Across the Kosmik journey, we have seen many similarities between nature and our life, and this mission is no different.

Biosphere 2, spread over 3.14-acre, is the world’s largest closed ecosystem. It was created by the University of Arizona to understand the web of interactions within life systems on earth. But the scientists ended up learning something unexpected.

The biosphere had trees growing faster than they would grow in the wild, but with a problem. The trees were collapsing after a certain period. And no one could understand this for a while, because all the nutrition was already provided.

Later it was found that this collapse was caused by the lack of wind in the biosphere. As it turns out, wind plays a major role in a tree’s growth. Wind makes a tree stronger as the tree resists the forces exerted by the wind. Only when a tree is thus matured, it can bear its own weight.

The Sufferings that Shape Us

There are many famous stories of Theodore Roosevelt’s work ethic, like when he became the acting Secretary of the Navy for a brief period, he got done with weeks of pending paperwork to mobilize the navy for war with Spain. He even ordered supplies and ammunition, sought support from Congress to recruit more sailors, and ordered the North Atlantic and Asiatic Squadrons to prepare for war. Roosevelt’s aggressive actions set in motion the machinery that soon would lead to the conquest of Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines.

We wonder what a torture it would have been for a lazy person to work with him 😉

But the point here is different. Teddy was destined to become this person the day he decided to overcome his childhood weaknesses. In his autobiography, he writes:

I never won anything without hard labor and exercise of my best judgement and careful planning and working long in advance. Having been a rather sickly and awkward boy, I was a young man at first both nervous and distrustful of my own prowess. I had to train myself painfully and laboriously not merely as regards my body but as regards my soul and spirit.

Fighting off debilitating asthma with strenuous physical exercise, Teddy became the quintessential ideal of strength and vitality. But his physical activity was only one aspect of his determination. Beginning during his time as a student at Harvard, Roosevelt meticulously scheduled his life, making time for studying along with all of his many extracurricular activities through the use of deep work. This way, he managed to finish his studies in only a few hours a day, leaving additional time to spend on his outdoor activities.

The Promise of the Unknown

Certainty (comfort) is a basic human need. We feel safe when we know for sure which actions will lead to an expected outcome. In fact, the education system is based on this certainty. You study a given a specific amount of text and answer the questions, and your grades and awards are already decided. But life beyond school is quite the contrary, and that is a good thing.

To do something new is to embrace uncertainty. The uncertainty makes us uncomfortable, be it learning a new skill or talking to new people. And in these scenarios, our brain wants to escape back to the known, the usual way of life where it feels comfortable. This is where a person who confuses life to be like school starts to doubt and panic.

The problem with certainty is that, by definition, everything there is already known. Nothing new can grow in it. It is as if you were going to lift a 5 kg weight at the gym, but felt uncomfortable going any heavier, even after years, because you were afraid of getting hurt. Can you expect to get stronger and grow muscles beyond a point like this? The same is valid for other skills as well, be it conversation or coding. Learning new is the only way to grow.

Life is better lived in balance. It is fair to be afraid of completely new situations, but do not take it as a reason to escape. Rather, take small steps into the unknown, like lifting 10 kg after you have exercised with 5 kg for a month. This is the only way you can push the boundaries of your known.

Change the narrative in your mind to see the unknown as an opportunity to grow. Whenever you get too comfortable in your life, ask yourself, “Am I stagnating? What should I do to grow more?”