Thought Picnic: Know when to run

Charting a course

In life, we determine our paths; some are not yet clear before we begin, while in others, circumstances and situations shape our journey. Unknowingly, we become victims of fate, carried along in clouds that may be full of water, bringing rains and storms, or drifting aimlessly across the skies, bereft of purpose other than providing shade to some insignificant place.

Nevertheless, not everything lacks purpose and direction. We can dream and hold visions of things to pursue and achieve. Even in those dreams, our limits might be set by a lack of imagination, requiring input, inspiration, ideas, and insight to transcend what seems impossible and turn it, in hindsight, into something miraculous.

Either way, this remains one of humanity's great mysteries: we have the ability both to grow and to pause, to be both simultaneously, and at other times to shrink, overcome by mortal vulnerabilities that easily affect the spirit, mind, and body. That is why we must understand where we find our sustenance and how to withstand the forces that threaten our sense of purpose.

Know when to walk away

In all our endeavours, you may wonder whether you are being taken seriously, even if you don't take yourself too seriously. Such awareness calls for knowledge and wisdom to manage impostors who seek to undermine you, especially in professional contexts.

This is why responsible individuals should reflect on how everyone is prone to errors in judgement, with consequences so far-reaching that they can jeopardise the talent needed to achieve the goals that make managers relevant.

I suppose, in politics as in cards, you play what you are dealt to the best of your ability and luck. Then, as Kenny Rogers sang in "The Gambler", 'know when to walk away, know when to run.' The matadors have chosen our China shop as the Plaza de Toros to face the bull.