I know what cows feel when they fly

March 3, 2023May 7, 2023 Neera

“Are you sure you aren’t coming?” asked my husband before walking into the briefing session before his first-ever indoor skydiving.

We were on a cruise to New Zealand and just before that, we both stood near the glass dome where an instructor was helping some daring souls to ‘fly’ in a cubicle or tube with high-velocity air blown through the mashed wire floor. Most couldn’t manage to fly. They banged on the glass wall, flipped over, and frantically headed for the door to get out of the gush of wind which was perhaps as forceful as tornadoes that can uproot trees and shoot the cows to the sky.

There was no way I was going to do that.

But then again, it costs hundreds of dollars, for the experience, and here, on the cruise, I was getting it for free. And human psychology is, not to say no to something that is free.

“What the heck. I will come,” I said and followed him.

After asking us whether we have any injuries or pain in our shoulders or limbs, the operators made us sign a waiver, which possibly said if we break anything while chasing the experience it will be of our own free will.

We were then herded into a tiny cabin with eight other people and shown a video to educate us on the dangers of what can go wrong. Then dutifully they told us how to position our bodies to minimize the damage and ‘enjoy’ the experience.

Following that, we were given the gear to wear that resembled a space suit. The final touch was earplugs and protective glasses. Unable to hear anything and walking like astronauts, we entered the dome with our instructor who did a dance in the dome (at 10 times the velocity), to demonstrate how easy the whole thing was.

Then he started picking one person at a time. The first one was a man, perhaps much older than me. He was tall and confident. But he didn’t last long. After several attempts by the instructor to steady him, he panicked and headed for the door. A couple of females followed him, one met the same fate as the man, while the other was a star. She flew so well that we all became hopeful that we can do it too.

Next was my turn. I got to the doorway, remembering to keep my chin up, hands straight, and aligned to my shoulder height. “Don’t forget to loosen your knees,” the instructor reminded me. As I stood in the doorway, and had and looked at the mashed floor for a millisecond, I realized one thing – there is no way I can get hurt unless I try to fight the wind.

I relaxed my body and let go. The next moment I was flying. The wind was so strong that despite all my effort I couldn’t shut my mouth. I also couldn’t hear anything. All I could do was enjoy the feeling of weightlessness. People around me were clapping, my husband was giving me thumbs-up.

And suddenly I knew what cows feel like when a tornado takes them in the sky.

Bloody brilliant!

Skydiving is the most daring physical act I have done in years. It taught me a big lesson. Sometimes we just have to relax. All the participants who didn’t succeed were trying to do too much and in the process knocking against the walls or flipping over.

I am taking that lesson to my writing life as well. For the past four years, I have been trying to do too much. Writing books, daily posting on social media, running courses, writing articles and newsletters. No wonder I am banging against the wall and flipping over.

I made a decision. From now on I will concentrate on writing and publishing books.

The other form of writing will happen in between.

It is more of a strategic decision than an emotional one. Books have a much longer shelf life than social media posts, online articles, and newsletters. Writing books also fits with other commitments in my life. Online writing requires you to write every day and spend time engaging with audiences. That strips me of valuable time which I could spend reading books and going deep into topics.

I am not announcing quitting newsletter or online writing. In fact, I published my cruise story yesterday Cruising Was Not What I Thought It Would Be (Part 1) on Medium. All I am saying is that writing books will be my number 1 priority.

Cruising Was Not What I Thought It Would Be (Part 1)

March 2, 2023March 18, 2023 Neera

I have just returned from a cruise to New Zealand.

I was apprehensive about the cruise, especially when my 94-year-old father-in-law and 79-year-old aunt were traveling with us. With the fourth wave of COVID getting stronger in Australia and being in a confined environment with thousands of people, I was dreading the worst.

Instead, it turned out to be the best trip of my life.

It was not a ship.

My first apprehension was broken even before I set foot on the ship.

It was not a ship, but a massive building floating in the water.

The check-in process was smooth, but finding our bearing on the ship was not. With 16 decks to explore, each one hosting different facilities — theaters, pubs, casinos, bionic bar, dance halls, dining rooms, and sporting venues — we got tired even before the ship sailed.

Built in Turku, Finland, and launched in waters in November 2008, Ovation Of The Seas, is one of the largest ships in the world.

