The Eagle Eye on South Sudan: How to learn from problems and mistakes in one’s life
6 min readProblems and mistakes are part of human life, and they truly become problems when we don’t learn from them. This piece is only focused on how one can end them (problems)
By Lino Lual Lual, Juba, South Sudan
November 8, 2015 (SSB) —- You are judged in this world by how well you bring things to an end. A messy or incomplete conclusion can reverberate for years to come, ruining your reputation in the process. The art of ending things well is knowing how and when to stop it, never go as far as an extent of exhausting yourself or creating bitter enemies that embroil you in future conflict.
It also entails ending on the right note, with energy and flair. It is not a question of simple winning the war but the way you win it, the way your victory sets you up for the next round. The height of strategic wisdom is to avoid all conflicts and entanglements from which there are no realistic exist.
There are three kinds of people in the world. First, there are the dreamers and talkers, who begin their projects with a burst of enthusiasm, but this burst of energy quickly comes out as they encounter the real world and the hard work needed to bring any project to an end.
They are emotional creatures who live mainly in the moment; they easily lose interest as something new grabs their attention. Their lives are littered with half-finished project, including some that barely make it beyond a day dream.
Then there are those who bring whatever they do to a conclusion, either because they have to or they can manage the efforts. But they cross the finish line with distinctly less enthusiasm and energy than they had started out.
This marks the end of the campaign because they are impatient to finish the ending that seems hurried and patched together. And it leaves other people feeling slightly unsatisfied, it is not memorable, does not last, has no resonance. Both of these types begin each project without a firm idea of how to end it. And as the project progresses, inevitably differing from what they had imagined it would be, they become unsure how to get out of it and either give up or simply rush to the end.
The third group comprises those who understand a primary law of power and strategy, the end of projects a campaign conversation has inordinate importance for people. It resonates in the mind. A war can begin with great fanfare and can bring many victories, but if it ends badly, that is all anyone remembers knowing the importance and the emotional resonance of the ending of anything, people of third types understand that the issue is not simply finishing what they have started but finishing it well with energy, a clear head and an eye on the afterglow, the way the event will linger in people‘s mind.
These invariably begin with a clear plan when setbacks come and as setback will, they are able to stay patient and think rationally. They plan not just to the end but past it to the aftermath. These are the ones who create thing that last a meaningful peace, a memorable work of art a long and fruitful career.Briliant plans and piled-up conquests are not enough. You can become the victim of your own success, letting victory seduce you into going too far, creating hard-bitten enemies, winning the battle but losing the political game after it.
What you need is a strategic third eye, ability to stay focused on the future while operating in the present and ending your actions in the way that will serve your interest for the next around of war. This third eye will help you counteract the emotions that can insidiously infect your clever desire for revenge. The critical question in the war is knowing when to stop, when to make your exit and come to terms. Stop too soon and you lose whatever you might have gained by advancing; you allow too little time for the conflict to show you where it is heading. Stop too late and sacrifice your gains by exhausting yourself, grabbing more than you can handle creating an angry and vengeful enemy.
Imagine that everything you do has a moment of perfection and fruition. Your goal is to end project there, at such a peak. Succumb to tiredness, boredom or impatient for the end and you fall short of that peak .Greed and delusion of grandeur will make you go too far.To conclude at this moment of perfection, you must have the clearest possible sense of your goals, of what you really want. You must also command an in-depth knowledge of your resources-how far can you practicably go? This kind of awareness will give you an intuitive feel for the culminating points.
Victory and defeat are what you make of them, it is how you deal with them that matters. Since defeat is inevitable in life, you must master the art of losing well and strategically
First, think of your own mental outlook, how you absorb defeat psychologically. See it as a temporary setback, something to wake you up and teach you a lesson, and even as you lose you end on high note and with an edge; you are mentally prepared to go on the offensive in the next round. So often, those who have succeeded become soft and imprudent; you must welcome defeat as a way to make yourself stronger.
Second, you must see any defeat as a way to demonstrate something positive about yourself and your character to other people. This means standing tall, not showing signs of bitterness or becoming defensive.
Third, if you see that defeat is inevitable, it is often best to go down swinging. That is why you end on a high note even as you lose. This helps to rally the troops, giving them hope for the future. Planting the seeds of future victory in present defeat
Forth, since any ending is kind of beginning of the next phase, it is often wise strategy to end on an ambivalent note. If you are reconciling with an enemy after a fight, subtly hint that you still have a residue of doubt-that the other side must still prove itself to you. When a campaign or project comes to an end, leave people feeling that they cannot foresee what you will do next, keep them in suspense, toying with their attention. By ending on a note of mystery and ambiguity, a mixed signal, an insinuating comment, touch of doubt-you gain the upper hand for the next round in a most subtle and insidious fashion
The author can be reached via Linolual69@yahoo.com
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