SAST Wingees

Turn and walk the other way

This post is actually more a question than a blog, a very long one :-).  But the answer(s) and its possibilities in life are really exciting. Past one year has been a period of abundant excitement for me in all areas of life. Many of the moments or experiences were actually got by me turning and walking the other way. These have not just changed but transformed my life. The key word is transformed because with transformation you really can’t go back to your old state even if you wanted. It is like milk becoming curd it transforms.

We have the usual/time-tested way that we tread daily. We do wha we do from the past experiences got either implicit or explicit.Once we are on a path we are 100% sure that the path we choose is the path. These are clearly only those about stuff/methods with which I did not have an iota of doubt about its validity/efficiency. About methods which I have doubts I anyway seek counsel so let us ignore them for this discussion. So when I am on this path which I am sure about that “It is the best way” something happens. That something causes me to turn and walk the other way in the exact opposite direction. This method will be tangential to the “Sure shot” way. The opposite methods have given me results which are not just 2 or 3 times better but exponential returns. The results are beyond by imagination.

Let me start with a very simple experience. This was thanks to the power cuts that happen in Chennai, which incidentally is a proof by itself. So “being without power” actually made me realize this fact :-). One of the nights I was climbing down the stairs with my elderly parents. My 8 year old son Gautam was holding the torch in hand and showing the way. I kept shouting at him – “Gautam don’t play with torch point it at the feet of your grandparents and keep moving quickly so both my parents can see the footsteps”. Then it happened. My son in his playful mood swung the torch and pointed it at the ceiling of the stairs than pointing towards the floor. Instantly the magic, the entire stairs was filled with a sublime light that was more than enough for all to see not just the steps but entire area. By pointing the torch the other way than normal now a lot more can benefit from the same source of light. I agree that this in the context of a closed space and will not work in open spaces.

Let me give a few more snippets of other experiences which I can expand in future posts

• While riding a motorbike using the rear brakes is considered the best way to stop. I went to bike riding class which actually taught me the exact opposite. Use only the front brakes and don’t ever touch the back brakes. It is true front braking is actually the most efficient and stable way to break on a motorbike. My riding has never been the same after that even when I not riding on tracks.
• This one is a real weird one. When I reduce my talking and let go of the urge to make a point, the communications work much better. I end up not only communicating the point but go much beyond even connecting to the other person at times.

The next two experiences probably I could write a book 🙂

• .The way to not experience pain is to experience it completely.
•  When I decide to put less effort or let us say rationed effort I actually get better results.

This leads me to the real question or actually questions

1. How many more are there to be discovered? ( I am salivating at the possibilities..:-) )
2. How would the world be using them ( I get goose pimples thinking about it )
3. How do I make them happen at will and with intent?

This is not easy because I am talking only about things which I am “100% sure” is the only way to do it. 🙂

The above also reminded me of Socrates telling that “Beware the barrenness of a busy life” ,   which hampers us in a strange manner.