12/03/2026

THURSDAY | MAR 12, 2026

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When life feels like a house of cards T HERE are days when life flows with quiet predictability. And then there are days when everything seems to unravel at once. You wake up already This means that even if most of the day has gone reasonably well, a single awkward encounter or irritating moment can dominate our thinking. The mind replays the negative event repeatedly, searching for meaning or a relatively small one, it can feel like the moment everything collapses. Understanding this dynamic changes how we interpret difficult days. What feels like a coordinated sequence of failures is often simply the When an unexpected irritation appears, the reaction often reflects the accumulated pressure of everything else that has been quietly building beneath the surface.

What helps in these moments is not heroic optimism but simple perspective. Separating events from the narrative we have constructed around them can restore a surprising amount of clarity. One conversation is still only one conversation. One stressful situation does not represent the direction of an entire career. A difficult day does not invalidate the progress that came before it. When the mind stops clustering unrelated problems together, the sense of collapse often fades. In engineering, systems regain stability when pressure is redistributed and small stresses are addressed before they grow into structural weaknesses. The human mind responds in much the same way. When we acknowledge the pressures we are carrying and allow ourselves moments of pause, the internal load gradually settles. What once felt like chaos begins to look more like a collection of ordinary human challenges that happened to arrive at the same time. Some days will always feel heavier than others. That is part of being human. Yet, recognising how the mind interprets stress can prevent those days from defining the larger story of our lives. Often the world has not suddenly turned against us. The mind is simply trying, with imperfect tools, to make sense of a complicated day. DrPraveena Rajendra is the author of Mindprint: Engineering Inner Power for Growth, Purpose and Regeneration. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com investment ecosystem, streamline regulatory processes and present itself as a trusted base for international companies looking to relocate operations or diversify their regional presence. Upgrading maritime infrastructure will also be essential. Ports, logistics networks and maritime digital systems must be modernised to accommodate future shipping demands, including greener vessels, automated operations and more integrated supply chains. At the national level, Malaysia’s Maritime Master Plan 2026-2040 should reflect these geopolitical realities. Long-term maritime and logistics strategies must account for global tensions, supply chain realignment and the increasing importance of maritime security and resilience. Opportunities created by geopolitical shifts rarely last long. History shows that global crises can either weaken nations or propel them forward. The difference lies in strategic foresight and decisive action. Nations that move decisively will secure investment, infrastructure and industry leadership before competitors can respond. Those that hesitate risk watching opportunities migrate to faster and more agile economies. In times of uncertainty, opportunity belongs to those prepared to seize it. Malaysia has the potential to emerge not merely as a beneficiary of global change but as a critical corridor connecting global trade and energy. Malaysia must act with urgency, by strengthening policy coordination, investing in infrastructure, enhancing workforce capabilities and building a strong investment narrative that signals stability and ambition to the world. For Malaysia, this moment may define its place in the next chapter of the global economy. DrIzyan Munirah Mohd Zaideeen is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Maritime Studies and a Fellow of the Industrial Centre of Excellence (Maritime Cluster) at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

