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A mobster is banging at your house door. He keeps doing it. You shout at him from inside, asking him to stop. The TV is showing your favourite show and you go to watch it. The mobster keeps banging at your door. You get up and shout again that he needs to stop. You now hear something breaking outside your door. You shout again. You then sit down comfortably on your couch to read the newspaper. The news is all bad. It says there are mobsters everywhere in the country, banging at people’s doors. They want to take over people’s houses. The one you have outside your home is breaking your door. You get up and shout at him to leave you alone and to go far away, but he keeps banging… the stormy noise getting louder. You decide to make yourself a nice cool lemonade, but there is no lemon, and you remember you haven’t seen lemons at the market in a long time. It is OK, you can have cool plain water. The mobster still bangs at your door. He seems to be using a big hammer now, and the noise becomes unbearable. Suddenly, you notice there is no electricity now and suspect the mobster has cut it off. No more TV, lights, or fridge to cool the water. You shout at the mobster outside to go away again… and again; now, there is nothing else to do other than taking a nap… if you can.

What do you think it happens next?

Your doctor tells you that you have high blood sugar. He asks you to stop consuming too much sugar. You think the situation is not that bad and continue enjoying all those yummy desserts, and pastries, and cakes. At the next screening, the doctor tells you that you are becoming a diabetic person. You decide to cut sugar… in the nights; still you can indulge yourself at lunch. That strawberry pie is so good; and cannot get away from that much-needed sweet snack in the middle of the afternoon. The doctor really warns you now about your sugar intake. You agree and cut more sugary foods, but that cheesecake at your friend’s party is really delicious. You serve yourself only two portions, because you still want to try the birthday cake.

What will happen at the end?

You discover a termite hole in your house basement. “It must be old…”, you think, and you continue with your life. A few weeks later you note the hole is bigger. “I better buy the termite carboard trap they sell in the store”, you say. But you forget to buy it. You then remember a few weeks later when you see the same hole a lot bigger; and another hole at the other corner. You mention it to your neighbour and she advises you to find the infestation nest. You say thanks, but think the cardboard trap will be enough. You are too busy anyways to dig deeper into the problem. The following month you go to the store to get something for a school project and then remember to get the termite trap. You finally buy it and think to put it on the basement this coming weekend, or maybe the next one, if you have some time.

Is that pure procrastination?

Whatever you thought it was going to happen next on all the above situations, it will only get worse if we don’t act decisively, and with boldness, to put a stop. A situation that starts naively can turn into a potentially dangerous threat if we don’t do anything.

Do we always assign the right priority, or take seriously many of the situations that call out loud to be attended and fixed? I bet to say that sometimes we don’t, even though we are advised on what to do or have enough information and knowledge of what might happen next.

The threats described on the examples above are very serious and dreadful. We are talking that we can lose our freedom, our house, or our life! Yes, you may say those are a bit exaggerated, but those happen, indeed. I just hope you never face those threats.

But the reality is that we may be facing others. And a threat is a threat. And any threat can only be managed or eliminated if we act on it with decision, determination, courage, focus, and resilience.

Are you currently facing a situation that needs to be addressed?

Then, don’t get distracted and charge like a bull to fix it!

And remember to take a look at the book Sicamor… Thanks!