Friday Reflections

Success leaves clues

From Left to Right: Row 1: Photos of City Ong (aka CT) and Adventures of Gautam. Row 2: Art of Shubhada and Signature Smile of Xiomara

By Phoebe Pineda

Point to Ponder: Success leaves clues. Go figure out what someone who was successful did, and model it. Improve it, but learn their steps. They have knowledge – Tony Robbins

Storyline: Recently, we’ve spotlighted some people who exhibit extraordinary passion, creativity, and kindness despite maintaining busy work lives.  Looking at these remarkable stories, we’ve identified a few commonalities:

1. Childhood experiences: How people grow up is important in building the foundation for who they become as adults.  Shubhada grew up immersed in art and science; Xiomara lived in a social neighborhood where everyone knew each other; and Gautam spent his youth watching sunsets and exploring forests in the remote outskirts of Mysore, India. For CT, the youngest child with the big age gap with siblings, he exercised his imagination while playing alone.
2. Support and encouragement: Having a supportive environment and people who are invested in your well-being is key.  In addition to having parents who made sure he didn’t overwork himself, Gautam had a friend in high school who took him under her wing and helped him navigate the tumult of adolescence. Shubhada had very supportive parents. CT and Xiomara were deeply influenced by their mothers.
3. A turning point: Several of our subjects can pinpoint the moment they discovered their passion, whether by volunteering to take photos at a conference (CT) or borrowing money from their best friend to buy a train ticket to Nepal (Gautam).
4. Curiosity/risk-taking: Our subjects like to venture beyond the beaten path, driven by a desire to see the world in new and exciting ways.  Shubhada utilizes out-of-the-box thinking (OBT) in both her engineering career and her artwork; Gautam seeks out the roads less traveled as he explores new countries; and CT finds his camera lens drawn to everything from sunsets to animals to a drop of dew on a leaf.
5. Building a relationship between passion and profession: Just because your interests are diverse doesn’t mean lessons from one can’t be applied to the other.  Shubhada approaches both engineering and art with creativity and a methodical focus, and CT finds he’s at his most focused and ready to work after he’s spent some time taking photographs.
6. COVID as an opportunity: With the pandemic slowing life down, our subjects have embraced their passions.  CT documented life in his Malaysian neighborhood, Gautam and his family hit the road to Florida and Yosemite, Shubhada drew daily charcoal portraits of inspiring people, and Xiomara encouraged those around her to remain positive despite the circumstances. 
7. Love first: Though some make money from their passion, they do it primarily because they love it, and because they want to share the joy it brings them with the world.

Reflection: In Developing Talent in Young People, psychologist Benjamin Bloom identifies three key elements that are crucial to helping children discover and foster lifelong passions: exposure, support, and coaching.

My younger brother and I have been lucky enough to have parents willing to allow us to experience and experiment with different interests rather than limiting us to a rigid set of expectations.  As a family, we love to travel–and to eat–and over the years my brother and I have been exposed to all sorts of different places (and different types of food).  For my brother, a weekend is not complete if we haven’t hit the road–whether it’s a drive along the coast, a trip out to the new mochi donut shop, or even running errands at Costco.

Our parents have supported us in all our ventures as we tried new things: while neither of us took a liking to soccer, I enjoyed my ballet classes at the local rec center, and my brother is an avid runner.  Their support, both emotionally and financially, has enabled us to receive proper coaching in order to hone our skills, from my brother’s weekly cross-country practices to my continuing education in writing and literature at a university whose faculty are committed to helping their students develop their craft and grow as artists.

But you don’t have to be a young person to find your passion, to discover what excites you.  Expose yourself to new things, open yourself to new experiences.  Find a friend (or two–maybe more) to support and encourage you–and don’t be afraid to seek out a mentor!  You’re never too old–or too young–to find what you love.

Do What You Love

Live the Life You Imagined

The Path of Life

There is Art in Science and Science in Art

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.

There is Art in Science, and There is Science in Art (Do What You Love - Part 3)

“If you’re having a good time in your own company, it’s a good sign that you’re happy and you enjoy what you do.” -Shubhada 

By Phoebe Pineda

Point to Ponder:  “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking about it differently.” –Albert Szent-Györgyi

Storyline: From majestic landscapes to portraits of renowned historical figures, Shubhada Sahasrabudhe’s art captures beauty in all sorts of places.

