Consistent hair dresser​

I am sticky with my hair dressers. I get my hair cut from Rajesh at Style & Scissors Jaipur and Kuldeep at Looks Salon Gurgaon. While they are good hair dressers, my inclination towards not getting hair cut from them is more about me than them.

Hair cut small talk​

I got my hair cut toward from Rajesh in Jaipur. I had come to him probably after 6 months. We tend to small talk as friends, albeit he must be 15 years older than me. I asked him how have you been and he responded that things are better now. He was visibly weaker with muscle loss, looked tired and had a prominent paunch.

Asking further, I asked him what happened? and he told me that his wife was detected with cancer in November 2022. She has been undergoing the treatment in SMS Hospital and is responding fine to the treatment. He also added that Bhaiya, jab family ka koi member aise beemar hota hai toh poori family beemar ho jati hai. It is true and it did hit hard, only those undergoing through the pain can understand it.

We all have finite life and time. It is important that we cherish, live and enjoy life with people we love. May the almighty be kind on all. So is life.

We can learn a lot from kids​

Idika Parashar, nicknamed Oshee, is my niece and is around 1.5 years old now. She lives in Dubai and is a happy kid. It is always a delight when she comes and kids in general are brilliant. Spending even as little as 10 minutes with a kid improves your mood, happiness and reduces stress.

Incidents with devices​

Incidents and accidents happen with devices all the time. Some days the phone slips from my hand or earphones fall out of pocket or I spill water on the laptops. Such incidents are mostly avoidable and are upsetting in nature. Sometimes they cost time and money, sometimes I get lucky.

Airpods in black coffee​

Today afternoon, I grabbed a black coffee from the office vending machine and kept it lid open on my desk. I was looking at my screen and picked up the right airpod. I was going to listen to some music. Next thing I know, it slipped out of my hand and feel right into the cup of hot coffee straight out of the vending machine.

Coffee is best served at a temperature between 155ºF and 175ºF (70ºC to 80ºC). Coffee straight out of machine is usually around 95ºC. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what had happened. I flinched, and thought of my next move. In another couple of seconds, I rushed to the nearest sink to take the airpod out. While throwing away the coffee, I could see the steam from it. Along with the steam, my hope of the airpod surviving were evaporating.

I had the airpod in my hand and I curbed my reflex to wash it with water. Wrapping it in a paper tower, I checked for any residual coffee. Wiped fully, I went back to my desk. It was the moment of truth, and to my delight, they were still working.

Companies and trust​

Incidents like these build trust in a brand and company. It influences future decisions and since it is personal, it will be registered in my memory. The next I am in the market for earphones, Apple already has an edge, thanks to this incident.

Make Time and Energize your mind​

I listened to Make Time and was reminded of the tactics they suggested to energize your mind. Every now and then, I feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed with my routine and schedule. When underwhelmed, it is time to shake things up and energize the mind again.

If I can increase my energy every day, I will turn moments that might otherwise be lost to mental and physical fatigue into usable time for my Highlights. Listed below are six broad categories, all inspired from Make Time.

1. Keep It Moving​

• Exercise everyday - 20 minutes and daily.
• Take the stairs to office floor.
• 10 minute stretch or yoga.

2. Eat Real Food​

• Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
• Quick snacks: nuts (almonds, walnuts), and fruit
• Intermittent fasting - eat an early dinner, then skip breakfast and have a big lunch as next meal.
• Dessert as long as it’s dark chocolate: I have been guilty of eating lots of high sugar desserts lately.

3. Optimize Caffeine​

• The half-life of caffeine is about five hours.
• For ideal morning energy, first cup of coffee at 9:30 a.m.
• Drink some caffeine, then immediately take a 15-minute nap.

4. Go Off the Grid​

• Step out for a walk for fresh air.
• Daily Meditation: guided and 10 minutes
• No headphones while working, walking, exercise, travel. Take a break from all sounds.
• Take breaks without screens.

