WHAT IF Change Is Indeed Constant?

 

CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT.  This one-liner has been one of the most quoted ones ever and it's recurring unabated even as we speak now.  BUT WHAT IF CHANGE IS INDEED CONSTANT?  Those circumstances WHERE you are hoping and nursing hopes for CHANGE to happen BUT it's NOT happening?  WHERE ironically, CHANGES is no longer the variable we have always thought of???

LIKE you're hoping to be hired by that government agency BUT until a vacancy happens [as it is that REALITY in government jobs], nothing happens.  LIKE you're angling for a promotion to that juicy position in your organization BUT it's NOT shaping up either.  LIKE you were already interviewed at the local embassy of either U.S. or Canada for your immigrant application BUT you never heard anything yet [and the truth is, NO WAY is it feasible for you to initiate a follow-through as it will be a futile one❌❌❌

Allow me to share a sampling of my real-life scenarios:

• WHEN I was angling for a promotion - I first upskilled myself.  Then I found multiple ways and means to get noticed. LIKE volunteering for a task WHERE there are NO takers. LIKE during open forums, asking the most sensible and deep-thought questions.  LIKE during presentations, you have to host it with a jaw-dropping performance
• WHEN I was aiming to migrate then [as an immigrant and NOT an overseas worker], I remained steadfast in doing WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE until I was bestowed my naturalized citizenship

The mother of all ironies here is that WHILE we always say and hear that CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT, there are multiple times in our life WHERE a potential CHANGE we are hoping to happen does NOT happen [YET] and that's WHERE the CONSTANCY OF CHANGE may have its implications and ramifications as we continue to run through our journey in life😃😃😃

Our takeaway:  WHETHER every single variable in life is indeed a variable OR it gets stuck up and stalled [way beyond our control], it behooves that we have a Plan A, Plan B and preferably a Plan C because the mother of all ironies in life is that, besides all the UNKNOWN variables we are unable to anticipate, even those literal CONSTANTs can be impactful as well.  WHAT IF CHANGE IS CONSTANT???

Escaping That Hedonic Treadmill? Try Doing New Things

 

Something NEW?  Oh YES, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID SOMETHING NEW?  NOT to claim that I'm throwing you under the bus BUT the thing is, some claim that the biggest enemy of HAPPINESS is that hedonic treadmill.  That defines as to HOW we humans are quick to adapt to any changes in our lives and that a similar change has a diminishing impact.  That hedonic adaptation is our human tendency to quickly return to a relatively stable level of HAPPINESS despite major life changes.  That explains WHY we're encouraged to TRY DOING NEW THINGS💚💛💜

Quite strange to understand this human tendency.  LIKE if I take a hot bath today, I'll likely enjoy it a lot BUT WHEN I take that same hot bath tomorrow, I will like it a lot less [compared to today].  This is WHERE we are encouraged to constantly figuring out to do SOMETHING NEW.  BUT you might be surprised WHY the hell we're encouraged to try NEW things on a regular basis?  Sadly, a big piece of advice a lot of people [and that included me in the past] are NOT taking seriously is to TRY DOING SOMETHING NEW [which you have never done before]❌❌❌

YES, admittedly, I find it mind-boggling as well as to HOW can we expect a change in our HAPPINESS by NOT changing any of the things that we do?  Let's think about it.  WHATEVER you've been doing until now has NOT resulted in you becoming any much happier today than yesterday, right?  The trap here is that many of us [wrongly] thought that we're happy, and yet, here we are, either stuck OR stalled.  BUT can we push and hurdle through that mental obstacle that somehow places us in that state of stupor???

IF we're completely wrapped up in our own comfort zone, can we start small OR even modestly small for now.  True, we're all wrapped up in our regular routines and simply too fearful of trying something NEW.  And even if the activity in question is something we've been craving for so long, that power of predictability is often times just way too strong for us to overcome.  NOW, can I toot my horn as part of my pitch???

