Connect

Unusual experiment 3:

Today’s plan is to connect to 50 people I haven’t talked to in over 6 months. I am going email, chat, call and use facebook to reach out to friends, acquaintances, contacts, professors, ex managers. I understand now that this might not be very unusual for a lot of people.

But to me it is unusual on two counts. One, I haven’t reached out to these people in over 6 months and sometimes over a year. Two, you have to admit that 50 is a pretty aggressive number taking into account that I have a full time job and a life after work.

50 turned out to be too aggressive. But I did end up hitting 35.

Tattoo and Toastmasters

Unusual experiment 2:

Whats the relationship between tattoo and toastmasters, you may ask. Well nothing except that I am joining a toastmasters club today and going to get tattoo done. Its not that I am afraid of public speaking. I think I am pretty comfortable with it, its just that I am not getting enough opportunities with my current job.

I am not sure about the tattoo. But I am going to go to a tattoo shop. My plan is to get chains and an Aum. The chains depict that life is about following certain rules. The Aum symbolizes clarity and peace. The message is that with clarity and peace you can rise above the shackles that ground you. At least I made that up.

So I joined a toastmasters club. It seems interesting to be able to improve public speaking skills. It also is very interesting to note that the CEO of the company I used to work for previously is in the same club!! Previously I used to see him at a distance. Today we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Another fruitful day comes to a close. And yes I got the tattoo. I am starting to wonder if I can make the next 8 days the most fruitful days of my life. It feels as though anything is possible. Maybe I should start setting some aggressive goals, things that I never did just because I kept procrastinating.

Obama becomes President!

I do not have a vote being an Indian living in the US. But the US in electing Obama validated some of my fundamental reasons as to why I left India to come to the US. I think it is appropriate that I list them.

1. This is a country of risk takers. An untested, little known freashman senetor was chosen ahead of a well known political figure to lead the nation in the most trying times of a lifetime. Taking risks is part of the American life and risk takers are rewarded more often than not. 

2. This is a country that believes in change and hope. There is a belief that the future holds promise and always, always there is a better tomorrow. People do not accept what is.

3. This is a country that believes that everyone deserves a chance. Anyone has the opportunity to follow his or her dreams. 

4. This is a country that ensures that if you are willing and able to work hard and smart there are innumerable opportunities for you. 

5. Finally this is a country where talent will eventually be recognized. Success will definitly come to that extrodinary person. 

It is not that I think India measures any less compared to the US. We also have given opportunities to some truly deserving people and there are plenty of reasons to be proud of. But I really feel that it is time that we pass the torch onto a younger generation that dreams of hope and unity and is able to infuse energy into our people.

No food day

Unusual experiment 1: No food day

For the first day, I thought Ill start with something easy. To go 24 hours without eating food. Its already been 14 hours. I started at 8.30 pm yesterday night and now its 10.15 am. The next 10 hours do look dreadfully slow, but I am determined. Since I also have to be at work I am tanking up on coffee and diet coke.

So now its 2.15 pm and I am at 18 hours and going strong. 6 more hours do not look that difficult anymore. I guess going 24 hours without food isn’t a big deal. I am guessing it would have been easier if I was completely occupied. Right now I am surrounded by food and I can dig in if I wanted to, so it makes it a little difficult, but still very doable. Resisting temptation is a decent exercise.

And it is 6.25pm right now. Which means that I still have another 2 hours to go.  I never knew that going without food for 24 hours was so easy. I wonder if I killed off a few brain cells in the process. It just feels as though there is something stuck in my throat for some reason.

I also really really want to eat, just because I cant. Its like someone tying your hands behind your back when you really want to scratch your nose.

Alright. So thats done. Fairly straightforward. At least I know no one dies without eating for 24 hours.

Ten unusual things

Starting today. I am going to do 1 unusual thing each day for the next 10 days. This experiment has two purposes.

1. To prove to my good friend that I am still as unconventional and creative as I was 4 years back and

2. To prove to myself that I have the ability to stick to my commitments, irrespective of how difficult or odd that task is.

Ill blog each day about the success or failure of my unusual attempt. But I will attempt the task.

Rat Race

To see the world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower

To hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour. 

As William Blake put it, isn’t that what we are seeking for? For the simple pleasures of life? To sit by the side of a river and toss a leaf into the rapids and watch it flow away.  To watch the corn fields, and the blades of grass sway in the cool breeze. The distant sun setting, a giant orange ball, covering the sky with the most subtle colors. To find comfort in your loved one’s arms? 

But would such a life be fulfilling? Has the world changed so much that the average person cannot live a simple life anymore? The rat race is so compelling that you have to conform. We have to dig our own hole to bury us in. 

Why are we trying to make money? Why does a multiple of the six figure salary attract us? What do we yearn for, with that kind of income? To build a large house, the latest cars and tech gadgets. Does that make us happy? Is happiness what we are seeking for? Is it comfort? Do we need a fat salary to buy comfort? 

Is it the status? Is it so that society thinks that we are smart and are part of an elite group of people with inextinguishable resources? Why is it that the richest people in society are revered and every young man and woman wants to be an investment banker or a consultant? I have often heard that your salary and raises are testimony of your special talents and ability to work hard. So to live and be part of the modern society you have to keep trying to make more money, go forward in life, become a manager, executive manager, CEO! 

Not everyone becomes one. But everyone secretly dreams of becoming one, or owing his or her own business. Is it because I am in America, the epitome of capitalism, with the American Dream imbued in every native child and immigrant? The rest of the world has grown accustomed to following their own version of the American dream. 

We could blame it on our societiel and parental conditioning and say that its becuase of the way we were brought up that we turned out to be ambitious. And that we want to be successful as defined by society. But the question is. Can we change that? Should we change that? Is it better to conform and live in socity the way everyone is living? 

I am inclined to belive that it is. To be different is to be an outcast. No one likes outcasts. Life is hard on them. So the key is to balance your dreams with reality. But that really is a choice an individual has to make.