The Super Nova

Disclaimer:
This article was originally written and posted by Nishanth Sasankan on August 13, 2012 on Facebook.

The world, always has a number one. It always did and it always will. Empires, kingdoms, monarchs and dictators all come and go. Like fall after spring and spring after fall, they all come and go, merely to be engraved somewhere into the lost pages of history. Most or at least a good portion of us have at some point wished to be there. Some for acceptance, some just for vanity and some to fill in the gaps of the cheese called ego. We run faster, struggle harder and fight longer with the world around us to reach that peak. To stand upon that peak where people have to look up to you and you can look down to others; to get that surge of feeling better than the world around you; oh what an intoxicating state of mind. Yet soon after your time, generations flow along with time virtually not caring what or who you were. Pages of history which will never be turned again. How sad it is that those pages in which you struggled to remain shall loose its glow and remains closed.

This note is not about those who came and went, it is about those who stayed and continues to remain in the brightest pages. Men and  women who's brightness shines as a beacon of inspiration for my time and for the next. It is about those who remained as an underdog, it is about those who were never heard of until one singular moment in time where they made the passing threshold. It is about men and women who competed and struggled, but not with others or the world around them, but with themselves. It is about those who aspired to make the best of themselves and not to be the best among others. Our society sets us on a race to have the best grades, best salary, best houses and even down to the best credit scores. we live in a world in which we are always in a relative position to others around us. Few escape the great race of life and even fewer prove they were right to do so.

True glory lies in those who became part of that beacon of inspiration, the ones that remained dormant for years until one day became a super nova. Became the brightest of us all and outshines a million stars that has ever come and gone. Who among us will start to look at themselves and realize their potential to inspire the life of others? Who among us will deny power and embrace humility ? Who among us will see the person next to us as a powerful super nova, as they see themselves? Who among us will shine brighter than a million suns, to spread hope, inspiration and peace? Who will be the next super nova for my time and the next..........?     

I Read What I Write

Nishanth asked me yesterday if I ever read what I wrote. I told him typically no. Then he joked that I should just write on a white board and erase it every time I wish to write more. Truth be told, I used to read what I wrote more often. I still have my past journals from when I was a child that I would flip through occasionally. In recent years though, I have wrote things of more substantial nature but rarely read them.

The famous novelist Toni Morrison said that she wrote her first novel since she wanted to read it. Similarly, for much of what I write, I wish to understand and reflect on my own ideas and thoughts. Writing serves to preserve that and creates a structure in otherwise haphazard thoughts. In other words, for much of what I write, I like remember what I wrote for myself to remember and not necessarily for others to read.

So I took some time today and read my past entries from November that's worthy of remembering:

1. Quotes from Shen Ge

"I have to stand up on two legs before I can run to any endeavor with full passion."

"It's suffocating to be surrounded by people you can't really relate to.

"I must build a strong foundation in a relationship with my physical presence before I can leave."

"Take a stand now and suffer in the short term for the long term good." 

"There should be a highlight of each day that I look forward to."

2. Look over maps! That was a childhood hobby of mine. Recover it.

3. The number of radio stations in the country is distributed according to its population density. Is there an equation which can connect the two values?

N = f(R)

where N is the population density in a 100 km radius and R is the number of radio stations in a 100 km radius.

4. Optimal life needs to have activities filling up every box between being alone and with others.

	Alone	Couple	Group
Work
Play

5. From Strengths Finder 2.0, I know I am Futuristic, Ideation, Intellection, and Significance. I should do some of the tips to improve my life.

• Read articles on tech, science, and research to gain fuel for my imagination.
• Study fields and industries different from my own.
• Organize groups that discuss my interest area.
• Write articles to give me visibility.
• Volunteer to speak in front of a group who'll admire my achievements.
• Imagine I'm on stage with my every action.

6. Alice, a Carnegie Mellon free software, encourages people to create animations and games. In truth, it is an example of a "head fake", making people think they're just playing games when really they're learning. I should do the same for my own projects to increase user usage.

7. Quote from Nishanth Sasankan

"One problem at a time. Don't try to do everything at once. Like a multi-stage rocket, if the boost comes too early, your rocket can explode."