SG's Meditations #48 - Consistency, Working Hard, Signs, Ukelele and Writing.
Hello hello!
And we are back! On a Monday (and not a Friday). And after missing last week (blame it on travel, life, general fuckery and all that). I was in the mood to not send this today and send it only on the weekend but I have decided that I will not miss things two times in a row.
And anyway, I have so much to talk about that I am afraid I would get overwhelmed and not talk about anything at all!
So without further ado, here we go.
First things first.
I need to talk about two things to start with.
1. Consistency.
2. Working Hard.
While I get into a deeper rant discourse about both, lemme share a small screenshot. This is the WhatsApp status of a friend (Twitter, website) and a writer par excellence that I know from my writing groups.
He says...
While the words are simple, the message is deep.
It talks about how one ought to focus on the work. And what is not written and what I believe is the "real" message is, "karm kar and fal ki chinta mat kar".
Aka, put in the work without worrying about the outcome. Let's park this here. Call this A.
I will come back to this work thing later in the letter. Let me move on to the next thing. Which is consistency.
So, one of the things that I want to improve about myself is that I want to be more consistent with things. If I can be consistent, I can write that book, get that dad-bod going and get that hobby in as well. And I need as much inspiration as I want.
Lemme talk about something cool and inspiring.
So, I wrote this thread about contract-labour turned colleague turned friend turned guru turned inspirational figure. Read it here.
Saurabh / SG on Twitter: "Time for a thread. 🧵🧵 Again from a time, I spent with @Suvichawla at Gravity. Around 2011/12, as an event manager. I'd routinely hire temp, unskilled, untrained staff to do various chores." / Twitter “Time for a thread. 🧵🧵 Again from a time, I spent with @Suvichawla at Gravity. Around 2011/12, as an event manager. I'd routinely hire temp, unskilled, untrained staff to do various chores.”
I just think I am incredibly lucky to have been surrounded by people like Paras. Also, he is a classic case of someone working hard, over years and consistently and making it big!
The lesson from his story is that small thing done consistently over and over again help you move mountains. Let's call this B.
💭 Thought of the week
I am breaking the structure of the letter to talk about signs. You know, the ones from the universe. The mystics and the shamans and preachers and the gurus will swear by those. No, I dont believe in these. I am a hyper-rationalist, the kind Elon is. And yes, I remain a dreamer. But I am not a mysticism-inspired person. Anyhow. The point is, that there are a few events that have happened recently that others could see as signs.
Lemme put those here.
1. Ukelele
All my friends know my "struggle" with a musical instrument. I got my first guitar when I was all of 17. My classes last all of three days. The next guitar was gifted by VG. I promised him that I would learn but the promise lasted all of three hours. The following instrument was a Uke, gifted by Krishna. I saw Josh's learn anything in 20 hours video and yet I gave up after 2 hours.
Lately, I have been tripping on instrumental music and I somehow stumbled onto this video. I was AMAZED beyond comprehension. And then I was shown this video by the YT algo. And then I spotted a Kadence store while walking around in Bangalore.
And oh boy, do I have what James call the "Uke Acquisition Syndrome"!
So, maybe, just maybe, I will get myself one.
Talk of old age and toys that old-age boys like me want to acquire"!
2. Writing / Book2
Lemme spill a secret. When I wrote my first book (and only, as Vinny reminded me yesterday; and she's wrong - I have written more than one but I get credit on just one), I would go to a Starbucks every day at 7 AM and write till about 930. And then go to work.
And while I was not working, I was reading Jack Reacher. Non-stop. I would have probably read some 1000 books by Lee Child (kidding - he only wrote some 20 odd). If any of you is a nuanced reader and has read Lee Child and me, you would probably find similarities.
So, coming to signs, my "second" book is terribly late and I have this calling that I want to write it and I have been thinking about quitting everything (thanks P for managing work and giving me the chutti), moving to Goa or something and writing.
And while I was thinking about this, I met Sanhita (Twitter) for a dinner and she took me to a random book shop on a random street for no random reason and I spotted, well, Lee Child. And Jack Reacher. And it talked to me. Invited me. Implored me to pick it up! And oh boy, have I been hooked on it? I have not seen FIR since I got that one!
Of this is not a sign, I dont know what is!
Brings me to the rant on working hard. And too consistently.
The internet literally broke with this note that someone from Stripe wrote. There were a million things that I thought struck a note with me. Especially in the way I work. I was most impressed by the "lgtm culture". I wanted to write a long note on how I agree with this and how I want this to become C4E's culture but I haven't had the time. And you know why I dont have the time? Cos I am not working hard enough. And no, I dont want to impose hard work on anyone but I want to work hard.
Ok, I am gonna get into the rant. But not for today. Lemme come back to this in the next week's edition. For the time being, let's park this as C. I will come back to it in a bit.
🔀 Random thing of the week
So Lalit Modi of the IPL fame announced that he's dating Sushmita Sen. I have nothing for or against the either. And I couldn't care less. Except lamenting that at a point in time I found Sushmita Sen incredibly gorgeous and I wanted to be with her. In an "acquiring an object" manner. And no, I am not proud of this. I hope I have changed since.
Ok, I digressed.
The point is, their relationship became the talk of the town. You couldn't ignore it even if you were living under a rock. And I am definitely not under one. So while there were conversations about it, someone tweeted something like...
Pyaar Punjivadiyon Ka Khel Hai
I dont remember the exact words but I loved how they put it. It reinforces my world view and barring a few exceptions, love actually is a game that rich people play!
And, for that matter, every emotion is essentially a game that rich people play. I saw another tweet where they said this...
The extent of enjoyment people get from good weather and the amount of chatter they make online about it is directly proportional to their richness
Again, a #truthBomb.
And the kinds that make you take note of your limitation as a human being! Imposed by the lack of a utility that we ourselves invented. Or maybe we did not. It was merely in the genes.
Anyhow. So yeah. That.
The point is, love, enjoyment, weather, chai, pakoda and all that is for the rich ones. The poor ones have no time for games. Have no time for putting out tweets. Survival itself is a battle for them. The middle class is the most delusional one anyway. More on this some other day.
So, the note is, that it's a crime on your entire existence if you can't find a way to be rich. I need to do so. Pronto.
📽️ Video of the week
I think I have spoken about this earlier but this is the video of Charlie Munger talking about Elon Musk.
Charlie puts it as only Charlie can. That he would never underestimate a person that overestimates himself.
So, I fucking have to be that person that people do not underestimate! And if I club the two things (working hard and consistency), I think I can become that! I just want to get started and gather momentum!
Now, connecting A, B and C (working hard and consistency), I think if I am able to work hard and consistently for a while, I can become a formidable person that even a Munger would not like to take a bet against. And that ladies and gents is a goal worth having!
Guess this is all I have for this Monday morning! Enough inspiration to move mountains. Like I said, I need to work hard on working. And on being consistent.
Let's go!
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Over and out!
👋
- SG / 25 Jul 2022 / Mumbai