Beyond the Isms: Choosing a Life Without Labels

The world craves labels. It loves to tuck us neatly into boxes called “isms.” Nationalism, socialism, feminism, atheism, theism—the list never ends. Each promises clarity, but most deliver cages.

At first, isms seem useful. They compress complexity into a word. But soon the word demands loyalty. To wear the label is to accept its entire baggage, even the parts that don’t belong to you. And before long, the label speaks louder than you do.

Take feminism. I believe in equality—deeply. But equality doesn’t need a manifesto stamped onto it. The moment I wear the “ism,” I inherit the assumptions, conflicts, and agendas of others. My simple belief becomes a banner, a battlefield.

This tension exists in faith, too. I do not believe in any higher being. And yet, I sit with the Vishnu Sahasranamam. I let the voice of M. S. Subbulakshmi or the youthful innocence of Ishaan Pai wash over me, and something within me stirs. Not faith, not surrender—something beyond those words. I love devotion in music, even if I do not subscribe to devotion in doctrine.

So tell me—why must rejecting one ism shove me into its opposite? If I am not a theist, must I be an atheist? If I am not a nationalist, must I be branded anti-national? Must every “no” be misheard as a “yes” to its enemy?

Nietzsche warned: “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.” Jiddu Krishnamurti asked: “When you call yourself an Indian or a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian… do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind.”

Isms divide. They flatten. They demand allegiance when life itself demands fluidity.

Albert Camus once wrote: “I rebel—therefore I exist.” My rebellion is not against gods or nations or traditions. My rebellion is against the demand to choose one box over another.

I exist in between. I exist in the space where music moves me, but belief does not bind me. Where equality matters, but labels don’t own me. Where doubt is not weakness, but freedom.

In the end, I don’t need an ism to define me. Because truth is not found in a label, but in the resonance of things that move us—like the timeless voice of Subbulakshmi, or the tender notes of a child singing Bhaja Govindam or a ‘Kun Faya Kun’.

I am not this. I am not that. I am simply here.

सुकून

ज़िन्दगी भर यही सुनता रहा कि अगले पल में ही सुकून है 

जब मौत दरवाज़े पर खड़ी थी, तब जाना कि मय्यत में ही सुकून है

वक़्त की साज़िश

ज़िन्दगी वक़्त की साज़िश है,

हर खुशी एक कशमकश है,

जो मिला, वो खोने का डर,

जो न मिला, वो पाने की ख्वाहिश है

My Thursday Mornings : Solitude in Motion

There’s something quietly sacred about my Thursday mornings.

I leave the house with a book in hand, my office bag on my back, the air still crisp, the sky unsure of its color. I usually call someone a friend, a loved one, or a familiar voice. The conversation is gentle and unhurried—just enough to carry a little warmth into the morning. The bus arrives with a gentle sigh. There is no urgency, no noise, just motion. When I board the bus, the call ends, and the quiet returns.

The ride is short. A few regulars sit beside me—half-asleep, half elsewhere. It takes me to the Somerset station, where the CTrain is already there, still and waiting, as if it knew I’d be coming. Something is reassuring in that. In a world that rushes ahead, here is something that waits. The CTrain is made by Siemens, the company that I worked for before I moved to Canada. 

I climb aboard and find my usual window seat. I press play on Dan Gibson’s Solitudes, and in a moment, I’m no longer in a train but in a forest—birds calling, streams murmuring, wind weaving through leaves. Nature, held in sound.

I open my book. A short story or a novella is always something that knows how to say much in a few pages. Today, it might be Ruskin Bond, with his quiet hills and lonelier hearts. Or Chekhov, with his truth beneath the ordinary. Or perhaps Maugham, whose sentences carry both wisdom and weariness. Lately, it’s been Fredrik Backman—his tender little worlds where broken people quietly try to be better. I read slowly, letting the words breathe.

Around me, quiet lives unfold. Most passengers read too—thick fantasy novels, crime thrillers, and dog-eared books from a beloved series. A few scroll endlessly on their phones, faces lit by screens. Others lean back, eyes closed, stealing fragments of sleep between stations. Some lean back with eyes shut, mid-dream. But every now and then, something lovely happens. I catch the title of a book a fellow passenger is reading—or they glance at mine—and a conversation blooms, quietly. We exchange names of books, not of people. A woman once handed me the title of a book I’d never heard of. “You’ll like it,” she said, before getting off at Chinook Station. I read her suggested book, and I did like it. And I never saw her again to thank her.

These small interactions—strangers passing through my life just for one ride—leave no names, but sometimes, they leave stories. We are together, yet apart—bound by the rhythm of the tracks and the hush of the hour.

When the train reaches downtown, I step off with the others, scattering like birds from a wire. But before I join the noise of the day, I make one final stop—Tim Hortons, and I order the same thing: A medium French Vanilla, with a quarter dark roast. The warmth of the cup in my hand is like punctuation— closing the gentle chapter of the morning before the day’s paragraphs begin.

A voice. A bus. A train. A tune. A tale. A cup of coffee.

Nationalism vs. Patriotism: A Necessary Distinction

In an era of rising polarisation and identity politics, two words are often thrown around as if they mean the same thing—nationalism and patriotism. But they don’t. In fact, the difference between them may determine whether a society stays free or succumbs to authoritarianism.

 

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”

— Edward Abbey            

 

This quote captures the essence of patriotism—a deep, reasoned love for one’s country that includes the courage to question those in power. A patriot is not a sycophant. A patriot critiques because he cares. He pushes for better because he refuses to settle for less.

 

Nationalism: Loyalty or Leash?

 

Nationalism today often hides behind flags, slogans, and populist rage. It equates government with the nation, so any criticism of those in charge is branded as betrayal.

 

“Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception.”

— George Orwell

 

As per modern nationalism:

• Asking questions is seen as disloyal.
• Dissent is demonised.
• Identity becomes weaponised.

 

Worse, it’s often amplified by a media that has traded its role as a watchdog for that of a cheerleader. Outlets that call themselves “nationalist” frequently behave like echo chambers, parroting the state’s narrative while branding dissenters as anti-national. Once a mirror to power, journalism now acts as a megaphone for propaganda.

 

And that’s precisely why I choose to question it—because unquestioned belief leads to unaccountable power.

  

Patriotism: The Braver Path

 

Patriotism is harder. It’s quieter. It demands introspection. It stands up when it’s easier to stay seated. It believes in the strength of a country to confront its flaws and grow, not hide behind them.

 

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Patriotism is not loud. It doesn’t seek validation through slogans. It seeks truth. It is a challenge for the sake of progress, not for power.

 

A healthy democracy needs patriots, not nationalists.

It needs citizens who ask, not just those who obey.

It needs people who love their country enough to hold its government accountable.

Why I Stay Away from Nationalism

 

I stay away from nationalism not because I lack love for my country, but because I refuse to surrender my mind to blind loyalty.

 

Nationalism, especially in its current form, often demands:

• Obedience over thought
• Emotion over reason
• Conformity over conscience

It equates criticism with betrayal and glorifies power while silencing dissent. Once you’re emotionally invested in such an ideology, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate truth from tribalism.

 

“Beliefs drive thoughts, and thoughts drive actions.”

And when belief becomes dogma, actions inevitably become dangerous.

 

The Road Ahead

 

What once took a century to change now shifts in a year. In this age of accelerating disruption—climate crises, technological upheavals, widening inequality—blind loyalty is a luxury we can no longer afford.

The future demands citizens who think, not just react. It demands:

• Minds that question, not just hearts that cheer.
• Integrity that resists the comfort of conformity.
• A love for country that is courageous, not performative.

 

The survival of democracy depends not on how loudly we chant but on how deeply we care. And patriotism, in its truest form, is not about standing behind the government.

 

It’s about standing up for your country—

Even when it means standing alone. 

वक़्त की साज़िश

ज़िन्दगी वक़्त की साज़िश है,
हर खुशी एक कशमकश है।
जो मिला, वो खोने का डर,
जो न मिला, वो पाने की ख्वाहिश है।

The Death of Curiosity: When Questions Become Threats

We live in an age where people no longer seek knowledge; they seek affirmation. Conversations that were once spaces for exploration have turned into battlegrounds for identity. The pursuit of truth has been overshadowed by the need to defend, to belong, to be right.

Once, the simple act of asking “Why?” was an invitation to dialogue, a bridge between perspectives. Now, it is a litmus test of allegiance.

Take the question, “Why do you believe in God?”—a question that, at a different time, might have sparked a profound and honest discussion. Today, it is often met with suspicion, as if curiosity itself were an attack. The same reaction surfaces when questioning political views (“Why do you support this party?”), personal choices (“Why do you follow this diet?”), or social policies (“Why do you think this law is fair?”). Instead of seeing questions as doors to understanding, many perceive them as walls to defend.

This shift reflects a growing discomfort with intellectual vulnerability. The modern mind, rather than hungering for wisdom, seeks the comfort of certainty. We don’t want to be challenged; we want to be reassured. We don’t seek knowledge; we seek validation. And in doing so, we insulate ourselves from the very things that shape us—new perspectives, refined ideas, and expanded worldviews.

When Dialogue Becomes War

Look at the way debates unfold today—whether in personal circles, workplaces, or digital spaces. If someone asks, “Why do you believe in capitalism?” or “What makes socialism better?”, the response is rarely a thoughtful exchange. Instead, it becomes a battle. The goal is not to explore, but to conquer—to prove one’s side superior, to dismiss dissent, to emerge unchallenged.

And if someone dares to question a widely accepted narrative, they are not merely debated; they are branded. “Ignorant.” “Bigoted.” “Brainwashed.” The labels come swiftly, meant to silence rather than engage. The space for discussion is closing, and in its place, a culture of reactionary defensiveness has taken root.

But this defensiveness is a symptom of something deeper—fear. A belief untested is a fragile belief. A worldview that cannot withstand scrutiny is not a worldview at all—it is merely an echo chamber. And so, rather than confront discomfort, we shut it down.

Curiosity Is Not an Attack

Growth demands discomfort. It requires us to sit with uncertainty, to embrace the possibility that we might be wrong, that we might have something to learn.

Instead of retreating into defensiveness, we should welcome difficult questions. Why do we believe what we believe? Why do we reject what we reject? These are not threats; they are the foundation of wisdom. A belief that is never questioned is a belief that is never truly understood.

If we are to reclaim the lost art of meaningful dialogue, we must revive curiosity. We must resist the urge to shut down, to dismiss, to defend blindly. 

We must remember that truth does not fear questions—it welcomes them.

AGAM CONCERT JUNE - 2022 HYDERABAD

 It was Urvi's First Concert and Thanks to Sandilya in whose company I and Siri attended the concert.

It was a memorable and mesmerising evening

Slokam - ganapathi

Guru brahma

Subramanye Sada sivoham

Barse 

Ranagpura vihara

Swans of Saraswati

Bantureeti Koluvu

Manavyalakincharaadate

Parivaadi padmanabha

Vurike chilaka - Tamil

Malargale - love birds

Sreeragamo

Malhaar Jam

Koothu over Coffee

Everyone solo 

Jugalbandi of Percussion and Drummer

Dhi tana tana tai

KANNAMMA - SONG - LYRICS

 

KANNAMMA LYRICS - TELUGU

కడలి పై వెన్నెల

పుడమి పై కుసుమమై

పుసెనుగా ఓ రూపమై

నువ్వే గా కన్నమ్మ

వేకువ లో మిహిరానికి

వేచి చూసే రేయికి

వెలుగు చూపే తొలి కిరణం

నువ్వే గా కన్నమ్మ

LYRICS TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH

Moonlight on the sea

Has blossomed as a flower on earth

As you my beloved Kannamma 

Like the night awaits

For the first rays of dawn

The one who gives light as first ray of sun

Is my beloved Kannamma 

JO LAALI - SONG - LYRICS

 

JO LAALI LYRICS - TELUGU

కలలెన్నో... కన్న మా కళ్ళ కే

కనుపాపవయ్యావు నీవే

ఊహల్లో ఊగేటి మా ప్రేమకే 

రూపానివయ్యావు నీవే

పదిలంగా పది నెలలు

ఒదిగొదిగి ఉన్నావుగా

ఇక చాలు ఆ వెతలు

నిదురించు మా పాపవై

జో.. లాలి జో.. లాలి జో.. లాలి జో..లాలి

ఎంతో యాతన ఎంతో వేదన

అనుభవించిన నీవే 

ఎదురుచూపులు మా పడిగాపులు

మైమరిపించిన నీవే

మృదువైన... కదలికలు మేమే తిలకించగా

మధురంగా... సరిగమలు నీకే వినిపించగా

జో.. లాలి జో.. లాలి జో.. లాలి జో..లాలి ।।4।।

SEASONS

Seasons come and go
They don't last that long
And wait for us to write
That seasons song
Winters are cold, Summers are warm
Monsoons are moist, Autumn is calm
They do what they are meant to
Each year without any qualm

SAAMNE TU - SONG - LYRICS

 SAAMNE TU - SOUNDCLOUND LINK

SONG LYRICS

Saamne Tu Aaye Toh

Saans Tham Sa Jaaye Toh

Saare Sapne Sach Hue Tab

Saavan Yahi Hai Lage Ab

Sang Tera Rahe Jab

Saathi Tum Ho Kahe Mere Lab

Tum Hi Ho Meri Chaandni

Tumse Hi Hai Meri Har Raat

Tum Hi Ho Din Ki Roshni

Tumse Hi Hoti Hai Meri Har Baat

Saamne Tu Aaye Toh

Saans Tham Sa Jaaye Toh..

RRR (2022) - TELUGU

 

A movie that's made with good visuals and wonderful music but lacks emotional depth.

There are many highs throughout the film, but they didn't move me much. Perhaps, I felt it was a bit fabricated for my liking. I felt like many cinematic liberties were taken for enhancing the drama. Establishing friendship then a conflict between the two lead characters and finally a happy conclusion, it felt like manipulating the drama for keeping the viewers engaged. Having said that, in totality, it's definitely worth watching once but we can get back to some well-shot scenes multiple times.

I loved the acting of the leads especially NTR Jr who displayed a range of emotions and hit the chord perfectly every time. I wish he wins accolades and awards the world over for his performance. The scene when "Komaram Bheemudo" comes made me extremely sad and the way it was acted by NTR made me cringe and also tear up.'

I loved the lyrics of "Komaram Bheemudo" and hats off to the lyricist 'Suddala Ashok Teja' for doing a wonderful job in keeping the words rooted in pure Telangana dialect and yet conveying an emotion of being born for mother earth.

The way the scenes were written especially the usage of animals around the interval was a surprise and kind of gave me goosebumps too, and I wish there were more such intelligent scenes.

I watched it in IMAX and could make out the digitization of animals, the train even large gatherings of people. Aesthetically, I loved "Bahubali-2" more than this film in terms of Visual Effects. 

Music is one thing that I loved in this film and I shall be hooked to a few songs for a very long time while the song "Komaram Bheemudo" shall be on my playlist forever. 

Overall, a definitely good one time watch in theatres. A 3/5 from me.

THE CORE OF THE TEACHINGS BY J KRISHNAMURTI - MY INTERPRETATION IN TELUGU

"సత్యము"  అనేది మనిషికి ఏ వ్యవస్థ ద్వారానో , లేక మతం, సిద్ధాంతం, పూజ లేదా కర్మ ద్వారానో  తెలియదు.  ఏ తాత్విక జ్ఞానం లేదా మానసిక చర్య ద్వారా కూడా సత్యం బోధపడదు. "సత్యము"  అనేది తన ఆలోచనల సమూహాన్ని, తన సంబంధాలను అద్దం లాగా చేసి వాటి పరిశీలన  ద్వారా, తన మనస్సులోని విషయాలను అర్థం చేసుకోవడం ద్వారా, విచక్షణ లేదా స్వీయ పరిశీలన ద్వారా తెలుసుకోవాలి. 

మనిషి తనకు తానే రక్షణ కోసం మత, సామాజిక, రాజకీయ, వ్యక్తిగత కంచెలను, గోడలను నిర్మించుకున్నాడు. ఇవి చిత్రాలు, చిహ్నాలు, నమ్మకాలుగా వ్యక్తమవుతాయి. ఈ చిత్రాల భారం మనిషి ఆలోచన, అతని సంబంధాలు మరియు అతని రోజువారీ జీవితం పైన అధికారం చూపిస్తాయి. ఈ చిత్రాలు మనిషిని మనిషి నుండి వేరు చేయడానికి, మన సమస్యలకు కారణాలు. జీవితంపై మనిషి అవగాహన ఈ చిత్రాల నుండి అతని మనస్సులో ఇప్పటికే ఏర్పడిన భావనల ద్వారా రూపొందించబడింది. 