5. Make It Personal​

• Go out of your way to have a real conversation with energy-giving people.
• Eat Without Screens. I did successfully give up my tablet.

6. Sleep in a Cave​

• Remove all electronic devices from bedroom except Kindle.
• Sneak a nap when I can.
• Sleep on a fixed time and get up on a fixed time with a variance of only 15 minutes in the regular schedule.

Autopilot​

Have you ever had a day where everything just seemed to fly by without much thought or conscious effort? It's as if you were on autopilot, going through the motions without much awareness or engagement with the world around you. Today was one such day for me. On my drive back to home, I got thinking - what happened today?

The downside of going through the day on autopilot is that I miss out on the richness and depth of experiences. When I am not fully present and engaged with the world around, I might miss out on opportunities for growth, learning, and connection with others. I felt a sense of emptiness or dissatisfaction at the end of the day, as if I didn't accomplish much or make the most of my time.

High switching costs​

Some days do finish on autopilot due to my habits, routines, and mental state. While this can be a comfortable and familiar way to move through my days, it can also limit my growth and engagement with the world around. By intentionally disrupting my routines and cultivating mindfulness, I can break out of autopilot mode and experience life with greater awareness, curiosity, and joy.

No where else to go​

Many a times, dealing with counterparts is impossible. They are willing to provide you the services but they charge exorbitantly. They do so with a smile and subtly communicate it to you. In other words, through their words or actions, they let you know that you have no where else to go. It can be because the business is a monopoly or that the business knows that you have high switching costs.

High switching costs​

High switching cost also happen due to moats or regulations in place. It is typical of financial institutions. Once in such a situation, it is a pure negotiation - where you are trying to minimize your cost and they are trying to maximize the revenue. In addition, they are aware that you have you have no where else to go.

I was squeezed today such an issue today with our bank for rolling our FX hedge. While, I am fully aware that my bank charges my corporate account more than what it charges a retail account. On top of it, it added a obscene fees and tried to justify it as "process" of the bank. Sometimes there's nothing much you can do in such a situation except pay up. I was able to negotiate the fees down to half of the initial ask but still got squeezed.

Swimming Endurance​

One of major activities I have been doing since the last 12 months is Swimming. Building endurance while swimming has been a major training goal for me i.e. I consciously did not want to be a fast swimmer but a swimmer who could regulate heart rate and breathing effortlessly to do long sessions.

5 km swim session​

After a 4 km swim on 2nd April 2023, I decided to do 5 km on Sunday - 9th April 2023. Sundays work better than Saturdays as Mondays are rest day for me as well as scheduled maintenance of the Swimming pool.

Swimming and heart rate​

Swimming is a great form of cardiovascular exercise that helps improve heart health. Swimming is also a low-impact exercise, making it a great option with low chances of joint pain or injuries.

Stats of heart rate modulation during the session:​

• I spent 55% of the time in Anaerobic heart rate zone which leads to increased cardiovascular and respiratory capacity in the long run.
• I spend 20% of the time in Aerobic heart rate zone which is also desirable.

Stats of my first 5 km swim:​

• Time: 2 hours and 41 seconds
• Distance: 5 km
• Average SWOLF: 37

Breaking down the stats:​

• I am satisfied with the average speed and pace
• I am happy with the average SWOLF
• I am happy with the heart rate modulation over the duration of the entire swim

Swimming to Running Ratio​

I am not a runner (yet) but suggested comparisons of How Much Swimming is Equivalent to Running? call out a generic 4:1 golden ration for running:swimming.

i.e. 5 km swimming = 20 km running

Swimming is an activity that brings me great joy and fulfillment. As I look to the future, I hope to continue swimming as a regular part of my life. Not only does it provide a great workout for my body, but it also helps me to clear my mind and reduce stress.

