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We make a vague assumption or approximation of large number. To be precise, we just unfocus on large number.

Let take an example: There is a surprising difference between a million and a billion. Let's be clear: How long ago was a million second ago? Answer is 12 days. But how long ago was a billion second ago? The answer is 32 years ago.

There is a massive difference between 16 days and 32 years. Similarly, a trillion second ago was 32000 (exactly 31709.7919) years ago.

We just blur the large number.

We are deeply shaped by their environment. From childhood, society, culture, education, media, and social expectations slowly influence what we believe about success, failure, identity, and possibility. Many of our assumptions feel natural only because they were repeated long enough to become internalized.

Because of this, people often believe their lack of progress is caused entirely by external limitations: other people, circumstances, systems, or bad luck. While external obstacles are real, the deeper barrier is often internal: perception, belief, fear, self-doubt, or learned helplessness.

Many philosophical traditions recognized this problem. Buddhism warned that the mind creates suffering through attachment and distorted perception. Stoicism argued that interpretation shapes experience more than events themselves. Existentialist thinkers believed people often surrender their freedom by accepting inherited beliefs without examination.

This does not mean society has no influence. It means we eventually become responsible for examining what controls us internally. A person who never questions their assumptions may spend their entire life living inside beliefs they never consciously chose.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle is not the world itself, but the limits we quietly accept within our own minds.

Losing reflects the score or the number, like losing a game.

Failure reflects our attitude. It reflects whether we can come back, learn, and keep going.

That is why losing and failure are not the same.

A person can lose once, or many times, and still not be a failure. Losing is often part of any real attempt. It shows that something did not go our way. But failure begins when we stop responding with courage, honesty, and effort.

What matters most is not only the result, but what the result does to us. If losing teaches us, strengthens us, and pushes us to return better, then it has not defeated us in the deepest sense.

Failure and losing are not the same.

Human needs are one of the main driving forces of life. Tony Robbins divided them into six categories.

Certainty/comfort: the need to feel secure, in control, and protected from pain or stress.
Uncertainty/variety: the need for surprise, change, and new experience.
Significance: the need to feel important, special, and unique.
Love and connection: the need to love and to be loved.
Growth: the need to keep expanding, learning, and experiencing more.
Contribution: the need to give, serve, and go beyond oneself.

These needs do not affect everyone in the same way. They vary depending on personality, environment, and experience. But whether we notice it or not, much of what we do is shaped by one or more of these needs.

The more clearly we understand our needs, the more clearly we understand our actions. And when we understand what is driving us, we are less likely to be ruled by it blindly.

Efforts and courage are important. They are the part of the equation, yet they aren't enough, we must have the purpose and the right direction towards that purpose.

And it's our purpose that determines our direction. Efforts and courage are the physical tools whereas the purpose and direction are emotional and psychological tools.

Our purpose is important because it's our purpose that keeps our efforts and courage and us as a whole alive.

In 1790, before Benjamin Franklin died, he left about $1000 to each cities of Boston and Philadelphia with a request of not to use it for 100 years. With 8% annual compound rate, after 200 years, in 1990, that money amounted to $6.5 millions. This is the power of compounding.

Recently, I went through a news in CNBC about retiring as a millionaire by saving each day. That news drove to crazy. If you are at 20's and you started saving $5 each day and invested it where the amount is compounded monthly, then

Each month: $150

Time period: 40 (at age 60)

Annual compound rate: 12%

Total return in 40 years: $1,782,513.04

Most of us underestimate the power of compounding, which is very powerful. By just saving $5 per day, you can be millionaire at age 60. Isn't it amazing?

PS: "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

Today is 100th day of sharing my words in Innovative Mind, each day continuously. The journey with this writing wasn't easy and fun, but it was a thrilling adventure.

I came up with this idea just to make me accountable to my words and my actions. As I started, I had a hard time to keep up the pace and continue with it.

But soon I could catch the momentum and flow with it. I still remember the day when my mind was blank and have nothing to share, but somewhere, somehow, deep inside of me, assembled the thoughts and forced me to open the laptop and just type it.

The more I started emptying myself, the more fulfilled I felt. The practice of blogging everyday has brought many positive impacts in my daily life like making my words match my action.

The most important lesson I learned in this journey is that failure sucks, rejections hurts (and it breeds obsessions) but I can't stop trying to look forward towards life's next adventure. Starting with this simple step, I commit and promise myself to continue towards my long-term dream of building an ingenious, creative, insightful, and innovative city in my near future because as Lao Tzu said, " A journey of thousand miles begin with a single step."

There is a Mexican Fisherman story that teaches us how to fish happiness. This story reveals the secret behind doing more with less and also provokes us to be patient and slow down in this hurried world.

An American businessman took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor's order. Unable to sleep after an urgent phone call from the office the first morning, he walked down to the pier to clear his head. A small boat with just a fisherman had docked and inside a boat were several large yellow fins tuna.

The American complimented on the quality of the fish and asked, "How long did it take you to catch this Tuna?"

"Only a little while." The Mexican replied.

"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American then asked.

"I have enough to support my family and give a few to my friends," the mexican replied as he unloaded them into the baskets.

"But... What do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican looked up and smiled, "I sleep late,fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Julia, and stroll into my village, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have full and busy life Senor."

The American laughed and stood tall. "Sir, I'm a Harvard MBA and can help you. You should spend more time fishing and buy a bigger boat. In no time, you could buy many boats with increased haul."

He continued, " Instead of selling your catch to the middleman you could directly sell to the costumers eventually opening your own cannery. You would control product, processing and distribution, You would need to leave this coastal village, of course and move to LA and then to New York City, where you could expand your enterprise."

The Mexican asked, "But senor, how long will it take?"

To which the American replied." 15 to 20 years.25 tops."

"But then what Senor?"

The American laughed and said, "That's the beat part. When the time is right you could announce an IPO and sell you company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions, Senor? Then what?"

"Then you would retire and move to small coastal fishing village, where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll into the village in the evening, where could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos."

It is an asset. If we're aware about ourselves, the actions we take and the outcome that is on the way then game over. We can take control of our future.

If we are aware that life is happening for us not to us then we are become aware and all the problems and suffering will end.

But the tragedy is there is no any fast forward strategy to teach self-awareness but be all know it's damn important.

The more we learn, the more we realize how much we still do not know. That is the secret behind learning. It is a never-ending process. Every new thing we learn reveals how much more there is to understand.

We are never fully satisfied with the knowledge we gain, and that is a good thing, because it keeps us growing. When it comes to learning, we should remain insatiable. That hunger is what keeps the mind alive, expanding, and moving forward.