Our takeaway:  WHILE I am NOT the first to say that we got to WALK THE TALK, I'll admit that I WON'T be the last to WALK THE TALK as well because as I've done quite a list of new things throughout my own journey, I have to humbly admit that I did see the value of pushing myself way beyond my comfort zone, way beyond my own boundaries by exploring through roads [and even 'very narrow trails'] that are LESS or LEAST TRAVELLED.  Allow me to cite my blogsite WHICH I actively pursued only like more than 5 years back.  WHILE the blogging itself is never new [in fact, it has become a sort of routine to me], that challenge of trying to figure out the next topic, the next thread, that gives me that daily challenge WHICH I have always warmly embraced and committed to.  After all, I find a sense of fulfillment [if NOT achievement] WHEN I complete one blog after the other because I constantly challenge myself to TRY DOING NEW THINGS as I've got everything to gain and nothing to loss, seriously😁😁😁

Is Talking About Salt 'WORTH OUR SALT'?

 

Is talking about SALT WORTH OUR SALT?  There is a 'brewing' storm amongst medical experts because for the past 50 years, medicine has waged a 'misguided war' against critical sources of health like SALT and sunlight WHILE avoiding discussing the real causes of diseases.  Because of that, dangers of SALT are relently focused on despite evidence NOT supporting them.  In parallel, the extreme dangers of consuming too little SALT are very rarely discussed [despite WHAT critics claim that dangerously low sodium being one of the most common conditions seen in hospitalized patients and chronically low sodium greatly increasing one's risk of dying😡😡😡

Allow me to paste EN TOTO here excerpts from the "heart.org" portal of the American Heart Association for 7 SODIUM MYTHS busted:

Myth: Eliminate sodium completely for good health.  Sodium is an essential nutrient that controls blood pressure and is needed to make nerves and muscles work properly, but you need the right amount.  

Myth: I usually don’t salt my food, so I don't eat too much sodium.  Over 75% of sodium people in the U.S. consume is estimated to come from processed and ready meals– not the saltshaker. That’s why it’s important to compare Nutrition Facts labels and serving sizes.  

Myth: Sea salt has less sodium than table salt.Sea salt is popular, but it usually isn’t any less salty. Just like table salt, it typically contains 40% sodium.

Myth: High levels of sodium are only found in food.
Some over-the-counter medications contain high levels of sodium. Read drug labels carefully and remember that some companies produce low-sodium over-the-counter products.

Myth: I don’t eat a lot of salty food so I don't eat too much sodium.  Sodium is found in almost all foods including mixed dishes such as sandwiches, burgers and tacos; rice, pasta and grain dishes; pizza; meat, poultry and seafood dishes; and soups. Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose foods with the least sodium.

Myth: Lower sodium foods have no taste.
There is a rich world of creative and flavorful alternatives to salt. Experiment with spices, herbs and citrus to enhance the natural flavor of your food!  

Myth: My blood pressure is normal, so I don’t need to worry about how much sodium I eat.The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day and moving toward an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults. Even cutting back by 1,000 mg a day can help improve your blood pressure and heart health.

Tired of STARTING OVER [Again]? Then, DON'T Give Up!

 

Tired of STARTING OVER again?  YES you're NOT alone in that dilemma.  BUT ever thought of GIVING UP?  YES you're NOT alone too.  Been there, done that [and it's damn hard dude].  I do hear all the noises around.  I am aware of the struggles and call it 'agonies' one has to go through in STARTING OVER all over again, WHETHER it's in the workplace, in a relationship, in one's business, OR even in one's finances.  I guess we DON'T need to qualify as to WHY indeed it's hard to be STARTING OVER.  I remember many years ago, someone was jobless for quite sometime and I sensed his deep frustration.  Straight from the cold, I counseled that I have a suggestion based on the following pre-conditions he has to agree:

1. THAT he has to switch careers [from Engineering to Technology]
2. THAT he has to start @entry-level [at my friend's Tech company]
3. THAT he will undergo trainings with NO PAY, NOT UNTIL he completes all trainings & GOOD TO GO [as a full-fledged developer]

