Lessons from the South

I am writing this from Pennington gap, VA. For the record, I have learnt all the 50 US states, their capitals and their state codes. I am not entirely sure how this will change my life, but at the moment, it felt like knowing all this was mighty important, so I did it. Something more important I learnt in this process was that I am still capable of learning new stuff, and the tricks used to help kids learn stuff apply to adults too. First, be convinced that you need to learn that which you are learning. Second, no harm in turning it into a game! Third, no harm in fantasizing about defeating others at it!

Anyway, those are not the lessons I am talking about. These are:

1. travel light. Ok, I agree that anyone who has gone anywhere ever even once in his/ her life should know this by now, but it took be a zillion trips and 24 years to really learn this. I will remember this trip as my lightest trip. This is the first time ever in my life that I have travelled without any book on me. I had two magazines which weren't heavy at all, but no books, none what so ever (nice change from the usual 60 books I love to carry). Here's something I should remember for life: When on a trip, look around, observe, understand, pick up a new word, take pictures, don't bury yourself in books. It's bad enough you have to do that for a living!

2. be yourself. Again, same old, same old advice. Again, I am sorry, took me a while to get it! Bottomline, irrespective of what goes on around you, be yourself! Don't be shy to voice your opinion, ask questions, throw a fit or whatever it takes to be yourself at that moment. That's how you'll learn about others and others will learn about you. How is pretending to be someone you are not going to help anyone in this world? Maybe if you work for the CIA or the KGP or whatever, this may not hold or you never know, it just may :)

3. travel a new path. Even if it is to the same old place, take a new road, open up your mind a bit. You may just land upon a new flower, a new leaf, a new you! Go out somewhere little far every two months. Work will take care of itself. Meetings happen every week and not just once! Go out and see the world, there is a lot of it out there and it may not be there forever.

4. sleep for 7 hours a day, make use of each and every minute of the remaining 17 hours, 10 for work (only the boring work for more than 10 hours a day, only the dull accomplish only 10 hours of work in 10 hours, the lazy just die young irrespective of when they die), 4 to take care of your body, 3 to develop your mind (hmm this one is kinda random :D)

5. believe in yourself, you are not stupid, you are not boring, you are not ugly, you are just fine as is everyone else, move on with your life, do something interesting, something new, something exciting, get on TV before you get wrinkles!! What are you waiting for! Don't waste time in trivialities, other people's opinions etc., life is too important to be wasted on all this.

6. Watch the news, read magazines, know the world around yourself, lest you be surprised when you clash with it tomorrow.

7. Know when its time to stop writing the blog and watch TV :)

Get up from ur ass and go out!

The world is yours!