I have grown to like racing. All kinds of motor racing. Once you see it live, up close, you get it. The speed is literally frightening. When I first saw it, I couldn’t believe there were people in those cars. It Its impossible for the layman to judge whether its driver talent or the machine that produces the results. But actually, it’s a lot more complicated than that. It’s the weather, the state of the track, tire choices, the pit stop strategy, the in-car adjustments, the number of cautions, the actions of the other drivers, all on top of the power plant, aerodynamics and driver skill. Because of these factors, especially in the long oval races, the winner often comes from nowhere. Drivers just fall away as conditions change and strategies play out. That’s exactly what happened in the last Indy 500.
Maybe it’s a lot like our working lives. We have our own abilities, but we need to be in the right spot as well. We need support, and the right vehicle for our talents. And we make choices that sometimes work out and sometimes don’t. Maybe not though. It’s a stretch to see my working life going as fast as some of those Indy cars.
I am listening to ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ by Tim Ferriss. It reminds me a bit of ‘Self Help’ by Samuel Smiles, a book written in the 19th century that I studied in university. A ‘you can do it!’ kind of approach but even more bold. He has built an industry around his idea that four hours a week will do no matter what you are trying. Highly recommended.
Some prose from a short story:
Rosh knew the command tent was dead in the middle of the camp. Exact middle. When they moved again he realized they were right beside it. He wasn't surprised to see a god pillar, sign of their shared religion, in front of it. He been on assault missions in an Etiti camp before. Kill, disrupt or kidnap. And the Eliti didn't change a thing. Stubborn bastards. These attacks always seem to surprise them. Like they couldn't imagine anyone trying something like that against them. Or maybe they were just so arrogant, that they just didn't care.