Taking Things For Granted?

Taking Things For Granted?

How often have we witnessed [OR have been guilty in the past like me] WHEN we were deprived of something, we immediately took notice of it and bemoan its absence, like laughing in a cinema in the midst of a collective hush around us.  Oh yes, there are a host of things like this that the recent pandemic has enhanced through their loss.  Right now, before we get too much of our former lives back, each of us ought to make a 'MENTAL INVENTORY' of WHAT we have missed.  We should hurry up to do this reckoning before we become numb to WHAT longing has taught us in life.  During month after month of enduring a circumscribed world, WHAT had been normal became extraordinary.  Indeed, Taking Things For Granted???

The past months, I'll admit that I've been startled at that so-so simple pleasure of picking out my own apples from the grocery store bin [instead of just glimpsing them already bagged, a DONE DEAL in a curbside pickup.  Indeed, taking things for granted is a kind of mental dullness applied to the ordinary.  And we will surely succumb to it again UNLESS we fight hard against it.  YES, I want to keep savoring the act of feeling around in the bin, choosing the apples by whim OR confident agency instead of erasing a 30-second chore with my mind on the next fruits though💥💥💥

Let's relook at real life scenarios.  You planned for a dream holiday in Bali OR in Hawaii and then, WHEN you arrived on Day-1, wow, you felt you were on CLOUD 9.  Come Day-3, you've stopped noticing the spectacular sunsets on your hotel window.  To borrow the jargon from scientists, they call it that 'HEDONIC ADAPTATION', that tendency to derive less enjoyment from HAPPY experiences as time passes.  Things that spark joy and wonder initially can become routine and less pleasurable after repeated, unvarying exposure which, in turn, affects our ability to appreciate GOOD THINGS in life💦💦💦

That HEDONIC ADAPTATION was also aligned by psychologists with HABITUATION.  So, HOW do we HABITUATE?  Experts tell us that our brain is akin to a 'PREDICTION MACHINE', as it constantly scans your surroundings for relevant information, WHICH means, the brain stops alerting us to things that we DON'T need our full and immediate attention.  That includes things like the road you're driving on OR hearing once again the job woes of your partner/spouse.  On the other hand, WHEN something surprising OR unexpected happens, our brain responds strongly❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Looking back, a lot of the time, we just couldn't be possibly attentive to every experience all of the time.  BUT when we want to savor good experiences, adaptation will work against us, keeping us from noticing OR enjoying the things in our lives that matter.  YES, the GOOD THINGS in life will trigger a burst of joy if you experience them occasionally.  BUT once those experiences become frequent, daily perhaps, they stop producing real pleasure.  WHAT else can we do?  YES dude, let's endeavor to improve our tendency to TAKE THINGS FOR GRANTED😌😌😌

How Our BODY LANGUAGE Gives Us Away

How Our BODY LANGUAGE Gives Us Away

How Our BODY LANGUAGE Gives Us Away.  Oh, with travels and holidays on a major bounce back, I thought to piggy-back on the frenzied travel activities to harp on the relevance of BODY LANGUAGE especially in real-life scenarios.  Take the case WHEN we need to hurdle immigration officers upon arrival in a foreign country.  From that point onwards you hand over your passport and travel documents to the immigration, BODY LANGUAGE kicks in, like it OR not📗📙📘

Think of this most common scenario WHEN you're standing right in front the immigration officer and as he inspects your passport and travel documents, you're standing, sweating bullets, and you're wondering how long will that moment linger on.  BTW, it turns out that immigration officers are trained to detect 'micro-expressions' WHICH are involuntary facial movements that can reveal your true emotions.  They're looking for inconsistencies between WHAT you're saying and WHAT you're face is saying.  OR the immi officer can adapt REID TECHNIQUE, a method of questioning that's designed to detect deception💦💦💦

Again, it's based on the idea that people WHO are lying will exhibit non-verbal behaviors like avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, or as simple as crossing one's arms.  BTW, the immi officers can employ the 'rapport-building' techniques WHERE they will try to establish a friendly connection with you, making you feel more at ease and then suddenly switch to a more aggressive tone to catch you off guard.  Being relaxed and establishing that eye contact might help you get through unscathed💥💥💥

