Rant – Page 4

The Daily Grind – 2725 – 160718

As I write this, its 11 PM and this little voice in my head says that If I can write AND publish today, I can win the world! Why? Because I am not really in the best of moods. And its like the longest day ever. And the day’s todo list is one-mile long.

Plus unlike last time around where I would cheat by writing after midnight and count it as post for the previous day, I dont want to do it this time around. Why not? Because I want to see if I push myself, what all am I capable of doing. And thus the “win the world” quip.

So I am not sure what to write about. The entire world is gaga about this thing called Sacred Games on Netflix. If you dont know about it, go read it on… Wait. Dont do anything. Stop reading this post and close the laptop and jump out of the window. You get the drift?

And like everyone, I am watching Sacred Games and I am on the 6th episode and unlike the world, I cant seem to find the reason why the world is so enamoured by it. I mean everyone I know, including their neighbours and pets and all that seem to be hooked to it. Hooked as in its a 8 episode thing and most people saw it in one sitting. Thats like 8 hours of violence, blood, gore. And its 8 hours of a story that I think fails to hold me interested. Ok, wait. I am getting in the review zone. That’s for TRS to do and me to observe.

Moving onto the next thing (one eye at the watch – its 1147). Irrespective of what I am typing and where I am in the narrative, I will hit publish at 11:59. Unless I get in the zone. You know that zone? When you are in flow and time seems to stop! Read more about it here.

The other thing that happened today was that it dawned onto me that all the investments that I am making in various projects, they may not be the best way to do! Its 1154 and time may not be enough to rant about this – will probably do so in the post tomorrow. Unless I find something better to write about.

Chalo thats about it. Not a thousand words. But a legit post nonetheless. Over and out.

On relationships, work and meaning

Wrote this a few weeks back on an email and on Medium. Republishing it here.

As I type this, I am in Dubai! In case you did not know, I am taking a break from life and work and all that and trying to discover myself. No, I am not killing myself or anything. This is an attempt to #bebetter. More is on this blogpost. Also, at C4 Events, we have a new project about postcards. Read about it here. Do lemme know if you want postcards from Dubai.

Anyhow so the point of this post is relationships and work.

The day before I left for this detox of sorts, I was talking to a colleague and was telling her that most modern relationships are actually based on convenience and not on real, deep sense of belonging. Of course she was aghast and all that. I don’t blame her. This a tough one. Counterintuitive to everything that we’ve been taught — especially in India where we are willing to kill and get killed for family, community, honor etc.

I believe that these relationships merely allow you to domesticate and stay in safe havens. If you have to go in deep waters and take risks and do amazing things, you HAVE to leave the comfort behind. And create (or forge or explore) relationships with strangers.

My point was that we ought to invest more into relationships that are built on top of work (or while working). And work not as in work that a bank teller does or a credit card salesman does (of course both are important and are tough and have dignity and all that) but work that makes us push the limits. The creative work.

So, in between the “argument” she asked me to give my theory of what makes relationships tick. I said that the deepest and the most meaningful relationships are the ones that are created around creating amazing things. In other words, if you can figure out ways to work together with great people, find synergies, find comfort in those people, it creates a fascinating relationship. And creates great work.

This seemed to make sense to her. And to me. And we left it at that and moved onto other things.

And then, something funny happened. I was checking my email in the morning and I stumbled onto this in my inbox…

The subtitle caught my attention and I had to click on it!

So I ended up at https://creativemornings.com/talks/christina-amini/1 and heard Christina Amini talk about how authentic relationships enable awesome projects and how awesome projects allow us to develop authentic relationships. Exactly what I was trying to tell my colleague the day before!

Do see the video if you have 25 odd minutes.

Disclaimer. The story (and the video), while is illuminating (and inspiring), is heartbreaking. You may not want to see it first thing in the morning. Or may be you want to see it, to remind you of the frivolity and shortness of life. A fear that pushes me to do more!

So, here are the key highlights that I am taking away from the talk (to help me reinforce my assertions about relationships rooted in work tend to be stronger, better and deeper). This following list is NOT a verbatim summary of the video. It also includes my thoughts as I saw the video.

Most creative work requires you to have immense faith and inherent trust in the other person (or people).
You have long-term thingy at the back of your head. This means you automatically start investing more (we all “know” that long-term success requires patience and honesty and openness).
When you work together, your conversations are about trying to solve problems (and not about what is Taimur upto or what is the new costume on Ranveer Singh etc). When you try to solve problems, you are often thinking as a team (and not as individuals). You start thinking about strengths of the other person — which automatically make you look for goodness in them.
When you work together, you are often vulnerable (you dont know how would audience receive a certain thing, you probably get stuck and seek help) etc etc. And when you are vulnerable, you open up. You start to share things that you’d normally keep buried in your hearts. And often when you solve problems when you are vulnerable, the answers that you come up with to solve the problems are the ones that often resolve the vulnerability. And when you get the resolution to your vulnerability AND to the problem you are facing, Eureka probably happens!
Because what you create makes meaning and is often larger than you, your teammates or your team, you have this shared sense of purpose. And achievement.
Most “creative” things require love. And that means you put in your heart and soul and all that to be able to create output. And when you work with someone who is also putting in the heart and soul and is creating a piece of love, you create magic! And the very process of creating magic makes the relationship, well, magical!

Apart from these direct inferences and thoughts from the talk, the other takeaway from this talk is when the lady says, “I will do anything with Susan!” This is something that I’ve been trying to be subconsciously. When I become available in market for new work etc, people HAVE to say that they’d do anything with me! Do they say the same about you?

Thats about it. What’s your take on relationships?

Thank you!

PS: This is a slightly edited version of an email that I send to select friends. Please do let me know if you wish to subscribe.

PPS: First posted here.

QnA with self.

So, on May 07, I went for a walk and I was like on the top of the fucking world. Its been three, four days since I went. Not that I dont want to. I really want to. There is all the intent in the world. What is lacking is the ability. Despite putting multiple alarms and all that, I am unable to wake up on time.

Why not? Is waking up hard? Arent you a morning person?
Thing is waking up has never been a problem for me – I can get by with very little sleep. May be its the age. That its tougher to wake up after you’ve had a night out.

And why would you have a night out when you are committed to fitness!
Because there are things to be done that are often tough to do during the day!

And what are those things?
Meeting people. I anyway dont meet people that dont add anything to my life. But there are people that I really care for and in case they want to meet, I have to do my bit. And unlike me they don’t really have control over their time and thus they can only meet post work.

