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SAMVAD (Together In Conversation)

SAMVAD (Together In Conversation)

Written by: Sunil Rao
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 Our life experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to. Attention: is important and most of the times we are so indifferent to it. It is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. We feed the hunger blindly. Once the mechanism is brought to our attention and we begin to study it, it is as if a veil has been stripped off ordinary life, and we become freer in our action and choices. Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • A Message for All Times

    A Message for All Times
    Dec 29 2025
    Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation). Four weeks ago, I shared an excerpt titled – ‘Making Accurate Predictions and Uncertainty’ from the blog-post titled ‘Can We Make More Accurate Predictions in Economics?’ by Ayubkhon Azamov writer, translator and educator with a background in economics.In this episode we drew attention to the point that our true strength lies not in flawlessly guessing tomorrow, but in building systems capable of withstanding whatever tomorrow brings. And getting to the truth of what lies ahead is approached neither with blind faith nor with total skepticism, but with a reasonable balance. Now, SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation) to the ones paying heed, is where we try to draw your attention to things that matter and the importance of your attention, because, ‘Our life’s experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to’. Attention: is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. Once our attention is drawn to the mechanism of why and what we give attention to, it is as if a veil has been stripped off and we become freer in our action and choices. And that is our endavour. As we come to a close of another calendar year, I would like to share some excerpts from a message that I came across by Dr. Robert Svoboda. Dr. Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of over a dozen books and has served as Adjunct Faculty at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM, and at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. You can find out more about his work at www.drsvoboda.com and follow him on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. A Message for All times To remain awake without becoming overwhelmed, engaged without becoming entangled, serious without becoming grim. To keep our feet on the ground while the ground itself feels less stable. To remember that attention is a finite resource, and where we place it shapes not only how we see the world, but who we become inside it. Change that comes as a series of low-grade disruptions rather than a clear crisis can cause the nervous system to oscillate between two unhealthy responses. Disengage: Scroll past, numb out, pretend its background noise. Over-engage: Doomscroll, obsess, try to control it all. Both paths lead to burnout, neither brings true balance. Strange times test us both by what they demand we endure and how well we are able to maintain our balance within our endurance. The middle path is not passive. It is disciplined. It asks us to choose when to look, how to look, and how long to look. It asks us to stay present without being consumed, informed without being inflamed. Namaste, Wishing you A Happy New Year!
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    6 mins
  • Making Accurate Predictions and Uncertainty

    Making Accurate Predictions and Uncertainty
    Nov 30 2025
    Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation). Last week, I shared an excerpt titled – ‘Conversations and Community’ from the book titled ‘The Argument Culture’ by Deborah Tannen, a distinguished university professor in the Linguistics Department at Georgetown University and author of many books and articles about how the language of everyday conversation affects relationships. In this episode we drew attention to the fact that in conversation we form the interpersonal ties that bind individuals together in personal relationships; in public discourse, we form similar ties on a large scale, binding individuals into a community. Community norms and pressure exercise a restraint on the expression of hostility and destruction. Now, SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation) to the ones paying heed, is where we try to draw your attention to things that matter and the importance of your attention, because, ‘Our life’s experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to’. Attention: is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. Once our attention is drawn to the mechanism of why and what we give attention to, it is as if a veil has been stripped off and we become freer in our action and choices. And that is our endavour. This week I bring to your attention an excerpt titled – ‘Making Accurate Predictions and Uncertainty’ from a blog-post titled ‘Can We Make More Accurate Predictions in Economics?’ Ayubkhon Azamov writer, translator and educator with a background in economics. In this post he points out that if we accept uncertainty as part of the game and combine forecasting with adaptability, critical thinking, and stress testing, then forecasting ceases to be about fortune-telling and instead becomes a tool for preparing for an uncertain future, with all its surprises. Making Accurate Predictions and Uncertainty From the first farmers who watched the skies for rain to modern analysts armed with complex macro models, humanity has always sought to glimpse the future. Yet, history has shown that even the smartest formulas can’t save us from errors, even though we’d like to think they can. Question the assumptions, look at the ranges, compare the sources, and always have an alternate plan. Then even the most imperfect forecasts will cease to be a source of frustration and will instead become a resource for resilient decision-making: whether in your personal budget, corporate strategy, or public policy. After all, our true strength lies not in flawlessly guessing tomorrow, but in building systems capable of withstanding whatever tomorrow brings. Getting to the truth of what lies ahead is approached neither with blind faith nor with total skepticism, but with a reasonable balance. Excerpt from ‘Can We Make More Accurate Predictions in Economics?’ Ayubkhon Azamov. I am sure that you will enjoy reading this post and find it thought provoking too; to read you can click on the following link: https://humanjourney.us/blog/can-we-make-more-accurate-predictions-in-economics Enjoy reading it with your family, friends and near and dear one’s. Namaste!
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    5 mins
  • Conversations and Community

    Conversations and Community
    Nov 9 2025
    Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation). Last week, I shared an excerpt titled – ‘The Power of Words – Rhetoric and Reality’ from the book titled ‘The Axemaker’s Gift’ – Technology’s capture and control of our minds and Culture by James Burke and Robert Ornstein. In this episode we drew attention to the fact about Rhetoric, the art of presenting an argument so as to convince the listener, this according to Plato could make “small things seem large and large things seem small by some power of language and new things seem old fashioned and vice versa.”. Another aspect that was highlighted in Georgias writing was, when we communicate, we never exchange the thing but only the word for it, which is always other than the thing itself. So, every word introduces falsification of the thing it refers to, and this means that one can never reproduce reality and that any claim to be able to do so is a deception. Now, SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation) to the ones paying heed, is where we try to draw your attention to things that matter and the importance of your attention, because, ‘Our life’s experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to’. Attention: is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. Once our attention is drawn to the mechanism of why and what we give attention to, it is as if a veil has been stripped off and we become freer in our action and choices. And that is our endavour. This week I bring to your attention an excerpt titled – ‘Conversations and Community’ from the book titled ‘The Argument Culture’ by Deborah Tannen, a distinguished university professor in the Linguistics Department at Georgetown University and author of many books and articles about how the language of everyday conversation affects relationships. This book is about a pervasive warlike atmosphere that makes us approach public dialogue, and just about anything we need to accomplish, as if it were a fight. It gives us new ways of resolving our differences and uncovering the honest truth. Conversations and Community In conversation we form the interpersonal ties that bind individuals together in personal relationships; in public discourse, we form similar ties on a large scale, binding individuals into a community. Community norms and pressure exercise a restraint on the expression of hostility and destruction. Many cultures have rituals to channel and contain aggressive impulses. In just this spirit, at a national convention of a political party in 1996 two politicians talked about growing up in small communities where everyone knew who they were. This meant that many people would look out for them, but also that if they did something wrong, it would get back to their parents. If a young person stole something, committed vandalism, or broke a rule or law, it would be reported to his relatives, who would punish him or tell him how his actions were shaming the family. Community is a blend of connections and authority. Excerpt from ‘The Argument Culture’ by Deborah Tannen. I am sure that you will enjoy reading this book and find it thought provoking, to read a brief overview you can click on the following link and subsequently buy your copy too: https://www.deborahtannen.com/the-argument-culture Enjoy reading it with your family, friends and near and dear one’s. Namaste!
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    7 mins
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The content here leads one to pause and think and enjoy short stories and excerpts from various sources. It takes just few minutes of your attention but in return gives much more. Listen it with your family, friends and near and dear ones.

Interesting & Thought provoking

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