Oh yes, this is one of the attendant risks of travelling across borders BUT if you got nothing to hide, if all of your manifestations are in good faith, there is no reason to be fidgety, to be nervous OR worse, sweating despite the coolness of the centralized aircon.  BTW, immi officers do have a card hidden up in their sleeves.  They can detain a traveller FOR NO REASON and even for a pretty LONG TIME, no thanks to a loophole in the Patriot Act [Under Section 235[b], immi officer can hold you for a 'REASONABLE TIME' even without charging you, whew❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  The ramifications of BODY LANGUAGE can continue to haunt us on and on and for the unfortunate ones, getting stuck in a bureaucratic limbo, no thanks to the traveler's behavior, even HOW they walk, HOW they interact with the immi officer.  So, if you end up acting suspiciously, you might find yourself on the officer's radar, WHICH is unfortunate because, often, PERCEPTION matters.  Oh Oh, indeed, HOW OUR BODY LANGUAGE CAN GIVE US AWAY😕😕😕

Consider To Grow Like A BAMBOO!

Consider To Grow Like A BAMBOO!

Everyone says that in Japan, beautiful BAMBOO trees line up almost everywhere in the countryside.  But NOT for reasons related to tourism though.  They claim that in Japan, the symbolism of the BAMBOO plant runs deep and wide and offers practical lessons for life and for work.  And much as we might be accused of being a copycat, we're here to share the lessons about the BAMBOO, and mapping its practical implications to our personal life, even encompassing our work and business life.  In short, here we are being egged to Consider To Grow Like A BAMBOO❗❗❗

First off, everyone tells us that the BAMBOO bends BUT it NEVER breaks.  And WHAT explains this is the fact that it remains flexible because it is deeply rooted.  Indeed, one of the amazing stories repeatedly told is how the BAMBOO sways with even the slightest breeze and that gentle swaying movement with the wind is a symbol of HUMILITY. They claim that their bodies are hard and firm and yet they sway gently while their trunks stay rooted firmly💢💢💢

Ironically, everyone claims that indeed looks can be deceiving because visually, the BAMBOO looks weak.  And even its structure looks weak.  Physically, the body of a BAMBOO is NOT large by any means WHEN compared to the other much larger trees in the forest and they DON'T look impressive either at first sight.  Surprisingly, the BAMBOO endures even the coldest winters and extremely scorching hot summers💧💧💧

Coming up with the analogy in life, this tells us that we should NEVER be judged by our size.  On the other hand, we must NEVER underestimate others OR even our own selves based on the old notions of WHAT is weak and WHAT is strong.  You may NOT come from an affluent family.  You may NOT have graduated from the Ivy League universities in the U.S. or U.K. but just like the BAMBOO, you can stand tall by believing in your own strengths and know that you are as strong as you need to be💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Very much like the BAMBOO, in life, we need to be ready all-year-round, especially for unexpected adversities and challenges in life.  And most especially, failures that will hit us hard.  And taking a cue from the strengths of the BAMBOO, let us unleash our power to 'spring back' after being hit hard by one failure after another.  They claim that in winter, the heavy snow bends the BAMBOO back and as the heavy snow begins to fall, the BAMBOO will snap back again, brushing aside all the snow.  Can we consider to grow like the BAMBOO dude???

Feeling Left Behind?

Feeling Left Behind?

YES YES YES, life is ultra uber competitive.  Even at our younger age, most of the time we would feel like we were running late in our own life.  And as the other side of the fence seems [always?  really?] greener, in our eyes, everyone else seems to be ON TIME for theirs OR maybe even ahead of schedule.  Sometimes, we would have wished that we lived in outer space.  WHY?  Maybe because in outer space, time DOESN'T matter like it does [matter] here on our mother Earth.  Thing is, peer pressure is too much even early in life.  You could have just graduated from high school and now feeling [in a novice's plight] the life of a university freshman.  OR probably you're a rookie at work whereas your friends and classmates you heard are now holding on to stable jobs, stable lives whereas here you are, still Feeling Left Behind???