An engineer by trade, working at one of the world’s largest tech companies, Shubhada grew up in two worlds: art and science.  “I lived in an engineering town that manufactured pumps, and my dad worked in research and development,” she says.  “But art was in the house all the time.  My dad did outstanding sketches and paintings, and we spent our evenings sitting side-by-side with him and watching him work, doing random art projects-Even his engineering drawings.”  Growing up close to the process of creation, both at the pump factory and at home, instilled a strong sense of curiosity in Shubhada–“We were told to always be curious, not to stop at what but to ask why”–as well as a strong creative drive: “There was this push to be original,” she says.  “My parents told me, ‘You have to create something that belongs to you.  You're not an artist or a scientist unless you have contributed.’”

With limited supplies around the house, Shubhada often spent her childhood drawing in dirt roads with a stick which interestingly and unknowingly connected her to sand as a medium which she used years later.  “It was like an unlimited canvas,” she says.  Though she now has access to more traditional mediums, such as oil and acrylic, she still enjoys working with less conventional materials.  “I’ve always been an experimentalist, so I always try a new technique–anything that stains with a pigment is my medium,” she says.  “If I finish my coffee and I have a little left at the bottom, I will use it.” Her sand art in particular has garnered much attention, including a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon show Ryan’s Mystery Playdate.

Despite coming up in a workplace culture where hobbies and leisure time were challenging, Shubhada takes both her engineering and artistic career equally seriously.  “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like art and science are distinct things,” she says.  “To me they are so blurry and so similar. Yes, there is more system to science, but you see both elements–system and random–in different ways.  When I begin a painting, I don’t start with the details: I do the big strokes first to get the basic form and values together, and that defines my painting.  That’s exactly how I think of engineering: whenever I look at a problem statement, I look at the broad strokes and ask myself, What am I trying to do?  Once I have those pieces, I know how to fill in the minor details.  Knowing the end point helps guide your next steps.” Science and engineering also played a major role in Shubhada’s sand art, from constructing the worktable (which Shubhada designed and built herself) to finding the right type of sand: “I went to twenty different beaches to get as many sand samples as possible,” she says.

Though balancing work and life can be challenging, Shubhada says making time to do what she loves is worth every minute.  “Painting for hours is meditative,” she explains.  “It’s the most neutral feeling you can have, which is so rare in this day and age: not happy, not sad, just neutral and satisfied.”  She’s made it a priority to share that feeling with others, whether it’s teaching three and a half hours of back-to-back weekly classes through her art academy or finishing and posting a charcoal portrait every day for 140 days during quarantine. Sketch a Day  “I tried to use my art to combat the negativity and sadness,” she says.  “If you’re having a good time in your own company, it’s a good sign that you’re happy and you enjoy what you do.”

*For her contributions in the field of science, Shubhada recently received an esteem award "Women Engineer of the Year"  by American Sociery of Mechanical Engineers. Being recognized in the areas of her profession as well passion demonstrates her commitment to excellence in whatever she takes up.*

Reflection: I’ve always envied creatives who work in math and science: my physics and bio major friends who draw, write, and paint, who can navigate these two seemingly opposing fields, one world as foreign to me as the other is familiar.  Talking with Shubhada gave me insight into that fluidity: it’s about having a certain mentality, an approach that combines order and creativity and, most of all, an eagerness to learn.

At the end of the day, though the work may be different, the processes are more similar than we think, and the ultimate goal is the same: both science and art attempt to make sense of how the world works.  Science tells its own kind of story, the histories of who we are and how we got here, how the world moves around us and how we move within it.  And art is its own kind of science, an ongoing process of trial and error and building on the ideas of those that came before you, expanding our view of the world, defining and redefining truth.

For Anand, the son of two artists, interviewing Shubhada brought back a lot of memories of his own childhood, and how drawing on those creative experiences influenced his approach to problem-solving, enabling him to look at things differently and formulate solutions.

Our community of readers consists of people with a variety of different passions.  Though these may seem different on the surface, all have similarities in terms of process and approach, and all have valuable lessons that can be applied to different contexts.  But most importantly, no matter your line of work, putting your heart, enthusiasm, and soul into your endeavors will help you succeed.

