Suresh Dinakaran - Suresh Dinakaran's Blog

Life doesn’t come with an ‘ Instruction Manual ‘

Nor does the human brain. Or kids. Or how to deal with success. Or cope with failure. Nothing off the shelf here. You will not find an instruction manual on ‘How To Cope With A Debilitating Worldwide Pandemic ” on any book store shelf or on Amazon.

Any system with all the leverage at its command, cannot lead itself. So, no point in being a silent follower.

Yes, there are things that come with instruction manuals. For eg., a screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the costumes and make-up, the actors’ reading of a line or emphasis of a word, the choice of lens and the pace of the cutting, the background score, the advertising and promotion – these are all part of the translation.

That being said, the paradox is baffling. The machines and gadgets that have made our lives so much brighter, quicker, longer and healthier is that they cannot teach us how to make the best use of them; the information revolution came without an instruction manual .

So, what are we getting at here? Certainly not jumping out of a plane and then trying to assemble the parachute(if you have one) on the way down.

A worldwide calamity is not marginalising anyone or focusing more on someone. It’s even stevens for all stakeholders. How we respond and react is completely up to us, all of us, any of us, without any distinction. We can see that crisis as a possibility to take responsibility, to lead, be proactive, be generous, to help, to heal, to understand and look ahead towards a better tomorrow.

Why should it be the remit of only the frontline workers or doctors or nurses to be in the firing line? Some of us are better than the one of us. And all of us are certainly much much much better than the some of us.

The Power of Now as Eckhart Tolle puts it is a great catalyst. Whether it is the climate war that all of us have to wage starting the day before yesterday or a looming food security crisis that we need to anticipate and prepare to blunt, it has to be all hands on deck. There are no instruction manuals on taking responsibility, being proactive, offering generosity and creating a culture of doing good.

In a ‘ business as unusual ‘ zeitgeist, pretending that it is business as usual will be a selfish pursuit. When situations like the one we talked about above are evenly distributed without any discrimination, collective survival and flourishing weighs far above the tyranny of individual profit.

It is a wonderful opportunity for all us. To lead, to care, to make the change.

Life is an equal opportunity employer. Time to take charge.

ENDS

There’s More to ‘More’ Than Meets The I !

In a world where most of us are infatuated with the idea of ‘ more ‘, let’s take a look at what is less spoken about more.

“No ego can last for long without the need for more. Therefore, wanting keeps the ego alive much more than having. The ego wants to want more than it wants to have. And so the shallow satisfaction of having is always replaced by more wanting.”

This is not a treatise in no more. Or know more. We certainly don’t need more of that stuff.

We, as people, systematically overlook subtractive changes, instead following our instincts to add. There is nothing inherently wrong with adding. In the culture of the day, people like us, do things like this. But if it becomes a default path to improvement, that may be failing to consider a whole class of other opportunities. So, more is NOT equal to better, more often than not.

How about practicing some essentialism? The disciplined practice of less but better. Separating the vital few from the trivial many. Mind you, this is no easy task. To distill and rein in our incorrigibly elastic task list. How will we answer our ego? Or camouflage our insecurities? We find comfort in “keeping our options open”. But having too many options leaves us without direction. Having a few focused options gives our life a clear direction and makes decision-making easier. So, less, NOT more, is the call of the hour.

To quote Holly Black from The Cruel Prince, “Desire is an odd thing. As soon as it’s sated, it transmutes. If we receive golden thread, we desire the golden needle.”

So what is the take away? Yes, you guessed it, take away, to make way !

BEGINS

Miss..alien..us !

Grammar and spelling have taken a backseat in the above caption. Was it by design? Most certainly. Miscellaneous is the word I am referring to. That said, the culture we operate in buckets us in a manner that is alien, which means we miss the bus, more often than not.

You enter a physical book store or on Amazon, miscellaneous is always the largest category. With the smallest following. The internet and its reach has created the rather wondrous ‘ long tail effect ‘ which means there is an audience for almost anything and everything however small it might be.

The same web has made us lazy ( if there was a potential to be more so) – that irrespective of the order (or chaos), we will find it. That was not the way we were. Spoons went into a certain slot, so did shoes and socks, books and magazines, brooms and mops…everything had a clear slot and it was well sorted. Finding was a seamless default mode.

Taxonomy (or classification of things) help us get to where we want to faster and better. Being in ‘ search ‘ mode always takes away time, calls for more effort( and thereby brings in more of the accompanying inertia), derails momentum and flow and make us eschew the useful serendipity that comes with finding things where they need to be, where we expect them to be.