Problem is, on this damn planet Earth, all we seem to care about is time.  HOW much we do have of it and how little we have left of it.  Our phones show us every time we look at them.  Alarms scream at us to remind us of it every morning. It seems our life sometimes feels like it's dictated by times and dates on calendars💧💧💧

Sadly, from an early age in our life, it feels like society ingrains in us the supposed 'timeline' of our life.  This supposed timeline that many of us unknowingly hold in our minds, it can make you feel like you've failed at your own life if you HAVEN'T reached the goals society expects that you should have reached at a certain age.  It can feel quite isolating [like you're behind everyone else your age].  It is also exhausting trying to live up to other people's ideas of WHAT you should be doing OR WHAT you should have already done in your life???

Just as they may have NO idea WHAT our life is like, we may have NO idea about their lives either.  Sometimes, it is hard to see that others HAVEN'T got everything worked out in life like we feel they do [especially since their social media tries to persuade us otherwise].  Indeed, it is quite hard to see past all the accomplishments and happy moments people share online, to actually see the person whose life is far from that 'SHINY PERFECTION' they are trying to show online.  Sadly, most people's lives AREN'T a 'walk in the park' like it may seem.  YES, some have had their good times and their bad times [just like you do].  It's just hard to see that sometimes💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Just as people may have NO idea WHAT our life is like, we may have NO idea about their lives either.  Sometimes, it is hard to see that others HAVEN'T got everything worked out in life like we feel they do [especially since their social media tries to persuade us otherwise].  And it's hard to see past all the accomplishments and happy moments people share online, to actually see the person whose life is far from what is being projected.  Unfortunately, it is human nature to compare so I WON'T ask you to stop comparing yourselves to others BUT when you do OR if you do, take time to think about HOW your story and life might be different to theirs, think about everything you've had to overcome to get WHERE you are today.  Just because we may NOT have the opportunity OR be ready to fulfill our life goals right now DOESN'T mean it's NOT going to happen.  It just means that it may happen at a different time for you than others.  Thing is, we are all running exactly ON TIME for our OWN LIVES.  And frankly, NO ONE SHOULD FEEL LEFT BEHIND at all❗❗❗

SMALL Changes = BIG Impact

SMALL Changes = BIG Impact

We all want BIG BANG things.  We even want INSTANT things.  And as we get spoiled in life, if we had our way, NO way for small impact, NO thoughts for small changes.  BUT that's NOT the way life really works.  More often than not, even the best things in life come in drops and trickles.  And those BIG impacts and BIG BANG?  Yes, they do happen but once or twice in our life, if at all, if we're that fortunate.  YES, it's still feasible for SMALL Changes = BIG Impact📗📙📘

It's true, most of us, at some point in our life, we did ponder making CHANGES to improve some aspect of our life.  We might want to grow professionally OR improve our academic performance OR improve our health and immune system OR even improve our relationships.  We all desire to live in a meaningful way and modification of certain behaviors can help us realize this💢💢💢

YES, initially CHANGE might seem exciting and even easy WHEN we reflect on the potential benefits it will bring to our life.  However, WHEN it comes to 'walking the talk', sustainable behavior CHANGE is complex because it requires us to disrupt a current habit WHILE at the same time, fostering new and possibly unfamiliar ones.  This process takes time and usually takes longer than we would like.  Something as simple as drinking an extra glass of water a day can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to become a consistent and habitual behavior💦💦💦

Our most common mistake [and I'm one of those WHO went through these same mistakes over and over again in the past] is WHEN making CHANGES TOO MUCH TOO SOON.  We might think that if we make BIGGER CHANGES faster, we will see results sooner [BUT it can be undoubtedly exhausting], you might want to reconsider if it is the best time to launch into a new exercise routine OR begin training for a marathon.  Experts do advise us that making small, incremental improvements that take a few minutes per day is MORE effective and promotes more sustainable results than trying to make BIG changes all at once.  While these small changes may NOT always be noticeable, the impact they deliver over months and years can be significant enough💧💧💧

Our takeaway:  Let's start modestly enough by lurking for those LOW-HANGING FRUITS.  Start with one CHANGE that takes the least amount of effort and is enjoyable for you.  That will likely energize and motivate you to take more future CHANGES.  Consider this in tandem with a habit tracker, setting a goal for a tiny CHANGE you want to make and check it everyday you do it.  That helps measure your progress and identify hiccups if any.  Yesss, SMALL CHANGES equate to BIG IMPACT💥💥💥

Tough To Be HAPPY? Nope!

Tough To Be HAPPY?  Nope!