మనిషి యొక్క స్పృహ, వివేకం తన అస్తిత్వానికి, ఉనికికి ఆధారం. సాంప్రదాయ అనుసరణ ద్వారా అతను పొందిన పేరు, గౌరవం మరియు సంస్కృతి పైపై మెరుగుల వ్యక్తిత్వం. మనిషి యొక్క ప్రత్యేకత సంప్రదాయ అనుసరణ లో లేదు, అతని స్పృహ లో దాగి ఉన్న విషయంలో  ఉంది. అంటే ఎప్పుడు అయితే చిత్రాలు, చిహ్నాలు, నమ్మకాలకు మనిషి అతీతుడుగా ఉంటాడో అప్పుడే పూర్తి స్వేచ్ఛ ఉంటుంది, ఇది మానవాళి అందరికీ సాధారణం. కానీ సాంప్రదాయ అనుసరణకి, కట్టుబాట్లకు మనం బానిసలం అయిపోయాం. సాంప్రదాయం లో ఒక హాయి ఉంటుంది, "సృష్టి ఎలా సంభవించింది?" అనే ప్రశ్నకు "దేవుడు" అనే సమాధానం హాయినిస్తుంది. ఆ సాంప్రదాయపు హాయిని త్యజించి నప్పుడే నిజమైన స్వేఛ్ఛ దొరుకుతుంది. కానీ మానవాళి నుంచి మనం మానవ మంద అయిపోయాం, దిగువ జీవులం అయిపోయి, ఆ సాంప్రదాయపు హాయిలో కాలం గడిపేస్తున్నాం.

స్వేచ్ఛ అనేది ప్రతిచర్య కాదు; స్వేచ్ఛ అనేది మనం ఎంచుకునేది కాదు. నేను స్వేచ్ఛగా ఉండాలి అనుకున్నాను కాబట్టి స్వేచ్ఛగా ఉన్నాను అనేది మనిషి యొక్క భ్రమ, నటన . స్వేచ్ఛ అనేది ఒక నిర్దిష్టమైన దిశ లేకుండా ,  ప్రతిఫలం ఆశించకుండా, శిక్షకు  భయపడకుండా జరిగే స్వచ్ఛమైన పరిశీలన. స్వేచ్ఛ అనేది మనిషి చివరి పరిణామం కాదు, అతని ఉనికి యొక్క ప్రతి దశలో ఆలోచనలో  ఉంటుంది. నిశితంగా పరిశీలిస్తే మనలో స్వేచ్ఛ లేకపోవడాన్ని మనం గ్రహిస్తాం.

ఆలోచన అనేది సమయం. ఆలోచన అనేది సమయం ఇంకా గతం నుండి విడదీయరాని అనుభవం ఇంకా జ్ఞానం నుండి పుట్టింది. సమయం మనిషి మానసిక శత్రువు. మనం  చేసే ప్రతి పని, అనుభవం నుండి వచ్చిన జ్ఞానం మీద ఆధారపడి ఉంటుంది. కాబట్టి మనిషి ఎప్పుడూ గతానికి బానిస. స్వేచ్చ అనంతం - ఆలోచన ఎప్పుడూ పరిమితం కాబట్టి మనం నిరంతరం సంఘర్షణ ఇంకా పోరాటంలో జీవిస్తాము దాని వల్ల మానసిక వికాసం లేదు. మనిషి స్వీయ ఆలోచనల కదలిక గురించి తెలుసుకున్నప్పుడు, అతను పరిశీలన చేసుకున్నప్పుడు మాత్రమే ఆలోచనకి - ఆలోచించే వాడికి,  గమనిస్తున్నవాడికి - గమనింపబడే వాడికి , మధ్య వ్యత్యాసం చూడగలుగుతాడు. 

గతం లేదా సమయం యొక్క ప్రభావం లేకుండా అంతర్దృష్టి ఉన్న స్వచ్ఛమైన పరిశీలన మాత్రమే స్వేచ్ఛ ని  ఇస్తుంది. ఈ కాలాతీత అంతర్దృష్టి, మనస్సులో లోతైన, తీవ్రమైన పరివర్తనను తెస్తుంది.

