Capacity

[00:00:00] **Aurooba Ahmed:** Well hello, this is The Daily Five with Aurooba. That's me, where we reflect on creating our best lives a little bit every day. Here we go.

[00:00:16] I had a different episode planned for today, but the day was different, so the episode is different. So let's talk about capacity. Capacity is an interesting word, which for incredibly random, or maybe not random, who knows, reasons, is popping up recently for me in my work life, my social life, and even my family life.

[00:00:40] Capacity can mean the amount of work we can fit into a given time frame. Capacity can mean the amount of work a person or team can handle at a time. Capacity can mean how much water the jug can hold. Capacity can mean how much space a person can hold for other people's feelings and emotions. Capacity can mean the legal competence to make a decision. Capacity can mean how much pain a person can endure for some longer term benefit. Every one of those understandings of capacity has been a part of my life for the last four weeks.

[00:01:15] The water jug filled to the very edge is guaranteed to spill when you move it too much, or even if you're gentle. The maximum line in your electric kettle is not at the very top, it leaves room for bubbles, steam, and pressure.

[00:01:31] The maximum of anything or anyone is not the very edge, it is in fact somewhere a little bit lower, to account for the sloshing when change happens, the pressure when friction occurs, and the bubbles when things are working as they should. And yet, we try to fill things past that max line in an attempt to get more bang for our buck, more boiled water in less time, or whatever metaphor that pleases you right now.

[00:01:58] An electric kettle filled way past the max line actually becomes an incompetent electric kettle, unable to adequately and evenly heat the water. It's even possible that it becomes dangerous for nearby things and people as well. Have you ever tried to drink from a water bottle without leaving any room for air to circulate? Did you find it difficult to drink? Because I bet you did. My spouse likes to drill a tiny hole at the top of every water bottle he has to avoid that problem.

[00:02:27] When stuff happens anywhere or in anything, some amount of pressure or friction builds. And that energy, it has to go somewhere. If you don't give it a reasonable pathway, it'll take a destructive one. This is true of electric kettles, people, teams, and a bunch of other cooking appliances. and probably other appliances, too.

[00:02:47] The capacity you think you have and the capacity you actually have do not always match up, unless you really know what you're doing and are deeply self aware, or in the case of the kettle, actually using it according to the instructions.

[00:03:03] So, it's a short episode, but what I want to leave you with is beware of using fake capacity you don't actually have. You might break things very badly if you aren't careful. And they may continue to break unless you fix your capacity problem.

[00:03:25] Thanks for listening. Same time tomorrow?