Trim

‘It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away’ - Antoine de Saint Exupery

The French aviator-author, Saint-Exupéry was a literary perfectionist. His draft pages had most of his lines painstakingly crossed out, with one word left standing where there were a hundred words, one sentence substituting for a page. His quest for perfection was a laborious process of editing which reduced original drafts by as much as two-thirds.

So much thoughtful effort and design goes into refining things so they are as simple as possible. Effective transformations happen when inefficiencies are ironed out and the needless is trimmed. Mobile phones had an extending antenna, then a little nub, and now no visible antenna at all.

The lesson is to avoid worrying about making it better by adding more. Enhancement happens best by trimming away the unnecessary. Whether it is our regular communication, design plans or creative efforts, we must focus on trimming away the unnecessary inclusions.

Trim away what is excessive

Brevity makes it impressive!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Rhetoric

Rhetoric is valued technique in oratory. The word comes from the Greek term for orator and is used for the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing. The three branches of rhetoric - deliberative, judicial, and epideictic – cover the most common ways we communicate.

Deliberative rhetoric seeks to persuade or dissuade a person to think or act in a certain way. It is about the future. We hear it in political speeches, in formal presentations or even in advertising where you persuade someone to buy or do something or dissuade them from other products or brands.

Judicial rhetoric seeks to accuse or defend someone. It is about the past. It is the kind of discourse that happens in a courtroom, in law making – where parties deliberate over whether actions were legal or ethical. It is really about justifying actions and can include personal justifications as well.

Epideictic rhetoric is used to praise (or blame) a person for their actions. It is about the present. It seeks to highlight and identify the qualities and characteristics of a person that make them great (or not great). We see it in obituaries, eulogies, testimonials and nomination speeches.

The purpose of rhetoric is a persuasive effect. However, it is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content. This is because in the bid to be impressive, we tend to go overboard. So while we may stand our ground, it may be shaky ground. We must escape the trap of going off course.

Past, present or future… whatever be the way…

Rhetoric should persuade without going astray!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

shift focus

We notice a valuable quality in infants. A crying child can easily start smiling when their attention is distracted. They are able to shift focus from the negative to the positive. But adults cling to their positions of discomfort and tend to stay there for longer than required.

This shifting of focus is often a refreshing change. Cricket players are known to play football or swimming pool games or sing and dance or listen to music to relax the pressure of the upcoming game. Here the intent is to take the burden off by shifting focus.

However, it is pertinent to remember that it is about shifting focus not running away or ignoring it. The distraction is meant to drag you away from any negative emotions or worries or undue pressure build-up.

Shifting of focus to other activities or playfulness helps divert you from negativity and helps you emerge refreshed to take on new priorities or approach the old ones in a newer way.

But we can shift focus only if we have other things to focus on. We should inculcate the practice of involving in various activities and interests. Try out newer doings or learn to watch and enjoy others doing it. That is what infants do and hence they can shift focus easily.

Be player, audience or referee of diverse games

Shift focus to escape the load of the same game!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

Doing what you love

“What's money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” ― Bob Dylan

Indeed this is a quote that everyone seems to agree with. But opinions differ on what construes ‘wants’. They could be a sentiment of acquiring external possessions or they could be an internal passion to do specific things.

It is pertinent to note that our life is multi-dimensional. There are factors of self, family, society and work. But, passion is a personal thing. Happiness is in doing what you love and do be able to be in love with what you do.

Our career is a large part in our life that we commit to. If I am not happy with my career, that unhappiness seeps into other facets of my life. This goes for non-work life, too. Success is never a single triumphant occurrence. It is a journey of a series of moments (and choices) leading up to bigger moments.

We must reclaim relationships and activities that gave us joy but fell by the wayside as life moved on. We must be conscious of what we feed on… the type of people and activities we interact or involve with. But eventually it is we who choose to do what we love or be the person preventing it.

Don’t be the person who gets in the way

Of doing what you love to do every day!

~ Pravin K Sabnis