Week Notes: 30

Jan 3, 2023 21:22 · 844 words · 4 minutes read weekly-reviews

It has been some time since I have undertaken a review. I hope to be more consistent with my work and blogging in the coming year. In the meantime, I thought up this poignant quote during my recent contemplations:

Remain true to yourself. You are who you are, and it’s important to learn more about yourself and accept and love yourself, despite any flaws or imperfections. Remember that you are the only constant in your life.

Free and Open Source (FOSS) Work

  • Reviewed and merged: #624, #751, #753, #755, #756, #757, #106, #107, and #108.
  • I was able to successfully configure a leaf-node and GNUs to retrieve news from various public mailing lists

Grad School

  • I have completed writing my dissertation proposal defense and am currently in the process of revising it based on feedback from my supervisor.
  • I have begun working on a term paper and am in the process of implementing it. While I have not yet completed it, I am hopeful that I will be able to finish everything up over the course of the coming weekend.
  • I am pleased to announce that my results from last semester were impeccable. With only one examinable semester left, I am eager to see what the future holds.

Long Form Reading

  • I begun reading Ryan Holiday’s “365 Days of Stoicism” and have been making my way through it one chapter per day. The experience has been positive thus far.
  • I am making progress in my reading of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Personal & Miscellaneous

  • The break-up with my ex was a wounding experience. To bare my soul to someone I cared for deeply and trusted, only to have them leave, was a hurtful. It left me, to some extent, unable to focus on my work and studies. Yet, though it was a long and difficult road, I have learned to heal and move on. Still, the question remains: how can a heart filled with love also hold the capacity for abandonment?
  • For the moment, I have abandoned hope in love and romance.
  • Through my break-up, I have learned that I have friends and family who love me and support me in difficult times. Their presence is a beacon of strength and solace during trying moments.
  • Fretting over that which is beyond our grasp is a folly, for it detracts from the cultivation of our own agency.
  • I recently underwent a root canal procedure, which was both painful and costly. However, it was necessary.
  • From now on, I’ll be doing daily reviews and focusing on the tasks that really matter. Hopefully, this will help me make a splash and feel like I’m making a difference. Or at least, that’s the plan! Consistency for the win!
  • I recently applied for a visa to travel to Belgium and am awaiting approval. I plan to pick up the visa at the embassy’s contact center and see whether it has been approved.
  • I recently enrolled in educative and have been actively consuming the content provided in it.
  • ChatGPT was released and it’s useful because it enables users to generate human-like text and code through the power of prompt and suggestion.
  • I have been practicing my typing consistently and am currently averaging 79 words per minute with the inclusion of punctuation, numbers, and special characters. My goal is to reach a speed of 100 words per minute in the near future.
  • I was fortunate enough to attend the World Cup finals between Argentina and France at a viewing party hosted by my friends here in Nairobi, and it was an unforgettable experience. The match was the best football game I have ever witnessed.
  • I recently took a vacation to Kilifi with a group of close friends, and it was a truly memorable experience. We made a pact to keep the events of our trip between us, and in doing so, allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and open with one another. What happened in Kilifi stayed in Kilifi.
  • As the holidays approached, I reconnected with my ex, who remains a dear and kind soul. During a bonfire in Kilifi, I chose to let go of the pain and move forward. While I wish to return to one another in some capacity, I must respect the choices we have made and not seek to undo the past.
  • The acquisition of knowledge grants us the power to bring our ideas to fruition. However, it is not simply the act of execution that matters, but rather the execution of the right things. These ‘right things’ are constantly evolving, and knowledge helps us discern their shape. Even then, it is not enough to merely execute, but rather to execute consistently, in order to truly make an impact.
  • If you must criticize others, do so with caution; for their defenses will surely rise like a mountain!
  • Efforts to sway another’s affections are fruitless, for true admiration cannot be forced.