act

Some meetings turn out bad, meeting where the other person acts inappropriately because they could afford to do that.

How hollow are we with this external layer over ourselves: power, position, designation? Do we not know that these are all temporary?

Don’t be prideful with any excellence that is not your own. If a horse should be prideful and say, ” I am handsome,” it would be supportable. But when you are prideful, and say, ” I have a handsome horse,” know that you are proud of what is, in fact, only the good of the horse. What, then, is your own? Only your reaction to the appearances of things. Thus, when you behave conformably to nature in reaction to how things appear, you will be proud of reason; for you will take pride in some good of your own.


The Enchiridion, Epictetus

default

I have spent the last two years with some reading and taking care of myself. I wish I could have done this much earlier. 

One thing I have learned all this time is that our brain by default is a pessimist. Reading Philosophy made me realize the meaning of self-knowledge, observing my thoughts. 

Since our birth, we have been conditioned and told about what we cannot do, which is not possible. Very few kind people guided us to achieve the impossible. Our brain took it as default for everything. As a grown-up, we are paying price for it. 

Do not let the default control our thoughts, guide our actions and make us more miserable. 

  • How will we lose a war without participating?
  • How will we get rejected without proposing?
  • How will we fail without trying?

Keep your monkey mind in control. We need to have positive affirmations, goals and visualize our success. Our life is as we see it. If we are not happy, confident within, how do we expect others to see the opposite in us?

generation gap

It is amazing how the thought process works. What is great for you might worth dime for your parents. The generation gap exists, seeing the world in a different lens.

You might think you have achieved everything in life but for your parents, you are still not settled. Settling down means getting married, having kids and ownership of a house. This ideal definition of being settled has been passed upon generations.

Few lucky ones survive this pressure and lead a life on their conditions while others succumb to settling down with the blessing of elders.

broken

We are all broken. Broken by rules, relations, and rituals.
This brokenness has its misery, a hollow world. A world that makes us not believe in ourselves. A world that makes us no nuts over our minuscule success. A world that makes us not believe in our own self.

There is so much one can achieve in his own silo. The aspiration of self can drive us to glory. But the caretakers of this society thrives on our brokenness. They make us their disciples via religion, god, and gurus.

It is wise to know the broken self. It helps us in not getting run over some leader, demi-god.

past

Still reading The Anarchy. It depicts the East India Company’s rule in India. How true are the described incident, I have no clue?

How from Mughals, Afghans, Persians, Maratha, Dutch, French and British rule: India was robbed.

I felt sad for our country, reading thought the atrocities and loot. The various small empires, their strategies, and their greed.

Was our past so bloody and painful?

Team

Running a startup is no less than running a family. I read themorningcontext.com on the same.

In the early days, startups are all about the team. It is extremely important to have like-minded folks with the same vision and end goal.

As an individual contributor, you are part of this family that is taking baby steps to bloom. Honesty and trust are incredibly important.

Founders are just one piece of this bigger operating system. If founders are not committed, the dawn begins and ends then and there.

Strive for finding the right team before shopping for funding or copying some valley/Chinese model.

Monkeys see monkey do. We are all animals.

sleep

I picked this book: why can’t we sleep, last week. The author talks about everything around Sleep. 

  Thanks to the modern era and consumerism. Sleep is a multi-billion dollar market. From music to mattress to light to watch, we have got everything to measure and pay for good sleep. 

Time is not far when like gyms, we will have sleep spas: people will pay to sleep there in peace. 

These are some of my steps for attaining good sleep.

  • Closed the windows of my bedroom to cut noise and light.
  • Not having electronics in my bedroom( phone and laptop)
  • Drinking calamine or hibiscus before sleep.
  • Having an early dinner.
  • Thinking about how the day went, learning.
  • Reading some fiction.