Fast-forward with that narrative, in less than 3 months time, he was deployed as a full-fledged developer seconded to one of our country's major GOCC [government owned & controlled corporation].  Since then, he has become a seasoned Oracle expert, WHICH probably explains WHY he seamlessly settled in Singapore WHERE he's a Singapore citizen alongside his family.  Indeed, that was a 'HARD RESET' and WHAT that means, for him to 'START OVER', he had to acquiesce to a list of pre-conditions for him to RESET, WHICH a.k.a. STARTING OVER [again]💚💛💜

Bottomline here is that wanting to 'GIVE UP' and START ALL OVER [again] can be a fleeting feeling BUT it can also be a percursor for things to go from bad to worse.  BUT rather than leaving us to fix things reactively, let's figure out as to HOW can we preempt and prevent STARTING OVER and most common questions we need to face head-on are:

• I HAVE NO OTHER PURPOSE TO CARRY ON
• I CAN'T DO THIS [OR BE IN THIS] ANYMORE
• I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING.  JUST GIVING UP!

True, NOT until you're either in the line of fire OR you're right on the frying pan and ready to jump straight into the fire itself,  things could NOT be more tumultuous than that.  MAYBE you're done with pain, with frustration and you just want to end an unbearable toxic situation.  LIKE if you want to literally move out and settle in another state, then having few or NO friends at all, with NO family and NO job, likely you DON'T even have a clue WHERE TO START❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  STARTING OVER again is absolutely NOT the end of the world BUT for anyone to pull out that last card, one has to ensure that he has exhausted everything else such that all boxes are now marked 'X', leaving the person just one option, WHICH is, to START OVER again and if this is the last card to play, so be it.  That's a natural part of evolving into a smarter, better and stronger version of yourself and NO ONE should eve make you feel bad for pulling the trigger and STARTING ALL OVER [again], hoping that's your last HARD RESET.  Else, DON'T GIVE UP [if STARTING OVER is NOT an option]😡😡😡

Values Are NOT Cast In Stone

 

VALUES?  Oh Oh, WHAT a boring thread today, you might mutter.  Well, sort of.  BUT please allow me to pitch as to WHY VALUES deserve a spot at least for our blog today as VALUES are fundamental principles and beliefs that motivate and guide our human behavior.  These can affect and inform our own actions, attitudes and even decisions, WHICH then can impact our quality of life.  Understanding VALUES can help navigate our different life stages and hopefully overcome the obstacles that come our way.  BTW, VALUES ARE NOT CAST IN STONE💚💛💜

For alignment, VALUES are our principles OR standards that we believe in and WHICH we consider to be important OR desirable in our life.  And they often determine the guidelines that we follow WHEN making judgments and influence HOW we interact with other people and function in our societies.  VALUES may also help us in establishing priorities in life and should be able to motivate us to reach and eventually achieve our pre-set goals.  Oh yes, VALUES start as early as our childhood, so that makes it that crucial in our evolution to be mature adults✅✅✅

NOW, before you get bored, let's map these VALUES into our daily lives.  IF someone easily discriminates people, probably, one of those VALUES instilled in him is that of being discriminating, ouch.  IF someone tends to often prematurely judge someone, maybe he developed values WHEREIN prematurely judging on someone is just fine [WHICH is totally wrong though]❎❎❎

So, HOW do we ensure that our VALUES are on the right track?  I believe I should introduce this sort of 'reverse engineering' WHEREIN I'll highlight a manifestation for us to pin down on one VALUE LIKE as follows:

• LIKE being SUBJECTIVE, maybe that VALUE was molded in us early on?  Way to go?  Fix that misdirected VALUE.
• LIKE being EVALUATIVE, there's nothing wrong per se BUT be cautions handling this

Our takeaway:  Much as there are multifarious variables that can shape and influence ourselves, it makes sense that part of our goals in life is to envision ourselves to have an embodiment of values which we want to achieve, e.g being helpful, being kind, being considerate.  Having done those pre-set goals, we can then start and ignite our engines to ensure that we consistently take that road leading only to the very VALUES we pre-set to achieve because after all, VALUES ARE NOT CAST IN STONE😁😁😁

Turning ADVERSITY to ADVANTAGE!

