expect to be protected from that pain and [sometimes] anguish of LONELINESS.  There were studies conducted in the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic WHICH suggested two reasons WHY being around others might NOT comfort us WHEN we're feeling LONELY for the reason that people feeling LONELY had a greater desire to be alone, and the more they wanted solitude, the worse they felt❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  I DON'T need to look too far way back.  Simply put, the mantra I always embraced was to FIND A WAY THAT WORKS FOR YOU.  After all, there is NO ONE SIZE THAT FITS ALL.  You might play devil's advocate LIKE:  Does this mean social interaction CAN'T help the LONELY?  Certainly NOT!  WHILE it's possible that certain types of social interactions are helpful WHEN we're LONELY, that DOESN'T happen most of the time.  Think about it.  ARE PEOPLE THE SOLUTION TO LONELINESS?  I'd say sometimes BUT NOT MOST OF THE TIME, dude😡😡😡

Are You A 'ROAD WARRIOR' Or A 'TRAFFIC CONE'?

 

Are You A 'ROAD WARRIOR' Or a 'TRAFFIC CONE'?  Admittedly, I was a 'ROAD WARRIOR' through and through the years, akin to living in my suitcase as I was constantly ready to take my next flight practically every week.  BUT those were outliers.  BUT that did bring me to a point of asking WHAT IF in life, should we be like a ROAD WARRIOR OR be like a TRAFFIC CONE?  Of course, it's a no-brainer, WHO wants to be a TRAFFIC CONE anyway?  BUT DON'T get flummoxed if I tell you that, statistically, there is a good number of folks WHO still prefer to be like TRAFFIC CONEs!@#$%?

A few times in the past, I was asked as regards the benefits of being constantly on the move versus being likened to a sedentary pace in life.  BUT if we think about it, to be adventurous, OR at least to keep moving, that means leaving our 'safe harbor' and to set sail into the unknown.  It's HOW we grow and get to know more about WHO we are.  And that's WHAT matters the most, more than any talking points related to even your immediate family and friends.  And we can take a lift from insights of backpackers💧💧💧    

Experience tells me that adventures in life, OR at the very least, that desire to keep moving, is one of those rare freedoms WHICH we can experience on a day to day basis.  LIKE the beauty of deciding to go on an adventurous trip, particularly one that involves an immersion in nature, is that you DON'T decide to go, you just do it!  Imagine slowing down with those natural sounds and rhythms of nature really helps us to find those precious moments of awareness, so crucial enough to allow us to make real choices💥💥💥

I have to admit though that, adventures per se, are NOT always comfortable experiences.  Let me assure you that what comes along with it is risk itself BUT at times, those episodes become our necessary experiences.  And here's the take from psychologists for us to consider adventures.  WHILE going solo is NOT that bad, adventuring with others, especially one's partner/spouse/loved ones is undoubtedly a great way to strengthen relationships💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  WHILE we have our own lives to live, think about it, we can be anything BUT a TRAFFIC CONE.  For the most obvious reasons, WHILE a TRAFFIC CONE serves its purpose, let's NOT fuss about it because we are NOT and should NOT ever exist as a TRAFFIC CONE because we can live our lives a thousand ways, way more meaningful rather than threading a pace that replicates a sedentary one.  WHILE a ROAD WARRIOR tag sounds extreme, we really DON'T need to the far end to be a ROAD WARRIOR even in a figurative way BUT at the very least, let us embark on steps meaningful enough in life [instead of getting stalled and stuck like a TRAFFIC CONE]😡😡😡

Ambitions In Life

 

Talking about AMBITIONS, it's like driving into a small and very narrow but too congested street.  WHY? True, AMBITION can come and go through different times in our life.  BTW, this is plainly normal and it happens to almost everyone.  BUT if low AMBITION is affecting your mood and well-being, you can try several approaches to help ourselves to get to WHERE we want to be.  BUT more than anything else, we need to understand that AMBITION is our desire and determination to achieve success [of course, how success is defined vary across peoples and cultures.  So HOW's our AMBITIONS📗📙📘

If there are two variables that co-exist in our life, can you guess it?  YES, AMBITION and DOUBTS really coexist in our life.  Name it, the most successful folks in the world did experience episodes and even phases of failure and doubt.  BUT they eventually succeed because their AMBITION reemerges despite experiencing loss, rejection OR even disappointment.  BUT experts tell us that AMBITION can indeed be cultivated.  Like most positive traits, it's possible to learn and cultivate AMBITION and if we want to improve our AMBITION, you've got a goal in there!!!

