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Observations from a Classical Orchestra concert

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Over the last month, while living alone in Munich because Jaya is in India, I’ve been trying to do a few things differently. Just to not fall into the same routine every day. Yesterday, I went to a winter classical concert at the Hercules Hall in the Residenz. Mel had invited me. I don’t usually go for classical music, so I didn’t know what to expect. But I’m really glad I went. 1) While listening, I noticed something interesting. The music started very smooth and comforting. It was beautiful. But after a while, it became almost too smooth. I could feel my mind relaxing so much that I thought I might fall asleep. And then suddenly the tempo changed. There was tension. Drama. A bit of unpredictability. Something slightly uncomfortable. And that’s when it became even more engaging. It made me think about life. When everything is smooth and easy, we say we want that. But if it stays that way for too long, it becomes boring. It’s the problems, the uncertainty, the tension, the parts where ...
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The Groups We’re In Shape How We See Ourselves

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Lately I’ve been thinking about how much our self-worth depends on the people around us. Not in a dramatic way, just in a very practical and quiet way. When I was in 11th and 12th standard in India, most of the people around me were preparing for the IIT JEE exams. Everyone was solving mock papers, talking about ranks, comparing scores. I was there with them, but I wasn’t performing at that level. At that time, I genuinely felt like I was falling behind in life. My self-worth was low. I thought something was wrong with me. Nothing about me as a person was fundamentally broken. I was just in a group where success was defined by something I wasn’t good at. Later, I moved into a different environment and did my Bachelor of Management Studies. Suddenly I was doing well. I had good grades, good presentations, confidence, and I ranked sixth in my class. The same person who felt like a failure in one group now felt successful in another. If I look back honestly, not much about my core abiliti...
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Everything in life is both a blessing and a curse

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Over the last few months, I’ve started realizing something about life. Almost everything we want, almost everything we chase, and almost everything we complain about has two sides. Most things are both a blessing and a curse. It just depends on where you’re standing and how you’re looking at them. Let me explain with some real examples from my own life. Right now, in my work, I’m doing okay. I’m stable. I’m learning. But I’m not really moving to the next level in terms of promotions or big growth. And in today’s world, that feels like a problem. Everyone is supposed to be growing. Everyone is supposed to be moving up. So sometimes it feels like I’m falling behind. That’s the curse part. But because I’m not running behind the next promotion all the time, I’ve also gained something. I’ve started mentoring others. I spend more time with my family. I’ve learned how to cook and bake. I read more. I explore things outside work. In many ways, I’m growing a lot, just not in the way society usu...
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The Game of Life: What It Is and How to Play It

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Life can feel chaotic, random, or unfair at times. But what if it’s more like a game? Not a game you win by luck, but one you master by understanding the rules, leveling up, and choosing how you respond to what happens to you. The sketch shows life as a simple progression of awareness and responsibility, moving through three main levels. The core idea is that the “game” is not about controlling everything, but about observing, understanding, and choosing better actions as you grow. At the bottom of it all is one principle: Observe & Understand. That is how you start playing the game consciously. Level 1: Survival Mode This is where everyone begins. Here your focus is: - Love and relationships - Success and money - Health and security - Basic needs and stability This level is about staying alive and building a foundation. There’s nothing wrong with it; it’s necessary. But if you stay only here, life becomes reactive. You chase pleasure, avoid pain, and get pulled back and forth by ...
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Redesigning My Feed (and Maybe My Life)

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 So… I used to follow a ton of cool people on Instagram. Celebrities, influencers, fancy travelers, people who post photos of sunsets with captions like "chasing dreams" or "living my best life." You know the type. At first, it was fun. But over time, I noticed something weird. My feed was full of strangers — people I don’t know, probably never will — and their curated, polished, perfect little lives. Meanwhile, I had no idea what my actual friends were up to. Or what my cousin posted from her recent trip. Or what my old college buddy was doing. They’d like my posts. But I wasn’t even seeing theirs. So one day, I just... unfollowed everyone. Every single influencer, celebrity, random “lifestyle” account. Gone. Now? My feed is just my people. Real people. Bad lighting, blurry photos, messy hair, weird captions, and all. And I love it. It feels like coming home. The point? It’s not just about Instagram. It’s about life. Cut out the noise. Unfollow the stuff ...
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The Observer on the Wing: A Lesson from 35,000 Feet

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After four days in Goa, wrapped in the peace of the ocean, I boarded my flight back to Mumbai. I wasn’t ready to return to the noise—the traffic, the rush, the endless movement. But life moves forward whether we want it to or not, so I took my seat and stared out the window. I was sitting right above the wing. I’ve flown so many times before, but I’d never really paid attention to the winglet —that small, vertical fin at the tip of the wing. This time, something about it caught my eye. The Observer at the Edge As I watched it, I imagined it wasn’t just an object, but a person. A person standing at the very edge of the plane—detached from the passengers, separate from the noise inside, yet still an essential part of the journey. An observer. They don’t get involved in the conversations or the small stresses of the passengers. They’re not caught up in the turbulence of what’s happening inside the cabin. Instead, they just watch. They stand still, feeling the wind rush past them, l...
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The Magic of Autumn: Growing Old with Grace and Beauty

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A few weeks ago, at the start of November, my wife and I took a cycling trip through Englischer Garten in Munich. The trees were putting on their best show—reds, oranges, yellows—like they knew their time was short and decided to go out in style. Leaves crunched under our wheels, the air was crisp but not yet freezing, and for a moment, everything felt perfectly in place. *Picture of my wife while biking in Munich It made me think about seasons and life. In India, where I grew up, we don’t have such distinct seasons. But here in Europe, you can literally see the life cycle of a tree condensed into a year. And when you look at it like that, it’s hard not to compare it to our own lives. The Four Seasons of Life If you look at trees, their journey through the year is basically our journey through life: Spring = Childhood – A time of rapid growth, curiosity, learning, and discovering the world. Summer = Youth  – We’re in full bloom, strong and thriving, focused on work, relati...
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