Just Hang in there ...

It was my worst drive back home from Chicago! Freezing rain, ice pellets and strong winds made the driving conditions hazardous. My car (Mazda 2014 CX-5) was dancing on it own tunes. I had to stop just to shove ice off from my car wipers. Driving at 60 kmph for hours and hours was exhausting. Gruelling. The ordeal lasted 16 hours.

Seeing a plethora of cars in the ditch, flipped and taking 180, 270 and 360 degree 'turns' ,I feel very fortunate to have gotten home safely with my wife and kids. My kids cooperated to their fullest which really surprised and impressed me. 

By just hanging in there, you get immune to the torture and get to the finishing line before you even realise it. This concept was a piece I read in Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational where he said the effect of undertaking a mundane task or undergoing a horrendous ordeal can be smoothed out if endured for a longer time interval. Taking shorter breaks throws your system off and the brain has to re-calibrate again. On the contrary, taking a short break from an enjoyable experience (for e.g. furnishing your room or enjoying an aged cheese from Amsterdam) makes you relish that experience for a longer period of time. The joy lingers. Savour the moment instead of binging and purging.

  

So the next time, in order to hang in there with class before embarking on a long drive, here are a few things that might be handy:

- Valid Insurance Card/ Car registration form

- Printed Map (GPS backup)

- Check weather

- Cellphone charger

- DVD Player
- Follow the speed limit

Afternoon Meh-ness

I hate this time of the day when my sugar level is all time low and period of weakness and lethargy ensues. No amount of caffeine can elevate this feeling of worthlessness (sounds harsh ! )

Instead of relying on external factors for some uplifting, this uplifting should come within. You should rely on WMD - not Weapon of Mass Destruction.

- Walk out in an open air for 20 mins. Change your shoes and pace yourself. Don't forget to swing your arms freely and raise your leg.
- Meditate (prayers can help) or power nap for 15 mins can do the trick. Point is to shut your eyes and relax.
- Drink lots of water. Hydrate yourself. I fill my 900 ml water bottle and finish it in the first 45 mins to have some oxygen gushing in my body. (Chemistry 101: Chemical formula of Water is H20 where O is for Oxygen #duh)

Practicing this ritual on consistent basis will sure bring laurels and provide a boost in your productivity.

When it rains...

The scene from 'Social Network' flashes in front of my eyes. The scene from a court hearing against the Mark Zuckerberg character.
The conviction he delivers those lines is superb. The frustration and agony is woven in the texture of his voice. The arrogance that he bulldozes the client's lawyer is applause worthy. A scene reminding of David and Golaith,  where a 19-year old Mark Zukerberg is stacked against the odds to face a wrathing and a ruthless lawyer.

The Scene!

It is raining while I am going back from work in a GO Bus. And when it rains it also pours :)

Desire over Passion

The word 'passion' sounds cliche when you hear it in a job interview or read it on a Resume. I personally dislike that word. It gives mixed signal to your audience. Firstly, I associate word passion with 'hyperness' , 'youthfulness' , 'zest'. Secondly it gives you this 'born for this' conundrum. Lastly, it is an emotional word - emotions are ephemeral.

Being an IT professional, I have been working with Technology for last 8 years. I have studied Computer Science and then later studied Management Analytic. Can I call myself with someone with passion in technology? Absolutely not.

I simply have the 'desire' to be good in technology. Desire to improve professionally, desire to connect with people, desire to implement new functionality for business, desire to streamline process, desire to make a successful project launch. Desirability encompasses a wider spectrum than passion for programming/coding for example. Desirability is more human. It shows the constant need to grow where you will make mistakes (hence learn) along the way.

