Books and Life

I love to read.

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember and especially love to read fiction. Even though I have lost count of the number of books I’ve read over the years,  I wanted to share a the books that stand out and I feel had a significant impact on my life in some way. I have selected one book  from each decade of my life so far.

Let’s start with the first decade – years 1 to 10 years. I read my first book on my own when I was about five. One Sunday afternoon – my Dad came back from his golf game and bought two books for me. This was the first time he had bought books specifically for me to read on my own (rather than being read to). One of these books was called “The Sly Fox and the little red hen”. The story of the book (spoiler alert!) is about a very careful hen who is being stalked by a cunning fox. The little red hen is always careful and ensure she locks the door everyday when she goes and out and when she comes back in. However, one day she forgets to lock the door and the sly fox sneaks in to her house. He then captures her and puts her in a sack. However, when he stops to rest, she outwits him by cutting her way out of the sack and replacing  her weight by putting a large rock in the bag. When the fox reaches home, he drops the rock in a pot of hot water and is scalded. The story of the book may add some sub conscious level affect the mind of the six year old me however the main reason this book will always be important to me because it was the first book I read on my own and it kicked off a lifetime reading habit.

Over the next decade: 11 to 20 years, reading became an almost obsessive part of my life and one that my parents did everything to encourage. I amassed a huge book collection that I was and am very proud of, which I collated with the precision of a librarian. However, ironically the book that had an impact on me in this decade did not come from my own book collection but rather from Dad’s. I was 16 years old and pick out a book called “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. The book is is described as a story of a young architect who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision. It is essentially a book that glorifies individualism and how it trumps collectivism. To my 16 year old self who was struggling to decide what to do with her life, this book was very inspiring and I remember I started to read this book and couldn’t stop reading till I finished it at 4 in the morning. I also became fixated with Ayn Rand and ended up reading almost all her works of fiction.

The third decade, age 21 to 30 years started with one my favourite books to date: “The Alchemist” written by Paulo Coelho.  I was 21, when one of my closest friends recommended this book to me. This book was originally written in Portuguese and has now become the most-translated book by any living author. It is described as a magical fable about following your dream – which is exactly what it is. One of my favourite phrases from this book is “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” I would love to tell you more about the book but rather not so that you can discover it for yourself. This is a good book to read at any age but especially in your 20s – because for me it was the decade where I took the greatest risks personally and professionally.

And now in my 30s,  I have read some great authors and have become a fan of magical realism, which according to Wikipedia is "a fictional genre where magic elements are a natural part in an otherwise mundane, realistic environment". I have also started to listen to a lot of audio-books while walking to work and predomintantly read  on my ipad. However, I am still waiting for “the” book.

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Why Social Media is changing the world

Last week, Fast Company, a well-known business magazine voted UNICEF as one of the most innovative companies in local for launching RapidSMS a text based data-collection programme. One of the primary uses of this programme has been to register and deploy health-related information in developing countries. For example, in 2011, this programme registered 13 million births in Nigeria through text messages, which provides the children official identity, access to health services and education and makes them less vulnerable to trafficking. A newer mobile app called RapidFTR is used to reunite family members who are separated during natural disasters or in refugee camps.

For those of us who are not aware of what Social Media is – according to Wikipedia - Social media refers to interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Some popular examples are facebook, twitter and Linkedin.

Here are some interesting and surprising statistics on social media from the magazine “Fast Company” :

• The fastest growing demographic on twitter is the age group 55-64
• YouTube reaches more U.S. adults aged 18–34 than any cable network
• Every second two new members join LinkedIn
• 93% of marketers use social media for business
• Social Media has overtaken porn as the No. 1 activity on the web

Social media causes disruption.  The word disruption being used in this context to illustrate how older processes and ideas can be replaced by new. In an article published last month, Forbes magazine highlighted this by saying how in the past, traditional media filtered stories for us – what you saw on the front page of your newspaper was what was considered important by that newspaper and not necessarily by you. However, today a small group of people can start a movement via facebook or twitter  and it can spread much faster than it would ever have with traditional mass media. For a fun and interesting visual demonstration of disruption – google “Sasquatch 2009 Dancing Man Party”.