Plus as I grow the business, I have to meet more people – hoping to learn new things, find contacts, explore things that I am not in the know of etc etc. And when you meet someone for the first time, thanks to our societal conditioning, we dont really “impose” our whims on others. While you are your authentic self, you try to meet at a common ground and establish a rapport. Its a transaction and its tough.

Ok three things. You have control over your time? Whats authenticity? Grow business?
Control over time as in that most days I can choose what I want to work on that day. Of course there are client meetings and things to do and places to be. In most cases I can choose these. I’ve built my life like that. And of course I’ve been terribly lucky! You know I dont have that strict 9 to 5 kind of a schedule (while I impose one on myself – I like the discipline) that most others have.

Grow business. You dint know? I am committed to be a dollar millionaire by end of FY18-19. Also I think this is the first time I am articulating this. Have around 10 months to make it happen. Lets see. Do wish me luck.

And authenticity? If there is one business jargon I can make myself understand and use more and more, it is authenticity. It essentially is a combination of your personality, consistency and your deeds. For example, if I say that I love criticism and when someone criticises me, I balk, I am NOT being authentic. You get the drift?

Wow. Thats nice. All the best! Coming back. To running. You sound like yet another AFC – lot of talk, no action. Whats the plan?
Well, the plan is to show up. Try everyday till I succeed. The plan is to do 21 days on the trot. Right now, the longest streak is about 3 days. Need to take it up to 21 And then I think I’ll be sorted.

And no, 21 days is NOT habit forming. The real number I think is 66. I mean the jury is out there. I want to take the tough road. 66 it is. 666 for all I care. Right now, I want to do three weeks. And then may be more.

Ok. Good luck with it. Can I ask you for another favor?
Shoot.

How about writing? You know, since I know you well, you sort of enjoy writing. You like the process. And you know that writing helps you connect with more people and makes an impact and a difference and all that.
Ok, I know what you are saying. I will try. Thing is, its about prioritising and saying no. I want to get rich. Its that simple. So, anything that helps me make money, I want to do that and anything that stops me from that, I want to skip. I dont think writing allows me to make money.

Doesnt it? Writing opens doors and gives you access to people. And people are what get things done!
Dont get me started on people. I know I’ve been lucky but I dont have what it takes to forge deep relationships. Ok I am ranting. Next question.

Fair. And while you are chasing money, what about an enriched life? I mean you could have all the money in the world but if you dont have anyone to share it with, what’s the point?
Dude! You dont know me. Remember that unlike the creative ones that come naturally talented, I am the odd one out. I do NOT have a single skill that can be monetised. And neither do I have access to anyone that help me monetise their talent (and allow me to make money in the process).

So, this means that I need to work hard, hustle and do more than anyone else.

I can choose an enriched life. Or I can choose a life of riches. No points for guessing the one I am picking.

Uh ok. If you insist.
No man. I mean it. The world we live in, there is no meaning if you dont have a life of abundance. Of course poor people are happy and they are content with a life of constraints. I just have one question for them. Whatever they are doing, will they not do it better, faster, easier and all that if they had more money?

Money does not buy you happiness but it enables you to do things that give you happiness.

A simple case in point is my control over my time. I can control over large part of my time and I can thus do a lot of things that a lot of my people cant do. Extrapolate this. If I could control every living second, imagine the impact I could have! Imagine the, what is the word you used? Enriched? Imagine how enriched would that life be when you have things in abundance!

Ok. To be honest, I think I’ve lost you there. And since I am your alter ego, you need to know that I’ve lost interest. I need to move on. Before I go, can you promise to write everyday? Even if its crap. Can you just publish? PLEASE?
Arey yaar!

Ok I will try. Promise. And I promise that I will go run!

Tomorrow?
Yes!

Thank you!
Thank you!

The Itch. Dubai 2018, Day 12 and 13

The unthinkable has happened. I did not write yesterday.

That means that 10ish day streak I was on has been broken. Ok, let me not be harsh on myself and get on with the post. I’ll just combine the two days. Big deal.

The theme for the day is reflection on the trip. I came here on the 12th (I think). Today is 26th. So I should be on 15th post. Ok, I did not post for the 12th. And this post technically is a reflection on the day gone by. So, 12 is ok. So its been 14 days and I have 2 more days to go.

More than anything else, I have a confession to make. I want to go back (home?). Enough of this sitting around. And thinking. And mental masturbation.

I am NOT made for thinking. I am a doer. The kinds that shoots from the hip. The one that acts first and then thinks.

So, while the trip has been worth it and interesting and I will do this again and again (at least twice every year, if not once a quarter), I think I am done. I am rearing for action. The kinds that makes me so busy that it does not allow me to think. I ~~need~~ have to go back. May be this is what recharging the batteries is all about? Maybe. Maybe not. Right now, I just want to go back and get moving with things.

The point is, BRING IT ON, Universe!

Saurabh Garg
26 April 2018
Dubai

P.S.: This does not really classify as a post per se. Too small for that. But then thats all I had to say. And I havent done anything substantial in the last couple of days. I’ve just been meeting people and they’ve been talking about various opportunities that are available in this region. And they’ve been talking about issues with the region.

The list of things that I was supposed to do while in Dubai remains unfinished. Not because I did not have time or place. But because I did not work. Simple. I will work on them once am back. I at least know how to work better. I did learn the act of focus (for 2-3 days) when I switched off mobile data (its that simple). By nature I am fickle and have the attention of a Gold Fish and thus need to shut all the external stimuli. #note2self!

P.P.S.: Next time I go for a ~~holiday~~ break like this, I will live (and work) at a Roam. I dont know if they are expensive but I know that I would love to have things managed for me.

P.P.P.S.: Oh the one thing that I’ve loved about this place is all the cosmopolitan exposure that this place gives you. I need to write on this. May be tomorrow. Till then, over and out.

P.P.P.P.S.: Now that I’ve been jobless for a bit, I do not understand the ones that do nothing and just sit around. It must be such a terrible way to live life? Any first hand experiences?

Untitled. Dubai 2018, Day 11

Back again. For a change, I dont have much to write about. You see, for a change I was busy working. And means I did not have time to observe things Or think of things. The kind of life that I love. If you take away work from my life, I dont know what I’d do 🙁

Anyhow, the day was pretty ok. I got one HUGE thing ticked off my to-think list. I mean its still WIP but I have made considerable progress on it. If that clicks, the trip would’ve paid for itself. Wish me luck!

