When the stakes are high
We either fold or rise to the occasion.
I watch as people of Ukraine rise. A leader born from adversity placing himself on the line every day. Men, untrained, facing an enemy. Women learning to make Molotov cocktails and fire guns.
Pressure does strange things to us. For some it is the fuel that elevates. Others shrink.
Sometimes it is the level of the stakes that make the difference. Nothing to lose. Everything on the line.
When the risk is high but not too high, we might capitulate. There is always another day.
When there is nothing to lose because everything is lost if we do nothing, retreat is not a consideration.
Clearly obvious is the ‘nothing to lose’ for the people of Ukraine. Perhaps Vladimir Putin feels the same way? If this is true, then we, the world, have much to fear.
Photo taken April 18th 2022
