When you squeeze, stress, or apply pressure to something (or someone), you often find out what’s inside: the “juice within”. Sometimes, what you get is what you expect; sometimes, it’s a surprise. The only way to know for sure what something (or someone) is made of – without taking them apart – is to apply a little pressure and see what kind of response you get. I don’t mean pushing people’s buttons for no reason, but no one really knows what they can, or cannot, handle (or how) until put in the situation. Despite what they may think, few people really know how they will react or what they are (or are not) capable of until “put to the test” – when and where it counts (the most).

There is a lot of talk today about “deficits” (and what is perceived and proclaimed as “lacking”, or “not enough”, in some way). Most people are aware of a growing “budget deficit” and increasing “attention deficit”. But, is there really a deficit (problem) at all – or just a difficulty in our default definition, distribution, and allocation of assets and resources?