If you find yourself in ‘ find mode ‘ most of the time, it’s time to find a way out. The big sort will help. Unless, you are happy, re-inventing the wheel, all the time. In the process, ‘ missing the wood for the trees‘.

ENDS

Oh..to be a ‘ misfit ‘, may not be in the fitness of things!

This probably might not be for those who miss fitting in. I am sorry if it is not for you. Perhaps I don’t fit in. That said, I am happy to be a misfit !

The famous rapper and singer Drake said, “I was born to make mistakes, not to fake perfection “.

If vulnerability is your strength, you might be a misfit..

If standing naked in your own truth is your go-to attire, you might be a misfit..

If your answers are questions, you might be a misfit..

If you are leading as a follower, you might be a misfit..

If you sit comfortably while standing inside your own failure, you might be a misfit..

If you don’t fall prey to the ‘ wisdom of the crowds ‘, you might be a misfit..

If you are contrarian in your thinking, you might be a misfit..

If you don’t run the wanting to be an ‘ also ran race ‘, you might be a misfit..

If you are open about your ‘ imposter syndrome ‘, you might be a misfit..

If, as a personality, you don’t want to B Type A, you might be a misfit..

If you see shame in being the same, you might be a misfit..

If ‘ out of place ‘ is the place you seek, you might be a misfit..

If you don’t want to be all things to all people, you might be a misfit..

It must have come as a relief that a lot of us misfits so have so many places to go to, situations to be in and standards to be measured by. Perhaps because, institutionalized rejection of difference is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs we outsiders as surplus people.

As Sarah Addison Allen put it out it so beautifully “ Misfits need a place to get away, too. All that trying to fit in is exhausting.

ENDS

Respect the Unexpected. Expect the Unexpected!

Psychology 101 has this to say ” The brain remembers what it least expects, so deliver the unexpected “. The brain being the laziest organ in the body is mostly on default mode, plucking our accumulated behaviors and responses that have taken space in its warehouse over the years and wanting us tenants to respond in the ‘ usual ‘ manner.

That said, in a zeitgeist craving for attention(the most coveted social currency), with all the deficit of time, resources, patience and buying power, default mechanisms will not work.

Build in enough flexibility and buffer to prepare for the unexpected. A margin of safety. Life does throw curve balls ever so often. So, make provision for the unexpected when you design your life. That way, we will not be caught like a deer in the headlights.

To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect. Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected.

Most people want to be circled by safety, not by the unexpected. The unexpected can take you out. But the unexpected can also take you over and change your life.

Probably easier said than done but it is uncertainty which fills life with beauty, excitement, and joy. For an adventurous life, seek not security. Dance with uncertainty to create magnificence and beauty.

Fear is a reaction, creativity is a response.

“ When nothing is sure, everything is possible “– Margaret Drabble

For those keen on understanding the importance of it, I would urge you to read this blog on uncertainty.

ENDS

Knead the Need: Move the Needle!

You step on the accelerator and the speedometer needle moves. The expression ‘ moving the needle ‘ was inspired from motoring. No prizes for guessing that.

In a distraction obsessed world, the biggest skill that we can acquire or improve on is to keep, retain and control our attention. It’s one thing not to fall prey to distraction and another to find the best use for your time, attention and effort. That is based on what is of the most significance to you. It is a calling that you will begin to recognise- focus, attention & effort on something that will actually ‘ move the needle ‘, to take things from where they are, to where it ought to be.

Pardon me for stating the obvious. The whole world is in constant motion. The earth moves, the clouds move, the waves move and we too must move. Move and reach the destination of your choice.

The three Ps will help us find our needle its vein. A physical goal, a personal goal and a professional goal. Together they achieve balanced productivity and regardless of what is going on in your life, if you accomplish these three things every day, you will move the needle in your life.

Most people set goals at the start of a new year. With a clean slate and fresh start, we’re optimistic, excited, and enthusiastic about the possibilities that lie ahead. But then reality sets in.

It’s harder than you thought it would be.

You don’t feel like you’re making progress.

Through no fault of your own, the world is in disarray (Pandemics, civil unrest, economic fluctuations, job loss, ruinous relationships etc.)

The goal you wanted to accomplish feels so far in the future or so far out of reach. You figure: why bother?

Does any of this sound familiar to you? If so, don’t worry. You’re not alone.

The best way to be where you want to be a year from now is to do something today you’ll be glad you did-Seth Godin

And it doesn’t have to be something big.

We underestimate the impact and potential of starting small and taking consistent action.

By breaking any endeavor up into the smallest manageable parts, you make visible progress, increase your motivation, and gain momentum.

