Vikram Seth’s critically acclaimed book “A suitable boy” details the story of Lata and her mother’s search for “A suitable boy” for her in the post partition India.
Lata must choose between Kabir, the Exciting but unattainable Muslim boy, The not available gay poet Amit or the boring but stable Haresh.
The story to me is not so much about what she chooses finally but the fact that life presents you all these choices or the buffet of choices if you must and you need to decide.
Making the decision, resisting the temptation is the most difficult part.
Do I need all the choices?
Choices confuse, they can distract.
Lot of them are too difficult to understand but would you rather have a choice to decide or someone deciding for you.
Would you want to be empowered enough to make your own choices or be a puppet in someone’s hands?
Where is the Problem?
Every time something outside our comfort zone confronts us as a choice, it requires us to put in the hard work.
Most of the time, therein lies the challenge.
Most of the people I know want to be healthy, want to look good but you tell them wake up early and go to gym, the motivation drops several levels, and they would straight up admit, it’s not up their alley.
Scott Adams in his memoir, “How to fail at almost everything and still win big” talks about the fact that we have limited will-power in a day, and we need to decide how and where to use it more optimally.”
If running is not your thing but you use your willpower to run early in the morning, would you be left with enough will-power to go through whatever the rest of the day throws at you.
This is an important lesson, yes running is a good exercise, but you are not able to run, so what should you do.
Instead of trying to run, find a physical activity that works for you, for example yoga, a sport, hiking.
Whatever interests you.
That’s how choices unfold.
Not every choice in front of you is the right choice for you, but there is a “suitable choice” in there for you.
How would you know what’s suitable for you?
Now this would require some work again.
You would need to experiment a bit.
Get a mentor/advisor/coach/trainer whom you trust and seek their opinion.
Like go to the gym, try running, cross-training, Pilates, cycling, dancing and see what keeps you motivated and that will give you the maximum productivity.
That’s exactly how it works in Investing?
A friend made money in crypto, and another made money day-trading and the third one made money through systematic investment planning, yes all of them are legitimate ways to make money, however which one works for you.
Which risk are you most comfortable with?
There’s a great restaurant business, there is a great internet business, there is a great grocery business and there are countless people who have failed at each one.
Don’t get into something for the money but because it works for you and eventually it would.
Rest-Wish you all a Very Happy New Year.
See you on the other side
Irreverentinvestor.com 