What would be wiser: to change a bad working filter in the washing machine or wait until the machine completely breaks down and you need to buy a new one?

What would be wiser: to solve a small issue in your relationship or let it accumulate until  your relationship is in total ruins?

What would be wiser: to fix a small hole in your tooth or wait until there is no way but to extract it?

Proactive or reactive: you choose.

When something breaks down, it just happens and you are forced to urgently do something about it. If something important or essential breaks down you will most probably put all your efforts into fixing this problem. If it is your coffee machine, you will go and buy a new one. If it is your toilet, you will call a plumber. If it is your health, you will call a doctor or take a drug. You will not postpone. At least, not for long.

However, most of the times nothing breaks down all of a sudden. There are some traits that it might happen; there is some “corrosion”. The beauty of corrosion, or gradual destruction, is that we are able to spot it before the actual breaking down. It is like the glimpse into the future, or… the last warning, if you will.

If only we would not ignore this last warning and do something about it before it is too late!…

You can see that you shoe sole is getting thinner and most probably you will have a hole in it within this and a couple of weeks. You can estimate that the constantly cluttered kitchen sink will eventually result in the need to change pipes. You can understand that increasing frequency of lacking breath might indicate that something is not going right with your body.

You are able to spot these signs of something not being as good as it used to be if you just slow down and reflect; if you stay mindful.

It extends beyond simple everyday objects. Also your job, your relationships, your health — if you pause and evaluate where you stand, you can see that something is starting to gradually decline, destruct, or in other words — corrode. The beauty is that if you spot it, you have a possibility to act before it becomes too late.

Thus, corrosion can be seen as a bad thing, as it eventually leads to breaking down. Yet, corrosion could also be a good thing if spotted in advance and acted upon, before the ultimate breaking down.

To draw the line, it is essential to look for the signs of corrosion, for some early warnings that certain area requires more attention. And if you notice corrosion, try to embrace it and make use of this opportunity in order to improve.