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The biggest sacrifice our parents made was to ensure that our education never suffered, even while they did. 

My sister and I went to great schools.
We were never made to feel as if we didn’t have enough. 

There were days when Ma and Papa would have just one meal, but our school fees would always go on time. 

We are where we are not because we are smart. 

We are where we are because Ma and Papa decided they would make it their life purpose to give us the best exposure possible. 

Whatever it took. And it took a lot. 

Forever grateful.

Don’t ever say that the world is not ready for what you wish to do.
That the world needs to change, to accommodate you.

Because the one that needs to change is the person in the mirror.

I recently completed 1500 days of meditation (30 minutes everyday).
That’s 4 years without a single day missed!

I meditate at 5am, focusing on my breath and listening to sounds of nature (birds, wind and water).

It has helped me gain immense clarity and awareness into my emotions and actions.
My ability to focus significantly increased.
It revealed me to myself.

It has become a core part of my morning routine, that I intend to continue for as long as I can :) 

In my 20s, I took loans.
Because I didn’t have money yet. 

And I kept telling myself, “But I will have money in the future. And that’s why it is ok.”

Today I know:

If you do not have the money to pay for something right now, you DO NOT have the money.

1. Do they love themselves?
2. Do their values match with mine?
3. Can they be happy by themselves?

2015.

Our son Vidur was 4 years old.
He had just started school.

During one of his classes, he was to draw a picture of his family.

He came home to show it to my wife, Ruchi, and me.

The three of us were represented by stick figures.
Smiling.
Happy.

And then I noticed something…

I had a phone in my hand.
I recall feeling like my heart pierced a million times, in that moment.
Because it was true.

I always had a phone in my hand.

I was at the peak of my startup grind.
It had taken us 9 months to pull off the management buyout of Groupon’s India business.
We were to become nearbuy in about a month.

It killed me, to realise that is how my son saw me.

Not holding his hand.
Instead holding a phone.

From that day onwards, I promised to wake up before Vidur does, wake him up and get him ready for school.
I might not be there when he goes to bed, but I want to be there when he starts his day.

From waking up at 7/8 am, I started to wake up at 6 am, in time for Vidur.
Slowly made it to 5 am. Today, it is 4:30/4:50 am.

He was the reason I built a morning routine.
I thank him for that.

The next 4 years at nearbuy were intense.
But Vidur’s family portrait drove me to find whatever balance I could.

COVID, while extremely difficult for many, served as a beautiful reminder for our family as to how much we value each other’s presence in our lives.
It changed us.

Today, I work from home.
As a family, we travel a lot.
We love each other’s company.
Vidur is 12 but still confides in us, treats us as a parent while still forming a friend-like bond.

I am glad that family portrait is in the past.

As much as your job is necessary, do not ignore the relationships where you remain irreplaceable.

My sister Radhika recently reached 100K followers on Instagram (@a.dancers.tale)

She is a dancer, loves dancing, is good at it and creates content around that. Over the 2 years that she has been creating content, she found a unique niche. Sitting dance. Where she would use her hands, her face and her upper body to emote the song and convert it into an experience for the audience.

Every reel of hers requires planning.

Selecting the song.
Thinking of the choreography.
Then the costume, makeup.
Then shooting it (by herself).
Repeated takes.
Lighting.
Editing (again by herself).

It seems like such a massive effort to me.

While I record 7 reels in 30 mins or so, she takes 2 hours to shoot one!
But she loves it.
What seems like effort to me, is not an effort for her.

And, she does it while having a day job as a university professor.

This is what authenticity brings.
It brings consistency.

We can NEVER be consistent with something we do not want to do, something that is not authentically us, something that we have to pretend to like.

We can only be consistent if we choose to be ourselves.
Effort becomes pleasurable then.

The world sees effort.
We simply see ourselves!

“You will be paid your salary at the start of the month and not at the end.
I trust you.”

This is what everyone experiences when they start working with me.
If you start with trust, people will do even more than what you expected them to.
Because they take this trust as a mark of respect.

You are not the only one confused.
You are not the only one unsure.
You are not the only one struggling.

You are not dumb, inadequate, or incapable.

Everyone is struggling.
Everyone is figuring it out.

Don’t be harsh on yourself.

1. Run after growth and learning, not salary.

Your salary will become a natural byproduct that’ll grow by itself.

2. Run after people who think differently from you.

Not those who always agree with you or think like you. Rather, people who tell you something you didn’t know.

3. Run after things that make you scared.

Because when you overcome your fear, you become the person you’ve always wanted to be.