carrying the weight of global news that refuses to lighten – a personal concern sits quietly in the background of your thoughts. Later in the day, a professional interaction becomes unnecessarily tense. Someone disrupts the rhythm of something you had carefully prepared and the irritation lingers longer than it should. By evening, the mind begins assembling these moments into a single unsettling conclusion. Why does everything seem to go wrong at the same time? The feeling is familiar to many people, yet what is happening is often less dramatic than the mind suggests. Human perception is strongly shaped by what psychologists call the negativity bias. Our brains are wired to notice problems more quickly than neutral or positive experiences. From an evolutionary perspective, this made sense. Early humans survived by detecting threats rapidly. In modern life, however, the same mental mechanism often exaggerates the importance of minor disruptions. Neuroscientist Rick Hanson captured this tendency with a simple observation. The brain is like velcro for negative experiences and teflon for positive ones. Pleasant moments slide away quickly while unpleasant ones attach themselves firmly to our attention. One surprising finding from psychological research explains why a single frustration can overshadow an entire day. Studies suggest that it typically takes about five positive experiences to psychologically counterbalance one negative one. RISING tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, the United States and Israel are sending shockwaves across the global landscape. What may appear as a regional conflict carries far-reaching implications for international trade, energy markets, technological competition and global security. The Middle East has long served as a cornerstone of the global energy system. Any disruption in the region inevitably affects supply chains, shipping routes and energy prices worldwide. Prolonged instability could even challenge the long-standing petrodollar systems that have shaped global energy transactions for decades. At the same time, the shifting geopolitical environment may accelerate the emergence of new economic powers and reshape global economic alliances. While the crisis introduces significant uncertainty for some nations, it also creates an opportunity for others to strategically reposition themselves within a shifting global order. In this environment of uncertainty, the key question is not simply how long the tensions will last but also which countries are prepared to adapt quickly and capitalise on the opportunities that arise. Malaysia, if strategic and decisive, stands among the countries capable of benefitting from this global shift. One of Malaysia’s most underutilised strengths lies in its strategic geographic location along some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Positioned at the crossroads of global trade routes, Malaysia has the potential to become a major maritime hub. As a net exporter of oil and energy resources, the country could benefit from higher global demand and potential disruptions in Middle Eastern supply. Beyond crude oil, Malaysia is also a COMMENT by Dr Izyan Munirah Mohd Zaideeen

coincidence of several unrelated events appearing within the same window of time. The brain, eager to make sense of discomfort, connects them into a single narrative. Yet, when we pause and examine the situation more carefully, the pattern usually dissolves. A frustrating interaction remains just one moment in the day. A personal worry deserves care but does not define everything else that happened. The mind’s tendency to bundle these experiences together is what creates the illusion that life itself is spiralling out of control. Modern life makes this clustering easier than ever. Digital media exposes us to crises from every corner of the world within minutes of waking up. Work environments

justification, and in doing so creates the impression that the entire day has turned hostile. There is an interesting parallel here that engineers would immediately recognise. In complex systems, breakdowns rarely occur because of one dramatic event. Most failures arise from the accumulation of small stresses that gradually weaken the structure until one additional pressure becomes the tipping point. Structural engineering research has shown that a large proportion of failures begin as tiny stress fractures that develop slowly over time rather than from sudden catastrophic force. Human emotional systems behave in a similar way. Throughout the day, we carry invisible pressures such as personal concerns,

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“What helps in these moments is not heroic optimism but simple perspective. Separating events from the narrative we have constructed around them can restore a surprising amount of clarity.

professional responsibilities and the constant background noise of global uncertainty. Each pressure may appear manageable on its own but together they create a load that the mind continues to absorb quietly. When an additional irritation appears, even

demand constant responsiveness. Personal responsibilities continue quietly in the background. Under these conditions, the mind is continuously processing information and emotions at a pace it was never designed to sustain.

Malaysia faces defining maritime moment amid global tensions

Creating a one-stop maritime centre would not only strengthen the country’s shipping industry but also position Malaysia as a regional leader in maritime services. – MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN

international maritime training institutions. Creating a one-stop maritime centre would not only strengthen the country’s shipping industry but also position Malaysia as a regional leader in maritime services. Malaysia should anticipate this shift and develop a proactive strategy to attract and retain high-quality foreign direct investment. Capital is fluid and for sure it flows towards stability, efficiency and opportunity. Countries that move quickly to provide regulatory clarity, infrastructure readiness and long-term policy certainty will capture these inflows. Malaysia, therefore, must strengthen its

major producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) that remains essential to global industries during periods of geopolitical instability. Geopolitical instability often triggers capital movement. Investors seek safe, stable and predictable environments to protect their assets and ensure long-term returns. Prolonged tensions in the Middle East may prompt funds and institutional investments to relocate or diversify into new regions. To fully realise this potential, Malaysia should consider developing a comprehensive maritime ecosystem that attracts shipowners, maritime financial institutions, shipbrokers, insurers and