At 6:00 pm we congregated on the top deck with 4,400 passengers to watch the massive vessel sail from picturesque Sydney harbor (with Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background) to the open seas. We walked around a kilometer-long perimeter of the ship to find a good spot to watch the spectacle of our first-ever sea voyage.

But the ship didn’t sail.

One hour passed.

Then another.

It started getting windy. And we were hungry and eager to explore the ship’s famous food, so we headed for the dining rooms. It was a fine dining experience, in exquisite decor, for free. We were seated at round tables, and the wait staff unfolded our napkins and placed them on our laps to serve us a three-course meal.

While eating, we watched the ship move. We hardly notice any movement. It was already dark, and we missed out on seeing the Sydney shoreline. We were told a massive storm was heading for Aukland, (North Island, New Zealand), and the captain was waiting for the wind to settle down before heading for the open seas.

I am glad he did.

I was sure I will not get seasick.

By the time we finished our dinner and headed for our cabin, my stomach started churning more than the waters outside. It was hard to steady ourselves. I was told; you don’t even feel the ship moving, especially when it is such a big one. Here I was on the biggest ship in the world, and my bed was shaking.

The next morning was even worse. I woke up weak and miserable. As soon as I got up, vomit overcame my resolve to keep the sour juices inside my stomach. After several vomits, I rang my sister-in-law, who brought the motion sickness tablet to me.

I spent the afternoon sleeping on deck chairs by the pool while the rest of the party enjoyed the food and played table tennis.

By evening, I was fine. And I remained fine for the next eight days. I later found out from the cruise staff that the Tasman Sea is the most violent sea.

Imagine what would have happened if the Captain had not waited for the winds to settle down for sailing from Sydney.

The highlight of the trip was not what I thought.

Based on what I had heard from previous cruisers, I thought the highlight of the trip will be the food. The food was great. But there was something else that surpassed the enormous amount of food that was served each day.

That was the staff’s hospitality.

A crew of 1,200 people whose sole role was to make our trip a memorable one. They did their job so well that we had not a single complaint or even suggestion for improvement. Our room attendant greeted us every time we passed him. At times, he even opened the door of our cabin with his key and held it till we were inside, like royalty. Each day, he created a different animal shape with a towel and left it on our bed.

At the entry of the buffet restaurant, the sole job of an attendant was to greet every diner. She had catchy music on a portable speaker and will do a dance as soon as a new passenger made their way. Inside, an official-looking person greeted everyone saying, “Good Morning (or evening)! Welcome to the restaurant.” For ten days, he greeted each and every passenger.

Hygiene was superb.

Each crew member wore a mask at all times. There were sanitization stations at every deck and outside every public place. But most impressive was the handwashing station at each entry to the Buffet Restaurant. You couldn’t go inside without washing your hands.

The entertainment was of the highest quality.

Multiple nightclubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, a comedy club, trivia venues, there was more to do than there was time.

I didn’t think the evening shows will be that impressive. We listened to the world-class pianist Craig Dunn, who has performed with Liberace. Attended two comedy shows by a Queensland comedian, a gala production called Live Love Legs and a broadway kind of show titled The Beautiful Dream. Also on the show were two recent movies, Cate Blanchett’s Tar, and the cartoon character movie One And Only Ivan.

A Scene from Life, Love, Legs. Image by the author

Sports were challenging to cater to young and old alike.

A surf simulator, a skating ring, a Rock-Climbing wall, five swimming pools, table tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. If that was not enough, there was Go Karting, Sky Flying, and Flow Rider.

Of course, I have more stories to tell from the cruise, and I think I haven’t done justice with what I have shared so far. So I am going to write more stories in the coming days.

In conclusion, the cruise exceeded all my expectations. I now can understand why some people are perpetual cruisers. It’s not a bad option if you don’t have anything to tie you to the land.

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Applying ‘Goldilocks Rule’ To Stay Motivated

February 11, 2023May 17, 2023 Neera

You can apply the ‘Goldilocks Rule’ to stay motivated. Here is how:

Imagine you’re playing a new board game with some friends. The game is so challenging, you can’t even win a single point. And no matter how many hours you put into it, you don’t get any better. Chances are, you’d grow frustrated and want to give up.

Now imagine the flip side.

