The Gift of Time

Usually when I ask someone to do a guest post, I get a reprieve from writing for a week at most. 

But because of the inspiration that led to Ajay Sachdev’s amazing 3 part series of posts on Bangalore, which you can read here, here and here, I was given the gift of a whole 3 weeks.

What did I do with that time?

Well...here’s a first-person account...

The Person and the Books

To start with, there was this person with a ton of checked-out books from the SanJose Public Library that were lying around unread. I got this person to get through many of these books. Here are some of them that got read...

Change or Die 

- by Alan Deutschman

Whistling Vivaldi  And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us

- by Claude M. Steele

The $1 Million Reason to Change Your Mind

- by Pat Mesiti

Crucial Conversations

- by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler

What Investors Really Want

- by Meir Statman

The Person and the Walks

Then there was this person who had been doing one-hour trail walks with her friend Becky and desired to kick it up a bit. I got this person to go to 2 hours with a little bit of extra huffing and puffing.

The Person and Merriam Webster Scrabble Online

Then there was this person whose Merriam Webster Scrabble Online scores were stuck in the 500s. I got this person to take it up a notch and achieve scores in the 600s, even knock out one 700+ score.

The Person and Xactly Incent

There was also this person who had badly wanted to read the online help in Xactly Incent from end to end between projects, but lacked the determination. I was on this person until this got done.

The Person and the Clutter

And finally, there was this person who wanted to tidy up and get rid of unnecessary stuff. Alas, I was unsuccessful with this person.  But hey, 4 out of 5 is pretty good, yes?

The Person in the Mirror

Well...you probably guessed it – all these persons were none other than the person that I see in the mirror every day (aka me).

The Gift of Time

Of all the gifts we get in our lives, the accidental gift of time may be the most precious.

Whether you are unemployed, between jobs, laid low with an illness, or stuck doing nothing, unscheduled time is a gift.

From both my readings (and my experience), I know that marvelous things can emerge from long stretches of accidental unscheduled time.

It often leads to a creative flowering.

Minoo Jha Actionable Ideas

To tell you the truth, Minoo Jha Actionable Idea - Life Strategies originated purely as a result of accidental unscheduled time.

Now you know the big Secret to Starting a Blog.

Note, it’s only the big Secret to Starting a Blog.  Once your blog gets going, you’ll find it develops a momentum of its own and you will find it easier and easier to write even when you are busy as a bee.

Elizabeth Tova Bailey’s Account of Her Convalescent Time

If you want to read one of the most fascinating accounts of convalescent time...read the story about Elizabeth Tova Bailey.  You will never think about being idle (or about snails for that matter) the same way again.

Ajay, before I end this post...thank you again for the gift of time.  Again, readers who want to read Oh Bangalore, Parts 1, 11 and 111 by Ajay, can do so here, here and here.

P.S. What interesting things have emerged when you were given the accidental gift of time?  I would love to know.

P.S.  I am also curious to know how readers spend their time when the power shuts down or when there is a bundh.  How do you make use of this time? Back in the day, I distinctly remember an old MAA pal Shiv Reddy telling me he looked upon power shutdowns as a perfect time to meditate.  Shiv, you were so ahead of your years.