Helloš folks, Shubham here.
I am back with another edition of Random Musings.
2025: What's the Goal?
Great to see you again. Honestly, 2024 was roughālike, seriously rough.
With my marriage (yes, a love marriage) falling apart, disruptions at work (weāre still dealing with the fallout of deleted data), and a series of other minor inconveniences, itās been tough sailing. For months, itās felt like a constant struggle just to make it to the next day.
I havenāt written much because, well, I havenāt been doing much. And if Iām not doing, thereās no point in preaching.
That said, things are starting to look a bit more positive now. While Iām still working through the lingering bitterness from the marriage fiasco, itās a work in progress.
Iām sure many others also had a tough 2024 and are hoping to make 2025 better. Thatās the planāDoing One Better.
Lifeās mishaps often tempt you to lean into negativity, to let your toxic side take over. But you choose how to respond.
It reminds me of the story of the two wolves, An elder tells a child about the battle inside us between two wolves, one representing negativity and the other positivity. When the child asks which wolf wins, the elder replies, āThe one you feed.ā
Itās easy to fall into negativity, but we fight to keep doing the right thing. Often, these inner battles go unnoticedāno applause, no recognition. But we fight anyway, not for validation but because itās the right thing to do.
Another focus for 2025 is āDoing Things for Yourself.
One of my favorite bloggers Sean Kernan talks about to be good at things silently. Go to the gym, not to show off on Instagram. Learn an instrument, not to impress anyone. Let your skills speak for themselves and surprise people when they stumble upon them unexpectedly (like a rare starfish or a gem whichever suits you).
So far, in just three weeks of January, Iāve taken small but meaningful steps. Iāve started writing again. Iāve begun doing home workouts to get in better shape. Iāve even read my first book of the year. I went to a stand-up show and a movie alone.
Itās all about building momentum, laying the groundwork to reach the version of myself I want to be. Hereās to a better year ahead.
Grateful for Our Local Book Club
Ever since I started reading books, I longed to be part of a book club. However, after moving back to my hometown, Kanpur, I felt it was almost impossible, as a tier-2 city like mine was unlikely to have one.
To my surprise, there was an active book club, but they had a screening process. After a telephonic interview, they rejected me without giving any reason. It felt absurd. Sure, they might have their standards, but in my opinion, reading a book should be enough to qualify as a book club member.
Eventually, I decided to start my own. Fortunately, I managed to poach a few readers from a local book fair. Word of mouth spread, and soon we became primarily a WhatsApp group.
In the beginning, there was some friction. We experimented with online group activities, but they didnāt work well, and many people left the group. It was disheartening.
As someone who tries to accept things as they are rather than expecting how they should be, I reminded myself that you can put in your best effort but still have no control over the outcome.
Although many people left, a handful stuck around, keeping the group alive. Thanks to our Instagram page, we also connected with a few like-minded souls.
After months without any ground presence, this year weāre making a real effort to turn things around. We hosted two silent reading sessions and started a buddy read where everyone reads the same book, helping members develop a consistent reading habit.
Recently, we even created a subgroup focused on exercise, where members share their workouts to motivate each other to stay healthy.
Currently, weāre a lovely small community of around 20-30 people, including professors, teachers, entrepreneurs, students, painters, and more. Apart from books, we discuss philosophy, movies, art, mythology, and a range of other topics.
A few years ago, I wouldāve been thrilled just to be part of a book club where I could discuss books. Watching other book club admins, I doubted if I was even qualified to run one. From getting rejected to starting the club, witnessing its initial excitement fade, and now seeing its revival, itās been an incredible journey.
This experience has taught me that youāll eventually find your tribe if you stay true to yourself.
Keep doing the eccentric things that make youāyou.
PS: A huge shoutout to Payas for his never-ending amiability, which has been instrumental in our resurgence.
IG Addiction
I donāt have a personal Instagram account, but I do manage two business(@runjhun_printers, @print_potter) accounts and one for our book club (@bookclubkanpur). This means I spend a significant amount of time on the platform.
Lately, Iāve found myself being far less productive and increasingly using Instagram as a way to stay distracted and avoid tackling the important stuff.
As Iām working on getting back on track, Iāve realized just how hooked Iāve become.
Mornings used to be phone-free until after Iād completed my workout. Now, the first thing I do upon waking is grab my phone and open WhatsApp. Inevitably, when the dopamine hit from that isnāt enough, I turn to Instagram. If there arenāt many messages waiting for me there, I end up mindlessly scrolling through reels.
For a few days, I experimented with greyscale mode to make my device less appealing. However, I couldnāt stick with it. Whenever I needed to view work-related color designs or something similar, Iād disable greyscale and then forget to turn it back on.
Now, Iāve started uninstalling the app after posting and only downloading it again when I need to use it. This hasnāt completely overcome my addiction, but itās the best solution Iāve found so far.
There are a few other methods Iām experimenting with, and if they prove successful, Iāll share them soon.
The urge to be bombarded with likes and messages is surreal. Iāve caught myself downloading the Instagram app first thing in the morning just to get that ādose,ā which is honestly scary.
I thought of myself as a cut above the rest, but no, I am just another digital druggy.
Hopefully once I build my routine around healthier habits, this craving should naturally decrease.
Wish me luck and if you have any hacks do comment them below.
Hope you enjoyed this edition.
Signing off for today :) Until next time, Houdoe! šāāļø