Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation). Four weeks ago, I shared an excerpt titled – ‘Making Accurate Predictions and Uncertainty’ from the blog-post titled ‘Can We Make More Accurate Predictions in Economics?’ by Ayubkhon Azamov writer, translator and educator with a background in economics.In this episode we drew attention to the point that our true strength lies not in flawlessly guessing tomorrow, but in building systems capable of withstanding whatever tomorrow brings. And getting to the truth of what lies ahead is approached neither with blind faith nor with total skepticism, but with a reasonable balance. Now, SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation) to the ones paying heed, is where we try to draw your attention to things that matter and the importance of your attention, because, ‘Our life’s experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to’.

Attention: is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. Once our attention is drawn to the mechanism of why and what we give attention to, it is as if a veil has been stripped off and we become freer in our action and choices. And that is our endavour.

As we come to a close of another calendar year, I would like to share some excerpts from a message that I came across by Dr. Robert Svoboda. Dr. Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda.

He is the author of over a dozen books and has served as Adjunct Faculty at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM, and at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. You can find out more about his work at www.drsvoboda.com and follow him on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

A Message for All times

To remain awake without becoming overwhelmed, engaged without becoming entangled, serious without becoming grim. To keep our feet on the ground while the ground itself feels less stable. To remember that attention is a finite resource, and where we place it shapes not only how we see the world, but who we become inside it.

Change that comes as a series of low-grade disruptions rather than a clear crisis can cause the nervous system to oscillate between two unhealthy responses.

Disengage: Scroll past, numb out, pretend its background noise.

Over-engage: Doomscroll, obsess, try to control it all.

Both paths lead to burnout, neither brings true balance. Strange times test us both by what they demand we endure and how well we are able to maintain our balance within our endurance.

The middle path is not passive. It is disciplined.

It asks us to choose when to look, how to look, and how long to look.

It asks us to stay present without being consumed, informed without being inflamed.

Namaste, Wishing you A Happy New Year!