ENGINEERING MIND

A Book for Distraction

OCTOBER 10, 2022

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 PREFACE/DISCLAIMER

THIS BOOK IS MAINLY WRITTEN FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND INTERPRETATIONS OF

OTHER NON-FICTION, PHILOSOPHICAL BOOKS HAVE READ SO FAR IN MY LIFE. THE
REASON I DECIDED TO WRITE THIS IS ONLY TO REACH OUT THE COMMON PEOPLE
OUT IN THE SOCIETY. AS FROM EYES OF COMMON MAN WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL
WITH 8 TO 5 JOB. I AM NOT SPEAKING UP IN SAD TONE OF BEING PROFESSIONAL,
THAT IS WHOLE POINT FOR DECIDING TO TAKE THIS TASK OF WRITING A BOOK. IT IS
QUITE COMMON INCLUDING ME, TO CATEGORIZE EVERYTHING IN OUR DAY TODAY
LIFE. SAME APPLIED TO BOOKS WE CHOOSE TO READ, ONLY IF THE AUTHOR IS WELL
KNOWN READERS WILL THINK TO GIVE A TRY BUT NOT TO THE CONTENT IN IT. SO
THIS IS A CHALLENGE, I TOOK FOR MYSELF TO TEST THE POTENTIAL OF AN
INDIVIDUAL HUMAN BEING.

THE FIRST THING MY SO-CALLED ENGINEERING MIND BROUGHT UP WAS ALL THE
DOUBTFUL QUESTIONS, WHO WILL READ YOUR BOOK? WHO WILL PRINT AND
PUBLISH IT? ARE YOU CAPABLE ENOUGH TO WRITE A BOOK? AND ETC. THESE ARE
THE THOUGHTS WHICH ARE STARTING POINT FOR ME TO PROVE MYSELF, NOT TO
THE WORLD OR ANYONE BUT TO ME. YES! I AGREE AND ACCEPT THAT I AM NOT A
PHILOSOPHER, OR A MONK OR A PSYCHOLOGIST OR AN ATHLETE OR
CELEBRITY. BUT A NORMAL HUMAN TRYING TO SPEAK IS HEART OUT. I AM NOT
HERE TO GUIDE OR TEACH ANYONE ABOUT LIFE. AS THE SUBTITLE SAYS I AM JUST
TRYING TO WRITE A BOOK WHICH DISTRACTS US FROM OUR DAILY ROUTINE OF
ANXIETY, STRESS, SOCIAL MEDIA, FEAR, NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, ANGER, WHICH IS
PURELY BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE. THERE IS QUOTE, WHICH GO LIKE THIS “LIFE
IS THE BEST TEACHER” I BELIEVE THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. SO, OVERALL IDEA
TO LET PEOPLE LEARN FROM THEIR OWN LIFE, BUT WITH POSITIVE INTENTIONS AND
ENERGY. TO ACHIEVE THAT IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO EXPERIENCE THE LIFE WITH
JOY, BLISS, AND PEACE. HERE I COME IN TO SHARE MY TOUCHATS AND
EXPERIENCE IN COMING CHAPTERS.

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 INTRODUCTION
I will start with generalizing a statement, which I have also heard from my own friends. The very common
statement most of us would have heard in our life for quite a few times for sure. Which goes like this ‘it’s very
easy to say things but hard to do’. I agree with this there is nothing wrong in this statement, but the concern
starts when individual starts analyzing with their engineering mind by taking it personally. Yes! it’s hard to
implement things rather as it was said. Let’s take up an example reading a book a self-help or motivational
book when one has read few of them. Either the society or individual itself starts just have their own internal
dialogue or expectations where they start feeling to have some outcome or results of the task or work, they have
done. If they do not find things as per their expectations then starts with things which I call it as 3C – Compare,
Criticize, and Complain. But I think it is better to develop 3P – Patience, Perspective and Perseverance. These
will be addressed in detail coming chapters.