 

YES YES yow, NO ONE wants ADVERSITY and on the other hand, we all love ADVANTAGEs in life.  The catch here is that, there seems to be that umbilical cord that continues to tie up both ADVERSITY and ADVANTAGEs.  Challenge is, HOW do we cross that sort of 'Rubicon Bridge' from ADVERSITY to ADVANTAGEs?  Too bad, that bridge is invisible, NOT even via visuals📗📙📘

BUT much as ADVERSITY itself is just too daunting, I have to admit that I'm floored as to HOW so many great leaders became so famous for being great survivors from ADVERSITIES.  And WHAT's more remarkable is that many of them really thrive on chaos and sheer ADVERSITIES, whoahhh.  And WHAT's even quite jaw-dropping is that to most of them, NO ADVERSITY seems too steep OR too tough to ever prevent them from finding and figuring out the ADVANTAGE they are angling for💚💛💜

Some of the key learnings I did absorb through the years are worth translating into action LIKE:

• Keep things in perspective - Because things are rarely so bad OR so good for that matter.  
• Keep the big picture in view 
• DON'T overreact - Got to project calmness and resolve NO matter WHAT the situation is
• WHEN in doubt, go with your gut - Let's replicate how great leaders have developed intuition

At the seabed of all these cheat codes in life, we are always advised to reinforce our success and build on our strengths.  While we can look at adversarial situations, BUT the same principles apply even in our everyday life.  Austrian-American consultant Peter Drucker said that he observed that a sizable number of us continue to focus on the negative side of life rather than the positive side.  In economics, this is coined as "COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE' and it is the fundamental logic underpinning all these💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  At times, the stars would align in our favor.  And at times, we could be at the receiving end with a streak of bad results.  BUT if ever we hit paydirt, we are advised to build on those good breaks because those lucky strokes can further stoke our own motivation, egging us to continue the end-to-end run.  Just similar to the farmers WHO would seem tireless working at their farms WHEN there's enough sun and less typhoons and hurricanes, we are encouraged to build up our 'WAR CHEST' to reinforce our defenses WHEN we get hit with some not so good breaks.  Lastly, we should be able to deftly turn ADVERSITY to ADVANTAGE if we embed that in our mindset, day-in day-out😗😗😗

When Our Motivation Slides Down

 

Throughout our cycles in life, we could loose lots of stuff and conventionally, people feel so miserable and almost giving up WHEN WHAT they lost are either monies OR properties.  BUT WHAT IF you lost your own MOTIVATION.  WHAT happens next?  WHETHER we're talking about cleaning up your home OR simply loosing weight, once we lack that MOTIVATION, it can be the biggest obstacle to reaching our pre-set goals📗📙📘

WHEN we DON'T have that MOTIVATION to complete our task [OR even start a new one], we need to grind to a halt and ask ourselves WHAT's bugging us and WHY are we struggling at that point in time.  THEN?  Figure out HOW can you recoup that lost MOTIVATION BUT as a word of caution, studies show that less than 70% of those attempts strategizing to regain that lost MOTIVATION  fail.  One sort of funny advice I stumbled across is this fix [WHICH I did try a few times and it worked] WHEREIN WHEN I felt I lost my MOTIVATION, I tried to trick myself into feeling MOTIVATED by changing my behavior [AS IF things were running 'as per normal'].  LIKE act AS IF you are that MOTIVATED and your actions may change your emotions💚💛💜

LIKE, rather than sit on your couch in your pajamas the whole day [simply because you feel lazy that day and you're waiting for MOTIVATION to strike back, really?] HOW about get dressed and get moving?  UNLESS you're sick or unwell, tell yourself it is unreasonable for you to remain in your pajamas the rest of the day.  Try and and very likely you'll realize that more often, taking action will increase OR reclaim your MOTIVATION💥💥💥

Let's consider the following self-reflecting questions for us:

• WHAT would I be doing right now If I felt MOTIVATED?
• WHAT is so impossible for me to reclaim my momentum?
• WHAT do I gain if I let my MOTIVATION continue sliding
• WHAT do I gain if I let my trajectory continue going south?

