NEW SERIES!

Today, I am puzzled!! With overbearing humidity and scorching sun rays, the lawns and I are pleading for a reprieve. The weather scale needs a re-balance, and for a moment, I thought it was happening. But I realized it is not because summer officially ends on September 22. Therefore, we still have over a month to contend with blistering heat! Given the unending string of hot and muggy days, some cool weather is overdue! I know of several others who feel the same. Perhaps you are one of us. 😉
While we’re on the subject, shouldn’t the seasons be determined by how one feels, not some preset calendar? If it were so, I would call this season Inferno! Instead, we call it by the lovely name Summer. Hmm! The puzzles in life.

Life puzzles

When I was younger, such oddities frustrated me. But today, they delight me as I have grown to appreciate unexpected puzzles in life. – Like those messages that urge us to go with gusto in one direction but exercise caution. – Statements like, give it your all. But do not over-exert yourself. Or enjoy it while you have it. But leave some for a rainy day.

At first and second glance, these messages seem almost contradictory! Hence, they confounded me. However, I began to appreciate their value when I realized the common thread woven in all of them: Doing the right thing in the wrong way can make it the wrong thing. To avoid this pitfall, use sound judgment whenever you are at a fork in the road of life!

Forks on Life’s Road

Yes, the road of life has many forks. The signs carry messages like:
1. Always fit in – go left. | Be authentic – go right.
2. Protect yourself at all costs – aim left. | Offer grace – veer right.
3. Cover your weaknesses – hang left. | Be humble – aim right.
While the messages may appear inconsequential in passing, they are not! The choices we make and the paths we take affect our life trajectory positively or negatively. But often, deciding the best path is not a binary decision. It is nuanced and requires discernment. Yet societal forces may urge us to either approve or condemn. Or to endorse a person or an idea and cancel all who oppose it. Given the impact and ramifications of our choices, this is worth exploring and understanding.

Discernment

In the piece last week, I shared the concept of straight talk as an expression of authenticity. Straight talk pertains to honesty and direct communication and is vital in close relationships. But as we know, walking about dispensing straight talk at all times to anyone and everyone is not beneficial. Indeed, even when presenting and expressing oneself truthfully, one must be discerning.

Therefore, for a stint, I invite you to explore some puzzling moments when we make critical decisions. We will do so in our new series, and next week, we will start by exploring a familiar topic in a novel way! As always, I will not approach this as an expert. A reward of learning is the awareness that there is more to learn. And I am a fellow explorer. Life Puzzles will be a unique series, and I look forward to our discoveries.

Stay well.

For you and to you,
Aké

Image credit: Pexels | Mikhail Nikov