Are you listening?​

Effective communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional. And one of the most crucial components of communication is listening. However, merely hearing what someone says is not enough; to truly understand and connect with others, I must practice active listening.

Active listening involves not only hearing the words someone is saying but also understanding their message, emotions, and body language. It requires focus, attention, and an open mind.

Listening with body scan​

Body scanning involves paying attention to the speaker's nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice. The benefits of active listening are numerous. Firstly, it helps build stronger relationships by fostering trust and understanding. When I feel heard and understood, I am more likely to open up and share my thoughts and feelings.

Listening and devices​

Use of devices has made it increasingly difficult for me to practice active listening. With iPhone, laptop and TV always turned on, I am easily distracted and disengaged during conversations. Not only do these devices divert my attention, but they also send a message to the speaker that I am not fully invested in the conversation Additionally, in the past, practicing mindfulness has helped me improve my ability to focus and be present during conversations.

Holiday - what?​

Today was Good Friday and it was a working day for many of us.

Entrepreneurship is a 24/7 job, and entrepreneurs are always on call, even during holidays. Unlike traditional 9-5 jobs, entrepreneurs must always be available to their clients, customers, and employees. This means that entrepreneurs may have to sacrifice holidays and personal time to meet business demands.

Additionally, entrepreneurs often wear multiple hats, taking on several roles in their businesses simultaneously. As a result, it can be challenging to take time off from work without impacting the company's operations.

Balancing Work and Personal Life​

Entrepreneurs must learn how to balance their work and personal life to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent burnout. Here are some tips on how to manage the balance:

1. Prioritize Your Time: Entrepreneurs must prioritize their time to ensure that they're meeting business demands while also taking care of themselves and their loved ones. Create a schedule that includes time for work, family, and personal activities, and stick to it as much as possible.

2. Delegate Tasks: Entrepreneurs must learn to delegate tasks to employees, contractors, or freelancers. Delegating tasks frees up time for entrepreneurs to focus on essential tasks while also allowing them to take time off when needed.

3. Set Boundaries: Entrepreneurs must set boundaries between work and personal life. This means avoiding checking emails or answering phone calls outside of work hours and learning to say no to work-related requests that interfere with personal time.

4. Plan Holidays and Time Off: Entrepreneurs must plan holidays and time off in advance, allowing them to inform clients and employees of their availability. Scheduling time off also ensures that entrepreneurs can disconnect from work and recharge their batteries.

5. Make Time for Social Obligations: Entrepreneurs must make time for social obligations, such as attending family events, meeting up with friends, and participating in community activities. These activities provide a break from work and help entrepreneurs maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Microbes in our gut​

The human body is a miracle! There are roughly 40 trillion bacteria in human body - roughly equal to the number of cells in our body. Some studies suggest a higher number but. Most of these stay in our gut and are called the gut microbiota.

This microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining our immune and metabolic systems and protects us against pathogens. I did try to listen to Giulia Enders in her audiobook Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ talking about the importance of our gut in our overall health.

Similar to bacteria, fungi reside in our intestine and gut. These fungi change our immunological responses by dampening or promoting local inflammatory responses. The bacteria and fungi live together in the gut and they compete for nutrient sources present in our gut. Watch this short video - You are your microbes - to understand the role of microbes.

Effect of Antibiotics on gut​

Antibiotics, as the name suggests. are medications that destroy or slow down the growth of microorganisms or bacteria. Antibiotics are prescribed commonly in India - eg. Azithromycin during the Covid19 waves, Augmentin during flu or fever.

A single course of antibiotics in adults causes change in both the bacterial and fungal microbiota and it is know to cause persistent changes in the fungal microbiota. Some microbial groups disappear, and the metabolic activity of others increases. This unbalance can lead to various health issues.

Probiotic foods​

Yoghurt, buttermilk and raw cow milk are two good and easily available food options in India. Many cabbage based foods like Sauerkraut and Kimchi though not easily available in India are also good for your gut.