The other thing I need to capture is that I ate a large lunch! That meant I was feeling bloated for a few hours. Need to listen to my body lot more. I did compensate by not eating a big dinner. And because I was this irregular, I ended up eating some toast and jam late night. I sinned. Twice over. A, I ate carbs. And B, I ate em at night. Not cool at all.

I think I am beginning to get into a rhythm with eating less and abstaining from eating things that dont add up. I just need to augment this with more water and some exercise. As a next step, I need to read more on longevity and make changes in my environment that help me reach my fitness and health goals (and what are those? Live healthy till I am atleast 120. And why would you want to live that ~~long~~ short? Well, I can write a book on it! Lets drop it for the time being).

Continuing with the food thread, among other things that I discovered on this trip, two things will probably top the list. A, roasted almonds. And B, peanut butter. Since I am trying Keto and IF at the same time (failing at Keto, blame it on Dubai), I am trying to cut all carbs from my system. This means that I am left with proteins and fats and peanut butter is a great option. And I am loving the taste. And the convenience. Remember I kept saying I’d pop a pill if it gave me my nutrition? Well this is it! Pill. In the shape of almonds and peanut butter. Damn this is making me hungry as I write this.

And what do I love about them? Among other things, the crunch! See, I’ve always loved crunch. Look at my addiction to Papad (I refuse to call it Papadum – the fuck is that? Its Papad!).

So yeah. This is about it for Day 11. Onward to 12.

Saurabh Garg
23 April 2018
Dubai

Back of inane-ness. Dubai 2018, Day 10

So, the day.

I would’ve slept for like 8 hours yesterday. And when I woke up, I was not really fresh and all that but was groggy. I think the ideal hours for me is probably 6. I need to discover this. #note2self: find out the optimal sleep thing.

Thanks to the whack in the head while I was writing post for day 9, I finished reading Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing. I am glad that I read this book. If you are a writer, you HAVE to read the book. I know that I will add this to my like of Superbooks and will go back to it again and again. Next book that I am going to read is Murakami on running. I’ve read this earlier but I think I will revisit this.

***

So, today I want to talk about the kindness of pseudo-strangers. Pseudo-strangers because while there is common thread, common background, I dont really know them.

Since I’ve come here, apart from not working, I’ve tried to keep myself busy by meeting people that I’ve known from previous life (MDI etc.). And I am surprised at the reception I’ve got. Each person I’ve met has been kind. They gave me their time, their homes and most importantly, their respect. Something that I am not used to – considering I am not really a big deal and all I do is events.

I think living in a different country does that you. You are so far from home that any thread, anything that connects you back to your roots, you welcome that. Each person I met had a connection to me – MDI, friends of friends etc.

#note2self: How about a business that takes advantage of this pining for home?

Lemme talk about one person in specific. The dude am living with here. We grew up together in a lower-middle class part of Delhi. And he is a Punjabi that went to shadiest schools possible. Not because his parents couldnt afford the school but because he wasnt the kinds to study – so why waste money? Fast forward to 2018. Today, he manages a business in Dubai that has about 20 full-time employees. And has some 250 clients – most of them firangs. Lemme recap. A Punjabi from Delhi can manage firangs and employees from 5 nationalities.

And how’s he able to do this? He got thrown into the deep end of the pool – Dubai in this case – and came out on top. When was the last time I threw myself into a deep pool? While he was in India, he was one of those resourceful, hardworking and funny kinds. In India, he lived in comfort, with his parents. At Dubai, he’s had to figure out things for himself. And that figuring out probably made the man he’s become. Dubai has been his coming of age.

I know for a fact that I need to come of age. I need to grow up. And I cant seem to find a way to do so. Do I need a jolt like that? Will it make sense to change countries? Change career? P.S.: This is the third trigger that I can remember (first one was Jan Chipchase’s newsletter, second is all these friends that are moving to Canada / Australia etc.).

May be I will. If things dont work out by end of this year, I promise I will.

Adding this to my Asana (link here). And is this how seeds are planted in your head? You think of something. You write it down. And you start thinking about it. Letting it simmer in your head. Till the raw ingredients turn into this gravy that you can resist? And to a point where you are so consumed by the idea that you cant think of anything but that. That idea.

The other thing that I realised while I am here is that entropy is such a strong phenomenon. Ok, wait. Entropy for me does not mean the thermodynamics one. But the one where it means “a gradual decline into disorder.”

My interpretation is that if left to itself, most systems will reduce themselves into ashes. They will move towards the path of least resistance and stop striving. Most people will not want to work. They will become sloths. Easier way to explain? A man will do whatever it takes to NOT think about things. Find excuses – AC is not working, my head hurts, there is a monster under my bed, I am menstruating (dont kill me for this – I know of women who work harder when they are in obvious distress), I hurt my foot, I am sleepy, tired, my parents need me etc.

The same person, in same breath, with all the issues plaguing his existence will be happy to switch on Netflix and chug onto some beer. No? I bet my ass they will.

You see deep work is hard. Wait. Deep thinking is harder. And to find examples of people shunning this deep thinking work, I dont have to go far. I am a living testimony. I am supposed to think hard about how to position C4E as a business. And I am doing anything but that. I am trying to not think and I am filling my time with blogs, books, ideas, thoughts and mental masturbation.

Just struck me. I somehow have all the time in the world. I mean I have this bed that I wake up from. I get ready in about 20 minutes. There is no breakfast (trying IF) and then I walk to the local Starbucks (20 minutes walk) and by 8:30 I am on my computer. Working. Or pretending to work. Or whatever. I am done by 1. I go back. Sleep for an hour. Restart work at 2. And then I am done by 7ish. And then I have time to go for walks, gym etc (which I dont do). There is no one trying to get your attention. There is hardly any pesky meetings that will take forever to conduct. You are by yourself. If I had the talents of a solopreneur, I promise I would have moved to fucking Thane and probably beyond – air would’ve been cleaner, life would be slower and I’d get lot more done. Maybe I should. It wont be that bad (if I can get maker-manager going).

The point is, if things are managed for you (making bed, cleaning etc), you can be lot more productive. Maybe once I am go back, I need to put this in motion? Spend money to manage things so that I have all the time for myself?

Also, the maker-manager thing brings another thought to head. For context, maker-manager (thanks Paul Graham) says that you divide your week into working days (where you create things) and meeting days (where you manage others, do meetings etc). My addition to this is that you keep a tab on every chunk of 10 mins (probably learned this from Tim Urban). And you get anal about how you spend it. Every minute that you are up, you ought to spend on things that move you ahead. And you need to be ruthless about things that dont add up, or push you ahead.

