Random hits on the keyboard

The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, said, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way”.  Marcus was a great Roman Emperor who ruled in Rome from 161 to 180 AD. He is also well known as a Stoic philosopher. Marcus Aurelius never claimed to be a Stoic.  But he lived the Stoic life. He kept a journal of his life, which was later published as one of the profound and important books ever written, Meditation. There are 12 volumes of books; those were the words of wisdom, and the books were never intended to be published. They were all self-reflections, words of wisdom to oneself. On the fifth book, paragraph 20, he wrote The impediment to action advances action, what stands in the way becomes the way. The phrase encourages a mindset where challenges are integrated into one's progress, rather than being seen as roadblocks to be avoided. The obstacle itself can offer a new path or method to move forward.  Recently, I have been reading (not a ...

I had a nice run on Saturday up to Nala. Surprisingly, it was not as hard as I had imagined. My preparation was perhaps a bit overdone, but since it was my first run to Nala, I was ready for rain, sweat, and all sorts of challenges. I was joined by a friend, which made the experience even more enjoyable, with a bit of sightseeing in Bhaktapur and snippets of history along the way. I’m getting there, I mean, near to nature. I have now started to love the pain of running.  I love the paddy fields beyond Bhaktapur, and the uphills and downhills gave me energy. Along the way, I found myself thinking about why people stopped running. Evolution has shaped the human body over millions of years through trial and error. Every function and organ is part of a system designed to improve our chances of survival. Our physiology and cognition were made to flee or fight, and running was the most important part of human survival. It was essential for hunting and running away from danger. Today, I n...