You know, I was watching Game 4 of the PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinals between San Miguel and TNT last night, and it struck me how beautifully it illustrates what "FA" stands for in our daily lives. No, I'm not talking about football associations or financial advisors here - I'm referring to the fundamental advantage of having multiple options, multiple contributors, multiple pathways to success. In basketball terms, they call it having multiple weapons, but in life, we might call it having a diversified portfolio of skills, resources, or support systems.

What made San Miguel's performance so compelling was how Jericho Cruz stepped up with 23 points while supporting June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez. But here's the real kicker - Don Trollano, Marcio Lassiter, and Juami Tiongson combined for another 33 points. That's what I call FA in action - having not just one or two stars, but multiple players who can contribute meaningfully. It reminded me of how in my own work as a writer, I can't just rely on one skill or one client. I need to have multiple income streams, multiple writing styles in my arsenal, multiple connections in different industries. When one area slows down, another can pick up the slack, much like how when Fajardo might be having an off night, Cruz can step up and carry the scoring load.

I've noticed this principle applies everywhere in life. Think about your financial situation - if all your money is in one stock or one bank account, you're incredibly vulnerable. But if you've got investments spread across different assets, some emergency cash, maybe a side hustle bringing in extra income, you're practicing FA without even realizing it. It's like San Miguel having not just their main stars but role players who can combine for 33 points when needed. I remember when the pandemic hit and my main writing gigs dried up temporarily, but because I'd been maintaining my blog and doing some freelance editing on the side, I had other revenue streams to keep me afloat. That experience taught me the hard way why FA matters.

The beautiful thing about FA is how it creates resilience through diversity. In that basketball game, TNT was probably preparing for Fajardo and Perez, but they couldn't account for Cruz exploding for 23 points or the supporting cast adding another 33. Similarly, in business, companies that rely on single products or single revenue streams often struggle when market conditions change, while diversified companies can weather storms more effectively. I've seen this in my own neighborhood - the restaurants that survived the lockdowns were often those that had multiple revenue streams like delivery, takeout, meal kits, and eventually outdoor dining, rather than just relying on their traditional dine-in model.

What's particularly interesting is how FA creates opportunities for unexpected heroes to emerge. In that game, Jericho Cruz wasn't necessarily the player everyone was watching coming into the series, but he became the difference-maker. This happens in workplaces too - that quiet colleague who suddenly has the perfect solution during a crisis, or the junior employee whose fresh perspective saves a project. I've been both the unexpected hero and the beneficiary of others stepping up throughout my career, and those experiences have convinced me that creating environments where multiple people can contribute is crucial.

The numbers from that game tell a compelling story - 23 points from Cruz, 33 combined from three other players beyond the main stars. If we translate that to business terms, it's like having your core products generating steady revenue while your secondary products and services provide additional growth. In my writing business, about 60% of my income comes from my main clients, but the remaining 40% from various smaller projects gives me stability and the freedom to be more selective about the work I take on.

As the commentary noted, if this trend continues of multiple players scoring an avalanche of points for San Miguel, TNT is in trouble. The same principle applies to our personal and professional lives - if we develop multiple strengths, multiple income sources, multiple support systems, we become much harder to knock down when challenges arise. I'm not saying we should become jacks of all trades and masters of none, but rather that we should have depth beyond our primary strengths.

Watching that game actually inspired me to look at my own life and identify areas where I might be too dependent on single points of failure. Are all my social connections in one circle? Do I have only one way of dealing with stress? Is my identity tied too closely to just one aspect of who I am? These are the questions that FA principles push us to consider. Just as San Miguel's diversified scoring makes them a tougher opponent, our diversified lives make us more resilient, adaptable, and ultimately more successful in navigating whatever challenges come our way.

The truth is, most of us naturally develop some level of FA in our lives without even thinking about it - we maintain different friend groups, we have both professional and personal interests, we develop various skills through our hobbies and experiences. But being intentional about it, like San Miguel clearly has been in developing their roster depth, can take this natural tendency and turn it into a strategic advantage. I'm trying to be more deliberate about this myself - consciously developing skills outside my comfort zone, building relationships outside my immediate professional circle, creating multiple projects rather than putting all my energy into one.

At the end of the day, FA represents the wisdom of not putting all your eggs in one basket, whether you're a basketball team trying to win a championship or just someone trying to build a fulfilling, resilient life. That game was a perfect reminder that success rarely comes from a single superstar performance, but from multiple contributors stepping up when needed, supporting each other, and creating a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts. And honestly, that's a lesson worth remembering whether we're talking about basketball, business, or just living our best lives.