It's safe to say that most of us want to feel HAPPY in our lives.  I'd even peg a number to it, that 100% of the population want to be HAPPY.  WHO doesn't want anyway?  Yes, at times WHEN you feel you have a good life BUT are still UNHAPPY, you may then feel a sense of anxiety and concern.  Worse, you might feel that HAPPY life seems impossible.  So, the question is, is it Tough To Be HAPPY?  Nope📗📙📘

YES, many factors go into play with regard feeling HAPPY.  And the unique thing here is that different people feel HAPPY for different reasons.  So, WHAT really makes us HAPPY?  For alignment, let us do a lookup of the definition of being HAPPY from the perspective of psychologists WHO define it as generally a 'STATE OF POSITIVE WELL-BEING IN REACTION TO YOUR PERSONAL QUALITY OF LIFE'.  If there is a fact that we CAN'T get away from, it is the fact that feelings of HAPPINESS are temporary emotions that can be incited by small positive incidents in our lives in the present moment💧💧💧

Without scaring my readership, HAPPINESS as a general life attitude can be harder to achieve.  Many researches the past years suggests that our overall HAPPINESS with life may be strongly associated with our satisfaction with our quality of life.  Those WHO consider themselves to be content in their lives tend to be HAPPIER while those WHO are less content with their lives [WHETHER that is due to social disruption, financial worries OR other stressors, are less likely to be HAPPY overall💦💦💦

Psychologists also highlight that there is also evidences of a correlation between the amount of control we feel in our lives and HOW content we are.  For instance, if you believe WHAT happens to you is out of your control, you may be prone to feelings of UNHAPPINESS.  NOT to pre-empt you, if you are wondering WHY you AREN'T happy, you may want to look deeper into the elements of your life that can affect your HAPPINESS one way OR another.  There can be many barriers to HAPPINESS in our lives that we may NOT immediately recognize.  NOT feeling HAPPY often can be a sign that something else is going on.  Before you get mixed up, figure out WHAT causes your UNHAPPINESS❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  The company you keep matters most.  If you keep asking yourself 'HOW CAN I BE HAPPY', the answer may be because of the people in your life that you spend time with DON'T bring out the best moods in you.  Track HOW you're feeling after spending time with people.  TOUGH TO BE HAPPY?  Nope, NOT really😋😋😋

Choose Your Battles

Choose Your Battles

We've said a zillion times, life is NEVER a 'cakewalk', that life is a journey of brawls, confrontations, fights, scuffles, name it, life is that kind of a hodge-podge of everything that pertains to conflicts. So, WHERE do we end up with all these?  YES dude, Choose Your Battles.  Knowing WHICH battles to fight [and which to leave for another day OR even walk away from altogether] is critical to surviving life itself 

Early in life, more often than NOT, I was in a quandary, like, should I bury my head deep into the sand? OR should I arm myself and go out there up front?  Thing is, if you find yourself fighting one too many battles, on too many fronts, it is very likely that you will end up feeling drained of either emotional, mental and/or physical energy.  WHAT's more, your relationships [and if it's at work, your performance] will inevitably be impacted.  There's NO way out of those implications.  Once I felt I was in the middle of incessant crossfires [between my work colleagues then, with one faction lobbying more support for the project team while the internal stakeholders were taking a stand from a commercial perspective.  And there I was in the midst of things

Out of naiveness that time, I asked myself, should I see NOTHING, hear NOTHING and in the end, ignore anything?  BUT I asked myself that time, am I a NON-ENTITY?  Then I realized that I am NOT a NON-ENTITY. THAT I am a part of the equation.  THAT I am one of the relevant players.  THAT I was entitled to speak up and even opine.  Eventually, I realized [before it was too late] that I will NOT take the stance of ignorance.  Thinking that I had to fight a battle that actually belongs to someone else is a very easy mistake to make

WHAT's a recurring risk in our life is that sometimes, you can get involved in another person's battle WITHOUT even meaning to.  Alternatively, you might be the kind of person WHO likes to 'stick up for' your more timid friends or colleagues.  Ooooops, endeavor to resist falling into that TRAP [at all costs].  And if it's someone else's battle, then someone else needs to be fighting it [and NOT you].  Thing is, you have ENOUGH battles of your own to contest in life.  Even IF you felt you had that gumption and energy to take on another one, your arsenal is NOT a bottomless pit

Our takeaway:  Truth of the matter, assess the situation with a long-term perspective.  WHAT difference will winning one battle make in the long-term?  To answer that seemingly casual question, you need to step back and look at the BIG picture.  That might mean your relationship with your boss, the direction of your career OR if it is a family matter, WHAT happens to the family when all the rubles and dust settle down?  Really, you got to CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES, dude❗❗❗

Does GRAVITAS Matter?