 You can support Shubhada’s work by visiting her  WEBSITE or following her on Facebook.

Attachments: Versatility of the artist.

 

 

 

*late addition paragraph by Anand*

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.

It's Not Our Problem ...

POINT TO PONDER: A stitch in time saves nine.

A relevant story for current Political, Environmental and Social issues going on in the world.

STORYLINE (and a possible answer...)

Not Our Problem: A Tale from Burma and Thailand, retold by Margaret Read MacDonald

The King sat with his Adviser eating honey on puffed rice.
As they ate they leaned from the palace window and watched the street below.
They talked of this and that.
The King, not paying attention to what he was doing,
Let a drop of honey fall onto the windowsill.
"Oh sire, let me wipe that up," offered the Adviser.
"Never mind," said the King.
"It is not our problem.
The servants will clean it later."

As the two continued to dine on their honey and puffed rice,
The drop of honey slowly began to drip down the windowsill.
At last it fell with a plop onto the street below.
Soon a fly had landed on the drop of honey and begun
His own meal.
Immediately a gecko sprang from under the palace and with a flip
Of its long tongue swallowed the fly.
But a cat had seen the gecko and pounced.
Then a dog sprang forward and attacked the cat!

"Sire, there seems to be a cat and dog fight in the street.
Should we call someone to stop it?"
"Never mind," said the King.
"It's not our problem."
So the two continued to munch their honey and puffed rice.

Meanwhile the cat's owner had arrived and was beating the dog.
The dog's owner ran up and began to beat the cat.
Soon the two were beating each other.
"Sire, there are two persons fighting in the street now.
Shouldn't we send someone to break this up?"
The King lazily looked from the window.
"Never mind.
It's not our problem."

The friends of the cat's owner gathered and began to cheer him on.
The friends of the dog's owner began to cheer her on as well.
Soon both groups entered the fight and attacked each other.

"Sire, a number of people are fighting in the street now.
Perhaps we should call someone to break this up."
The King was too lazy even to look.
You can guess what he said.
"Never mind. It's not our problem."

Now soldiers arrived on the scene.
At first they tried to break up the fighting.
But when they heard the cause of the fight
Some sided with the cat's owner.
Others sided with the dog's owner.
Soon the soldiers too had joined the fight.

With the soldiers involved, the fight erupted into civil war.
Houses were burned down.
People were harmed.
And the palace itself was set afire and burned to the ground.
The King and his Adviser stood surveying the ruins.
"Perhaps," said the King,
"I was wrong?
Perhaps the drop of honey WAS our problem."

From Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About. c 1992 Margaret Read MacDonald (North Haven CT: Linnet Books).

In light of current Environmental, Political and Social issues, this FR from July 16,2010 is republihsed.

 

As you think, so you shall reap

POINT TO PONDER: “Each man kills the thing he loves.”-Oscar Wilde 

STORYLINE: Are you a negative thinker? Before you can stop a potentially damaging habit, you must recognize it first. Take a look at these 9 points from David Burns' book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (Avon Books, 1999) and deduce for yourself if you suffer from habitual negative thought:

1. All-or-nothing thinking. Either you are a hero or a failure. Any small or large misstep is a sign that you are a failure. You feel the need to be perfect all the time and when you are not, it feels like something is lacking with you.
2. Overgeneralization. When something bad happens, you believe it will happen again and again.
3. The Mental Filter. You focus on the downside of a situation rather than on the positive. For example, you may have gotten straight A's on your report card in school but feel bad about the one A- you received.
4. Diminishing the positive. When you twist positive events into negative ones. For example, you got a raise but aren't happy because it wasn't a bigger raise.
5. Jumping to conclusions. You always try to predict future trouble. Examples are if someone doesn't return a call, you think they secretly dislike you. If you are happy in a relationship, you think it won't last and the relationship will end down the line.
6. Emotional reasoning. You believe that your mood reflects your self-worth. You feel lousy because you are lousy.
7. 'Should' and 'must' thoughts. You can't stop thinking of things you should or must do, no matter how much you've already accomplished. This also applies to expectations of other people – you expect other people to do things as you think they should.
8. Labeling and mislabeling. You think you are what you do. You are quick to label yourself and others as failures when mistakes are made. You develop a negative self-image and think negatively of others based on constant judgment.
9. Personalization. You take blame for anything that goes wrong, even if it is not your fault.  

REFLECTION: My father used to tell me that we are what we feed our minds. If what we feed is negative – our thinking and behavior will reflect accordingly. Negative thinking is a protective measure designed from past experiences that keep us from future disappointments - by shutting us out from possibilities - and ultimately, our true potential.

If we decide to pursue our dreams, negative thinking can be there every step of the way, manifesting itself in doubt. We question why we chose to walk this path in the first place. Right when we are so close to attaining our goals, right when it just in our grasp – a far more destructive form of negativity often arises – we sabotage our own success. We don't feel worthy of the success that is coming, don't know what to do with it, and the ownership of such a success can become overwhelming.     The solution to overcoming negative thinking is not just in positive thinking. That's why so many repel at the thought of another self-help course. Overcoming negative thinking is a long process, of rewiring your mental and emotional circuitry. And that happens slowly: by recognizing that it is there, isolating it when it happens, making the conscious choice to shift your focus to a new way of thinking, and ultimately, believing the new thoughts you are teaching yourself.    

Positive thinking is far harder than its negative counterpart. Our world is filled with so much disappointment that it is easy to discredit possibilities and positive thought. When someone has achieved a high level of success, we want to tear them down, find the faults and if that is hard to find, we like to label them as an exception to the rule. They are only an exception because they have chosen to believe in themselves no matter what obstacles or disappointments come across their path. Negative thinking would like to suggest that you are not good enough while positive belief suggests that you are capable beyond all measure. It is up to you which you believe.

The Path of Life Will Be Much Smoother if Each Mile Begins with “S”

By Phoebe Pineda

Point to Ponder: “The people whose first instinct is to smile when you make eye contact with them are some of Earth’s greatest treasures.” –DailyGoodQuotes

Storyline: Of the many people Anand’s met and worked with over the years, few have made as big an impression as Xiomara Cedillo.  Every day, employees grabbing their morning coffee or their lunch would be greeted by name and Xiomara’s sunny smile, a gesture that, while small, radiated kindness and positive energy.  People like Anand left the checkout register feeling invigorated, motivated to carry on with their workday.

“I've always believed that a smile is your signature,” Xiomara says.  “You don't need to wear makeup or fancy stuff, a smile will open up any doors for you.  A smile will let you see different points of view.  Take everything with a smile and nothing will be as bad or hard as it seems.”

Growing up in El Salvador, Xiomara had a very social childhood: “In my neighborhood, everyone knew each other,” she says.  “Nothing existed--no electronics, no social media.  We had toys made out of sticks and the tops of soda bottles. It was simple, but I was very happy.”  Xiomara carried that energy with her when she began working in the US, even on days when it wasn’t easy.  “I tried not to let bad days bother me at work,” she says.  “In customer service, you have to put out good vibes and have a good way of looking at things.”  Her positive energy was so widely appreciated by those she met that when her company’s catering contract expired, the employees of the customer’s company requested Xiomara be kept on with the new staff.  Though grateful for the opportunity, Xiomara found staying on difficult when faced with questions about her less fortunate coworkers, and eventually ended up leaving for a new position.

Even after switching jobs, Xiomara has left a lasting impression.  “Of the people I keep in touch with, I remember about 150 names,” she says.  “One person I met started visiting me at my new job and brought me cookies and an Olaf beanie she made me.  Another person invited me and my grandson to spend time with her.  I saw someone from my old job on his birthday, and when I talked to him, he was surprised that I still remembered his name.”

While the pandemic has disrupted these friendly interactions, Xiomara encourages people to remain optimistic.  “Stay positive–I know sometimes it's hard to when you confront a problem or something bad, but just take it easy.  Take it as it goes.  God would not give you anything too hard for you to handle.  Just work it out, take it as a good challenge, and be positive about it.  Whatever comes, just face it.  It's part of life.  If it doesn’t happen the way you expect it, you’ll learn something from it.”

Reflection: Last week we discussed sunsets, and how they act as an opportunity to reflect on the past.  Now, as the sun rises on 2022, it’s important to start the year off right.  A smile can be a beacon of light in times of darkness, and if all of us follow Xiomara’s example, greeting the New Year and those around us with a smile, that light will shine brighter and stronger. 

 

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.

Why do people take more pictures of sunsets than sunrises?

Majestic Sunsets around the world: 93 locations

By Phoebe Pineda

Points to Ponder : “As your day comes to a close, ask yourself whether you’ve done everything you set out to do or been the person you desire to be.” - Everyday Power.com

 Story Line: Why do people take more pictures of sunsets than sunrises?

Perhaps it’s because many of us (particularly those of us who are night owls) aren’t awake for the sunrise.  But maybe it’s that there’s something special about sunsets – about how no two sunsets are alike, each with its own combination of striking colors lending new life to deserts, cityscapes, and ocean waves.  Every sunset is as unique as the day it concludes, an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on what we learned.

In one of my last writing classes, our professor had us submit an essay reflecting on each of our writing assignments.  In each reflection, we looked back on our writing process and the decisions we made: how did we make our writing easier for a reader to approach?  What type of reader are we writing for?  What were some of the challenges we faced, and what aspects did we enjoy?  The goal of these reflection essays, according to my professor, was to track our progress as writers – to keep a log of how we approach different assignments and what we learn in doing so, which can be a very valuable tool for improvement.  They also serve as a way to validate our growth, providing something we can look back on and see where we were and how we might do things differently, or how trying something new for one essay became integrated into our approaches to other essays.  It can feel tedious picking our work apart, rehashing what we’ve already written instead of pursuing something new, but at the same time, looking back at something you’ve completed and meditating on it can feel refreshing.  You’ve already done the hard work, and now you can relax and really acknowledge the amount of hard work you’ve put in, and how it’s paid off.

Where sunrises serve as a command, or a call to action, sunsets offer catharsis.  It’s why we take so many walks at dusk on the beach, or spend so many evening car rides just peering out the window, watching the glass go from golden-orange to rosy lavender as night falls.  My family’s spent the past few New Year’s Eves chasing that final sunset, and it feels like a fitting conclusion, a way to stop, breathe, and say goodbye to the old year in all its highs and lows, all its joys and hardships.

We’ll head into 2022 anew, with visions for what we want to accomplish and how we want to get there.  But as we ride out the final hours of 2021, I encourage everyone to take a moment to sit back and watch the sky.

 

Countries: Botswana,Cambodia,CostaRica,Scotland/England,Fiji,Guatemala,Japan,Laos,New Zealand,Malaysia,Philippines,Samoa,India,Indonesia,Israel,Taiwan,Thailand,Tonga,USA,Zambia.

Contributors: Sunsets Around The World Video. 93 locations, 31 Photographers, 20 Countries, 5 Continents

Alankar Naik: North Carolina (182-193), Alka Pandya: Mumbai (115-116),Boon Seng Tan: Hillsoboro,OR and Pismo Beach,Ca (97,103,150), Chen Ping and Oliver Chen: California Coast and Yosemite(114, 143-144), Chet Thaker: Zambia and Bostwana (163-168,172-179*), City Ong: Penang, Malaysia (69-72,,89,99-100,104,108-109,113,124-135*,141-142,181), Gabriela Cruz Thompson: Costa Rica/Oregon (110-112),Gordon Ching: Ohau, Hawaii (117-119,121-123*,139-140),Haresh Parikh: Ahmedabad, India (203-207),Kalpana Shah Korvar:Poona, India (145-146*),Kashyap Shah:KeyWest,FL and Kannapali,Maui (170,180), Kevin Rockwood:Manila, Philippines(153),Madhuri Narkhede: Picacho Peak,AZ (136),Mayur Desai: SanDiego,Ca (161-162),Mihir Shah: San Francisco Bay, Pillar Point,Ca (154-55,202),Nitin Godiwla:Rhode Island (229), Phobe Pineda: Culver City,Ca (157), Rajan Shah:Mussorie and Coorg India (137-8,156), Rajiv Shah: San Francisco (105-106),Ronak Shodhan: Ahmedabad,India(228),Samantha Baud: Los Altos,Ca (171),Sharad Mehta: Amelia Island,FL(169),Sharvary Trivedi: Goa,India(67-68),Shashank Phadke: Moffet Field, Ca(158),Shinji Hioki:Oregon Coast(101-102),Swati Desai:Dwarka,Nasik,Abu,Goa-India, Bali(194-201),

Prasad Vepa:Montara(8),Carmel(9),BarHarbor(13),parque(22),PacificGrove(54),SantaCruz(55),Sunnyvale(56),Saratoga(147),Maui(148).