WHAT is very true is that WHEN we're struggling in our own MOTIVATION, we'll come up with a mile-long list of reasons WHY we should NOT take action.  You might think "IT WILL BE TOO HARD" OR "I'LL NEVER GET IT DOWN ANYWAY".  Alas, those kinds of thoughts will keep you stuck. UNTIL you try the opposite tack.  LIKE WHEN you're going to fail, argue with all the reasons WHY you must succeed✌✌✌

Our takeaway:  IF no one else is counselling you the correct way, play devil's advocatre and confront yourself by arguing with all the reasons WHY you might succeed.  OR WHEN you think you CAN'T finish a job, list all the evidences that show that you'll be able to complete your task.  As they say, "DON'T 'BABY' YOURSELF TOO MUCH".  WHY?  You're NO BABY anymore because you're a grown up mature fella by now dude😀😀😀

Are You [JUST] Treading The Water?

 

Are You [JUST] Treading The Water? I may NOT be a swimmer BUT I certainly can differentiate the stark difference between those WHO float versus those WHO sink.  For the Gen Zs and even up to today's generation, surely it's still fresh within you that strong faith you felt WHEN you were in your mother's arms and that is always a good start but as you go on life, there should be the consensus that anything simple will just get complicated sometimes much to your chagrin, OR worse, your frustration📗📙📘

NOT so long ago, I met someone WHO was going through his ordeals and life.  And he confided that he was focused in his therapy even as he admitted that he felt that all along he was just TREADING THE WATER.  So, I kind of surprised him with my challenge question:  WHAT IF YOU STOP [treading the water]?  He got back to me and took a shot by frankly telling me that that was NOT one of the best interventions he can ever think of, to WHICH I did totally agree with💚💛💜

BUT this fellow admitted that he realized that till that time we spoke, he has been TREADING THE WATER because he felt he was 'fighting' something very much within his self.  And at that point, I sort of sang 'Hallelujah' and did comfort him that many of us do that all of the time, in fact.  Many are fighting that FEAR of 'being found out' OR that even that ironical FEAR of becoming WHAT and WHO they are, whoaaa❌❌❌

Mother of all ironies here is that this fellow eventually admitted that as he was thrashing against the waters, deep down within himself, he knew that he would eventually lose that fight.  At that point, WHEN I advised for him to consider to stop TREADING THE WATER, that was kind of an eye-opener in him to realize the huge difference between sinking OR floating because the very moment he gives up struggling in the water, if he's going to float, he needs one thing😌😌😌

Our takeaway:  Frankly, NO ONE in the world wants to sink.  Instead, we all want, at the very least, to stay afloat.  Reminds of those carribean cruises WHERE suddenly tragedy hit them.  At that point in time, their singular goal was very modest, that is, to stay afloat until the rescuers will come to extricate them out of it.  So, WHERE's the beef here?  I've seen, heard and witnessed it first hand many times WHEN the person himself was totally clueless that his trajectory was south-bound and getting worse [maybe NOT that significant enough to be detected NOT until things would be hitting rock bottom].  Heard of those narratives?  True, there's a lot WHICH is regrettable because before things became a lost cause, there was every inch of hope that he could still redirect the course WHICH was potentially doomed at that point in time.  So, ARE YOU [JUST] TREADING THE WATER???

Why Are We In 'RUSH' Mode?

 

HOW many of us NEVER experienced being in those incessant RUSH modes?  Come to think of it, everyone of us have been in RUSH mode [maybe zillion times?].  Many years back, I would find myself RUSHING from working to RUSHING to queue at the cafeteria, then RUSHING to gulp and eat as fast as I can as I needed to get back to my desk, to check my mails across the 14 countries I was managing then.  So, there I was, RUSHING through reading and replying to mails, RUSHING to get something and then anxious enough to get on to my next task or next call as my meeting reminders are popping up every few minutes.  Whoa, WHAT a vicious cycle.  You might even question my credibility as I keep preaching and harping to savor our moments, enjoy the present and DON'T RUSH📗📙📘

