Instincts

There are times in business when the head rules but there are also times when one should listen to the gut.

Today I met a potential client who had some issues with their existing service provider. After much observation and listening, I deduced that the client and the other party were probably at the end of very toxic work relationship and they really should negotiate for an amicable "break-up".

However, something in my gut kept nagging at me when enquired on how I would be able to take over the project and the kind of services that I could provide. Perhaps after enough experience with people over the years, I have learnt how to identify signs of clients that are horrible to work with. So I quoted prices that were high and longer lead time because I knew that the client would balk at those prices.

As this was an invitation by an agency that was trying to work with them, I later discovered that in fact, the contract between them were not signed and the client was looking for a cheaper price. This was further confirmation that the client would be a nightmare to work with and I made the right move not promising anything.

Loudness of Silence

It was the first time I held his hands. They were cold and clammy. There was no strength left in those fingers. I noticed that his nails were trimmed short; a slight purplish tint beneath. The clock ticked too loudly in the small square room. 

His sons were holding onto him, I did not know what to do. As I listened to the last gasps of a dying man, I prayed for God's mercy. After all these years of struggling, he still could not let go. When the day began, it seemed like any other day. Who would have imagined how close the foreshadow of death would come before the sun went down.

Yet, he refused to let go. Holding onto whoever was close, to the remnants of his life. My uncle, my mother's brother, was just a year older than her. Her eyes were red, so were my aunts'. We waited patiently, as the second hand crept forward.

Death is an abstract concept that our finite brains find it hard to grasp. When faced with it, many would avert their attention, choosing to focus on something other than the reality in front of their eyes. Our eyes cannot look away only when death is viewed up close.