Second is how access to technology that can help people connect online via social media  is increasing around the world. In a recent article, Washington post cites that there are currently 2 billion people online and in the next decade an additional 3 billion people will gain online access through mobile devices similar to the ipad that will be available for less than $50. Already, basic tablets with 7-inch screens are available for as little as $40 in China and India. By the end of 2014, they are likely to be available in the US for as little as $38.

My final point is  to cite the same article in the Washington post, which talks about how Social media is going to result in a generation of children for whom the world is one giant social network. This generation is not bound by what is taught in schools or by their parents with the only limits being their own curiosity and ambition.  With timely information on their fingertips – they will have a very different view of the world and that in itself is an important reason why social media is changing the world.

To conclude, facebook will celebrate its 10^th anniversary this year and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I think the next decade is going to see massive positive disruption in social media and even more people connected to each other. I am so glad I was born in a time where I can be part of the action.

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How to get your groove back

For this blog post, I looked up the word “groove” - it has many definitions and the two I cherry-picked are “being in top form” and a “memorable or exciting experience”.

Apply this to life in general - isn’t that what we all wish? A life where we are in top form with a series of memorable and exciting experiences?

However, the reality is that life is more like a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, sometimes it can feel that we have lost our groove. I do not mean existential crisis levels, since that would require something stronger than this blog post, just perhaps a feeling that things have flat-lined, you know like on an ECG monitor.

In this blog post, I am going to draw on personal experience and talk about three ways to get your groove back.

#1 Exercise

I know you have probably heard a zillion times about the benefits of exercise. However, the reason you have heard this a zillion times is because it is true. Exercise, any exercise, is incredibly good for you physiologically and psychologically.

I have a little story to support this - at work last summer my boss started a running club. A number of people joined with a lot of them doing any sort of regular exercise for the first time. Even a 20 minute run or walk made them so much more relaxed and happy. Towards the end of summer, some people who had never exercised before actually became regular runners because of how good it made them feel. How incredible is that?

I can quote you multiple statistics on the benefits of exercise but as they say - the proof is in the pudding. You have to experience the benefits first-hand. In fact I think if everyone worked out regularly, the world would be a happier place and a lot of the drug companies would go out of business.

 

#2: Seek a new experience outside your comfort zone

A couple of years ago, I was turning 30. I know it sounds overtly dramatic but it was the one thing that really hit me. I guess it is an age milestone and an opportunity for everyone to evaluate their life and perhaps be critical about it.

My husband surprised me on my 30^th birthday with a fabulous birthday experience - skydiving from 10000 feet! It definitely took me out of my comfort zone and I felt absolutely fantastic after. I certainly don not think drastic measures need to be taken to experience something out of your comfort zone. It could be simple things like trying new food, taking a new route to work and so forth. The bottom line is that you have to kick your daily routine out the window on a regular basis.

 

#3: Focus on personal growth

There is an old saying – People don’t grow old, when they stop growing they become old.

I think one of the best feelings in the world is to see yourself improve and grow every year. On the flip side, there is nothing worse than feeling stagnant. How do you fix this? Again nothing dramatic required. For example - Last year, my husband and I realised we had been in NYC for over 4 years and had not really experienced all the cultural aspects that the city has to offer. We decided to call 2012 the “year of culture” and focussed on seeing more museums and attending more cultural events. It was as simple as that.

I think seeking personal growth is a life high - the simple fact that you are doing something to improve yourself little by little every day. And why not? The opportunities are endless and there is so much you can do!

The best way to get your groove back is by knocking your life out of its little groove. You have only one life so don't let the small stages where it flat lines bother you because you can so easily get your groove back!

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