Which essentially makes life boring, predictable and well, drab. I mean is this how life is supposed to be? This mechanical? I am not sure if all those businessmen (Neeraj Kanwar comes to mind) live drab lives. I am not sure all those filmstars have boring lives. Or may I dont see the grind that they go through to be able to enjoy life? Maybe we just see a fraction of a fraction of their life (when they are dressed well and are hobnobbing with other celebrities or posting those fabulous pics on Instagram)?

And assuming you slog it out over the next 5 years, make that billion dollars. Then what? I mean you’d probably be conditioned into thinking about work and work only. If you had all that money and all that clout what would you do?

I have an answer! Use that to try and change the world. Enable other people. Make lives better. And if not better, happier for sure. How? By being that jester!

***

Brings me to the last piece for the day. Guess who’s the easiest person to fool? The one who’s not as well read as you? The one who’s a simpleton? The one cant speak well?

Nah. The person easiest to fool is yourself. Dont know who said this but as I grow up, I am realising how true this is! I’ve been fooling myself for sure. For way too long. Into thinking that I am working hard. But maybe I am not. Maybe I am merely pushing paper? Need to think Mr. Garg. 6 5 days to go. And as they say, if not now, when?

***

Oh, I said yesterday that I am done with Coke. Yet I had 2. And as I write this, I am on to the third one. Sigh. Is there a way out? Help me!!

Saurabh Garg
23 April 2018
Dubai

P.S.: These posts are sounding lot more like meditations.

Hah, you wish!
Of course! Like Marcus, I am on this quest to learn more things all the time. AND improve myself! Not just in one chosen vocation. But as an individual.

And why do you want to do that?
Well, remember what Joker said? I am like that dog thats chasing a car. He just loves the chase. He wont know what to do with it, if he catches is. So, I am merely chasing a better me. I dont know what I’d do once am there. May be I will once I reach there?

The day when it started to come together. Dubai 2018, Day 09

So finally I got a good solid day of work done. Yay to that.

I walked some, I thought some, I wrote some and I did catch up on that cat nap as well!

Perfect! Save for meditation and reading.

I ate well, I think (I had almonds and peanut butter for lunch and egg curry for dinner – closet to keto. If not keto, low carb for sure). I slept at 11 and I woke up at 7. 8 hours of sleep (which I think is way too much for me – considering how groggy I am since morning).

And how did all this happen? I switched off the mobile data (I kept the radio on – so people could call / sms me). And since no one calls anyone anymore, I had no access to anything that could distract me!

Brings me to the revelation of the day…

The Mobile Phone Dependence

Lemme give context. When the phone data was off, I was trying to engross myself in work and failing at it. I was restless af. Side note. Do read about this fascinating study on Marshmallows (as Indians, we probably dont know what this is).

I couldn’t focus, couldn’t concentrate and was super restless as if something important’s been taken away from me! I dont know how the fishes feels when you take em out of water (apparently the fishes are, well, dying to get back into the water!). I was dying to switch on the data and get back to the world where I had a thousand WA groups and messages vying for attention. Damn right I was.

You see, the phone was in my arms reach. Around me, I could see and hear people busy on their respective phones. And my phone on the other hand was a dud device. I mean the radio was on and I could’ve called whoever I wanted to. Or whoever wanted to speak to me could call me. But I dint want to call up one single person (I did make phone calls back home and to a couple of more people). Neither did I have anyone calling me. So lesson – you are not as important as you think. Life moves on. You are not wanted by anyone.

I am sure you’ve experienced the same. When we are on the planes. You know when you are forced to switch off the phone? But the thing is, when on a plane you know that you are on a flight and the phones cant work in the flights and all that. Plus you know that once you touchdown, the phones will be back online. And you will be back online.

But this was unlike the plane. My phone was working. Just that the data wasnt. I knew all it would take is a flick of a button. It was tough 3 hours. Excruciating. Was tough to endure. But hey, I dint die. You know that already. Dont you? Lesson? ~~You~~ I can survive without constant connectivity and next time I take a break, I need to have radio silence!

So, I think I am going to observe a day of data silence every week. Of course I will still have SMS and I will have access to phone calls. But all the things that trigger the dopamine will no longer be active. Lets see if I can do it. Sundays could be a good idea. And that is the day when I could get some writing done? Ok stop day dreaming.

P.S.: As I write this, its day 2 of switching off the data on my phone. And tbh, I am itching to go online and check on my whatsapp and twitter and instagram and all those apps. Thankfully I dont use Facebook much, so thats a relief.

On Coke
The other thing, I think I am done with the idea and concept of Coke. Or Diet Coke.

I realised that I dont really love the taste. Its just that I love to sip on to something all the time and I am not really fond of tasteless things (water). I dont like the taste of tea and I hate the milk in coffee. Plus lemon is probably the worst thing EVER invented! So, the only thing I was left with, to consume, was the Coke!

I need to find an alternative. Flavoured water wont cut it – its way too many crabs and sugar for someone who wants to transform his life into a healthier and fitter version of self. Alternatives anyone?

On reading and meditation
As the trip is nearing the end (not really nearing but there are less days to go compared to days I’ve been here), if I were to do an objective analysis, the trip hasnt had the best outcome. I mean I did think about things and it was interesting to live in a new country without an agenda (no tourism, no soaking in the culture or the sights etc etc). Just that I had specific things that I wanted to achieve while I was here. I wanted to get fitter (eat better, meditate, run / jog etc.), inculcate better habits (re-start reading, writing etc). I had to decide on where life was gonna go from here on (like I said, all is good but nothing is amazing; journey is good, rewards are good but not great) and how do make this life a great adventure. The list of things to do, on my Asana ran into 14 pages. I kid you not.

And I’ve made very little progress on most things. Of course there is time left. There is one whole week and things have started to fall in place since yesterday. I can probably hustle up and work harder and get to those things in place. None of them require a build up, like fitness does or like reading does. I mean I cant do a million crunches and get those abs. I can on the other hand sit for long hours and say, craft that personal mission statement that I’ve wanted to. You may argue that if I sit for long, my efficiency and thought process will go for a toss etc. Overruled, as a judge would say. The thing that I havent worked on and I think I should’ve was, meditation. And reading.

Meditation. The idea was that I had to build up a practise while I was here. The same practise could’ve continued and made me a calmer, better person. But I dint do shit about it.

Note2Self 2: Meditation probably takes about 20 mins. Why cant you do this today? Its just 11 AM and maybe you can do this before you start the next session, once you are back at the hotel?