Maybe you want to write a book, build a business or start a podcast. Writing elaborate business plans and conducting extensive research might make you feel productive. But these activities won’t necessarily move the needle forward.

The paradox of designing the future is that what you get done today is the only thing that matters. Tiny actions pile up and amass to something big and awesome.

If you need it, knead it. Move it. Move the needle.

ENDS

The OPOrtunity Cost!

Though phonetically the OPO in the above caption does sound like the name of a mobile phone, do take that call at your own risk.

It’s easy to get curious about what OPO can be. There are various expansions in slang, business , medicine and everyday life.

OPO in business can translate to Optimum Positioning Opportunity, in the sense it becomes almost a competitive advantage.

OPO in the world of medicine could be Organ Procurement Organization.

OPO could also stand for Open Procurement Order.

And in everyday slang, OPO is simply Other People’s Opinions. And do people have them????

The above out of the way, let’s get down to what I am driving at.

In our case, the pecking order of OPO reads somewhat like this: Optimism to begin with, bring on the pessimism in the middle to moderate and ascertain and go back to optimism late in the piece.

Often times we ourselves get in the way of getting something started. That is where optimism comes in, as without that, the journey to something new, something better and the world of multiple possibilities wouldn’t come about. Believing in what you are about to do does not guarantee success, but a lack of belief can surely prevent it.

Once we hit the road, open the bag of pessimism, that bag which contains questions. Play devil’s advocate. Dig holes. Use the fine tooth comb. Evaluate. Is it misplaced enthusiasm? Raise the bar. Hold yourself accountable. Let the jury be out(standing)!

The above accomplished, call your friend back. Suggest you keep it on speed dial. Optimism. Look at progress not just outcomes. And progress requires the courage to move ahead despite the inevitable obstacles and speed breakers. To quote Ryan Holiday‘s book title ” The Obstacle Is The Way “. Perfection is an illusion. Showing up and shipping out is not. Iterations can happen. Enhancements and making things better will follow.

Optimism is a tool that, if used wisely, it brings enthusiasm, inspiration and hope to projects that benefit from them.

And pessimism is a tool as well–it can help you with budgeting, scheduling and other projects. If it works for you, that’s great.

It’s not that optimism solves all of life’s problems; it is just that it can sometimes make the difference between coping and collapsing. Optimism is a force multiplier.

” Pessimists are usually right and optimists are usually wrong but all the great changes have been accomplished by optimists “- Thomas Friedman.

ENDS

A drag called Moan-opoly !

A drag called Moan–opoly !

The idea here is not to bemoan, but a nudge to make things better. Because, we are all in it together. Remember, one of my earlier blogs- collective flourishing?

It will not be far fetched to say that monopoly is a metaphor for inequality.

Marx predicted that competition among capitalists would grow so fierce that, eventually, most capitalists would go bankrupt, leaving only a handful of monopolists controlling nearly all production, business and markets.

Our utility company, especially if it’s a monopoly, locks in an inherent, unfair and perennial advantage, giving it ample power to ignore customers and all of us suffer because of that. They actually send you emails with subject line screaming THIRD REMINDER, ten days before the due date and makes you feel that you have defaulted on their payment by months. So, what if you are a customer with them for 15 years plus? You can moan till the cows come home.

If all of the housing real estate in a locality is owned by one landlord, little surprise that rents go only one way – north. The less said about the service, security and the facilities, the better.

When the state or federal government controls the education of all of our children, they have the dangerous and illegitimate monopoly to control and influence the thought process of our future citizens.

“Google illegally maintained a monopoly for far more than a decade,” Kenneth Dintzer, a lawyer for the US Justice Department, argued in opening statements in the State VS Google antitrust case. He added that Google’s dominance has allowed it to ignore privacy criticism and become sluggish when it comes to innovation, including in the development of AI products. That’s the other fallout of being a monopoly– complacency and taking customers for granted.

“Own it all“. The official monopoly slogan- So, yes, Adam Smith (often identified as the father of modern capitalism), nailed it. He added ” The essential feature of capitalism is the motive to make a profit. It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”

A bit of a backstory if you permit me. Don’t miss out on the irony of it all. In 1903, Lizzie Magie, an American board game designer( and part time political activist)filed for a patent for her latest creation, The Landlord’s Game. Magie also taught political economy and held the belief that a single tax system should prevail for all owners of property. She believed that the world around her at the turn of the twentieth century had become more unequal because of rapacious mercantilism, and wanted to spread the message that a more equitable form of taxation would be a remedy to societal ills.

