Author: pavitra baxi

Isn’t it true that inspiration strikes in situations least expected?

For me, it was while watching Sex Education on Netflix. The scene when Jackson recites the following lines for auditioning in the school play:

“Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief.”

Breaking the monotony, these lines made the me sit up and take notice.

That’s the power of a metaphor. Unlike a simile, that’ll spoon-feed the emotion by employing “like” and “as”; metaphors make your imagination work a bit harder.

So, what is a metaphor?
Metaphor comes from the Greek word metapherein, which means “to transfer”. You transfer the meaning of one phrase/object to another. They are made up of two parts. Tenor: what you wish to describe. It could be a person, an emotion or a concept. Vehicle: a figurative expression, which carries the meaning of the tenor.

For example:

“But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? Is it the east, and Juliet is the sun?”
Juliet (tenor) is compared to the sun, and her standing at the window is likened to sunrise. Qualities of the sun, are transferred to Juliet and you instantly visualize her —bright as the sunlight. There is no need for a literal description.

Why use metaphors?
1. Metaphors make it easier to explain abstract concepts
Let’s say, you want to explain jealousy.
You could use the dictionary definition: a hostile attitude towards a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage (from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jealous)
OR

A metaphor instead: “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”

Metaphors are also handy in explaining tricky scientific concepts.
Take for example, Entropy
Dictionary definition of Entropy is the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entropy)
OR
A metaphor can explain it better: Entropy is akin to children bouncing in a bouncy castle —disorder, uncertainty in a system and energy expended without doing any useful work.

2. Metaphors make your prose livelier
Let’s not rush into love
OR
“It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be” – Juliet hinting that it would be foolish to rush into love.
Which one sounds better?

3. Metaphors makes your think
Metaphors provide a brief pause in the prose for the readers to gather their thoughts, visualize and explore various possibilities. Readers like it when writers make them think.

Different versions of metaphors

Direct metaphors: A straightforward transfer of meaning using “is”
“All the world is a stage”
Implied metaphors: Comparison is made between two things, but one of them isn’t mentioned.
“Thoughts fluttering through my head” Thoughts are compared to butterflies — no mention of a butterfly though, that’s for you to imagine.
Extended metaphors: When a metaphor is made up of more than one phrase.
“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.”

Romeo, going on and on and on about his lady love…

Writing metaphors is tough but not impossible. Once you master the art, you will be tempted to use a lot of it in your writing. Use it sparingly so as not to slow down your readers and drown them in a sea of implications.

© 2020 Pavitra Baxi

As writers, we are told to always write our thoughts down. We take them for granted and prioritize work, home and children; knowing fully well how difficult those thoughts (good ones and bad ones) are to come by. Frustrated by their fickleness, I wrote a poem.

Thoughts are promiscuous,
never loyal to you.
Falsely believing you own them,
will do more harm than good.

Like seductive butterflies
they want all our attention,
but only for a split-second;
they have better things to do.

False promises they will give you;
of residing in your head.
Don’t be fooled,
they’ll be gone,
leaving you in dread.

So, how do you get them,
to be all yours?
Write them down,
whenever and wherever you can.

Use your phones,
Carry a book and a pen.
Post-its work well too,
Or use tissue papers instead.

Sane ones, insane ones,
Grab them all,
We need them to master our craft —
to get our point across.

© 2020 Pavitra Baxi

I attended the Entrepreneur 5.0 event conducted by Roger Hamilton — a Bali-based social entrepreneur and founder of Wealth Dynamics

Freelancers are a peculiar lot: supremely confident, at the same time, terribly insecure. Skeptical of advice from experts other than those active in our sphere of work, we freeze in fright if asked to change the way we work. Naturally, it took a bit of convincing for me to attend this event. But I am happy to report that it was time well-spent.

I arrived at the venue just in time to see suits and stilettos walk into the conference room. Roger came on to the stage and the thing that struck me the most was his relaxed attire: the sports jacket, jeans and loafers— carefully put together — were a sharp contrast to the purposeful dressing of the seated crowd. My curiosity piqued, I waited for things to begin.