Reading. I carried a few books with me when I came here (Bradbury, Murakami on writing and running, Checklist Manifesto, Longevity Diet, Creativity Inc and more). I did read some chapters of Bradbury but that was that.

I can decide today that I am going to read 100 pages everyday, at about 2 mins per page, I will need just about 3 hours to do this. Can I do this, I am sure. Will I do this? I dont know.

So there. To sum things, its been an interesting ride. Just that I need to pull up my socks as I come to the fag end. I know that once am back home, I am facing the same drudgery and predictable life. And a life where I have my people and my things.

Epiphany: I’ve shunned people all my life and what’s making me call India home? People! Need to think more, Mr. Garg.

So yeah, that’s about it for the day. See you guys tomorrow.

Note2Self: I could’ve done all this and probably more while I was back home. I dint have to spend time and money on this.

Saurabh Garg
22 April 2018
Dubai

The inane 2. Dubai 2018, Day 08

Few things happened yesterday. No, none of them was special. They were inane again. This word inane is a repeating theme. Need to work on this. So, I had a day very similar to one yesterday. I ate, I slept, I did some work. I met friends. And I slept again.

So, another inane day. Which is ok. I am not here chasing excitement.

However a few things need to be mentioned.

1.
A friend sent me this (the image on the left. Hope it loads). This is a screenshot from a post on this blog.

I need to clarify. To her. To others. And to myself!

When I use “full-time help, a girlfriend or an EA” in the same sentence, I do not mean to demean any of those. Each has a function and a role to play.

A help means someone who is paid to look after me. And I use help s a gender-neutral word.

A girlfriend means someone who is invested in my success and eggs me on and makes me better and is a partner in this amazing thing called life. Someone who stands by me when I rise up and is there to cradle me when I fall down. Someone who understands that I dont have the luxury of weekends (I am on a mission after all). And someone who’d love when I can steal time and ask her out for a tea in the middle of the night.

A girlfriend is NOT a help. And that does not make anyone small.

An EA means someone who controls how I spend my time when I work. No, this does not mean a glorified help. This means that an EA is someone who accelerates my work. More about the role of an EA is here.

These three were used in the same sentence because I feel the void of these three profiles in my life. And no, I am not trying to have just one person fill that in. So, yeah, I did not want to hurt anyone’s sensibilities. I am not the one to be derogatory about others (except when they dont work – irrespective of their age, gender, race, color, sexual orientation etc).

I want to blame it on my limited capability with the English language. But I think apologies are in order. I am sorry. Sincerely am.

2.
I saw this Will Smith video today while walking to a Starbucks. And he talks about his experience with Sky Diving. Where? In Dubai! Wow! If thats not a sign, what is? Also in the talk he talks about conquering your fear. The lesson am taking from this is that I need to do things that scare me. He says, “forget security, live for experience.”

The start I think is accepting the things that I am scared of. And then probably conquering them? Anyhow here’s a list of top few things that I am scared of.

Rejection
Poverty
Old age
Stray dogs (because I got bit by one and since then I havent found a way to get hospitable to the creature. In fact I dont goto places that have dogs. I find the animal unpredictable and irrational and I have no way to control the behavior. Or the outcome. Much like kids. Yeah I am not too found of em either)
Medical science (everytime I go to a hospital, I am fucked in the head)

This is ofcourse an incomplete list. Need to make a more exhaustive list. #note2Self – upload the list here.

3.
At Starbucks, I found money. Second time on this trip (first). Wow! Hope this is a sign. I really want to be fooled by randomness into believing that I am getting rich. After all, beliefs breed thoughts, that turn into work and then into action and they eventually manifest as reality!

4.
Today on, I am switching off data on my phone. That means am trying to get closer to radio silence (where I dont have access to social networks etc). The plan was to not have access to data while I was on this trip. I couldnt do much about it as I needed connectivity and phones in Dubai are super expensive. So to save money, I had to get a simcard!

So I failed. And how. Not cool Mr. Garg.

I have enough of fun and frolic and all that over the last few days. Now, till I go back to India, I shall observe a radio silence (may be use it once a day to catch up on important things). So, moment I hit the publish button, I will switch off data. If you want to reach me, you know how to. Try not to. Just a week more to go. Help me please 🙂

5.
The hernia I think is back. The balls hurt as I walk for long hours. I need to go see a doc once I am back in India. That means I need to stop whatever forced walking that I was indulging in. Running is of course out of question. In fact I noticed the pain when I had just finished the first run. The only variables that had changed were that I had gone running. And I’ve been erratic with my diet (I am on and off Keto, eating a lot of fat and less carbs in general). Dont think the diet is to blame. May be because I am drinking less water? I am not sure. I need to go see a doc once am back in Mumbai.

6.
I have restarted with Evernote. I dont know why. It just looked like a better way to manage notes than than the notes app and Google Docs. While I can link and use great search from Google, somehow, Evernote is a far better experience. Lets see how long does this last.

***

So yeah! Thats about for the day. Hope you have a good day. Hope I have a good day. Its just 8 AM here. Apart from changing the hotel and going shopping (for friends and family), dont have anything on the agenda.

Saurabh Garg
21 April 2018
Dubai

P.S.: In the posts that I’ve written, I talk about the previous day and I put the date of the day gone by. Not cool. So today on, changing it.

The inane. Dubai 2018, Day 07

I dont have too many things to report for today. I did nothing special. Just stayed at the hotel, got some things done, met a couple of people – one was super inspiring and one not so inspiring and slept like a log.

In fact this trip is turning out into this big holiday where I am meeting people and sleeping and eating. The things that I had expected to do, the thinking on large goals etc, are not happening. And since I am not working, I am not really happy about it. Thing is, I am the kinds that needs constant action!

A few things are clear though.

A. I do not have it in me to go to the gym on a regular basis. Or the treadmill. The most regular I’ve ever been was when I was doing Yoga. Maybe I will go back to that. Just that the teacher that I want to go to is way too far for my comfort. I may want to move houses but the part of Mumbai where the teacher lives and operates is kinda uncool. I am Bandra is probably the place that everyone wants to be at but I dont like it. #note2self: I was about to write “kinda not like it” and I wrote “dont like it”. I need to get more definite in my opinions. Also, I need to be solution oriented, rather than opinion oriented. So I dont like Bandra but what is the alternative?

B. I can control what I eat and when I eat (I’ve been reading about IF and it sounds like an interesting thing to do. I will probably club it with Keto and I am home). Of course I need to be able to run a marathon. Will have to find something that triggers the thing about running.

