#SoG100 - One Hundred!
#SoG100 - Feb 24, 2019
Hi! This is an opt-in "daily" newsletter where I write about a thing that can help us become better versions of self! If at any point you want to be removed from the list, please do let me know. Please use http://bit.ly/SoG2019 to subscribe.
SoG 100 - Feb 24, 2019
This is going to be a long, ranty one. Indulge me. Please.
While I am an output of what I inherited (genes), the environment I grew up in (my neighbourhood, school etc) and giants that I have (pseud) access to, if I could isolate one thing that contributed to shaping who I am, it would be Steve Jobs. His life, his work, his thoughts (this speech one in particular), his approach to life and the impact he has had, have been uplifting and inspiring. Not a day goes by when I don't think about how to be Steve Jobs.
Side Note. If you have time, do read this.
Why do I talk about him?
Because its the 24th of Feb.
Steve's Birthday.
Thank you, Universe for unleashing Steve on us.
Thank you, Steve, for being who you are.
And it was befitting that I write about him in my 100th letter. The thing is, the idea of SoG took birth when I took a course at SCoRe (thank you, Amith and Hemant for the opportunity) and I called my sessions #beBetter. The idea was simple. Over 10 sessions, I was going to talk about one of the giants that I had stood on the shoulders of. Here's a slide from the first session.
Apart from Steve, I have (from left to right), Prof. Sanjay Bakshi, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Steve, Charles Bukowski, Will Smith and Banksy).
So yeah, after those sessions at SCoRe ended, these letters started because I wanted to continue to share whatever little I've learnt (and talk about giants that have allowed me to see further). Today, as I write my 100th letter, it is, like I said, befitting, that I talk about the guy that made me start his. Steve Jobs.
P.S.: This is not really the 100th letter but the series has reached this number and thus allow me to "celebrate".
Next item on agenda?
100!
The number 100 is a special one.
As special as number 1.
If 1 is how you start, 100 is how you find a milestone.
Apart from being a milestone, 100 has its own list of things that make it special. Here is a small list...
We celebrate when someone lives till 100.
There are places in the world, called Blue Zones, where you are expected to live till 100.
We celebrate when someone breaches this number.
Score by a batsman in Cricket.
Points scored in a game of Basketball.
A break in a game of Snooker. If Sachin is God of cricket, Ronnie does the magic with a cue.
Total marks in an exam.
Percentage.
Cars are often rated on the basis of time they take from 0 to 100.
100 degrees Celcius is at which water boils.
When was the last time your blood boiled?
Most currency has 100 as a base unit. 100 paisas in a rupee. 100 cents in a dollar.
And more.
So much more!
Anyhow, more than these tangible things, I think a 100 represents something larger than life. It represents that you kept going until you could do 100 reps of a certain thing. And most things I know require superhuman effort to do 100 reps.
Try writing 100 pages.
Or 100 minutes of meditation.
Or meeting 100 new people.
Or try to live up to the age of 100.
Each of these requires consistent effort over a large period of time (read compounding). And while it's amazing to get one-off #win (by fluke, chance or luck), getting to a hundred requires effort and work and consistency and all that. And that is what makes a 100 special.
At the risk of sounding like a dude patting himself on the back, it took considerable effort to write 100. This one is the 100th in the series (I would have missed at least 20, if not more). The point is, I persisted. And more than anyone else, the credit goes to you. For continuing to read and sending in comments, feedback, opinions etc.
The question to you, ladies and gents, is what is that thing that you can persist so that you reach a "100" of that?
Here are a few things that some friends are doing (that may inspire you)
Harshit (the person who made me start these letters) is on his journey to get incredibly fit. He does so by getting up before 0430 every day.
Pratibha is trying to write 300 posts this year. See this thread.
Saurabh Jain is trying to upload a photo a day. See his Instagram page.
A friend (that I can't name) is trying to upload a photo a day.
What's yours?
Tell, tell. Batao, batao.
Thanks,
@saurabh
Subscribe to these letters at http://bit.ly/SoG2019.
If you are here for the first time, you may want to read previous letters at https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1fBl7DkNzDIYKuOPDl4Poghz-Ci-QfMFi.
Tags: 100, Steve Jobs
Notes
1. I've realised that every time I come back after a break, I take a few extra days to get back to the groove. I don't know if I can fix this. But I do know that I can stop taking breaks. Even if it means sending one word, I ought to send it.
2. Do tell me what would you want to read. I am sort of out of ideas on what to write :)
3. In a few days, I will split these letters into three separate threads
a. daily letters (akin to a blog where I share feelings and all that)
b. once a week update on things that I found interesting while I chased my wide interest areas. I call this series #5onFriday
c. twice a week (on Mondays and Wednesdays) lessons from giants. The current SoG series, reduced to 2 lessons a week, instead of 7.
Why would I do this? Because I think I am unable to write a "lesson" every day. Plus now that I have data, I know that only 32% of people actually open these emails. So maybe fatigue is setting in? Or I am not adding any value? Or maybe I am reading too much between the lines? What do you think?
Of course, you'd have an option to subscribe to all three or just one. Or none.
Allow me a few days to make the changes.
4. If I asked you how much would you pay to get these, what would be your answer?
That's about it. As always, thank you for the support.