Time is slowing down, time is running out | Report 259

16 Jan 2022 . category: report . Comments
#houseware #startup #covid #bombay #fitness

Welcome to 259, it’s just been a fortnight since i’ve been active here and it feels so long. Sometimes, life seems to slow down when i actively think about it, and yet life’s running away so quick. As i grow older, three years doesn’t seem that big of a deal as it used to when i was in college - the percentage growth of a year is dipping quick.

At work, i kept myself engaged with tech architecture, infrastructure and brainstorms around our product strategy. i love this phase of the journey where we can collectively shape the future. A few months ago, i had watched this video of the Hadza tribe in Tanzania that are one of the oldest living tribes that are self-sufficient and kill baboons for food. i realized that we as product builders are similar to their tribe members building and sharpening their arrows - we are all working on tools to improve each other’s lives. Back to current times – we did an annual kickoff meet with the team and a learning session earlier in the week to discuss the data ecosystem.

i have been working from the Bombay residence since Christmas last year, and i’ve maintained good energy levels through the days. i tested negative on the Covid antigen test three days after testing postitive on the PCR. The few days i spent in my room isolating were not easy for my wandering brain - we as humans are not meant to sit in four walls the entire day.

i noticed a few men strolling around with their dogs on the weekend, enjoying life. i wondered why can’t we enjoy our days like this everyday – and soon realized that struggle is what gives meaning to leisure. If there was no sorrow, there’d be no joy. i was talking to Sodhi earlier today, and we discussed how lifting 4KG dumbbells ain’t any fun, but the struggle on the 12KG is everything.

On the fitness front, i’ve been going on a lot many more runs in Bombay totaling 23KM so far in January. i’ve completed 8 NTC workouts at home, and at least one stretching workout a day on stretchit. The flexibility routine is making me aware of all these muscle groups in the body that i didn’t know existed. i love challenging myself at things i suck at, humbles me to the core everyday.

i’ve been reading ‘Siva’ by Ramesh Menon, which is a retelling of the Siva Purana - a fascinating look into so many stories and lores that i was ignorant of. Slowly, i’ve begun to accept the possibility of a human/human-like civilization hundreds of thousands of years ago, which could be infinitely more advanced than the current sapiens.

There were a couple birthday parties in the family friend group here and i had good fun observing all the conversations going around. It’s fun to look into the psyche of older generations. My grandfather turned 80 yesterday, and he was talking about his life story to all of us, here are a few learnnigs:

• Live an honest life. Take pride in living honestly.
• Live a life of struggle. Struggle gives meaning.
• Don’t forget to have fun. Make sure you travel. Work is important, but you don’t want to regret not seeing enough of the world when you’re 80.
• Peace of mind is important. You can work all life on your commitments, but what use is the work if you’re not at peace.
• Health first. Nothing else matters.

Keep hammering.

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