SEEK AND SPARK

At the beginning of his tenure, King Hezekiah was quite remarkable and was considered to be one of the most faithful and God-fearing kings that reigned in Judah. And then he got sick. He was so sick that a Prophet approached him and advised him to set his affairs in order because he was certainly going to die. But being a man of prayer, Hezekiah cried out to God for healing and God granted his wish and further added 15 more years to his life. Naturally, Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery attracted a lot of attention from friends and foes alike. On one occasion, he was visited by envoys from Babylon who ostensibly went to pay courtesy and show solidarity to their fellow royalty. Their kind gesture was greeted with an enthusiastic reception from Hezekiah who went further and showed them all his treasures and armory. I imagine that it was flattering for King Hezekiah to receive notice and recognition from the King of Babylon, and he must have felt really important. After all, Judah was stil...

  Like most people, I always look forward to the new year for two reasons: one, I get to set new goals for the year, and second, I get to celebrate my birthday again. So a new year for me is a two-fold celebration of new prospects, second chances, and renewed hope of life.   I am not one to “go big” during birthdays and more often than not I don’t usually make a fuss so pandemic or not, there was no solid plan for a celebration this year. However, I am surrounded by amazing friends and family who always challenge this “boring” habit. Make no mistake, I do engage in certain rituals to honor the day. At the stroke of midnight on January 1 st , 2021, while the world was ushering in the new year with singing, fireworks, and champagne, I was fast asleep! At the stroke of midnight on January 2 nd , 2021, on my birthday, I was wide awake! And the realization that this year was going to be more significant than any other hit me like a ton of bricks! As if by sheer coincidence...

  So I recently attempted an experiment called “Digital Minimalism” which is a concept that was curated by Prof. Cal Newport who advocates that we should all start questioning and choosing which digital communication tools are necessary for our happiness. So I took his advice and decided to delete all my social media apps from my phone. Never mind that my job requires that I keep tabs with emerging trends so not only was this experiment difficult to follow through but it felt like I was committing career-suicide and obviously missing out on a lot. Also, for those that know me well, they understand that I am a “news junkie”. I like to be in the know in the fastest way possible. Traditional media offers me the news but not in the fastest way possible. For avoidance of doubt, I failed spectacularly!   Two days into the experiment, I was slowly re-installing some apps back on my phone but I tried my best to keep my interactions with them to a minimum 😊 . I used the extra time...