As we've witnessed from time to time, for various reasons, some would lose their AMBITIONS.  Just like WHAT happened WHEN we got hit by the Covid-19 Pandemic, there was widespread uncertainty NOT just in our local communities BUT across all countries.  In addition, with ongoing uncertainty around the future, it may feel challenging to work towards goals OR you might experience burnout due to increasing pressures in life💚💛💜

True, there are multiple triggers that tend to contribute and sometimes, even exacerbate, that loss of AMBITION like underlying fears, pursuing goals because other people want you to, OR experiencing mental health conditions which could start with a seemingly harmless depression.  SO HOW?  WHEN we feel our AMBITION slipping down south, believing that we are less AMBITIOUS than we have been previously can feel unsettling.  And if you're concerned about an ongoing lack of AMBITION, never turn your head the other way around.  Face things head-on😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  Picking up from a study, here we go:

• Ensure your goals remain VISIBLE.  Write it please.
• Stay ACTIVE.  Stick to that activity you really love.
• Yes, go for SMALL GOALS, breaking up your larger GOALS.  Go for BIG ones when you're back on track
• Find a need.  HOW can you help around if you can.
• Redefine success as originally it was too grandiose
• Recall your past successes. That will keep you going
• Create MOTIVATION before you end up stuck up

That Path of Least Resistance

 

That path of least resistance has been the most popular option ever opted by mankind.  WHAT could be the reason WHY all of us [save for outliers] often succumb to take on that path of least resistance?  Oh Oh, here comes a study from the University College of London WHICH shockingly discovered something almost all [in fact, everyone of us] would deny, the scientific research WHICH concludes that by nature, we're LAZY❎❎❎

WHAT is looming as a huge alarm here are the ramifications NOT just to millennials WHO, till now, may be figuring out WHAT career path to take OR for workers biting clickbait instead of making progress OR for leaders [and politicians!] struggling to ensure that their campaign promises come into fruition.  These days, getting promoted in the workforce is NOT a walkover.  Rather than say 'THIS IS HARD BUT WORTH IT', we sometimes tend to convince ourselves that we should get a new job [WHICH is often, all said and done, easier than sticking it out through the hard, vertical climb.  Taking that PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE can come in the form of rationalization, denial OR worst, distraction💚💛💜

At hindsight, I'm trying to deduce from that research that temptation to make hard for you to grasp or secure things in a much harder way, akin to putting all the booze at the top pedestal of a high cabinet in your basement WHICH has been abandoned through the years and attempting to go there means you need to go through a labyrinth of dark, narrow corridors, the very hallmarks of Dracula's haven.  BUT my key takeaway in that research boils down to awareness.  However, in that research, the respondents realized that moving the handle the right way was getting harder❌❌❌

Sometimes we'll hear something like 'THE BODY TENDS TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE'.  And this is essentially the same old stuff, emphasizing WHAT works well and WHAT you are good at and ignoring OR even dismissing WHERE there is stiffness OR aversion OR WHERE you have encountered hurt OR failure in the past.  True, I have to admit, I stumbled many times before, falling flat on my face WHEN I dared to take on that PATH of RESISTANCE and instead of running away from postures that I used to resent, I just tried, breathed and took one step at a time and found that each time, there was MORE joy sans that fear OR resentment I anticipated😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  I realized one thing here.  If we understand well enough that flexibility and strength are NOT all about stretching and power BUT are bundled and part of an attidude we all can learn and embrace.  YES, one thing more, we need to lose that 'fixed mindset' that assumes pre-determined outcome and open up to that 'growth mindset' that sees a challenge as a welcome opportunity to evolve, learn and grow, rather than tagging it as a threat to our very ego.  Can we consider to throw out in the window that self-defeating attitude, skipping that PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE???