Craig Communicates

5 LESSONS ON RESILIENCE FROM A DEBUTANT
The World Cup Football game where debutant Cabo Verde (a tiny island nation) defended themselves against the mighty Spain spoke of resilience, focus and strategy.

As a debutant at an international stage, against a well experienced opponent (Spain), it would have been so easy for Cabo Verde to give themselves a narrative of being a weak and inexperienced side,.just ‘lucky’ to have reached this global stage.

However they defended their turf strongly against the ‘Spanish Armada’. They never let down their guard and their goal Keeper Vozinha (age 40) defied ‘age’ norms with his superior agility in defense.

I learn 5 lessons from the Cabo Verde vs Spain game:
1.Never live in fear of your opponent.
2.Acknowledge the experience and the strengths of your opponent.
3.Don't believe the narrative that you have low value.
4. Stay focussed, don't let down your guard
5. Play your best game possible till the last minute.




(Sports lessons, football, world cup, football world cup, Cabo Verde)

The risks of reading. There are 2 ‘risky moments’ I face in terms of booking reading.

1.The moment before you decide to purchase the book. That's because you are never sure if you will like it or not.
For me, it's the moment just before clicking ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon. (Whether a physical book or a Kindle version).

2. And the second ‘risky moment’ is while reading the first 10 percent of the book. That's when you start to judge whether the book is:

i. A great book
ii. A fair enough purchase
iii. Or a bad one.

How to reduce ‘the risks’?
1.Ask for book recommendations on a specific subject from someone you trust.

2. Read the summary and make sure that the key takeaways mentioned are in-line with your expectations. This is what I do most often.

3. Be aware of the number of pages before you make a commitment to purchase the book

4. Online platforms sometimes give the option of downloading a book sample before purchase. (Please note, I've not explored this).

Remember, all books do not have the same pace and ‘reader engagement’. Some books have a steady start, while others grip you with illustrations right from the beginning. (I prefer the second kind).

The discipline I’ve followed is: As long as you are learning something fresh, stay focussed and finish the book you've begun. Thankfully, so far, I've abandoned very few books mid-way.

So, what are your thoughts on this?
Comment below.



Credit for the title - The 'risks' of reading goes to Cheryl Travasso

It was an absolute privilege to serve as the event announcer for AWS Summit Mumbai 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre. This iconic summit brought together thousands of builders and innovators for a day packed with high-impact keynotes and cutting-edge Cloud and AI innovation.

A huge shout-out to NeoNiche Integrated Solutions Pvt Ltd for their meticulous planning and effective ex*****on of this massive event. Grateful for the opportunity to provide the voice-overs, speaker introductions, and onsite promotions and announcements as an emcee (master of ceremonies) that kept the energy high!