How to learn anything. In 20 hours.

In 2017, I had made myself an extremely aggressive list of things to do. And bench-marked that I would consider the challenge a success, if I was able to complete 90% of the goals. I failed. I made it to 75%. And carried forward the balance 25% to 2018. In addition to the new goals I had set myself for 2018. Having learnt from 2017, I tried to make the goals achievable, considering I had a huge backlog to complete.

And so, I consciously was looking out for tips and tricks to achieve my goals in a short period of time. Which I was hoping would allow me, not to write a similar blog on failing in 2019. And when I came across a headline that said, "How to learn anything in 20 hrs", I was ecstatic. Skeptical, yet excited. If this was true, I would be able to get done with my challenges. And have several months to spare.

Interestingly, I came across the headline and a link in a tweet. A habit, I had picked up as part of my 2017 goals. So 2017 was helping. The link led me to a Ted Talk. I was even more hopeful.

The TED Talk was as most TED Talks are. extremely interesting. There's definitely something in what Josh Kaufman is saying. And I plan to try it. You should watch the talk.

The first 20 hours -- how to learn anything
Josh Kaufman

And for those who don't have 20 minutes, here's the 1 minute summary.

 

4 simple steps to, "Rapid Skill Acquisition"

1. Deconstruct the skill
Decide what you want to do when you are done. And break them down to a series of multiple simpler skills.

2. Learn enough to self-correct
Get 3-5 resources about what you're trying to learn. And use them to learn just enough to practice.

3. Remove practice barriers
Distractions. Television. Internet. So you can actually practice. With minimal or even better, No Distractions.

4. Practice at least 20 hours
There is a frustration barrier. Practicing 20 hours, overcomes the frustration barrier and reap the rewards.

Goodbye Stephen !

On Wednesday, March 14, Stephen Hawking left Planet Earth.

Being my namesake, I came across him early in life. People checked if I spell my name like Stephen King or Steven Spielberg. To which I would respond, Stephen Hawking.

A Timeline of Stephen Hawking
https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituary-professor-stephen-hawking-visionary-physicist-1-4705165
 

There have been excellent obituaries written by many publications and individuals. There were two that stood out to me:

 

"
'Mind over matter': Stephen Hawking – obituary 

by Roger Penrose

The image of Stephen Hawking – who has died aged 76 – in his motorised wheelchair, with head contorted slightly to one side and hands crossed over to work the controls, caught the public imagination, as a true symbol of the triumph of mind over matter. As with the Delphic oracle of ancient Greece, physical impairment seemed compensated by almost supernatural gifts, which allowed his mind to roam the universe freely, upon occasion enigmatically revealing some of its secrets hidden from ordinary mortal view.

Of course, such a romanticised image can represent but a partial truth. Those who knew Hawking would clearly appreciate the dominating presence of a real human being, with an enormous zest for life, great humour, and tremendous determination, yet with normal human weaknesses, as well as his more obvious strengths. It seems clear that he took great delight in his commonly perceived role as “the No 1 celebrity scientist”; huge audiences would attend his public lectures, perhaps not always just for scientific edification.

...
"
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/mar/14/stephen-hawking-obituary

"
Stephen Hawking Dies at 76; His Mind Roamed the Cosmos 

A physicist and best-selling author, Dr. Hawking did not allow his physical limitations
to hinder his quest to answer “the big question: Where did the universe come from?”
 

By DENNIS OVERBYEMARCH 14, 2018
Stephen W. Hawking, the Cambridge University physicist and best-selling author who roamed the cosmos from a wheelchair, pondering the nature of gravity and the origin of the universe and becoming an emblem of human determination and curiosity, died early Wednesday at his home in Cambridge, England. He was 76.

A university spokesman confirmed the death.

“Not since Albert Einstein has a scientist so captured the public imagination and endeared himself to tens of millions of people around the world,” Michio Kaku, a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, said in an interview.

Dr. Hawking did that largely through his book “A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes,” published in 1988. It has sold more than 10 million copies and inspired a documentary film by Errol Morris. His own story was the basis of an award-winning 2014 feature film, “The Theory of Everything.” (Eddie Redmayne played Dr. Hawking and won an Academy Award.)

...
"

As we say Goodbye to Stephen, a tweet I saw, made me smile.

Sungazing

During a get-together with friends, the discussion veered towards the most interesting persons that we had met. And it was an interesting list. From top business people, to important politicians to sports personalities, to film stars. Until a friend mentioned a name I had not heard. Hira Manek.

I checked what his claim to fame was. And my friend told me that he had not eaten for over 30 years. And survived on Water and Sunlight. I found it hard to believe. And was going to ignore it. Until I realized that I had found that every-time I thought something was impossible, I was wrong.

And sure enough, I maintained my track record. Of being wrong. Again. A quick research project on Hira Manek, took me on a fascinating journey. Not only did it seem like it was possible to live for extended periods without food, there was a science of Sun Gazing that I didn't even know existed.

Here are some interesting tit-bits that made it even more interesting. The practice of Sun Gazing unlike most others, had 3 features that makes it stand out.

• No Restriction
• No Religion
• No Ritual

Lets start with the hero of our journey. Hira Ratan Manek.

"
About Hira Ratan

Manek Hira Ratan Manek was born on 12th of September 1937 in Bodhavad, India, was raised in Calicut, Kerala, India, where he had his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Kerala. After graduation, he joined the family shipping and spice trading business and continued working there until he retired in 1992.

