Personal development
This entry is unrelated to the story of my adventures in Sierra Leone, but I thought I’d share with you this interesting article by Steve Pavlina, who writes an amazing personal development blog that definitely sits on my must-read list. The article, called “Testing to Failure,” talks about why actually trying out new ideas is often a better alternative than just imagining what the outcome might be in your head. Being a rather analytical person that can demand a lot of myself, I know I’ve fallen into this trap at times out of fear that the action I want to take or the idea I want to try might not have the results I’d like (Mr. Pavlina terms this trap “analysis paralysis”). I have to say though that coming here to Sierra Leone has really let me work on this by becoming a more adventurous and confident person, and the reasons that this development is taking place are similar to those outlined in the article. Even if the results of my actions don’t always turn out the way I intended, I’ve found I usually learn quite a lot more (and have a lot more fun) by just going out there and doing things rather than sitting down and imagining what the results of doing things might be.
Mr. Pavlina’s site is chock-full of great articles on just about every aspect of life; I enjoy most of his articles because they’re well thought out as well as written in a logical and thorough style. Moreover, the conclusions he comes to as well as the methods he proposes are quite interesting to read and are also readily applicable to everyday life. For instance, the insomniacs and late sleepers among you (and I know there are at least some, I was definitely among that bunch when I was in school a few months ago) might find this article to be a good read.
Speaking of insomnia and sleep patterns, I have to mention that one good thing about coming to Sierra Leone - or, more precisely, finishing my engineering degree and no longer having to take classes - is that I now have a normal sleep schedule and get up at normal morning hours on most days. The only times I stay out late are some Fridays and Saturdays when I’m out with friends, and in that case it’s because I want to. In fact, the IMAT (International Military Advisory Team) guys, a group of mostly British soliders who work with the Sierra Leonean military and have bases around the country, are hosting a party in their Freetown compound atop the hill tomorrow (Friday May 11); it should be loads of fun and a great end to what has been a fairly productive and fun week.
Take care, my best to all of you! -Sacha