Gautam Singampalli: SanJose(160),GandCanyon,MonumentValley,Guatamala,Assam, AcreIsland-Israel,Jerusalem,LaguanaBeach-Ca, Outrey-Colorado,Amritsar,Ladakh,Yousemite,MountShasta,HalfMoonBay,MountWhitney and Mahabalipuram(208-227).

AnandLuisa Shah: Goa(1-4),Kauai(5-7),BryceCanyon(10-11),YellowStone(12),Christchurch,FranJoseph-NZ(14-15),VitiLevu-Fiji(16-21),SiemReap-Cambodia(23-25),LuangPrabang-Laos(26),Zion(27),DeathValley(28-29),Sunnyvale(30,98),Milpitas(31-2),Pascadero(33),Bali,Indonesia(34-37),SanLuisObispo(38),KingCity(39),LosAltos(40,96,107),Upolu-Samoa(41-47),Savaii-Samoa(48-50),Haapai-Tongatapu-Tonga(51-53),Glasgow-IsleofSkye-Scotland(58-61),HalfMoonBay(62-63),Seattle(64-65),SantaClara(66),ChianMai-Thailand(73),Bohol-Philippines(74-76),ElNido&Coron-Palawan(77-86),Okinawa-Japan(87),Alishan-Taiwan(88,90-94) and MountainView,Ca(151-152)

Unknown(95,120)…

*Few Photos of Moon.

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.

Live the Life You've Imagined (Part 2-Do What You Love)

By Phoebe Pineda

Point to Ponder:  “Fill your life with experiences, not things.  Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” –Anonymous

Storyline: When Gautam, at the age of 23, scrounged some money from his best friend Subha and bought a train ticket to Nepal in the summer of 2008, he had no idea it would change his life forever.  After living a sheltered childhood in India and going through the motions, spending three months hitch-hiking and backpacking in the Himalayas was eye-opening.  “From an experience like that, a switch in your brain just turns on,” he says.  “On that trip, I understood what freedom meant.”

Though he earned his degree in engineering, Gautam’s true passion is exploring the natural world.  For the past decade, he’s traveled the world with his now wife Subha, also an engineer from a similar background.  From spending their honeymoon with the Pech Indian tribe in the remote jungles of Honduras to riding motorcycles up the Pacific Coast Highway, all the way to Seattle, little seems off-limits for Gautam, who prefers to venture off the beaten path rather than stay at hotel rooms in crowded tourist destinations.  Yet he doesn’t see his unconventional lifestyle as risk-taking: “Out there in raw nature, you never push yourself to do what you think you’re capable of,” he says.  “You have to be able to enjoy what you’re doing.”

While Gautam loves exploring the natural beauty of the various and diverse landscapes the world has to offer–from glaciers and mountain ranges to deserts and rainforests–the real draw of many of the places he visits is the people he meets, many of whom have shown him immense kindness and hospitality.  “When you meet all these interesting people, you learn so much about humanity in general,” he says.  “It reinforces the fact that people are inherently good.” 

Parenthood has also been a key part of Gautam’s journey: “Kids look at you as an example of how to live, so now you have no choice but to be the best version of yourself,” he says.  “I have to learn things to make it safe and more educational for them, which is only making my life more enriched.”  During COVID, Gautam took advantage of the opportunity to truly bond with his children, taking them on coast to coast road trips to Florida, camping in places like Yosemite and many other national forests in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and planting a vegetable garden.  “I want my kids to learn that you have the freedom and ability to do what you like to do,” he says.  “A lot of people want to do many things, but they have a lot of fears in mind.  If it's an honorable passion, what I want them to learn is that you should do what you like.  Only when people do what they like can beautiful things happen.”

Gautam’s goal is not to excel at one single thing, whether that’s work or climbing.  Rather, he wants to experience the variety of what the world has to offer, regardless of skill level.  “For me, it’s about learning, to satisfy the curiosity of mind,” he says.  “I don’t have to be the best engineer or the best mountaineer.  As long as we’re giving our best and having fun at it, it’s okay.  It’s my life.”