C. Can I covert notes from this trip into a travelogue? Say, People of Dubai? Instead of making their names public, I look at their profiles and write a 100-200 words profiles of them? And my interpretation of those? For example, I met this taxi driver from Pakistan who came to Dubai at the age of 15 and now claims to have 3 cars and a comfortable life. The ambition that drives him? Go back to Pakistan someday and pay for the piece of land that he grew up at. Or this girl from Philippines who came to Dubai about a year ago and fell in love with an Indian and had to learn how to eat dal and roti!

Sounds like a good idea. Who would read? May be attach a pic with each of these people? Lets see. If you are reading this and you want me to do this, tell me. Here is an invite. I am @saurabh on twitter.

The other option is that once am back home, I can reach out to expats in India and chat up with them about why did they choose to make India their home. It will help me learn so much!

The other thing is, do I want to take new projects? Dont I have my hands full with all the things? I do. But I am sure I can have these as a part of some business. Like this project that I just spoke about, could be a part of the culture project under AWSL that will evolve into a think-tank, a platform for doers.

Epiphany. For most of my projects, I need someone to help me. As a co-creator. And that is probably why I havent been able to do much?

D. One of the ideas of this trip was to disconnect from the world, hide in a cave and think. I’ve done anything but that. I have been on twitter, insta, phone and all the other places where you expect me to lurk at. I am doing all this under the garb of having access to things. But not cool. I will try from tonight on. Or tomorrow. Or something. Have just a week left to sort things.

***

So yeah. Thats about it for the day.

Oh and Dubai, it sucks that you dont have this rule where you could people free tap water at restaurants. Bottled water is way too expensive. Over and out.

Saurabh Garg
April 19, 2018
Dubai

Back to being good. Dubai 2018, Day 06

Finally a silver-lining. A day where I got some work done, ate right, went for a walk (on the treadmill), wrote, thought, met some people and got some office work done as well.

Well, well. This is what life is supposed to be. Just need to make some money (ok, LOT) and find people to spend that money with (I do have those people but they are FAR away). Lemme elaborate.

So, I am now in a hotel where little things are taken care of. Like breakfast. I am ok skipping it most times but when I am travelling and things are limited, I like the breakfast because thats the only time when things are predictable. Other times, when on a holiday, could go haywire and that means that I often need to compromise on what to eat and all that.

Lesson A. Just realised that so much of my life revolves around breakfast. I need to fix this. I should be able to go hungry for a few hours – I am not sure if I am suffering from a diabetes or something that makes me want to eat all the shit I eat. Or if its any psychological disorder that makes me fill my belly with food. Whatever it is, I need to fix it. I have to find ways to be able to go without food. And it not without food, I need to be able to do a 18-6 IF for sure. Its tough but I can manage. I did when I went for Vipassana way back in 2009.

So, like I said, I am at a hotel. I woke up on a nice bed (way too nice for my standards), in a room that was set to 22 degree. Perfect. Then I took a shower where the water actually, well, showered on me (and not trickled). And then the hotel am staying has a co-working spacish feel to it in one of the common areas (it’s actually a letswork). Went there. And wrote and worked. Then towards the evening I met an acquaintance. Got some more work done at a Starbucks. And then back to hotel. Where I went on the treadmill and cranked about 20 mins at 6 kmph. Ended with a light dinner with my friend and his girl.

As I edit this, I realise that most things I did are pretty inane but you know, I was craving for exactly this inaneness. I wanted a comfortable place that as fast internet, high ceilings, a table and a chair and no one to bug me if I sit for long hours. This hotel is exactly that. And more. There is a gym (yes I went to the gym, on the treadmill). There is a store that sells coke (for the craving). And there is that comfort that allows me to think. And like all places outside of India, staff is courteous and unobtrusive. Actually, I must say that people in general in Dubai have been better and better behaved than they are in India. They are professional, respect time and are generally hard working. Most of them, if you ask me are working out of fear (and not out of motivation). The fear of losing their jobs in an expensive country is a great fear. If I were here, I would have worked harder. Ok, am ranting. Back to the post.

Got this on WA a few days ago.

So, I like this feeling of niceness around me – the kinds that you get at informal hotels. Can I replicate this once I am back? I am anyway no hoarder (I dont have any bags) and I am happy living out os a suitcase. The thing to think on thus and Lesson B is, can I go and live at some serviced apartment once I am back in India?

I know it will be expensive and I dont have the money. But now that I’ve taken a resolve to improve my life, if I cant move into a serviced apartment complex, I am sure I can throw some money to make my house into a serviced apartment. May be a full-time help? May be a girlfriend? May be an EA. I am sure it can be done. One of the things that I am supposed to do is control my expenses (especially, the rent that I pay).

The other thing I want to talk about is the treadmill. I got onto a treadmill probably the second time in my life. The last time I used one, I think I was still in Delhi (so at least 4 years ago). And honestly, I dont recall what happened on that treadmill back then. So, on the treadmill, I did about 20 minutes yesterday. Compared to about 45 minutes that I was doing most days when the year started. Probably treadmills ARE boring (something that I’ve always suspected). I even put a Feynman video. It was super and yet it could not hold my attention. But then from the look of things, I probably will have to rely on a treadmill, more than on the road. And thus I need to train myself to live in a gym. Like those gym rats ;). Lesson C? For things like exercise and food, get flexible. To a point where you dont have to cheat.

So yeah, the thinking, the work has started to happen. Food is ok. Keto is not happening but I am on a lo-carb diet. Can pick up Keto once am back home. Things look ok. A big yay for that. Pat on the back.

The other thing that I’d want to add is that I need to read more. And start work on #book2. And meditate. These three were big on the agenda for this break. And I havent done anything about these.

Oh, one more thing. I found a one dirham coin under a sofa while I was talking to my sis on the phone. Why is this importnat? Because, I think its a sign! Thing is, when I was travelling for work when I was at Gravity, on each international trip, I’d always find some money on the road. Like the entire world was giving me a sign that you are gonna be rich. Literally every road was paved with gold! It became such a routine and I knew that I will find money lying around if I am travelling out of the country.

Last few trips (especially towards the time when I was quitting Gravity, I stopped finding these coins and notes). In fact I cant recall when was the last time I found one. Except yesterday. so, is that a sign? May be it is. May be it is not. Whatever. I just hope it was. And good things and rainbows and unicorns are all around the corner 🙂

That’s it for Day 06.

