We Burn So Brightly
Anoushka Shankar blows my mind again
Shattered by Sitar
Anoushka Shankar’s music has always amazed me. I have written about it in this post. But this time she made me weep for two days because of her latest piece of music. It evoked so many emotions and feelings in my mind.
You will understand why it impacted me the way it did only after you listen to it. I assume you’ve done that before you read further.
The 3min 45sec track has two overlapping layers. The first one maintains the overall tempo. This tempo forms the base on which the second layer plays out.
The second layer seems to dance on top of this base and builds emotional connection with the listener. It feels as though the base is unperturbed by what’s going on in the second layer.
The faster tempo nonchalantly flows while the second layer starts off gradually. Soon there seems to be a huge chaos and drama in the second layer, even as the base moves at the same pace.
Eventually the music reaches a crescendo which eventually uplifts the base layer to a higher plane (metaphorically). And then finally, it all merges gently to the background. Words can’t do enough justice to this piece of music.
We Burn So Brightly
This piece of music resembles my character development journey in a way.
Time, or life, just like the first layer of music, goes on whether you like it or not. It has to go on even if you are sad or hopeless.
The second layer of the music which initially felt a bit sad, becomes dramatic. It seems as if it is chronicling a violent fight before reaching the crescendo.
The second layer in a way articulates the phases of grief, conflict and a metaphorical reassertion of my spirit. But once it reaches the crescendo it does so with a tremendous force.
It seems as if I have gone through multiple cycles of this “raising” of the plane. Every time it has happened, the pace of time and life has hastened.
But this can’t go on for infinite time. Eventually the flame will die down and come to rest, just like the music.
This interpretation makes the name of the track so apt. “We Burn So Brightly”. As I listened to this track in loop, I replayed the events from my memory and wept like a child.
I remembered the moments when I burned and transformed. And every time this happened, I’ve raised the baseline to a higher plane.
Vision?
I was having snacks with a bunch of friends and we ended up discussing how one of them might turn out in five years.
The conversation which was supposed to be fun turned serious. The next morning, I ended up asking the same question to myself.
‘Where would I land in the next five years?’ It seemed like a serious question, almost at par with the ‘Who am I’ question which made me think a lot in 2024.
Of course, it is hard to predict the future. But at least one can imagine a few possible pathways based on the current trends. Assuming no extreme unpredictable factors, I can make a few prophecies.
Given the development of my emotional intelligence and return to a healthy routine, I must be able to find a stable long term partner who can appreciate my personality.
From a career POV, I feel that I will be honing my PM skills and become a top 1% professional. I might pull off one or two job switches.
I might eventually block some time and finish the book I’ve been wanting to write since forever. But this is something I’ll touch once my fitness is back on track.
The podcast and Substack I’ve started will be well maintained and they might blow up someday. However, I am not sure if they can open an entirely new career path.
I feel that I can definitely run a full marathon within the next one year. It is within my reach as I’ve graduated from 10K to 21.1K already.
I feel that I can perform over and above this set of ideas. But I will also not worry too much about the future. Rather, I will try to live in the moment and burn as brightly as I can.