Random Walks

Beautiful in its complexity

April 3rd, 2023

You wake up in the morning, brush your teeth, take a shower, eat breakfast, and off you go to make a difference in the world. And so it should be.

Yet, it does take a moment of reflection to realize that the water, toothpaste, electricity, food, and the transport you used are all made possible by complex systems, seemingly working at your command as you turn the tap, switch on the kettle, and head out the door.

And that, to me, is the functional beauty of life. Many hands serving you, ready when you need them.
Direction

April 1st, 2023

Sometimes, it pays to just start with your journey, explore what is possible. Certainly, you might deem this aimless wandering. But it’s often in these moments that one finds a path leading to a place you didn’t know you needed to go to.
Not to finish

March 23rd, 2023

But to learn. Every discussion I have with you, podcast or lecture I listen to, page I read, calls me to be present.

Yet, I remain distracted, taking in only a fraction of what I should. The mind tells me that there is too much happening at the same time to have singular focus, which is true to an extent.

But if I, like you, choose to learn, how much farther can we go?
Independence Run

March 21st, 2023

It’s Independence Day in Namibia, and I went for a run. Nothing out of the ordinary, just 40 minutes of the road, nature and I. But I didn’t know what I would learn.

I saw a couple of familiar faces as we slogged along. Then, as I was winding down, I was taught a lesson about keeping my mouth shut when an insect flew onto my welcoming tongue. Arghh, but I lived, and the insect unfortunately didn’t. May it rest in peace.

Then I met a friend, who told me he is doing 33 kilometers of running, one for every year of independence. Wow, I thought. Who would have thought of that, such a gesture to the Land of the Brave.
How we might learn

March 15th, 2023

If you are like most people, there are aspects of your live that you want to improve. But learning a new skill can be a drag, and we may be tempted to give up. So what can we do to improve the process?

First, we need to pick a skill that we truly value.

Secondly, we need to break it down into smaller tasks that are easier to master.

If possible, we can also get a mentor and have him/ her help us on this journey.

Finally, we reflect on our progress, improving on what works, and cutting out what does not work.

As a bonus, we can try to teach our new skill to others who might need it. Through teaching, we will sometimes clarify some assumptions, and learn more at the same time. In that way, we would have grown and learnt through sharing.

Beautiful in its complexity

Direction

Not to finish

Independence Run

How we might learn