Does GRAVITAS Matter?

Does GRAVITAS Matter?  Before we drill down on this, let's have an alignment.  Mr Webster defines it akin to weightiness, seriousness and/or importance.  It's like when in a scheduled meeting, everyone's neck is sticking for you to step in and once you sit at the head of the boardroom table, everything conjures images of CxO-level executives ready to hammer on his down-lines.  OR taking on the podium to deliver a lecture OR a speech📗📙📘

YES, been there, done that.  At many points in my career WHEN I was an entry-level upstart, i was enamored by the sleek attired, grey-haired executives WHO all they need to do is pop-out, show their presence even if they DON'T need to throw their weight💦💦💦

BUT after those years of learning the ropes, I did run the full-circle as this time around, I may not be that dapper and sleek attired and grey-haired executive BUT by stepping into the meeting room just thirty seconds before the meeting commences, you would realize that the environment suddenly turns from a casual one to something that was business-like [WHICH it really must be anyway].  So, if we look at the etymology of GRAVITAS, we could have a better alignment with history itself as we are told that GRAVITAS is a Roman word and in ancient Rome, GRAVITAS was one of the virtues of being a good Roman citizen.  WHAT's noteworthy is that while GRAVITAS did require dignity, seriousness, influence and weight, a good Roman citizen also needed to be kind, to work hard, to have that self-worth💥💥💥

And this is WHERE I think a seemingly boring word NOW seems interesting.  GRAVITAS requires that same balance of opposing forces.  In short, much as you can manifest and carry on with that weightiness and seriousness, you need to balance it out with your deftly smooth ability to lighten things up WHEN things become too stiff, too serious OR too stifled.  And looking back at the countless boardroom meetings I had the chance to be with, having that passion, humility and wit are intangibles that will be 'x' factors, if ever a situation ends in an impasse or a standoff of two forces that are immovable💧💧💧

Our takeaway:  Let's NOT peddle the GRAVITAS factor because there is no single recipe to earn it, to manifest it.  Ironically, it is a confluence of tons of intangibles alongside warmth, passion, compassion, approachability and likeability.  You DON'T want to be perceived as TOO DOWN or just deathly DULL and DRY.  Neither too UP you become so light as air, so fluffy.  In the end, WHO else will listen OR heed your words.  So, DOES GRAVITAS MATTER?  Not anymore dude💥💥💥

When Things Get DICEY

When Things Get DICEY

Have you had in the past, did you ever lost your cool and DIDN'T manage yourself very well?  YES, absolutely, to most of us, that could have happened.  WHEN we are angry OR stressed, we DON'T always react in the best possible way.   And that is quite unfortunate because many of those scenarios are NOT that too murky OR complicate to contain or manage a situation even if seems to be an outlier.  To really regret things, the outcomes and implications WHEN we lost control of our own self, our emotions, our anger, all these could be the confluence of events that could spiral into one hell of a hullaballoo WHEN in fact, if handled, there is nothing to Get DICEY📗📙📘

And before you know it, you feel you're on that dreaded edge, that precipice for a foul-up, if NOT a disaster-in-the making.  And to avert such a scenario, NOT to our liking BUT at times, that would prompt us to ROLL THE DICE, even if things are kind of iffy.  BUT rather us being reactive and get embroiled in ROLLING THE DICE, let us figure things out HOW to nip it in the bud, to avoid it in the first place💦💦💦

So, let's go with the practical approach.  First and foremost, it pays that you are incisively sharp to detect the signs and symptoms WHEN you start to get worked up.  Those tell-tale signs like your heart rate increases, your chest tightens?  Sounds familiar.  It is because I've BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.  Once you notice those tell-tale signs, psychologists coined this term 'NAME IT TO TAME IT' wherein you would label your emotions as they're happening as that has the effect of taming the stress and anxiety in the brain and the body that the emotion is triggering.  Now, let's pull up things from our life experiences.  If you are able to take some deep breaths, step away and avoid reacting until you are in a better mindset, you'll surely be better off that way💧💧💧

