Sun Tzu wrote, “When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.”

At first glance, this sounds like compassion — like mercy. But make no mistake: Sun Tzu isn’t just talking about kindness, he’s talking about strategy. A desperate enemy is the most dangerous. A cornered opponent will fight with reckless ferocity, because they have nothing left to lose. If you choke them completely, you turn them into a beast that will claw and bite until the very end. The wise general leaves a way out, not because he’s weak, but because it keeps the enemy predictable, manageable, and under control.

Now let’s take that idea and bring it into your life. How often do you back yourself into a corner? How often do you allow fear, self-doubt, or pressure to close in around you until you feel like there’s no escape? When you tell yourself, “I have to succeed or I’m worthless,” you’re pressing yourself too hard. When you believe, “If this doesn’t work, I’m done,” you’ve left yourself no outlet. That’s when panic takes over. That’s when desperation sets in. And desperation leads to reckless choices, wasted energy, and self-destruction.

Sun Tzu’s wisdom is this: always leave yourself an outlet. Always give yourself a way to breathe, to regroup, to recover. That doesn’t mean you’re planning to quit — it means you’re creating space for composure. It means you’re controlling your fight instead of letting the fight control you.

Think about your goals. The mountain you’re climbing, the weight you’re carrying, the pressure you’re under. If you tell yourself you cannot fail, you create fear instead of focus. If you leave no room for error, you tighten the noose around your own neck. But if you remind yourself: I can adjust, I can pivot, I can find another route, then suddenly the fear weakens. Suddenly, you’re free to act with strength instead of desperation.

And when you’re facing other people — rivals, competitors, even your own challenges — don’t push them into a corner where they’ll come out swinging wildly. Think strategically. You don’t have to crush every opponent or obliterate every obstacle. Sometimes victory comes by giving them just enough space to retreat, to dissolve, to quit without forcing you into a costly battle.

This is a pep talk about control. About not letting desperation dictate your moves. About creating exits in your mind so that no situation ever feels impossible. When you know you can adapt, when you know you can change course, when you know there’s always an outlet, you become calm. And calmness is power.

So today, stop cornering yourself with impossible standards. Stop pressing yourself so hard that fear takes over. Leave yourself space to breathe, space to learn, space to strike when the timing is right.

Remember: victory isn’t about crushing everything in front of you. It’s about winning smart, staying calm, and keeping the advantage.

Leave yourself the outlet. That’s not weakness — that’s wisdom. That’s strength. That’s how you win.

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