The analogy you used is pretty interesting and powerful. I have never thought about the idea of a keel before.
I can see myself a lot in that Perplexity story. AI allowed me cut down what used me to take weeks into a couple of hours. Powerful. Stunning even. Without the expertise I built it wouldn't work, but I realized that it's time to adapt.
The line, "Without the expertise I built it wouldn't work, but I realized that it's time to adapt," perfectly captures the tension modern professionals face.
And I feel that's the challange. Not to abandon our expertise (the old planks) or resist adapting to new ones (the new planks.)
So what becomes crucial is to have an "identity keel" strong enough to hold both at once.
as an artist i see this as many little added dimensions…
the time dimension is fascinating… the velocity the speed direction& change.. its not just on paper in 2d/3d anymore… its not even a video that moves as in last century… kids have more to learn& catchup to have meaningful depth in understanding…
we see things along our journey changing… faster than they were in agricultural or industrial times… the digital age blurs many things as people travel faster….our minds are learning& coping by more use of digital devices… the world seems to change… when kids watch a time lapse video… but taking time to help a plant grow watching the real time it takes a different depth if understanding… when time moves faster, or distance covered seems more… the added dimensions bring greater perspective into things we do…
Yes, I agree, we are being forced to live in a "time-lapse," but we are biologically and spiritually built for the rhythm of "watching a plant grow." That's the fundamental challenge of the current times.
Maybe the work is to slow down the pace of our life in the moments that matter. That's how we reclaim ourselves.
may be the slow down increase of pace needs context...
walking on a road/trail/outdoors... walking inside a home/ workplace/inside a building....
walking on mechanical gyms treadmill, etc....
but driving on roads, watching speedlimits traffic isnt just rules or kindness but etiquettes & healthy sensible approach even as a habit it enables people conduct living without jungle law of faster a vehicle it can drive over others... are humans capable of having fast machines& know when to drive with care..? absolutely...! but whats missing...? context for people to understand ...? not rules but why ...? mostly commonsense but not until people understand context.
Beautifully distinguished the changing planks of persona from the eternal Keel of the Self. Indeed, the journey is not in preserving the form, but in abiding as the Ātman, the silent, unchanging Awareness that alone gives continuity and meaning to every change.
Thank you, VedicsSoul, for this profound summary of the entire piece.
"in abiding as the Ātman" is the bridge betwen modern professional anxiety and the timeless spiritual wisdom. The "keel" is the psychological metaphor for the experiential truth of the "Ātman," because that's the part of us that remains constant. It's the silent witness to the frantic swapping of planks.
The ultimate goal of this work isn't just to build a better career, but to do exactly as you say, to learn how to "abide" in that unchanging center, the "Ātman." Because that is where true conviction is found.
Wow, this was a read. You really took the time to describe the experience that I'm sure will be relatable to many.
A lot of points there, but I'll touch on the one about tacking skills you'd never choose if you weren't drifting.
A friend told me a year ago... she got a job in a pharmacy, not because she wanted to do it, but because she already had a degree and needed $$$, and she was just starting a certification course to expand in some area to get an advantage and higher pay. I could hear so clearly in her voice that there was no genuine interest, and it was just because of that advantage and pay. What you've described is what it turns into years down the road of going on like this. It seems necessary in the moment, when we don't have the bigger view. And maybe it is necessary in the moment, but always always always give it minimum necessary while working on what is necessary if you hold the long-term view.
The story about your friend is the perfect, heartbreaking origin story. It's how we start swapping planks for survival, and not for the direction.
But the strategy, "always give it minimum necessary while working on what is necessary" is a pretty solid advice.
You can see it as a conscious choice to treat that "misaligned" work as a funding mechanism, without letting that work take your soul. And it then becomes the bridge that allows someone to later move to a state of intentional design.
Great piece Nik.
The analogy you used is pretty interesting and powerful. I have never thought about the idea of a keel before.
I can see myself a lot in that Perplexity story. AI allowed me cut down what used me to take weeks into a couple of hours. Powerful. Stunning even. Without the expertise I built it wouldn't work, but I realized that it's time to adapt.