Once you managed to have a fair control of the situation, assess as to WHAT you want to do OR say because you are angry OR stressed.  Maybe you feel like saying something mean OR snarky.  OR maybe YOU want to send a scathing email.  Rethink the underlying reasons WHY you want to do OR say [WHAT you want to do or say].  At that point, look at the potential ramifications, implications and consequences if you proceed to ROLL THE DICE and do WHAT you want.  Will taking that path offer you the much better direction?  If you go OFF on your co-worker, WHAT will happen?  To quote this one-liner, IF YOU WANT TO GATHER HONEY, DON'T KICK OVER THE BEEHIVE.   Think along these lines repeatedly before you decide to ROLL THE DICE, if at all. Alternatively, WHAT IF YOU DON'T?  WOULD your situation be worse than the status quo??? 

Our takeaway:  At the end of the day, ask yourself.  WHAT is it really you want to happen out of that situation?  Typically, you will find the answer once you closely examine and even estimate your initial response.  By then, you could even get a cue that you need to evolve things in such a way that doing things differently could either avoid a precarious outcome OR better still, if it will even lead you towards an improved situation thereafter.  Add a few intangibles like mindfulness as it could likely help increase your coping skills when getting embroiled in those situations.  Indeed, WHEN THINGS GET DICEY💥💥💥

How's Your Puttering Time?

How's Your Puttering Time?

For alignment, Mr Google defines puttering as that period of time doing small tasks OR other things in a relaxed manner that are NOT essentially important.  BUT ask Elon Musk how does he start his day?  Oh Oh, you'll be surprised [if NOT shocked] to hear that Elon Musk works 80-100 hours per week.  And he often skips breakfast, whew!@#$%? He claims he DOESN'T have enough time in the morning despite being an early riser.  Let's swing over to his counterpart top billionaire Jeff Bezos WHO still wakes up early and then he spends his time till almost 10am PUTTERING around the house.  So WHAT does he do?  He wakes up, reads the newspaper, brews coffee, and if his kids woke up, he'd make breakfast for them.  So,  How's Your Puttering Time?

Jeff Bezos claims that his PUTTERING TIME is that important to him alongside catching at least eight hours of sleep at night before he buckles down to work, to attend his first meeting only at 10am.  And HOW did he maintained the quality of his PUTTERING TIME at the start of his day?  NO PHONES on the first hour of the day. And he explains he has banned that screen time even for himself for the first hour after waking up because he claims, we're too wired throughout the day, there are things in life [especially family time] that deserves that undisrupted attention and quality

And Bezos explains that his slow-burn, phone-free mornings do lead him to enjoy life much more, and with quality at that.  WHAT else can his family want?  Indeed, there have been countless books and studies exploring the benefits that can be wrought by slowing down and learning to take more [QUALITY] time for yourself.  And it's NO secret that doing stuff that makes you feel happy and more relaxed could have a knock-on effect on your performance for the next hours of your day

More than anything else, that means a mindset change rather than rushing to sit down for a quick to-go breakfast and get to work at 730am OR 8am.  In my years while residing in Singapore, as they say, DO AS THE ROMANS DO.  Seeing Singaporeans work and grind, rushing up early morning till evening, I [wrongly] thought that that was the way to go.  BUT way before I came across these sharings from Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, I told myself that every individual works and lives his life differently so it DIDN'T make sense for me to replicate every Tom, Dick, and Harry into my life

My takeaway:  Looking back, I am thankful I took that path WHERE I definitely thought I was living a more organized daily life, WHERE I had to think and properly plan my day.  I also felt more relaxed and generally less distracted during the work day because I was able to deal with any pressing matter early on.  Of course, that DOESN'T guarantee that I'll be more productive and DOESN'T remove the pressing deadlines that come up at work BUT again, with a clear mind, I had my own 'bragging rights' that I started off my days with my PUTTERING TIME spent even on the petty tasks that gave me a more balanced daily life.  So, HOW'S YOUR PUTTERING TIME???