The first hurdle

Two weeks ago, I just told myself to relax and take a short break. Short didn't stay short. It consumed 2 complete weeks and I couldn't figure out a way out of this rut. It was a forgettable period except for a few highlights. This has been the biggest problem I have faced in my sabbatical yet. It felt like I had hit a wall and couldn't get back to what I was doing. I was so depressed for some time about this. I hope and see signs that it has ended now.

It was not like I was not learning anything in this period. I was reading books on Algorithms, HTML5, CSS, jQuery. I was spending most of my time in front of my laptop reading books or blogs. What really depressed me was that I had consistently been haunted by a feeling that I was going no where. I was reading for the sake of reading. I was still reading because I was afraid of executing, using what I have learned. The continuous chatter inside my brain. Concentration and focus were elusive. I had this drive to create and execute ideas everyday, but never could I start and type one line of code. I should have blogged earlier. It would have helped.

Here is what I have spent the last two weeks on. I have read HTML5 for Web Designers by A Book Apart, 3 chapters from Python Algorithms, 2 chapters from jQuery in Action and a few blog posts about coding, technology and startups. I bought a copy of Don't Make Me Think. The book on HTML5 was good and I did some very simple experiments - audio, video elements etc.. From the algorithms book, I understood that algorithm analysis is not as tough as I thought it would be.

Reading Philosophy is one of my most favorite activities. Most treatments on History of Western Philosophy start with Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. So, I have been introduced to these three giants of Philosophy by different sources. Thanks to all. The Social Network gave me peace and impetus at the same time. Envy doesn't look bad when it is used rationally for the person's improvement. It can be a great driving force and also a reminder that there is no stopping in life, only being left behind.