NEW post : How get work done EVERY DAY.......Thursday 28th August.

Ode To My Mentors : Part 1 Austin Kleon

Interesting stories are those which have crushing lows and soaring highs. I am not yet at my lowest point, but it is getting harder everyday. Most days thinking about my future leaves me shit scared.  So here I am trying my hardest to take it day by day.

Like I always do, I turned towards my mentors to pick me out of this slump. Today Austin Kleon's "Steal Like An Artist " came to my rescue. I have wasted three years of my life, I neither have a degree nor any viable skills and all my friends have jobs, while I am the one who needs a job the most. My family has very little money. I have very few friends. So what do I do, I asked.

 So Austin answered :

    " Whenever you're at a loss for what move to make next, just ask yourself, " What would make a better story? "

So what can I do today to make my story a better one. What can I do today so that I can find an interesting job or learn some new skills? HHHmmm.....

What  now?
1. Pick 1 Kickstarter project you are interested in and put it in spreadsheet with all its specs.
     ( Credit : Charlie Hoehn)
2. Pick 1 mentor and fill out his specs in a speadsheet

Thank you Austin for being the support I need now.

High School Cliques and World Politics

The heading does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

I went to a racially and to a very large extent , religiously,  homogeneous school. Although there were cliques at my school but it wasn't severe. But anyone who has been to a racially, economically or religiously diverse high school knows that like attracts the like. But imagine this happening on a larger scale, like a city which will have racially affiliated gangs or like a entire country where people will be segregated on the basis of their religion. And this is exactly what is happening in Syria.

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a jihadist group that wants a rule based on their interpretation of Islam and the Sharia law. They have set up court in Ar-Raqqah,Syria. Justice is dealt on the basis of the Sharia without any consideration for the actual law, where even the smallest infraction can lead to death. And all this for the Sunni Muslims but Syria also has a large number of Shia Muslims and Christians. The Shia and Christians can either convert or flee. So what was before a religiously diverse region , is now only a land of one people one law. Imagine having to leave behind everything you love and hold dear , just because your own state can't or won't protect you.

Religion is like any other weapon , dangerous in the hand of the wrong people and people who have the ability to influence other impressionable minds. So what can I do today? I will practice tolerance, tolerance towards anyone who doesn't have the same belief, race or culture as I. I will not only respect them but will also stand up for them when the need arises. I will educate myself about other religions, races and culture and will always keep an open mind.

So What will YOU do today?

What does Freedom mean to you?

I live a very protected and sheltered life. Even if I want to , I can only get a very tiny glimpse of the world around me. There are so many things I want to change in the world. But right now I have nothing. So this is where I attempt to do something today about the things that scare me or make me angry. Also, this is my attempt to develop empathy in my self towards the world I live in. Just like most kids of my generation who are well off, I am self-centered and have little care beyond the restaurants I eat at, the computer or phone I own or the clothes I buy. And I sincerely want to change that. So maybe I can't do anything today, but atleast I can be conscious about my environment, the choices I unconsciously make everyday and the way I react and process everything around me.

I believe I have been very fortunate with the kind of education I have received. Most kids with options will not utilise it and would rather follow their parents or peers. On top of that the cost of education is so high that even if the student wants to , the option is just not there because the most important deciding factor is the job you can get with your degree. You got to pay back that massive student debt you got yourself into. Information and knowledge is democratised , atleast to some extent. But why don't then more kids refuse to go to college and study independently. A big cause is , teenagers and young adults in their early twenties live off their parents. And as there is no free lunch in the world, you gotta keep your parents happy, if you want to make sure your that your gas tank is full and that you can use FB on your phone.

So what do I propose. I propose that you rethink what freedom means to you. Is it the freedom of being able to purchase whatever your heart desires or the freedom of being allowed to build whatever sort of life you want to build for yourself. And yes these two choices are somewhat mutually exclusive. You gotta cut back on your material things, so that your parents and peers will get off your back and allow you the space to grow.  I want you to think and question the choices you are currently making. Are you making those choices based on what you want or are you doing it to keep your everyone but yourself happy.

WTF am I doing with my life?

In our 20's, atleast once all of us have questioned WTF am I doing with my life? Why am I taking this college course or why am I at this job which I hate with all my life? This is true more so of the people who take the courage to go against convention and choose to take the road less travelled. Ryan Holiday wrote an article "SHould I drop out of college". I chose not to go to college. I am not really questioning my decision but I am question how I could have prepared myself better for this. I should have made a plan on how I was going to utilise my time and what are the things are I would like to achieve. How should I motivate myself when no one is holding myself accountable? Since I have fumbled around for the last 3 years, I think better late than never to answer these questions.

1.   Am I dropping out of school because I have something better? Or is it because I      can’t cut it in school?

      Dropping out because not necessarily I can't cut it in school. I just never like the way things were taught         by the schools or universities. But also I don't have something better.

2.    What am I going to be doing outside of school that I couldn’t do inside?

         Freedom of time. Work on projects I like without the incumberance of thinking about other things.                Learn exactly those things that I want. 

3.    Have you fully taken advantage of the unique opportunities that are offered to        students? 

      I didnt go to college so I haven't exactly taken advantages of being a student. I feel this is a huge area I         have missed out on.

4.   What are your plans for continuing your education? 

       Every month I will take up a new skill and do one big project to apply that skill

        Read 4 books a month.

Update: I have not been able to read those many books but I am taking the CS50 course on edx and teaching myself to