సంపూర్ణమైన నిరాకరణ అనేదే సానుకూల పరిణామం. మానసికంగా సైద్ధాంతికంగా మనల్ని మలిచిన - సాంప్రదాయాన్ని,  గతాన్ని నిరాకరించినప్పుడు మాత్రమే నిజమైన ప్రేమ, కరుణ,  మేధో సంపత్తి కలిగి స్వేచ్ఛని అనుభవిస్తాం.  అప్పుడే సత్యాన్ని గ్రహిస్తాం. 

THE PHOENIX PROJECT

 

Thanks to my boss and best buddy HARI SHANKAR for recommending this book. It's a wonderful read for IT Professionals in general and those involved doing DevOps in particular.

This book is like an Ayn Rand novel in which the protagonists Howard Roark or John Galt are giving lectures and work on DevOps, ITIL LEAN MANUFACTURING. Well, Ayn Rand is my favorite author hence the reference.

This book is about the most important project named PHOENIX PROJECT in PARTS UNLIMITED company

Below figure represents the cast of the company in which the protagonist BILL PALMER has become the VP of IT Operations much against his will and this book is about how he manages daily activities and with the help of his colleagues and bosses brings the culture of DevOps into IT Operations and helps the company and turnaround from a hopeless state back to a profitable state.

Also to mention that the cover of the book gives each character an avatar

Takeaways : 

1. The concept of a work center that is made up of four things and each are equally important:

• The machine 
• The man
• The method
• The measures

2. THE FOUR TYPES OF WORK

When Bill is struggling to understand what is going wrong within his organization, he is taken under the wing of what appears, at first, to be an eccentric mad-man but ends up being a voice of reason (represented by a character named Eric). He explains that Bill doesn’t truly understand what work is. Furthermore, Bill doesn’t understand that there are four types of work. What are these four types of work?  

Business Projects

These are initiatives that directly add value to the business, such as adding new features to increase growth or capture market share. This “work” comes as a result of the organization defining its objectives and thinking about what it takes to accomplish those objectives.

Internal IT Projects

These projects are those which are needed to either support or enhance the business projects mentioned above, such as the internal management dashboard.

Changes

Changes can be projects in and of themselves and are generated as a result of working on the two kinds of work above, that is business projects and internal IT projects.

Unplanned Work

While the 3 kinds of work above are types of planned work, there exists a fourth category of work called unplanned work. This work results due to operational incidents and issues, or due to the unforeseen or unplanned consequences of the first 3 kinds of work. Working on unplanned work comes at the cost of working on planned work, and is sometimes referred to as “anti-work” because it prevents us from working on meaningful tasks. 

3. THE THREE WAYS OF WORK

Once the types of work have been identified, they can be minimized and mitigated by following The Three Ways.

The first way is about the left-to-right flow of work from Development to IT Operations to the customer.

The second way is about the constant flow of fast feedback from right-to-left at all stages of the value stream.

The third way is about creating a culture that fosters two things: continual experimentation and understanding that repetition and practice is the prerequisite to mastery.

Identifying the kinds of work we do and implementing the Three Ways to elevate how we engage with our work is the key takeaway of this book.  

A book is hard to be justified in a tiny blog post, but I’m hoping you see enough wisdom in The Three Ways and how they apply to you. 

A grouse if I had any was that the time spent on the overhaul of the ways of working is too less. The change that they're able to achieve in the book in the given timeframe is, well, quite unrealistic. Most companies don't face extinction and are not forced to relook at the way services are delivered. And if they do, changing the whole value stream and culture of a company is probably something that takes years and not weeks and months (if we talk about a normal mid-sized company). Having said that, I very much like and appreciate the thinking model behind the novel, as expressed in The Three Ways was startling.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM THE BOOK: 

“Improving daily work is even more important than doing daily work.”

“In any value stream, there is always a direction of flow, and there is always one and only constraint; any improvement made anywhere besides the constraint is an illusion.”

“A great team doesn’t mean that they had the smartest people. What made those teams great is that everyone trusted one another. It can be a powerful thing when that magic dynamic exists.”

“repetition creates habits, and habits are what enable mastery.”

“Left unchecked, technical debt will ensure that the only work that gets done is unplanned work!”

“As the saying goes, if your colleague tells you they’ve decided to quit, it was voluntary. But when someone else tells you they’ve decided to quit, it was mandatory.”