Silly: Being Sarcastic, Witty, Funny

My wife calls me "King of Sarcasm". In my defense I say "I am just being silly"

If you peel the layer, sarcasm arises when you don't want to be blunt and direct. You fear the repercussion and also you have this pressing urge to get your message across; the resultant product - sarcasm.
When my wife prepares a bland dish where I am put under the radar to pass my judgement; you know you will be in deep trouble if you say an honest opinion. That question is always asking for trouble. My reply was "Its nice, kid-friendly dish". Note I didn't rock the boat and passed my message across in sarcasm. Emoticon: ;)

To be funny is difficult. Timings is really important . You have to flush out all the negative energy and be genuinely void of any biases against anyone in that situation. My late grandfather was a genuinely funny person. People also vouch for my Dad as one the funniest people they have met. A trait that I did not inherit as a legacy. Late Majid Uncle in recent times was a very funny person too.
My friend Jaffar Saleem is the most hilarious of the bunch. Even his name elicits laughter lol.
They genuinely see goodness in people and care about them. Being funny you brighten up other people and uplift their spirit without being offensive.
In the wake of Ashley Madison data leak I had my Facebook status as "Baal baal bach gya #AshleyMadisonLeak" (Meaning: Saved by an inch). I think that was funny. Managed to put smile on few faces. Emoticon: :D

Witty is one-liners. Tongue-n-Cheek comments. It falls between funny and sarcasm. It can have elements of both. Wittiness is situation based and timing is really important.
Me and my wife were talking about how Chris (from Steven and Chris Show) died and what media is making up the reason to be is sleep walking. I was refusing to believe in the face value and thought there is some foul play involved. My wife being his big fan she was simply refusing to see the other way. And during this, I glanced at my daughter and while shes asleep; she had literally covered every zone of the bed rolling, I blurted that she is "sleep walking" which diffused the situation and brought smile on my wife's face.  Emoticon: :P

Just be your silly self and let people classify your silliness as witty, sarcasm or funny. After all they all put smile on people's face. Emoticon: :)

Being in the moment

Multi-tasking is an overrated and considered a virtue in our every increasing chaotic life. Essentially multi-tasking is more of time-slicing. Doing things in parallel instead of in series. But lets be honest it is doing more than one task in a given time (more throughput) with less concentration and thought!
I drive-n-grab while driving to work. I lunch-n-work at my work. I tweet-n-play with my son. I  listen-n-work while attending an evening class. The list goes on...
I do regret doing it all. I came to this realization when I was analyzing on how to maximize my energy level.
By doing things one at a time, your brain gets a breather and your body is under less stress. This also creates avenues to innovate and be more efficient since you are involving all your faculties in only task at a time.

I am now consciously reminding myself to undertake one task at a time. Getting up few minutes before to have breakfast before I leave for work in the morning. Put my cell phone away while playing with my son. Forcing myself to eat in the cafeteria during lunch time. One thing I really need to force myself is to put my cellphone away while my wife is talking to me ;-)

Beyond 14 August

Today is 68th 'Independence' Day of Pakistan. It was 14th August 1947 when the Britishers emaciated governance decided to leave and divide the land into two and hand over to its assigned leaders. We can debate life-long whether the decision was correct or not. It is futile to harp on it. For thinkers, the amount of sacrifices, steadfastness, unyielding commitment, diplomacy made by the people to carve out a nation that was dormant for centuries is a huge undertaking nevertheless!

For 68 years , we have been celebrating this day in a huge way: home and streets adorned with star and crescent, patriotic songs being played all over the country, breaking/creating record for largest Pakistani flag!

The spirit is very patriotic, but this feeling should sustain in every one's heart for life.

The spirit of acknowledging, tolerating and welcoming each others differences should be the fabric that this nation of 185 million people should be holding to stay united.
Not everyone living in Pakistan can be a Muslim.Not every Muslim living in Pakistan can be a Sunni. And not every Sunni living in Pakistan can be a Deobandi.

Similarly, not every Pakistani can speak Punjabi and not every Pakistani can speak Sindhi (I can speak none). Independence spirit should be embraced with tolerance, compassion and open mindedness.

Only after we overcome this barrier we can look beyond what it takes to be on the path of development and progress. We are a third world developing country lagging behind in every walk of life - from education and research to infrastructure and governance. Instead of ostracizing oneself from it or selling yourself to other entities to malign your country does more harm to your identity. Crisis should be taken as an opportunity for us to build as that seems the only direction to go after hitting rock bottom.