Thanks Philipp! Appreciate it.
The line, "Without the expertise I built it wouldn't work, but I realized that it's time to adapt," perfectly captures the tension modern professionals face.
And I feel that's the challange. Not to abandon our expertise (the old planks) or resist adapting to new ones (the new planks.)
So what becomes crucial is to have an "identity keel" strong enough to hold both at once.
as an artist i see this as many little added dimensions…
the time dimension is fascinating… the velocity the speed direction& change.. its not just on paper in 2d/3d anymore… its not even a video that moves as in last century… kids have more to learn& catchup to have meaningful depth in understanding…
we see things along our journey changing… faster than they were in agricultural or industrial times… the digital age blurs many things as people travel faster….our minds are learning& coping by more use of digital devices… the world seems to change… when kids watch a time lapse video… but taking time to help a plant grow watching the real time it takes a different depth if understanding… when time moves faster, or distance covered seems more… the added dimensions bring greater perspective into things we do…
Thank you for this deep insight.
Yes, I agree, we are being forced to live in a "time-lapse," but we are biologically and spiritually built for the rhythm of "watching a plant grow." That's the fundamental challenge of the current times.
Maybe the work is to slow down the pace of our life in the moments that matter. That's how we reclaim ourselves.
Thank you again for this great perspective.
may be the slow down increase of pace needs context...
walking on a road/trail/outdoors... walking inside a home/ workplace/inside a building....
walking on mechanical gyms treadmill, etc....
but driving on roads, watching speedlimits traffic isnt just rules or kindness but etiquettes & healthy sensible approach even as a habit it enables people conduct living without jungle law of faster a vehicle it can drive over others... are humans capable of having fast machines& know when to drive with care..? absolutely...! but whats missing...? context for people to understand ...? not rules but why ...? mostly commonsense but not until people understand context.
Indeed. Understanding the context places things into perspective. And answers the question regarding why one should slow down or speed up.
Insightful reflection...
Beautifully distinguished the changing planks of persona from the eternal Keel of the Self. Indeed, the journey is not in preserving the form, but in abiding as the Ātman, the silent, unchanging Awareness that alone gives continuity and meaning to every change.
Thank you 🙏
Thank you, VedicsSoul, for this profound summary of the entire piece.
"in abiding as the Ātman" is the bridge betwen modern professional anxiety and the timeless spiritual wisdom. The "keel" is the psychological metaphor for the experiential truth of the "Ātman," because that's the part of us that remains constant. It's the silent witness to the frantic swapping of planks.
The ultimate goal of this work isn't just to build a better career, but to do exactly as you say, to learn how to "abide" in that unchanging center, the "Ātman." Because that is where true conviction is found.
Thank you 🙏
You speak with amazing clarity. And it was nice to share thoughts here.
Thank you
🙏🙏
Thank you VedicSoul for these kind words. 🙏🙏
🙏🙏
Wow, this was a read. You really took the time to describe the experience that I'm sure will be relatable to many.
A lot of points there, but I'll touch on the one about tacking skills you'd never choose if you weren't drifting.
A friend told me a year ago... she got a job in a pharmacy, not because she wanted to do it, but because she already had a degree and needed $$$, and she was just starting a certification course to expand in some area to get an advantage and higher pay. I could hear so clearly in her voice that there was no genuine interest, and it was just because of that advantage and pay. What you've described is what it turns into years down the road of going on like this. It seems necessary in the moment, when we don't have the bigger view. And maybe it is necessary in the moment, but always always always give it minimum necessary while working on what is necessary if you hold the long-term view.
The story about your friend is the perfect, heartbreaking origin story. It's how we start swapping planks for survival, and not for the direction.
But the strategy, "always give it minimum necessary while working on what is necessary" is a pretty solid advice.
You can see it as a conscious choice to treat that "misaligned" work as a funding mechanism, without letting that work take your soul. And it then becomes the bridge that allows someone to later move to a state of intentional design.
Thank you, Klara, for sharing these thoughts.