Instead of thinking about how it cannot be done or what all can go wrong, people with high levels of self efficacy tend to focus on how it can be done. They would rather learn how to do it than ponder over why it cannot be done.
Isn't that what positive thinking is all about? But this is the psychologist's way of describing it or postulating it.
No matter how you describe it, I immediately recognised that I have oodles of it in certain things. Perhaps I have it about most things in life and this is what has kept me going all along. I sincerely believe, from the core of my heart, that one can learn anything if one applies himself to do it and accomplish something that he cannot currently do. I will give an example.
After buying the new bicycle in my old age, the Red Roadie, I taught myself how to take the wheel off, how to take the tyre off, how to take the tube out and replace it if necessary (I have done it on the road once and you can read about it here) etc. I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment when I learn these things and do them.
Emboldened by youtube videos, I even built for myself a bicycle wheel (read about it here) . I must say, it is one of the toughest things that I taught myself, though it looks relatively simple. While building the wheel, I also realised exactly how complicated a bicycle wheel is and what tremendous engineering brains must have worked on it to develop it over the decades and centuries.
Another side benefit of learning a new skill is, you appreciate it a lot more. For example, we take a bicycle wheel or chain for granted and don't think much about it. This is so because they just work and we do not quite know how. Build a wheel or fix a broken chain link, you will understand what masterpieces of engineering they really are.
I have seen several cyclists avoid doing these things. I am giving the cycling example because last night almost immediately after learning about the concept I was conversing with a friend who wanted to change his tyre and buy a pair of very expensive new ones. I told him to do the change himself. Just for the fun of it.
He started giving me one reason after the other why it does not need to be done or why it cannot be done etc. I realised that there is a difference between him and me in terms of our approach. While he is trying to avoid doing it, I love doing it and I go all out to see how it can be done.
Of course I feel more motivated about certain things and do not feel so motivated to learn certain other things. I learnt how to drive, so that I can travel to places. It is a very intimidating thing to do, particularly in the mad traffic of Calcutta. But I did it. I remember telling myself - if the uneducated Biharis can come from their villages and support their families by driving taxis and buses and lorries in the city, why can I not drive a small car, when I already know riding a geared motorcycle?
I do not feel so motivated about certain other things. For example, I have never bothered to find out how to become a better PR person, though I earned my living for more than 20 years in that industry. But I generally keep a very open mind about learning anything new. Even type writing.
People - well some people and not all - ask me whether I feel scared before going on a long drive. Lots of things can go wrong. Indeed lots of things can go wrong. But I cannot sit at home thinking about what can go wrong. Each time I go out I take a calculated risk. What all can go wrong? Up to a reasonable limit I can solve them. After that I tell myself I shall cross the bridge when I come to it. That is, if there is a problem I will see how it can be solved.
I do all the homework about the route. I keep copious note of the route and what all towns we crossed, so that if there is any emergency we can go back. I know how to replace the tyre. I have a tyre inflator. What else can I do? Nothing much really. Is this courage? I don't think so. It does not take a lot of courage to drive from Calcutta to Delhi. But to not go out fearing lots of things to go wrong is timidity. It is rank cowardice. Particularly if you envy those who go out with their own vehicles.
Wishlist
Through youtube I have taught myself to do a lot of small things that I always wanted to learn. But sometimes it becomes difficult to find a teacher to learn a certain thing. Of course, it is also true that if you really desire something you find a way to learn it, including finding a good teacher. But I have this list of things that I want to learn and finding a teacher for these is not very easy.
1. Learning how to use a cobbler's needle. It's a very useful skill to know, particularly when one is travelling in remoter areas.
2. Learning pottery. At least the basic art/craft of making a small bhar
3. Learning how to weave seats of chairs with strips of cane. I do not even know what it is called. I think rattan. We used to have such chairs at home in our childhood. They would routinely sag down over the years and would need retightening. My father would routinely get it done by the journeyman chair weavers. Finally they got replaced with flat seats and the art is as good as dead. I hardly see these people selling their skills on our streets.
4. Learning how to weave a fishing net. Actually this is high on my agenda. I see Nishikanta, our building security guard, weave a fishing net in his leisure time, which he later sells for a decent amount. Something like six seven thousand rupees. It is wonderful to see a whole net come up with just a small piece of wood and a white nylon thread, not to speak of his deft hands. I have told him to teach me the technique, once I retire. He feels being a Brahmin I should not be doing it. I feel that it has got nothing to do with cast. I strongly believe that any work that involves some knowledge is worth knowing or learning. And I am ready to learn it from anyone who would care to teach me.
He thinks it might get him a curse from some higher power to teach me the work that is reserved for the lower castes. This is the problem of our society. These beliefs are so deeply etched and ingrained in their consciousness that it will take a few generations of education to come out of them.
Ball Cock In Toilet Cistern
Few days ago I found the area under the cistern of our toilet was quite wet. I realised water was leaking out of it. Soon realised the ball cock was malfunctioning. The ball cock's job is to lock the water inlet when the water reaches a certain level. Obviously it was not doing it and water was rising upto the level of the lever with which you flush the toilet and it was leaking from there.
I spoke to Kushu-da who is in Orissa now. He said he will not be back before another couple of weeks. So I youtubed the subject and more or less got an understanding of what is to be done, rather how it is to be replaced. I bought a new ball cock from the local sanitary store for Rs 180. It looks like not a very difficult job. I will do it tomorrow.
I had meanwhile fixed the damn thing a bit but it is not really working. So it should be replaced.
Tuesday, 7th June, 2022
Last Sunday I changed the ball cock and it is working perfectly fine now. I bought a replacement one at Rs 180 from the local sanitary hardware store, threw away the old one and fixed the new one. It showed a very small leak initially. To fix that I guess I goofed up something and water started seeping out with the old venom. I took off the whole thing once again and fixed it - a bit through trial and error. It is working. Touchwood and Inshallah it will work for now.
I made a how to video for it.Here is a link to the video There are two viewers so far ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment