Gets worse before getting better

We were doing a major renovation last year and a lot of rearrangement in our home this year. 

Both followed the same pattern - initial excitement, then a trying period of effort, doubt, and despair as things got messy, and finally light and joy at the end of the tunnel. 

This is true with many things in life - career transitions, relocations, starting a family, new business, hobby, or health journey. 

Getting to a higher maxima often requires you to climb down from the comfort of your current local maxima. That’s always difficult and uncertain. 

But if you don’t risk it (and endure/enjoy the process), you don’t get the biscuit. 

Popular posts from this blog

Careful what you wish for

There’s a certain pressure to have goals and wants; to do and achieve something with our lives. We make it a point of asking kids and adults what their goals are. What do you want to be when you grow up?! What are your new year resolutions?! Where do you see yourself in 5 years?!  There are benefits of having a future vision, but it comes at a price. Every want and goal can take up time and mind space, and make you defer contentment and just be-ing. So you need to be more intentional about the wants you pick up consciously, or often, subconsciously. I know at least a handful of people who have wanted to be managers, advisors, or startup founders. They like the idea of it - the title or the perception of being a leader. But they end up disliking the job. I know people, myself included, who want to have a good community and circle of friends, but hate the process of meeting new people. Most people want to look fit but dislike the routine of exercise and diet.  For all your curre...
Continue reading »

You are the average of 5000 idiots on the Internet

They used to say you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. That was before the internet hijacked your attention span and filled your brain with digital sludge. Today, your closest companions aren’t friends, mentors, or thoughtful voices. They're algorithmically boosted, attention-seeking strangers yelling into the Internet void—clickbait journalists, TikTok dancers, Twitter thinkbois, clout-chasing grifters, promiscuous influencers, silly comedy Reelers, and conspiracy-peddling uncles in WhatsApp group chats. In short: idiots. And the worst part? They’re shaping you. Your brain—like an AI model—is plastic. Moldable. Continuously trained on whatever data you feed it. And right now, you’re feeding it junk. Doomscroll long enough and you’re not just consuming idiocy—you’re becoming it. Look at your feed. Really look. Out-of-context quotes. Shallow outrage. Celebrity gossip no one will remember in 48 hours. Fake experts selling fake solutions. Outrage bai...
Continue reading »

How to Use Prompt Engineering to Rewire Your Brain

Even the most ardent free-willers will have to confront the origins of their will at some point.  Have you ever wondered what shapes your mind and behaviors? The influences that nudge us towards success or failure, happiness or despair? What makes our life unfold in the way it does? Let me share a mysterious experience from my high school years that puzzled me for a long time and only started making sense to me years later. MAX  When I was in grade 10, I went to a large book fair with my family. Like all events in India, it was bustling with people and energy. In the midst of the chaos, my family and I were drawn towards the stage that was particularly abuzz. The stage banner displayed the name ‘MAX’, short for 'Madras Academy for Excellence'. A group of people, who were national memory record-holders no less, were captivating the audience with their ability to quickly memorize long lists of words or facts and answer any questions about them. I was impressed and intrigued beca...
Continue reading »