Magie’s The Landlord’s Game picked up some steam amongst the politically progressive demographic but never got into the mainstream. Until such time in 1932 when Charles Darrow who was playing it one night(and desperately needed money) decided to tweak the game and decided to sell it. Parker Brothers bought the rights to the game, under a new brand name Monopoly.

Magie was initially thrilled to see her version of the game in production but having been paid just US$ 500 and no royalties, she became increasingly disappointed. She spent the rest of her life as a receptionist, earning barely above minimum living wage.

Monopoly remains one the most popular and profitable board games there is today and Darrow died a multimillionaire.

ENDS

Did you no?

“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.”

Yes, there is nothing half hearted about a no. It’s a complete answer by itself. That said, you are not closing the door on momentum or progress. When we offer a generous “no” to someone we care about, we honor our work and their role in it. We care enough to offer them insight about the change we seek to make–and to tell them the truth about what we can’t do at the same time that we’re celebrating what we can do.

We live in a world where saying ‘yes’ is rewarded by reinforcing social habits, whether in professional situations, sharing responsibilities at home, or even navigating intimate relationships.

When you say ‘Yes’ to others, make sure you are not saying ‘No’ to yourself- Paulo Coelho

Look at the Yes sorry X factor in saying no. The no of being mediocre, the no of getting away from doing something that degrades someone else’s self respect or dignity and possibility, the no of wanting to be mediocre and being in a race to the bottom..

Short changing yourself is easy..saying maybe when you should have said no, or saying yes when you should have said no.

Zig Ziglar had a great quote: “I need to be a meaningful specific, not a wandering generality.” It is about putting our neck on the line and standing up for what matters, rather than toeing the line and ending up saying yes just to please the person sitting in front of you.

The most brilliant movies are just that not because of what you see but more for what you don’t. In a culture besieged by adding more, subtracting can be highly relevant and disintermediating and that begins with ‘ no ‘.

Saying yes to the life we all want will begin with knowing our no.

ENDS

Creativity: Individual Success or Collective Flourishing?

It was sometime in the late 90’s. A cold, blistery Manhattan evening. And the Friday bar hopping had done its shift ( of mind, body & soul). Good bhais( after a few drinks ” all the world are brothers “- Fakespeare) and goodbyes exchanged multiple times over with friends, I headed to the nearest subway station to board the A train to Central Park West. From out of the shadows springs this unkempt man in an ill fitting New York Yankees hoodie and Harley Davidson tracks which had me stopping in my tracks, as if playing the childhood game called ‘ statue ‘. But, this was no time to take any liberties. As I stood there( no clue whether it was rooted by fear or was I sporting a false sense of spirited bravado thanks largely to the ‘spirit‘), the man broke into Lionel Ritchie’s ‘ Hello ‘.

Normal hellos are different, I am sure of that in spite of my state of inebriation. To tell you that his voice was exquisite would be an understatement. As he sang, he put his hand out begging for a few cents or dollars. He could have easily been on any Broadway stage and deserved all the spotlight. Not just New York, but cities around the world are home to the homeless, some of whom are incredibly talented. Here was this guy at the hands of a rampant, unjust and gentrifying urban market, doing what he thought he must in order to survive. He was using the talents he had to scrape by, so he could perform the following day, and every other day, over and over again.

We are all cogs in a system that tells us that we must be ‘ creative ‘ to progress. In hindsight, it appears that capitalism of the twenty-first century, turbocharged by neoliberalism, has redefined creativity to feed its own growth. To be creative in today’s society has only one meaning: to continue producing the status quo.

That said, it has always not been this way. Creativity has been and still is, a force for change in the world. It is a collective energy that has the potential to tackle capitalism’s injustices rather than augment them. Creativity can be used to produce more social justice in the world but for that it must be rescued from its current incarceration as purely an engine for economic growth.

Heralded as the driving force of society, creativity, allegedly, is the wellspring of the knowledge economy, shaping the cities we inhabit and even defining our politics and business. Then what could possibly be wrong with that?

My counterintuitive rant here is that we need to rethink the story that we are being sold.Creativity is a barely hidden form of the ever-expanding marketplace. It is a regime that prioritizes individual success over collective flourishing. It refuses to acknowledge anything-job, place, person- that is not profitable. And that changes everything: the places where we work, the way we are managed, and how we spend our free time.

It is time to lift the veil on this ideology to reveal a set of economic and political forces pushing all of us to bend to the needs of capital.

If radical candour is the flavor of the day( far better than ruinous empathy I dare add), the redefinition of creativity would be one that is embedded in the idea of collective flourishing, outside the tyranny of individual profit.

ENDS