As a human every one of us is unique and have our own experience in life. So, just by reading a book thinking
that by overnight there is a miracle when you woke up next morning is only possible on screens. I am not saying
we should not do things which does not give instant results. Such as reading books, working out, learning
something new (it could be a new sport, music, coding). What am I trying to point out here is we all will have
some imprints left on us by our life so far. Which each one as experienced differently and thought us so much
and it also the reason where you are right now in this moment being now in the present reading this sentence.
So, this huge data of memories, habits, emotions required space and time to come to reality and implement the
change.

Above was just one of the examples which can be related to many activities or tasks we as human take up
throughout the journey of life. I would say we should never stop doing things just by trying it out once. I had a
colleague with whom I had for first time in my life went out for a winter camping up north in one of the
Scandinavian countries, while we are on our way back journey, he asked me a question about my experience
and whether I liked it or not. The reply was, ‘Hmmm… 50-50’. But honestly it was indeed a really great
experience which I could not enjoy it to the most due to anxiousness. Anyway, the reply from him was ‘however,
I think for anything to be categorize as you like it or not shall only be possible after trying it out for minimum of
three times to decided or concldue’. Then he asked so are you up for another one next time, I did reply ‘yes’,
unfortunately I did not get opportunity to experience it again. However, I partially agree with the statement
from my colleague because this can’t be applied to everything aspects of life, such as for toxic relationship,
stressed jobs, low energized surroundings, and few such as per your perspective which you will not be worth for
second chances. But for sure this applies to adventure physical activities, reading books, food, music, type of
movies as these plays a very vital role in our thoughts, the way we live and on our life. Because “You are the
books you read, the movies you watch, the music you listen, people you spend time with, the conversation you
engage in”. In these things we need to choose wisely to feed our mind.

So, the next big question is how do you know what works for you and what not? I would say there is no one
answer to this each one of us have our own way of finding it. If I share my experience, I will take example of
reading books. I started reading (other than school curriculum) as I remember is in my 9th 2007 grade. But I am
very slow and a lazy reader in that whole year I completed one book. Then the next time I had hold of a book in
my hand is 1st year engineering. I was reading all these teenage love stories book which I don’t blame for sure
at that point of life it was indeed good nothing wrong in reading them but what you extract from it what matters,
for me it was more about English which I learned but for sure did enjoyed the stories as well. Then I was bit
consistent here and there with very slow pace. But were more reading fictions but did even try quite few
different Genre until at some point in my life where I realized that I enjoy more books with Genre such as
philosophy, war, true stories. Then I started searching for those and really enjoyed them. I didn’t stop reading
fictions but relatively it was too low. So overall point here is just keep doing things which you always keep
talking to yourself in your mind, at one point in life it will perish. Make sure those talks are filled with good

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intention, compassion, kind, gratitude to your own and to the society. One day it will be for sure become your
reality. So, to know what works for you need to try the wrong one first. You will only find what you are
searching for. If you are looking for companion you will find the one, if you are looking for a friend you find
one.

In this world of social media where you are filled with information at your fingertips, it is very important to
question the credibility of it and make sure use it wisely. I am not saying social media is useless indeed it has
created lot of opportunities, but in this world, you can’t find a simple thing without pros and cons. Everything
will have their own tradeoff. So, we being intelligent beings need to be conscious enough to understand, use and
see them as it is. Because life is all about BALANCE.

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 3C
As we grow up as an individual in the journey of life, either had heard or will come across so many statements
such as “Life is complicated”, “life is a game” etc. about life which are very generic but deep rooted in our
minds. Grown up listening to similar statements from environment we live in, unknowingly they have some
impact on our thought process. Because mind is so sophisticated that it will process whatever comes to it as
input through our senses. So, to get distracted away from these unprecedented thoughts created in our minds
from the impression of those environments. As an individual it is paramount to be conscious enough to
segregate those thoughts based on three these main categories: Compare, Criticize and Complain.

Every thought our mind throws at us can be categorized into this 3C (compare, criticize, and compare) concept.
If we see things and words that we utter most to ourselves in majority cases either it is primarily based on
comparison, we make with others or complain about things that did not go as we expected or criticize the
current situation. When this 3C thoughts established in the mind override our intellect, it will blur our vision to
see things as it is.