Saurabh Garg
April 18, 2018
Dubai

P.S.: No I am not going to any touristy spots. Two reasons. A, I’ve been to enough and I dont get fascinated anymore, unless there is a story attached to it. #note2Self: Why do I travel then? B, this trip is not leisure per se. I want to get some shit done and I cant afford to not do things. I am supposed to buy stuff for friends and family – I am yet to do that. When I goto do it, I will probably see whatever places I encounter. And oh, I will buy some postcards. You guys want some?

Untitled, Dubai 2018, Day 05

So I finally started work. 5 days after I came here (out of the 15 days I had for myself). But then, better late than never. I think checking into a hotel has helped matters. There is this definiteness about a hotel that you don’t get at a home – things are managed automatically (food, cleaning, laundry, maintenance etc) and they are generally impersonal. So all there is, is you and the work.

And you know what? I value these material things. I am not the ones to subscribe that doing dishes or buying grocery brings you closer. I think any shared experience can do that. I’d rather outsource these chores. When I work, I dont want to fret with the small stuff.

The day was pretty ok. I walked a lot, I said no a couple of times (even though I feel obligated to say yes), I ate healthy (except the dinner), I met a couple of people from MDI, picked their brains on what could be done with C4E, took out time to think and then checked into a hotel. And you know what, got access to a decent bed.

So, a few lessons am taking away from this day, and the experience are:

a. I like comfort. This is not new. Just that its getting reinforced with each experience. The takeaway is that I must seek comfort. Even if I have to pay for it, I must.

b. Saying no is not easy. It makes me sad. Social proof and need to belong and all that. Again, I’ve known this and its getting reinforced. The good part is that the benefits outweigh the agony (of disappointing people).

The other sad thing about this is that there is evident disappointment when you say no. And I think that with each disappointment, you push people away. At least I am pushing them far from me. I have seen that I’ve actually pushed people away so much that they dont even care about me anymore. Which, I think is ok. After all I am on a mission and everything and everyone that stops me from taking the shot at it can leave. The ones who really care will stay. They will be around. The ones who get offended, all the best!

c. I met VS and we had this longish chat about things. I asked him about what I should be doing in life. I laid out options as I see in front of me, so that I may reach my #lifeGoal (lists here and here)! To my mind, my approach was very simple. I looked at where I am. I looked at all the options in front of me. I listed the alternatives. I then put in place odds of success (and failure) for each. And, finally I wanted someone to listen to things and give me an opinion.

And instead of opinions, he had an interesting take. He said identify the right question to ask. The question I’d rather be asking is, what do I want to do in life. Well, its a tough one. I know what I want to do in life. I want to entertain and inspire. And how do I want to do this? I dont know. Whats the tangible? I dont know. If I knew, I’d be doing it already!

The next thing that he asked me to think on was, who do I want to be? The answer was simple. While I’ve wanted to be a Steve Jobs, a Bill Gates and an Elon Musk lately or a Jeff Bezoes, I am beginning to realise that I am not the kinds to be able to create things myself. I am willing to put skin in the game (read this thread) but I am not sure I am the kinds to run one thing meticulously. I am more of a big picture and vision guy. I am the kinds that likes to acquires a lot of ideas, know about things (and not know things), interact a lot and then let connections happen. Basically you are a socialite. I am not the kinds to go deep. But I am for sure a connector. And I am happy connecting people. And I love to give gyaan that is rooted deep into my experience and understanding of the world. Someone like Paul Graham or may be Ron!

Fuck! epiphany. I make connections and often leave at that. I need to be able to somehow make money from this! Of course without bastardizing the entire thing.

Now that I know what I want to be, he said, whats stopping you from becoming that? He said, what stops you from moving to SFO where all the action is and chase the pie? The rationalising mind kicked in and I thought of answers like family, friends etc. And while I was at, being the bastard VS is (in a good way), he asked me to book the ticket on the spot!

To further his perspective, before I could ponder on more rational things and get worried about money, he said money follows if you are on the right track. He gave me examples from his life and his work. It sounded inspiring – exactly how I want to be!

I was so tempted to take the advice and I almost did it! But then the pragmatic me won the race (or may be I got scared of it?) and I decided against it. May be I will take his advice once I have the conviction. I will atleast start working on it. Write to a few interesting companies and offer assistance.

Thats it from VS. I am so lucky to have him around!

d. Water. I love water. So much that I can drink it all the time. And here in Dubai, the concept of tap water is absent. There is bottled water and its expensive as fuck. So I am not drinking as much water as I would want to drink.

And because I am not drinking enough water, I think I am not being able to think well. I will tweak this tomorrow and figure out. Lets see.

***

So yeah, thats about it for the day. Over to tomorrow.

Saurabh Garg
April 17, 2018
Dubai

Anatomy of an ugly day, Dubai 2018, Day 04

If Day 3 was bad, Day 4 was ugly (read about the good and the bad). And ugly as in painful to the point where you want to die. I kid you not. I wanted to escape Dubai and go back home. Not to someone but home. A physical space (that even though is rented, I can call my own). And why home? Because I have my comfort zone there.

Lemme pause here.

I want to talk about three things today. My comfort (and the comfort zone), money and ~~attachment~~ detachment (conundrum).

A. Comfort Zone
Thanks to the day that has gone by, I now know the meaning of comfort zone. All my life when I’ve said that I’ve always stepped out of my comfort zone, I’ve merely pretended.

Now I know what is discomfort. Now I know what is pain. And I dont mean philosophically – I mean for real! Literal pain. Lemme elaborate.

When I say I am old, I mean it. I like my things in a certain manner and if there is even a slight deviation from things, I get fucked in the head. For example, when I dont get an AC I cant function. When someone speaks rudely to me, I get fucked for days, if not for weeks. I’d never survive with Fletcher (Whiplash). I would give up. I need my space and my time to be able to do great things. I may not be the gifted one but I want to be the one who worked the hardest and I dont need grief for it.

I am digressing. So I said I am someone who wants to live in comfort. This means I want things that are in working condition, clean, new, hygienic and all that.

This trip to Dubai, with all due respect to the friend who is hosting me, he is after all a bachelor, I haven’t found the conditions that I think are bare minimum for living. That means he is ok with things being unorganised. I on the other hand suffer from OCD and I get sleepless nights if all objects on the table are not aligned well. So I am not happy about the cleanliness and all that. Thing is, back home, labour is cheap and we have a million people to help on things and in Dubai, there are no maids and that means its a lot of work keep things maintained. And you cant expect someone living by himself to work hard for hours and then go back to cleaning things.