He started the session explaining the mind-numbing speed at which the digital revolution is taking place. How this digital revolution and access to information has improved our decision-making ability. We no longer need to wait for orders from a chosen few with access to information — we know what we want to do; how to do it and why to do it. There is great satisfaction in working on your own terms, but entrepreneurs are also plagued with the fear of the unknown and burdened with work which is not their core competence. A network of entrepreneurs that help each other is the need of the hour.

We spent a major part of the day understanding the Wealth Dynamics profile test and how it can help build a network of entrepreneurs. According to this test, there are eight wealth profiles. In any given individual, the traits associated with these profiles manifest in varying degree. Your primary profile acts as a guide for your dominant traits. You focus on strengthening them, rather than work on what you are not good at. Apart from focusing on your strengths, teaming up with people who are strong in aspects of business that you struggle with, relieves you of the burden of doing everything.

So, what are these wealth profiles?

Wealth profile	Strengths and weaknesses
Creator	Intuitive and creative but easily distracted. They are best at creating wealth by introducing new products, ideas and brands. Good at starting things but terrible at finishing them. Managing day-to-day business is not their cup of tea.
Star	Charismatic and highly-energetic but dominating. Their ability to promote, lead and communicate make them well suited for marketing, sales and promotional activities. Carrying out detail-oriented and repetitive tasks is not their forte.
Supporter	Great communicators and team-builders but lack the creative instinct. Strong interpersonal skills and leadership qualities make them ideal as team managers.
Deal Maker	Dealmakers are best at negotiating and have a great sense of timing. Not the best at starting things and lose focus easily.
Trader	Great at bargaining, patient and work best in a team. They like to be led rather than take charge. Their strength lies in buying and selling assets.
Accumulator	Detail-oriented and dependable but master procrastinators. Down-to-earth and never the ones to take impulsive decisions. They bring order to chaos and ensure things get done on time.
Lord	Neither impulsive nor communicative; their strength lies in controlling money, time and effort efficiency. People with this profile work well with numbers. Make them a part of your team if you want a steady cash-flow even in times of scarcity.
Mechanic	Hands-on and perfectionists who challenge the status quo. Always looking at bettering things, their strength lies in building reliable systems. They might not be charismatic leaders, but they will see your project through to completion.

To give you an example:

My primary profile is Creator and secondary profiles are Mechanic and Star. Focusing on creation — implementing new ideas and starting new projects — but not burning out my monetary reserves only on creation, is what will work best for me. I must, from time to time, focus on my secondary profiles of Mechanic (building systems and finishing projects) and Star (promote and communicate). It would also help if I team up with someone whose primary profile is that of an Accumulator or a Lord and ensure my business does not run out of money!

An interesting feature was the free “lighter” version of the wealth dynamics test called the Genius Test. Check it out at https://www.geniusu.com/my-genius-test.

In the second half of the day, Roger introduced us to ways of identifying and approaching clients; how to team up with entrepreneurs working in your own field and how to manage the tides and ebbs of your business. How to shake things up if you are stuck in a rut. The last segment highlighted the importance of mentoring. 

My personality test evaluation with a list of actionable items was insightful; implementing the recommendations has brought about small but significant changes in my professional life. It has encouraged me to work out a plan that is more comprehensive than just getting more money in the bank. Money is important, but it is hardly worth the while if you do not enjoy the process of making it.

Attending the event has given me a new perspective on what I want to do and how to go about doing it.

© 2020 Pavitra Baxi

Taking up the #Write52 challenge. Here’s my first post.

Just a bunch of rhyming words put together.

Reading between the lines

Reading between the lines,
I do not do well,
Reading between the lines,
I’m sometimes overwhelmed.

A hug, a caress,
A slap or a slander to find;
Is difficult, when words and their meanings do not bind.

I can’t blame you, or myself;
we’ve been instructed
to always be indirect.

Be polite, even if you are fuming inside;
Put up a smile, even if you are hurting alongside.

“Appearances matter”, is what our elders say,
bottle up all your emotions,
and let them stay that way.

But here I’d like to add,
The person in question matters as much as you;
They feel feelings, just the way you do.

So be direct in your thoughts, words and actions,
but be prepared to get back what you give —
in an equal or unequal measure.

Copyright © 2020 Pavitra Baxi