PAUSE, REFLECT, REACT, move on
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Things are often simpler, more straightforward, or less stressful or anxiety-ridden than we expect – but lets the adrenalin and anxiety stir the middle nonetheless.
And adversaries are usually less complex or difficult than we expect, and troubles are less difficult – because they are imaginary. Not that we make them up, but we make up their degree of difficulty.
In skiing, it’s about the slope and vertical feet – we market with a black diamond, blue square or green circle. In golf, it’s slope rating, length of the course and Stimpmeter readings.
From the time we start the first grade, it’s about grades and grading, rating ourselves against each other, against par, against last year and against some internal measure we have of where we ought to be. It’s part monetary and part ego.
When we boil it all down, or when everything boils over, or when things blow over – it’s time to reflect on who we are, why we are, and where we are going.
The older we get, the less central we are to families, businesses and professional practices. Whether retired, nearly retired, semi-retired, or put out to pasture, nobody is looking out for us or sticking up for us. Most of us don’t mind that because we feel we can stick up for ourselves.
We can.
Until we can’t.
We all need to be self-advocates, don’t we?
When everyone sticks up for us, it’s easy.
When nobody does, then it’s the other end of that spectrum.