After he retired, he began to research and study the ancient practice of sun gazing in which he had been interested in since his childhood. This method was an old but forgotten method, which had been practiced, in the ancient times in many different parts of the world. (see Sun Gazing - History)

After working on this method for 3 years, he was able to re-discover the secrets of sun gazing.  During his study, he was mainly inspired from the teachings of Lord Mahavir of Jains, who was also practicing this method two thousand and six hundred years ago. Other inspirations for sungazing came from ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Native Americans.

Since June 18th, 1995, HRM has and continues to live only on sun energy and water. Occasionally, for hospitality and social purposes, he drinks tea, coffee and buttermilk. Until now, he had three strict fastings, during which he had just sun energy and only water and was under the control and observation of various science and medical teams.

The first of these fasting lasted for 211 days during 1995-96 in Calicut, India directed by Dr. C.K. Ramachandran, a medical expert on allopathy and ayurvedic medicine.

This was followed by a 411 day fast  from 2000-2001 in Ahmedabad, India directed by an International team of 21 medical doctors and scientists led by Dr. Sudhir Shah (Dr. Shah's synopsis report) and Dr. K. K. Shah, the acting President of Indian Medical Association at that time. Dr. Maurie D. Pressman, MD also describes his experience with HRM in an article he wrote and later joined the team for the next observation on HRM.

After the excitement of the findings at Ahmadabad, HRM was invited to Thomas Jefferson University and University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where he underwent a 130 day observation period.  This Science/Medical Team wanted to observe and examine his retina, pineal gland and brain, therefore this observation team was led by Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, a leading authority on the brain and also featured in the recent movie "What the Bleep Do We Know", and by Dr. George C. Brenard, the leading authority on the pineal gland.  Initial results found that the gray cells in HRM's brain are regenerating.  700 photographs have been taken where the neurons were reported to be active and not dying. Furthermore, the pineal gland was expanding and not shrinking which is typically what happens after mid fifties and its maximum average size is about 6 x 6 mm, however for HRM, it has been measured to be at 8 x 11 mm.

There have been many other sungazers who have achieved similar results and have volunteered to be tested, however due to lack of funding and other lifestyle restrictions the results have not been documented. The uniqueness of HRM is that he has surrendered his living body for observation and experiments to the scientific firmament for several extended periods of time.  Although scientists and doctors have agreed that hunger is being reduced if not eliminated, due to the complexity of the various brain functions, they have not been able to explain how sungazing has such positive effects on the human mind or body, however more research is underway. ...
"
http://solarhealing.com/about/

Mr. Manek's website also gives insights into both the history and the process of Suz Gazing. You can explore the same at:
http://solarhealing.com/history/
http://solarhealing.com/process/

Visual learning is easier for me and I found a couple of interesting videos on HIra Manek and Sun Gazing. For those in a hurry, here's a 2 minute talk on Sun Gazing by Hira Manek.

HRM (Hira Ratan Manek) explains the practice of Sungazing or Solar Healing in 2 minutes

And here's an talk by Hira Manek on sun gazing. Its lengthy, a little over 90 minutes, and not always captivating. Nevertheless, it's an interesting investment of your time. Check it out.

Sun Gazing with HIRA MANEK

Water

A few days ago I got an invitation to complete a professional survey. Just as I was about to delete the link, I saw an incentive. In exchange for a few minutes, I could make a difference. AND also get a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Or could donate the $10 to 1 of 3 named charities. It was a no brainer. Especially considering how much I'd normally have to work for $10. :-)

And then for some strange reason, I became generous. And instinctively decided that the charities would be able to use the money more effectively than me. And so I selected a charity that I hadn't heard of, yet sounded intriguing. "charity: water"

After completing the survey, I checked out my choice. While I knew that Water was a problem, I had no clue of the extent of the problem. Or of the number of great organizations working to reduce the problem. And make the world a better place.

Here are a few insights that might get us out of our comfort zone, be thankful for what we have and maybe even prod us to do a little more for those who don't.

"
Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself. Water is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the society and the environment.

Water is also a rights issue. As the global population grows, there is an increasing need to balance all of the competing commercial demands on water resources so that communities have enough for their needs. In particular, women and girls must have access to clean, private sanitation facilities to manage menstruation and maternity in dignity and safety.

At the human level, water cannot be seen in isolation from sanitation. Together, they are vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, education and economic productivity of populations.

Water-related challenges

• 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services. (WHO/UNICEF 2017)
• 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services. (WHO/UNICEF 2017)
• 340,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases. (WHO/UNICEF 2015)
• Water scarcity already affects four out of every 10 people. (WHO)
• 90% of all natural disasters are water-related. (UNISDR)
• 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused (UNESCO, 2017).
• Around two-thirds of the world’s transboundary rivers do not have a cooperative management framework. (SIWI)
• Agriculture accounts for 70% of global water withdrawal. (FAO)
• Roughly 75% of all industrial water withdrawals are used for energy production. (UNESCO, 2014)

"
http://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/water/

Why Water?
For people in developing countries, clean water can change everything.

https://www.charitywater.org/global-water-crisis/

And to top it all, I found the story of the founder of charity: water. Moving. And inspirational.
The Spring - The charity: water story