The game is so easy, you win every single time without any effort. While your ego may get a boost, it would probably get pretty boring. And you give it up.

Either way, you lose your motivation.

Because motivation requires just the right amount of challenge. Not too much. Not too little. Just like Goldilocks!

‘Goldilocks Rule’ is worth considering with whatever you do. If things are too easy, you’ll get bored. If they’re too hard, you’ll get frustrated. Do you need to add a new challenge to spice things up?

Alternatively, do you need to purposely make things EASIER so you can actually get some quick ‘wins’ under your belt?

There’s no right answer. This is something to regularly calibrate each day.

How to Fail at Almost Everything And Still Win Big

February 9, 2023March 18, 2023 Neera

Scott Adams has likely failed at more things than anyone you or I have met or even heard of. So how did he go from hapless office worker and serial failure to the creator of Dilbert, one of the world’s most famous syndicated comic strips, in just a few years?

In “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big,” Adams shares the game plan he’s followed since he was a teen. Here are 7 things I took away ‘from the Adams book:

Do creative work first. “The way I approach the problem of multiple priorities is by focusing on just one main metric: my energy. I make choices that maximize my personal energy because that makes it easier to manage all the other priorities. One of the most important tricks for maximizing your productivity involves matching your mental state to the task.”
Don’t expect people to be reasonable. “If your view of the world is that people use reason for their important decisions, you are setting yourself up for a life of frustration and confusion. You’ll find yourself continually debating people and never winning, except in your own mind. Few things are as destructive and limiting as a worldview that assumes people are mostly rational.”
Being selfish can be good. “The most important form of selfishness involves spending time on your fitness, eating right, pursuing your career, and still spending quality time with your family and friends.”
Withholding Praise is Immoral. “Children are accustomed to a continual stream of criticism and praise, but adults can go weeks without a compliment while enduring criticism both at work and at home. Adults are starved for kind words.”
Don’t read the news to find the truth. “I read the news to broaden my exposure to new topics and patterns that make my brain more efficient in general and to enjoy myself, because learning interesting things increases my energy and makes me feel optimistic.”
System trumps goals. “One should have a system instead of a goal. The system-versus-goals model can be applied to most human endeavors. In the world of dieting, losing twenty pounds is a goal, but eating right is a system. In the exercise realm, running a marathon in under four hours is a goal, but exercising daily is a system. In business, making a million dollars is a goal, but being a serial entrepreneur is a system.”
Every adult should gain a working knowledge of some skills. “I wouldn’t expect you to become a master of any, but mastery isn’t necessary. Luck has a good chance of finding you if you become merely good in most of these areas. They are:

Public speaking
Psychology
Business Writing
Accounting, Design (the basics)
Conversation
Overcoming Shyness
Second language
Golf
Proper grammar
Persuasion
Technology ( hobby level) and
Proper voice technique.

If you haven’t read the book, you should.

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The First Principle Thinking

February 4, 2023October 2, 2023 Neera

In 2002, Elon Musk began his quest to send the first rocket to Mars. He ran into a major challenge right off the bat. After visiting a number of aerospace manufacturers around the world, Musk discovered the cost of purchasing a rocket was astronomical—up to $65 million. Given the high price, he began to rethink the problem.

So, he asked himself, what is a rocket made of? Aerospace-grade aluminum alloys, plus some titanium, copper, and carbon fiber. Then he asked, what is the value of those materials on the commodity market? It turned out that the materials cost of a rocket was around two percent of the price he was quoted.

Instead of buying a readymade rocket for tens of millions, Musk decided to purchase the raw material at a fraction of the cost and build his own rockets and SpaceX was born. Within a few years, SpaceX cut the price of launching a rocket by nearly 10x while still making a profit.

Musk used first principles thinking to break the situation down to the fundamentals, bypass the high prices of the aerospace industry, and create a more effective solution.

First principles thinking is about acquiring knowledge about a problem or a thing by knowing its first causes by decomposing it into its most basic elements. They are the first causes. The final cause is about the purpose that the things serve.

“I tend to approach things from a physics framework,” Musk said in an interview. “Physics teaches you to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. So I said, okay, let’s look at the first principles. What is a rocket made of?

The normal way we conduct our lives is to reason by analogy. We try to find out what other people are doing or by asking if has it been done before. With first principles, you boil things down to the most fundamental truths and then reason up from there.