Reflection: While talking with Gautam and writing this post, I thought about the song “Try Everything” from Disney’s Zootopia, and the saying “jack of all trades, master of none, but better than a master of one.”  Your passion doesn’t have to be limited to one specific field or area.  If you can be passionate about life, about trying new things, then you open yourself up to all sorts of possibilities and opportunities you may not have had otherwise.  You don’t have to be the best at everything, or even one single thing.  Sometimes it’s only when you try–and fail–that you can really experience freedom.

 

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined.... * 

From L-R: Camping in Himlayas, Leh-Ladakh, @16000 feet, Annapurna-Nepal, Ice climbing Frozen Waterfall-Outray-Colorado, SanJose to Seattle on Motor Bike, Burning Man, Indian Creek-Utah

 

Honeymoon in Honduras (where there are no hotels or tourists)

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see further.” Thomas Carlyle

 Row 1-Mount Shasta, Row 2 Mount Whitney, Row 3-Mount Rainier

Row 1: Mount Hood, Grand Titon. Row 2: Yosemite, Rock Climbing in Tahoe, Thousand Island Lake

*....As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." ― Henry David Thoreau

Serenity of Home Sweet Home: Home grown, Home Cooked

 

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.

Do What You Love, or Find Love in What You Do (Part 1)

 

By Phoebe Pineda

Point to Ponder:  “I don’t discover anything new; I reveal what’s already there.” --photographer to Queenie Thompson, Queenie (1987 miniseries)

Storyline: CT Ong’s photography can best be described in one word: revelatory.  Each picture captures a single moment, and each moment reveals a story.

For CT (aka City), photography is a sort of meditation, a way to relax the mind by concentrating on a single subject.  Wildlife photography, for instance, is an exercise in patience, in adapting to your subject’s behavior and waiting hours to get the perfect shot. “Calming down the mind and taking a break during photography actually helps me to look at work and other life problems or issues differently,” he says.  “There are many times that a solution pops up when my mind is relaxed.”

An engineer by profession, CT discovered his passion for photography when he volunteered to take pictures at an international conference.  CT enjoyed seeing the detail in people’s expressions and natural behaviors, and afterwards he began taking pictures in his daily life, documenting everything from business trips to family celebrations.  With travel suspended during COVID, CT took to photographing his neighborhood: birds visiting flowers in his garden, vivid sunsets painting the sky in vibrant reds, and even droplets of water swirling around a leaf.  “Through the viewpoint of a camera,” he says, “I learn to discover beauty in everything I see.”

Reflection: Many of us have a profession (something we’re good at) and a passion (something we love).  Your profession and passion may not be the same, but you can find ways to incorporate the two.  Much as CT is most focused and ready to solve engineering problems when he’s behind the lens of a camera, having diverse interests outside of work can help enhance our creativity and spark new ideas.  The more ways we have of looking at an issue, the more options we have to tackle it.

They say that the brain is most creative when it has to work within limitations, and COVID provided a great opportunity for CT to hone his craft, to really capture the simple beauty of his immediate surroundings.  Plans may change and circumstances might be less than ideal, but sometimes, when we’re under pressure or constrained in our thinking, that’s when the most interesting discoveries emerge.

 

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

 

Anand and Phoebe first met at a Kid-to-Work Day over two decades ago. Once a week, they meet to discuss the various stories, experiences, memories, and lessons he's collected over the years. They approach each conversation from two different stages in life, one looking forward, the other looking back.

The Forest Said Nothing, It Just Let Her Breathe.*

Alishan National Forest, Taiwan - Photo by Luisa Go Shah

Point to Ponder:  “In solitude there is healing.  Speak to your soul.  Listen to your heart.  The answers are often found in the absence of noise.” --Dodinsky

Storyline: Special Thanks to Milan Trivedi, one of our readers, who sent in this beautiful poem by Becky Hemsley.  