So, WHAT's the deal?  As always, WHEN i write blogs like this, they are as much as a reminder to my own self about WHAT I've found to work as they are a reminder to everyone else.  True, I found them to be realistic and it really worked for me [and I believe it should work for everyone else].  Just I have to admit though that if this worked for me, it should work for everyone.  You might run full circle back to me WHY sometimes I still HURRY💚💛💜

True, I've been reflecting on that as well as to WHY sometimes, I still fell prey, ending up RUSHING.  And sometimes, I thought the answer seems to be that my mind as a tendency towards greed.  This ISN'T greed in its literal sense like I want more wealth, NO sirrrrrs BUT it's that sometimes, my mind finds something it likes and it wants more.  Alas, sometimes, it's ALWAYS MORE💥💥💥

BTW, from my own challenges in life, that kind of GREED came in various forms & shapes LIKE:

• LIKE I like chocolates [or wine or coffee] and I crave for it, and I want more of it
• LIKE I am doing a task BUT I want 20 more tasks because I want to do as many as possible.  That's another form of greed
• LIKE I want to learn a new topic, I would then jump into every article, podcast and video till I end up scouring till midnight

Our takeaway:  Unless we really rectify OR remediate the way we run our daily lives, come next day, you and me will still find our selves in that same vicious cycle.  We RUSH around, trying to fit all of that in, as we try to maximize every day, every trip, every event, every moment.  I'm trying to get everything possible out of life.  NOW, this comes straight from the heart WHILE appreciating the briefness of life, and yet, there we go, wanting more in life by gobbling up as much as of the stuff or things we're engaged.  BUT frankly, WHAT's the result of always RUSHING and wanting more, grabbing and doing things, never having enough.  WHY do we need to really RUSH and RUSH again and again😡😡😡

What One Goal At A Time Means After All

 

WHO has more than 1 goal in life?  Me, moi, mich, yo!  Of course, that was a giveaway question because the fact is, everyone of us could have tons of goals and that's the best thing in life, to have as much goals as possible.  BUT are you aware of the statistical data showing that there is a huge plurality of results in those goal-settings WHICH ended up as LESS THAN just being called a SUCCESS?  NOT too fast, if there are tons of failures in our life, more often, it is NOT because we are exerting less efforts, NO, NOT AT ALL📗📙📘

For anyone WHO has ever achieved the various levels of greatness at anything must have learned by now that mastery often comes only through that intense focus, repetition and even obsession about a particular subject for an extended period of time.  HOWEVER, by default, many of us get so perpetually distracted by all the various forms and shapes of opportunities💚💛💜

Many times I heard this practical advice:  Let's stop FOCUS-hopping and instead become a master at something [BUT take it, ONE THING AT A TIME].  WHEN I started my technology career as an entry-level green-horn @Shell, I realized that I almost DIDN'T know anything @ workplace. In fact, in the first 3 to 6 months in my job role, I spent roughly 50% of my time @ IBM trainings.  Then everything seemed to be spinning within my head as I was literally overwhelmed with so many things to learn.  At that point, I pulled the brakes and I told myself, I'll do a HARD RESET and set for my Goal #1.  Goal #2?  I'll set that close to the heels after achieving Goal #1.  WHEN I completed my very first Cobol program, I then set Assembler programming as my Goal #2 and luckily, I was spot on in setting those goals in serial mode [instead of taking up all goals in parallel, WHICH I realized is really next to impossible💥💥💥

So, WHAT insights are worth sharing here?  I'd like to zero-in on the 5-letter word spelled F-O-C-U-S.  Excellence OR even being near OR just great at something more often requires FOCUS  and that can mean saying NO to everything else.  You may find that most people in your life will have an opinion about the decision to say NO.  In fact, I always opine [even now] that if you step into a room with 10 people, expect 10 opinions [and many are unsolicited at that]😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  For us to reinforce our FOCUS, we got to reinforce multiple times our courage [I call it GUMPTION] to say NO to all the possible distractions and even opinions and requests coming from different directions.  To quote Albert Einstein, ONLY ONE WHO DEVOTES HIMSELF TO A CAUSE WITH HIS WHOLE STRENGTH AND SOUL CAN BE A TRUE MASTER.  Well said dude!!!