 |
It was a
day full of emotions. I received a WhatsApp from Disha who shared a news
article from The Tribune that Baljeet Kaur, the superstar mountaineer from
India died descending from Annapurna. It was heartbreak to read the news. I
choked. This was the same feeling I got last year when I learned that 29
trainees of the Advanced Mountaineering Course of Nehru Institute of
Mountaineering were missing in an avalanche at Draupadi ka Danda-2 peak. The
news had sent shivers down my spine. It was an unbelievable sort of news.
Similarly,
the news of Baljeet’s death on the savage mountain was shattering. It was like losing
trust in your belief system and questioning your intentions.
It was a gloomy
day until I read another article in The Himalaya Times that stated that the
mountaineer was missing. It did not state anywhere that she was dead. I prayed
that the news of her death is proved wrong. I searched Google for whatever
information I could derive from it. There were conflicting stories floating on
news sites. All had similar content which appeared to be non-authenticated.
Finally, by
lunch, the news was out that she was spotted descending from a height of 7500m.
I rejoiced. I called my wife to tell her the news. She was in the same state of
mind as I was. She too felt relieved. I texted the news article to Disha. She
was happy to hear the news.
We share
the same passion for mountaineering. Anyone dying in the fraternity is a loss
for us. It also challenges our desire to pursue this sport that we dearly love.
Losing an accomplished mountaineer only demotivates you and makes you question
your own abilities.
Baljeet was
rescued in a helicopter and flown to Kathmandu. Other mountaineers were not so
lucky. Noel Hanna, an accomplished mountaineer from Ireland died due to illness
on Camp 4 after summiting. He had summitted Everest 10 times. He was as fit as
any mountaineer could be. In fact, a legend in the sport. Another, mountaineer
from India Anurag Maloo lost his life after falling from 6000m into a crevasse.
The sport is a killer. It kills without distinction. It gobbles you up at will.
Every year my
resolve to go up the mountains is shaken by such tragic news on the mountains. You
question the meaning of this pursuit. If the sport offers you either a summit
to your kitty or death then the risk-reward ratio is badly skewed. It is just
that the sport teaches you a lot about yourself. It teaches you submission, teaches
humility and it showcases the strength of nature. Still, we have egotists going
up the mountains who don’t learn from the sport. Someone said that you don’t
conquer mountains. You go up the summit and get the hell out of there.
The day
belongs to Baljeet. She defeated death today with her grit and determination.
Hope she goes on to achieve her goals and make herself and her family proud. My
heart goes out to the mountaineers who lost their lives pursuing an ambition.
Who knows what their aspirations were? What they fought to be there and what
they aspired to do for themselves and their families through the sport. The
families are now left with grief and sorrow. May god grant strength to them to
grieve their losses. God rest the departed souls in peace.
Habits for today
|
Habit |
Description |
Yes/No |
Remarks |
|
Meditate |
5 minutes of
practice to start with |
No |
Not done as of now.
Will try before sleep. |
|
Influence Book |
Book by Robert
Cialdini. Want to go slow to internalize the concepts |
No |
Tough to do it daily
along with 3 other books that I generally read every day. But let’s finish it
on priority. |
|
Homework for life |
A daily practice to
capture important events of the day that made an impact on you; that can form
a story. |
No |
Baljeet’s rescue and
the fake news is a big story for today. Already documented it. |
|
Zone 2-3 Training |
The range of
Heartrate between 110-145 bpm which is good for cardiovascular health. I note
it down through my Garmin watch analysis of the workouts. (180 minutes per
week target) |
6 mins |
18 mins in total for
Mon/Tue. Challenge to live up to 180 mins. Progress daily to reach the Goal. |
|
Weight |
Daily monitoring to
track my eating habits and goals. |
Yes |
Missed again. Try again
tomorrow. |
|
Pushup |
Just to have an
everyday pump |
No |
Did 1 set of 25 in
bathroom before shower. |
|
Kegel |
For a strong pelvic
muscle floor. |
Yes |
Did more than 5
reps. Need to go up steadily. |
|
Calves |
To grow these
minions |
Yes |
Happy to see calf
raise machine at the new gym. Excited to do it daily. |
|
Write |
To take forward a
passion not realized |
Yes |
Wrote about Baljeet’s
story today. Around 600 words. |
|
Mewing |
Just a fad maybe. To
breathe better; for a visible jawline |
Yes |
Did 3-4 times. |
|
One Podcast |
Podcasts to learn
and grow. Utilise Travel time |
No |
Try tomorrow |
|
Flossing |
Remove Plaque,
prevent cavities |
Yes |
Did in the morning. |
|
Brush at Night |
Needs no description |
Yes |
Yes baby |
|
Exercise |
My Religion |
Yes |
Went to Fit 7. Day
1. Good gym. Includes Sauna. Larger space. Good vibe. Has a calf machine too.
hehe |
|
Skin Care |
To look at least my
age and age gracefully |
Yes |
Doing well. |
|
Clean |
No Intoxications for
a spiritual, healthy, productive, and meaningful life |
Yes |
Solid 96th
day of staying clean. Feeling alive, young, energetic, healthy, spiritual and
centered after a long time. Enjoying my sobriety. Want to take this forward
forever. Sky is the limit |
|
No Po |
Abstinence from a
vice |
Yes |
Happy to be rewired.
Still scared at times to relapse. Strong 347 days. Goal till eternity.
Reading Dopamine Nation. The story of Jacob and Muhammed resonates. There is
a chance of elapse if I do not control my triggers. Any moment of unintentional
indulgence may lead to relapse. Staying firm on the resolve and remembering the
reason for quitting should always be the first pick of mind. It is a way of
life. Although the grip has lost its strength but the new life should be a
choice and not just an outcome. Once you choose the new self you would
abstain from an old self. |
Professional
A stupid
day at work. Member’s outlook and world view is problemetic. He fails on
emotional intelligence front. Have to sit in ICEGATE office till the fire
fighting is going on. Meaningless. Can put time to productive use. But the
whims and fancies of seniors run the roost.
Family
Mom is a
happy home owner today. Got the registry done for the newly purchased plot. So happy
for her. She can retire in her beautiful home now.
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