Who Am I?

I am a pattern of thoughts ! yes not getting too philosophical here but trying to answer who am I in the sense what make me Sumit vs others.. I have become a big fan of recurring pattern of  - behaviour and thought process. 

What I mean by this is we all have a set pattern.. some are stuck in the pattern of feeling miserable and wanting someone to come to their rescue and love them.. all their life decisions, likes and dislikes of people depend on how the others reaffirm this pattern.. some have a pattern to control themselves and overcome impulses.. these are the people you will see burning the midnight oil.. some have a pattern of getting angry on slightest of reference to them in a negative manner.. each one of us are caught in our patterns.. different mixtures and varied patterns we carry.. The milieu of my patterns make me and that is the difference between Sumit and others.

Of course there are plenty of patterns but without dissecting it if one can fathom 2-3 major macro patterns (macro meaning summation of many mini patterns) you can easily predict overall behaviour how one will be in real life...  There are just few major ones.. this has helped me understand people better.. make better people decisions, manage people better... you have to just keep your judgement or rationalizations at bay and just see the recurring patterns.. people seldom break their patterns.. those who do also take a lot of time... the ones who typically do are the ones who invest a lot of time in investing to grow... mostly this is done in teen to early adult.. once adult and life is settled and is successful in the current pattern there is no impetus to break patterns... life goes on with similar patterns unless there is a paradigm shift in life needing a change... but as you grow it is much difficult..

Irony of office...

Today for most of us, the working class... office and how we are doing there determine our identity.. life revolves around the office schedule... success or failure at work determines self esteem, happiness.. and the irony is the office is the main reason for people being unhappy, stressed.. every one is waiting for the weekend or telling tales of his/ her office sucks!

There is another breed who think they have broken the chain through their own enterprise.. well they make their own office - become entrepreneurs and have their own set of employees stuck in the same loop..  

It is funny - the puzzle of life which we have created and are then struggling to find answer to the same... 

To Ratan Tata

Mr Tata read some time back what you said about the UK work ethic, they don't wait for you after office hours it seems.. They are not ready to stretch... But what's so big deal about it.. It is about  what they want to do with their life.. they have plenty of material comfort and by slogging and producing more steel how is it going to help their life.. will steel make them more happy...

Mr Tata I slog a lot but it is about personal choice and I don't think there is anything wrong if someone draws a time schedule... its just that they are not interested in running the rat race all the time of their life... some of us are marathon runners but many are not interested...

But I do agree with what you said of Mukesh and Neeta Ambani... 

Choices !

"I am pretty confused not sure what to choose. Both options look pretty good"

Life comes to this point many at times, confusing and delaying the decision. The wise quotes seem to not guide in such scenarios - 

Take the road less travelled. NO - Take the tried and tested one, ensures success. May be -  Go slow life is much more than the choice you are at .. phew! wise quotes are too many and if you have read more than one or you are thinking types... be sure the wise of yesteryears to confuse you and not help.... 

My own wise saying which may help.... Lets do a mistake but go by what is seeming most tempting.. Life is long and gives many chances of mid course correction.. let me go by what does not impact what I am really passionate about... or choose what may get me close to my passion... 

Wonder what makes people good decision makers.

Shut up Mind ! #4

Death reminds me of living life,
Life cajoles me to run a race to death.
_______________


Accepting oneself is the way to wisdom,
Acceptance kills my defence mechanism,
Acceptance reveals my dark evil kingdom.

Conflicts, shock about I is what I face now,
Is there no other path? I ask the wise one.

What made the difference? #2

I was talking about Vipassana to a few colleagues at work. It was an organized session, I thought there could be nothing better I could talk about. HR topics are a minnow in front of Vipassana... 

Vipassana has certainly made a difference to what I am today but what got me doing it and what made me sustain it and benefit from it is because of a basic quality of "determination". I have often heard about determination in many wise speeches, always thought it to be a quality required to make big leaps. Never realized for any degree of accomplishment there is some determination working behind. 

Determination is what brings about a change. I sustained Vipassana albeit headwinds with determination, I gave up my whims which were firmly established in my thought patterns through determination. The mind develops patterns, comfort and is not ready to give up the current state. It lulls you into give up change, the change from current state to a desired state is achieved through this quality.

It is a simple quality of keep going despite all the headwinds, the clever arguments, the laziness. It is a simple quality which can be strengthened with just a promise of keep trying till you succeed. Just being watchful and not let bury the promise. This has made much difference!

Shut up Mind ! #3

There is one mind but split into two foes,
forever a battle of ego between them goes.

There is one which says,
You can do it, You have it,
Nothing will happen, Go for it.
It motivates you when in doubt,
It gives you courage when in fear.
It pushes you towards the rising sun.

Then there is the other one,
Its questions make you cower,
Its memories make you doubt.
It shouts idiot just back off,
First one is tricking you in trouble.
It pushes you towards the setting sun.

With new action, learning I plan,
Both foes start their mind battles.
How do you think will I win?

Buddha said:

Strengthen first, weaken the second
This is how you live and grow.

But there will come a time when
you give up both as first can't exist
without the second, they are inseparable twins,
when the time is right you give up these twins,
and then forever the sun will rise and shine.