As we grew older, friends and I have had the habit of nicknaming life to try and make the most sense of what was happening with us. Famous among nicknames were “the phase”, “the trip”, and “the role”.

Nowadays, it’s “the tunnel”.

What makes life a tunnel? It’s the fact that as much as you believe you have maneuverability, you’ll always be bound by the tunnel – mostly a scenario of your mind – all until you get to its opening, be that actively (by muscle and choice) or passively (by boredom and coincidence of external circumstances).

So, as it looks for now, life is a series of consecutive tunnels.

Some of these tunnels are black, while others are white. The good thing about black tunnels is that they eventually end in an opening. The unfortunate (and still goodish) thing about white tunnels, is that they eventually end in an opening. At this opening, you sometimes get to choose your next tunnel from among a few options available and some other times, it’s just one next tunnel. One more thing to mention at this level is that each and every tunnel has its rules, its rats and its tunnel friends – at the time, the highest rank of friends.

Want advice? Most important are the signs at the opening of tunnels as these might include insights about length, destination, belief title of the self-fulfilling prophecy, storyboard, tunnel community, etc. Also, remember to pack a flashlight and a pair of sunglasses. What are the latter for? If need and want be, these are vital to mild both black and white, unveil more of what’s not a tunnel perception and, at times, give a more bearable experience. Yet, and like most everything else, these are double edged swords. For instance, the worst of states results from a realization that the light at the end of the tunnel is none other than your own flashlight forgotten on; and the worst of self-fulfilling prophecies is the belief that the darker white seen through ones’ worn yet forgotten sunglasses is none other but the end of the white tunnel.

At this point, you are all welcome to add on to this work-in-progress theory.

Meanwhile, beware the rats, pick your tunnel friends with care, and seek your tunnels wisely.

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Wael!

“trace – training and coaching executives