Life’s a Squid Game—And Sometimes, the Candy Breaks

When the pressure’s on, will you crack, crumble, or conquer?

I absolutely loved watching Squid Game—the tension, the stakes, the sheer unpredictability of it all. Every challenge pushed the players to their limits, turning even childhood games into life-or-death moments. So when we stumbled upon a street stall in Seoul selling Dalgona, we couldn’t resist. My daughters eagerly picked a shape each.

For those who haven’t seen Squid Game, the Dalgona Challenge is a high-stakes version of a traditional Korean street game. Players are given a brittle honeycomb candy with a shape imprinted in the centre. The goal? Carefully carve out the shape using a needle or toothpick without breaking it. Sounds easy—until you realize how fragile the candy is. One wrong move, and crack—game over.

At first, my daughters assumed it would be simple. Just trace the outline, and voilà—the perfect candy cutout. But reality wasn’t so kind. The honeycomb was tougher than they expected, frustration set in, and then… snap. Disappointment. Defeat. But was it really? They still laughed, enjoyed the challenge, and, of course, got to eat the treat.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but wonder—how often do we approach life’s challenges with the same misplaced confidence? We assume things will be simple, only to hit resistance. The real test isn’t about flawless execution; it’s how we handle things when they don’t go as planned.

Some Squid Game players attacked the candy with brute force; others took their time, licking the edges until the shape loosened. (Odd? Yes. Effective? Also yes.) The same applies to real life—charging ahead isn’t always the best move. Sometimes, patience and creativity win the game.

And when things do crack? It’s not the end—just part of the process. My daughters may have broken their candy, but in the end, they still enjoyed the challenge. Failure feels final in the moment, but it’s really just a step toward growth. The real skill is learning to pick up the pieces and keep going.

So when the pressure is on, how do you respond? Do you panic, freeze, or force your way through? Or do you take a breath, reassess, and trust yourself to handle whatever comes next? Because at the end of the day, pressure isn’t the problem—it’s how we rise to meet it.

Next time you face a challenge, ask yourself—will you crack under pressure or rise to the occasion?

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© 2025 Lefitko. All Rights Reserved. Article written by Lenka Morgan-Warren