How can we utilize first principles thinking in our life and work?

Let’s look at cooking. There’s a big difference between knowing how to follow a recipe and knowing how to cook. People who know how to cook understand the basic principles that make food taste, look, and smell good. They have confidence in troubleshooting and solving problems as they go—or adjusting to unexpected outcomes.

That’s what Julia Child, the renowned Frech Chef, did all her life. Rather than just following the recipes, she understood how every element of French cuisine worked.

If you can master the first principles within any domain, you can go much further than those who are just following recipes.

Over two thousand years ago, Aristotle defined a first principle as “the first basis from which a thing is known.” It is a basic assumption that cannot be deduced any further.

It is a fancy way of saying “Think like a scientist.” Scientists don’t assume anything. They start with questions like, What are we absolutely sure is true? What has been proven?

The first principle thinking requires you to dig deeper and deeper until you are left with only the foundational truths of a situation. It is one of the best ways to reverse-engineer complicated problems and unleash creative possibilities.

Break down things into smaller levels and then make something completely different from it. That’s what Bernard D. Sadow did. For centuries humans have been carrying their stuff in bags. We have had trunks, leather bags, and suitcases. They are heavy to lift and carry. Then in 1970, Bernard D. Sadow used the first principle thinking and came up with the idea of adding wheels to them. Now nobody carries their suitcases at airports anymore, they wheel them.

Rather than the ‘monkey see, monkey do,’ approach, apply the first principle thinking to solve your problem:

Identify your problem.
Dig deeper and deeper into the problem, breaking it down into its most essential concepts (the first causes).
Reassemble them from the ground up, thinking of all possible ways they can be reassembled (the final cause or the purpose they serve).
Choose the best solution.

“I don’t know what’s the matter with people: they don’t learn by understanding; they learn by some other way—by rote or something. Their knowledge is so fragile!” — Richard Feynman

The 10 Essential Writing Principles from ‘Writing Down the Bones’ by Natalie Goldberg

February 1, 2023March 18, 2023 Neera

Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down The Bones” is a classic book in the world of writing.

Natalie Goldberg wrote ‘Writing Down the Bones’ after many years of practicing writing as a form of meditation and self-discovery. In the book, she shares her experiences and insights on how writing can be used as a tool for personal growth and artistic expression.

Goldberg was initially inspired to start writing as a way to deal with her own feelings of anger and frustration. She found that the act of putting pen to paper helped her to release these emotions and gave her a sense of clarity and peace.

Over time, she developed a writing practice that incorporated Zen meditation and became a way for her to connect with her inner voice and explore her thoughts and emotions.

Here are ten lessons I learned from it.

Write as if your life depends on it. Approach your writing with a sense of urgency and importance, as if it’s a matter of life and death.
Don’t worry about writing well or making sense. Let go of the pressure to write perfectly. The goal is to free your mind to explore new ideas and techniques.
Keep your hand moving. Keep your hands moving across the page, no matter what. This helps to keep the momentum going and prevents you from getting stuck in your thoughts.
Don’t cross out or edit while writing. Embrace the idea that writing is a process and that it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s about trusting the process and letting the words flow without worrying about making mistakes.
Write for a set amount of time. Set a timer and write for a specific amount of time, without stopping. It will keep you focused and encourage you to keep writing, even if you aren’t sure where your writing is going.
Be specific. Write concrete, specific details rather than vague, abstract ideas. It will bring your writing to life and make it more interesting and engaging for the reader.
Use your five senses. To make your writing immersive, memorable and a vivid experience for readers, use all five senses.
Write about what is right in front of you. Write about what is happening in the present moment, rather than what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. This helps to keep the writing focused and grounded in reality.
Don’t write what you think you should write. Write what you want to write, rather than what you think you should write. The goal is to free the writer’s mind from the expectations of others and to allow them to explore their own unique voice.
Trust the process. Writing is a journey and the process of writing is just as important as the end product. The process will lead to growth and discovery, even if the end result isn’t what you had initially envisioned.

The success of Writing Down the Bones can be attributed to Goldberg’s ability to articulate the connection between writing and mindfulness in a way that resonates with readers. The book has become a classic in the world of writing and continues to inspire and guide writers of all levels.

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