Comparison will either reduce our confidence or boost our ego. Low confidence ultimately leads to fear to take
actions. Ego will lead to anger, envy, obsession. These emotions are like a loan once you borrow them on your
shoulder, they will never leave your back has they inherit the compound interest with them. This basically
means will always grow one upon the other but never ends with no means to repay.

Criticizing our situation, things, or people around us will only help us find ways to recognize faults and assume
things, which will blind us to see the reality. This will lead to stubbornness, arrogance which ultimately raise
concern with acceptance. Accepting of our own mistakes or even recognize them is one of basic intellect of us
as a human. If we fail to understand that and let other things excel, then the concerned to develop adaptability
(change for good) with surroundings, which in the end will hinder us to seek positivity and explore life to the
max.

Complaining will only guide us to find reasons for every aspect of our life. This will only make us
procrastinators. It disturbs the peace of mind just by reasoning on such which are not even in our control.
Basically, we lose control of our journey by focusing on something irrelevant. Ultimately takes us to such a
stage where we can’t even see our worth and blessings we have.

For an instance to describe this 3C concept with an example let’s consider an artist who is working very closely
on his art (a portrait painting). During the process if he would not step back a bit from the art and have look at
it bit from behind, then he wouldn’t have really recognized his mistakes in art to adapt it for his worth than
rather trying to find reasoning for his laziness in the end.

Here the artist is (you) and the art is every individual’s journey of their own life. This is not even a competition
to compare our art with others, hence there shall be no place for ego and fear. However, practically this is not
possible we are humans and we do have emotions based on situation. This is very normal but the wrong
assumption here is that either we try to avoid or act upon from those emotions. This will nowhere help us.
Rather we need to feel those feelings. Feel the feeling does not mean to react upon them it is more to experience
those feelings happening within us. If we react to those feelings with action, then this is nothing but “Karma”.
These actions are mainly triggered by our engineering mind which runs thousands of analyses and simulations

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to act upon the emotions. Each one of us do have our own way of reacting to them, but the better way to get
distracted from this is to respond not to react. To respond it is important to review ourselves consciously and
feel the emotion.

You cannot get rid of fear until you face it. The tricky thing here is that ‘face it’ does not mean that to put your
hand into the fire if you are afraid of fire. This is to say face the emotion internally in your mind with your
intellect and see the better way to handle it. Now, if you question me what is the better way? There is no specific
answer or method to define it. Here each one of us are unique hence, each one of us will have unique method
which suits us. But this response can be based on the following:

 Being kind
 Being patience
 Being forgiving
 Being thankful
 Being now

It’s true that the above discussed thoughts are easy to say than to be done. For sure it is it is difficult not to
react when emotions are high. However, if we decide to concentrate on it then this for sure not far from done.

To get distracted form this engineering mind do not forget to take a step back have a seat to enjoy the art made
by the artist. The good part we always have choices in our life, which means option to rectify the mistakes
made. Hence, we should be wise enough to make our choices. This back seat will be immensely helpful and
guide us to make appropriate choices time to time. So, often visiting this back seat will recognize the mistake
and have time to adapt it. Here the back seat which can help us with this process is mediation (a one among
many other methods which I have been practicing and found improvements).

We always strive to results and these results are mostly validated with number with some reference figure since
everything is mathematics in this world. But mediation does not work as such it’s a time-consuming process
with no reference to validate other than of your own life. Hence, I think it’s worth spending some time for it. I
am not an expert in yoga or meditation and neither I am not trying to teach it. My intention here is to just
mention that if someone ask me what is most challenging task to do for us as humans in this world? Then My
answer would be “DO NOTHING”.

Yes! try to sit with yourself all alone with no sound, and closed eyes just for span of 10 minutes. Later just feel
the impact. It is particularly important to take pause consciously in our day-to-day part of our journey.
However, we often tend to go with flow and get bit disoriented with other things. I am not saying those are bad
or not needed but should be chosen wisely. If we wish to develop any sort of this DO NOTHING as a habit, then
we need to follow the 3P concept explained in next section.

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