Life is going to throw you some curve balls: make sure you’re ready to go up to bat when the time comes.


And sometimes the pitcher is just going to straight up nail you in the balls with a bad pitch and there is literally nothing you can do about that

While I’m proud of the work I’ve done in my Words of Wisdom (WoW) series, as I have been doing it on and off since 2024, I’ll admit, approaching the keyboard on Monday morning these days is getting progressively more daunting, as on a pure rational level, there is only so much practical advice I can give without repeating myself, and there are limits to my life experience, so I will likely have to close the book on this eventually. Today is not that day, however, so let’s take it for another spin, and see where we end up.

As I’ve mentioned before, normally when I dole out insight or dispense wisdom, it is within the regard of having had it work out positively on myself, or has helped others as a result. The second part is going to matter the most in today’s Words of Wisdom, as I find that, as great as it is to help people become self-empowered, it’s even more genuinely satisfying to help others feel supported, too, so that will be a big part of today that makes WoW work this week.

Well meaning wisdom usually keeps it simple, and often times, you don’t even need to travel very far to stumble upon or observe a new perspective that maybe you missed or forgot about, so going back to basics helps reinforce the core structuralism of your value system, which is always a great thing to keep in mind: a strong foundation leads to a sturdy structure. Maintaining a valuable productivity ethic where consistency and quality are concerned in the short term, helps everything work out optimally in the long run, which is always the ideal of course, so what better way to cultivate better values and stronger habits, then making sure the people in your life have a similar level of support as much as possible, with which to strengthen the structure of your own relationship with?

It can be any kind of relationship of course, it doesn’t just have to be romantic, and in fact, I find people have such non-existent standards for non-romantic relationships, if you ever go out of your way for someone who is just a contemporary of yours, whether they be a friend, or a work colleague, or even a complete stranger, just reaching out and showing some compassion may completely make their day. All of the times you’ve felt lonely, sad, or forgotten is not just a you problem; that’s an everyone problem, so reminding people they aren’t alone and have someone that will randomly have their back might really do the trick, in either significantly improving their day, or even making a potent and enduring core memory for them to hold onto forthe future, and a feeling of compassion they may even pay forward one day, remembering the kindness and decency you gave them.

We can talk more about intimate exchanges of course, and part of being a good partner is paying attention to and caring about the person you’re with. If you have a significant other, regardless of the romantic relation you have with them, if both of you have made the choice to have each others backs, remind them why that is. Be attentive, give them the time of day, even if things are hectic. Help them out in a stressful spot, be sure to pick up on when that might be, too, cause some people are so stubborn, they’ll either mask so it’s a lot harder to see them struggle, or they will flat out turtle/shy away when things get rough, cause they don’t want to bother anyone, or alternatively, have a bad habit of being stubborn and will simply refuse to ask for help….well don’t let them get away with it!

Pay attention to their tells, be observant of their stress signals, understand their love language, and how they enjoy best being supported. Helping someone out can be a lot like applying for work or offering up ideas in the creative field: show, don’t tell. If you have something to offer an employer (or someone in need), or have a great idea for a project for a collaboration, literally just cut through the bullshit and just show the person you already have the abilities to do X thing. If you have a legitimate example of said claim, half the battle is already over. In the same way, if your partner is struggling, don’t pussyfoot around the situation: grab the bull by the horns head on and just help them in resolving their issue, fixing their problem, decreasing their stress without even asking them if they’d like help. I don’t think anyone on the planet is ever going to get furious or admonish you for helping them solve a problem or doing a good job on their behalf.

Recently, my partner reached out to me when they were having a panic attack, and due to them actively seeking out a new therapist, and thusly gaining a new perspective on how to help themselves, they realized they could rely on me to assist them in calming down with a phone call, and it worked. Not only had I spent the time building up trust with them in the moments leading up to that one, in reminding them I’m there if they need me, when the time came, I was already ready, which means I didn’t even have to get ready. This is key in being able to pull through in a clutch situation. Thinking ahead, honing your better virtues, and establishing good habits, backed up with a worthwhile value system, will help you stay ready so you don’t have to get ready, which will make all the difference in the world when the time comes.

With all that said, the rest is up to you. As I normally suggest, make sure if you have a plan of action in mind, you are able to follow it up with an actionable plan that’s practicable, or else it remains nothing more than a bittersweet pipe dream. Land on a strength you either already have within the regard of being a helping hand and refine it further, or finally pursue that idea you’ve wanted to incorporate into your everyday, and start making it a reality for yourself, one day at a time. Those around you will be grateful you did.

And as always, take care of yourself, and others.

~Pashford