And no, I dont have the energy to fix it. If I were to spend my energy fussing over things like that, I was happy staying in India. At least the psycho maid gets shit done even if its too much effort. The point of being away from Mumbai was to not have anything that could potentially fuck my happiness. I think I need an assistant. Lol. Any applicants?

So, anyhow, to cut the long story short, I am finding it impossible to be in peace and thus, finding it impossible to think and all that.

As I write this, one voice in my head (don’t know which one – rationalising, patronising, the one that wants me to give up or any other) is asking me to rush to a hotel that is comfortable and offers a nice view and all that and just focus on the task at hand. The other side of me (again, I dont know which one is asking me to battle is out).

The third voice in my head is evaluating all this and telling me that I am such a fool to heed to these thoughts. Mark Zuckerberg is influencing public perception, Elon Musk is sending rockets to moon, Jeff is the richest man, Bill is eradicating diseases etc. And here I am, talking of comfort and all that.

The fourth voice is telling me that all those people have been able to do all of that because the basic needs are taken care of and while I may be old, I am still struggling to make ends meet!

You see, I am like the Ravana with multiple heads and multiple voices – each in sharp contrast to each other.

Coming back. So yeah, comfort is a challenge.

B. Money.
So, money is important and all that. And money is not important either.

Important: While money may not buy happiness (I dont agree to this – it may not be able to buy happiness, it can definitely make life more comfortable and comfortable life is very similar to a happy life).

Not important: I’ve always had this notion that the kind of money I have, if I save a large part of it, it will never add up to even a crore in the next 5 years! And the amount that I dont save can upgrade my lifestyle by a few notches. Its a battle between promise of a bank balance of a crore in the next 10 years. Or a better lifestyle for the time that I have right now.

I am thus better off spending that money and enjoying life.

So I think I can not let the limitness of money guide my decisions. So, for example, when I travel, I want to travel in luxury. I cant do backpacking or something. Lemme give a further example here. Some people say that a hotel is not important as you spend just the hours you sleep. I on the other hand want it to be nice because not being able to sleep fucks up the experience of the day.

So when I am not at home, I spend money like I own all the money in the world. To the point of being wasteful about it. Which is not cool to be honest. But then I have rationalised it to myself, by telling myself that it saves me anguish and grief and brains and thought and all that. And I am absolutely ok with that notion.

And why am I talking about this? Because Dubai as a city is expensive af.

Funnily, one to the key criteria of choosing Dubai as the destination for the break was the low cost. I was under the impression that it will be cheap and convenient. This is turning out to be anything BUT cheap. Or convenient. Each ride (taxi, Uber or Metro) is expensive beyond imagination. Lemme share numbers. I’ve been here 4 (plus 1) days here as we speak and I’ve spent 40 fucking thousand! 40000. The amount of money I spend in a month when am in Mumbai (which is not cheap by any standards either). On top of that is money I’ve spent on tickets (and rescheduling). This is easily the most expensive trip of my life. For lesser than this, I’ve done 3 weeks in Europe some years ago. Again for little less than this, I did 3 weeks in America in 2013 or so! If I add the money that I am going to spend on the hotel (if I want my comfort back), the number will probably become enough to buy me a RTW, three times over. And PS I know of people who are paid by the world to travel. And I know people who’ve been to a 100+ countries and have done it on the back of their points!

If I know these giants who are so anal about their plans and all that, I am probably the greatest fool in the world to have taken the break without any planning per se. Maybe I am.

Break.
If this sounds like a whiny man, I am sorry. I am merely presenting facts.

Back to work.

C. The ~~attachment~~ detachment conundrum. I’ve been here 4ish days now and I did not miss anyone in the last few days. Not my parents, not my sister, not my friends, not my work, not my girl, not my muses, not my people and not my place. May be I will miss them when I am miserable. I am not miserable right now (I am on the edge though). Is it good to be devoid of emotions? And what is a man if there are no emotions? As I write this, I am listening to “uske the jo sapne, wohi uske they apne, aisa tha Sindbad the Sailor. Am I Sindbad? I’d probably never find out. And as they say, a different decision, reserved for a different day.

Thats about it I guess for today’s post.

~~One More Thing~~ Few More Things
D.1. The other thing that has happened is that I’ve learnt that I can not manage the Keto diet while I am here. One of the original goals was to lose weight and get fitter while I am here. That is not happening for sure. I tried and I did buy paneer and eggs on my first day here. I managed it for 2 days but it just became too difficult to manage. Difficult, mind you. Not impossible. So, I took the easy way out. Quit.

D.2. I met a senior from MDI for a coffee and while narrating my life story, I told him that “I am no petty thief. I wanted the whole world or nothing”

Reminded me of the promise with which I started. Gave me the spring in the step to bounce back and come from the slump. I promise I will. Day 5 on, things WILL become better. Will post things here.

The Silver Lining
So, this is the first time when am trying to live (live as in live, not visit or travel) in a different country and think on things. Even though I am creature of habit, am loving the unfamiliarity (what familiarity Mr. Garg? You may be in dubai but you are still at Starbucks! May be. But context is unfamiliar. And do you see the power of global brands?). I love that I am catching up on sleep when I am in transit (because I cant sleep at home). I like that I am walking so much and ducking in and out of places and I am taking decisions that I was not taking back home. This is a new me. I’ve not experienced anything like this.

Plus I am loving the idea that I am a stranger in place that I dont know about. I’ve always romanticized the idea. I hope Vivek is reading this. And even better is that I am not just living like a nomad, I am actually here on a mission, for a purpose. To figure out where I want my life to move. And I love the idea, the mere thought, that I can move anywhere and try to setup the new. This is probably how those travellers in the times gone by would’ve felt?

Just that I need to ensure that these things make money.

So, yeah. While this post is about things that are going wrong, the silver lining is that I am now VERY sure that I will take similar trips at least once a year, if not twice or more times.

Where can I go next? I am thinking a cold place that has a 24-hours library (to work out of) and a gym or a swimming pool close by.

Just that next time I will be better prepared.

Summary?
I’ve realised that I want comfort and I cant survive without comfort. Thats not a great thing. I always thought I could. Need to think more on it. As Guru Ji taught, this too shall pass, this will INDEED pass.

I will have to see times when I won’t have the money to just book a ticket and take off. Or escape from an unclean room to fancy hotel at the swipe of a card.

Thank you for reading this!

Saurabh Garg
April 16, 2018
Dubai

Update. I got myself a hotel. And its been such an amazing decision. Should’ve done this sooner. And see this ad when you get time…