Breathe

She sat at the back and they said she was shy,

She led from the front and they hated her pride,

They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance,

They branded her loud, then were shocked by her silence,

When she shared no ambition they said it was sad,

So she told them her dreams and they said she was mad,

They told her they'd listen, then covered their ears,

And gave her a hug while they laughed at her fears,

And she listened to all of it thinking she should,

Be the girl they told her to be best as she could,

But one day she asked what was best for herself,

Instead of trying to please everyone else,

So she walked to the forest and stood with the trees,

She heard the wind whisper and danced with the leaves,

She spoke to the willow, the elm and the pine,

And she told them what she'd been told time after time,

She told them she felt she was never enough,

She was either too little or far far too much,

Too loud or too quiet, too fierce or too weak,

Too wise or too foolish, too bold or too meek,

Then she found a small clearing surrounded by fires,

And she stopped...and she heard what the trees said to her,

And she sat there for hours not wanting to leave,

For the forest said nothing, it just let her breathe.

*You can support Becky’s work by following her on Facebook or visiting her shop on Etsy. 

Reflection: I think a lot of us, particularly those of us who are women, can relate to this poem -- this feeling of never being good enough, that nothing you say or do will ever please people.  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the demands different people make of us -- teachers, employers, family, friends -- and so it’s incredibly important, especially as we approach the holiday season, to take time to sit with ourselves and just let ourselves be: without judgement, without obligation, without fear.

 

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.

 

Leaders Can Come From Anywhere, at Any Age.

Happy Thanksgiving

By Phoebe Pineda

Point to Ponder:  “A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example.” --Joe DiMaggio

Storyline: On November 4, after eleven years playing Major League Baseball, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey announced his retirement.  The news shocked fans -- Posey had just helped propel the Giants to their best season in history, and at only 34 still seemed to have more ahead of him.

From the moment Posey first stepped foot in the Giants clubhouse in 2009, he made an impression.  Sports broadcaster Mike Krukow recalled that Posey had a presence unlike any other rookie he’d seen, an “it factor” that left even his veteran teammates in awe and eager to impress him.  That energy helped reinvigorate an aging team of underestimated misfits, as Posey and the team led San Francisco to win its first championship in 2010 and two more in the span of five years.  He played every game with a focused determination, a drive to push the team forward that remained untouched by ego, and became a quiet leader to those around him, a person his teammates could rely on and an opinion they could trust.  Posey is perhaps nearly as famous for his “Buster Hugs,” a hallmark of nearly every major victory in these past 12 years and a testament to the strength of his relationship with each Giants pitcher, as he is for his playing.  As basketball player Steph Curry described it, “There’s always a feeling of somebody who represented one organization for his entire career and did it with class the entire time.”

Buster Posey’s final season feels like an encore, a last hurrah before the curtain falls and the lights go down.  He opted out of the 2020 season to spend time with his family and his newly-adopted twin daughters, and came back this year stronger than ever, the longest-tenured member on the team and a leader to a group of new up-and-comers.  It was not the first time he’d returned to the game after a hiatus, and perhaps one reason fans were so caught off-guard by Posey’s decision to retire was because they were so used to seeing him get back up again, fall after fall.  But playing one of baseball’s most physically-taxing positions takes its toll, and at the end of the day, Posey decided to place not only his family first, but his own well-being.

Former Giants pitcher Barry Zito said it best in a Twitter tribute to his old teammate:  “You have what most of us MLB players never did, true perspective.  You didn’t bow down & worship the game of baseball as if it were your God.  In the eyes of @SFGiants fans, you walked on water but to you, it was just a game you loved to play and that’s why you played it so well.  Perspective.  You cared about the game but didn’t let it define you the way we all did.  Whether you were winning one of your 3 World Series titles or in the middle of a career-worst slump you were the same Buster, focused, friendly and always professional.”

Reflection: It doesn’t take a seasoned veteran to make a leader.  At 23, Buster Posey was already setting an example for his team before he’d even played his first game.  For twelve years, his dedication, humility, and commitment to his teammates never wavered.  His priorities, too, remained unchanged -- while baseball was his livelihood, at the end of the day, at the peak of his career, he chose to step away and take care of himself and his family.  That, too, takes confidence.

Happy Thanksgiving, Buster.  We’re thankful for you and all you’ve given us, and we know your family is too.

(An additional thanks to my mother, a lifelong Giants fan whose input helped make this post possible, and to our readers around the world, for your continued support and contributions to discussion through the years.  From all of us at Friday Reflections, Happy Thanksgiving.)

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Phoebe Pineda currently studies Writing and Literature at the University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies.  In addition to storytelling, she enjoys sunset-watching, road trips, and making art.