R@J aur Sweety ka Scribble Pad

  Even though we’re miles apart, living separate lives and fulfilling different roles, there’s still this incredible feeling of oneness - like we belong together across any distance. We have this deep connection that speaks directly to our hearts without words. A bond that soothes souls and understands silences. We wish the best for each other and inspire each other to become better versions of ourselves. Through every emotional roller coaster, we hold hands tightly and scream together when needed. We lift each other up instead of pulling each other down. We choose positivity and productivity over spirals and negativity. I cherish every moment, every conversation, every loving look we share. The gratitude I feel is overwhelming - you’ve shown me the path to forever love, and I count this blessing every single day. Distance means nothing when someone means everything. You are my heart walking around in another body, my safe space with a heartbeat, my reminder that true love transcen...

We spend our days clinging to moments, people, places, and outcomes, fearing their loss. But life, in its quiet wisdom, reminds us that everything changes, everything moves, and everything fades. That moment you thought you lost? It was never meant to stay. That opportunity that slipped by? It was part of a tide that’s always shifting. When we understand that everything is transient, we stop grasping and start flowing. We stop mourning the passing and start cherishing the presence. Because the truth is—nothing is truly lost. It simply transformed, made space, or returned to the cycle. "Life teaches us that nothing is truly missed, for everything is fleeting." In that realization, there is freedom. In that freedom, peace.

This morning, in yet another never-ending deep life talk, Sweety was trying to recruit me as her personal life coach. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t applying. We meandered through the usual playlist — dreams, goals, confusion, career, soul-searching — you know, the kind of existential crisis playlist that hits you twice daily:  One at 9 AM thinking about what work to do and One at 10:30 PM when Wi-Fi is strong and self-doubt is stronger. Somewhere in that intellectual dhobi ghat of thoughts, I had a brain ka bulb-on moment : "Understanding the difference between what you want to do, what you can do, and what you actually do… is the secret to shanti (inner peace)." Naturally, Sweety didn’t react. Lost in her world of ChatGPT searches like: “What should i write in my team members appraisals?” So I repeated it — in my best coach voice. This time, she paused. The gears started turning (finally). After a rare moment of stunned silence, she got it. I told her to write it down. She said, “...

 This morning, while chatting with Sweety about our usual serving of casual existential dread, I blurted out something that made both of us laugh and pause" “ The difference between what we could have done in the past and what we can do now — is our life. ” Sweety said "It sounds oddly deep for a weekday morning". I too thought so especially around breakfast time. But the more I think about it, the more it feels true. It’s not just a poetic punchline; it’s a gentle (and slightly dramatic) reminder that the past is a museum — a nice place to visit, but not where you want to set up your sofa. We all carry around our "Greatest Hits of Regret", be it the job we didn’t take, the message we drafted and never sent, the gym membership we paid for and never used. These “could-have” moments come back to haunt us like old WhatsApp forwards — usually around midnight, just when we’re trying to sleep. But here’s the twist: while we can’t time-travel and fix those moments, we...

In the quiet moments of life, when we pause and look beyond the noise, we often find ourselves observing a delicate tension — the tension between our search for Shanti and our entanglement in Maya. This tension isn't a flaw. It is not something to be fixed or escaped. It is being human itself. Shanti is the stillness we intuitively long for — a peace that isn't tied to achievements, applause, or acquisition. It shows up in fleeting moments. Shanti is the space within where nothing is missing. But it can’t be forced. It reveals itself when we stop trying so hard to grasp everything else. Maya — illusion, distraction, the spinning web of form and desire — is equally a part of us. We live inside stories: of success and failure, identity and ambition, gain and loss. We chase meaning in external markers. Maya is not evil. It's enchanting. It's the play of life, it brings the texture, the drama, the form to living. The problem arises only when we forget it's a play and ...

Walking the dogs this week, I was listening to a discourse by Swami Sarvapriyananda. He was explaining a profound line from Adi Shankaracharya: “ In wakening, dreaming, and deep sleep — there is one consciousness. ” At first, it sounds simple. But as he unpacked it, something stirred within me. We live through different states each day — wakening, dreaming, and deep sleep — each so distinct in experience. - In wakening, we navigate the outer world: people, work, emotions, conversations. - In dreaming, our mind becomes the creator — spinning stories, fantasies, fears — often vivid, strange, and deeply personal. - In deep sleep, there are no thoughts, no dreams, not even the awareness of “I am sleeping.” It's a void of experience — and yet somehow, we know it happened. And yet, through all of this, one thing remains constant: the witnessing consciousness. It is not bound by sleep or activity. It doesn’t disappear when the mind goes quiet. It is always there — not doing, just being. A...

Read a post about making choices and it stayed with me — it made me ponder: what actually makes people happy? Or more importantly, how can we stay happy, especially when life is unpredictable? Some thoughts came to mind… -  Happiness isn’t a constant high —it’s more often a quiet contentment, a sense of alignment with one’s values, and the ability to navigate life with acceptance - Own choices without regret - Some work out and some dont, but they were made with the best set of information that we had at that point in time. Regret only stings when we believe we should have known better. But no one ever makes a bad decision on purpose—they simply made the best call they could with what they had. - Don’t Replace, Just Release - Never think about replacing everyone. Just move forward by leaving that space. Humans will never be a like for like replacement. People are not interchangeable. Relationships, memories, and impacts are unique. Trying to “fill a gap” often leads to compa...

  Over the weekend, I heard a coach say this to a bunch of graduating high school seniors “ Remember, We are a C between B and D ". I found this very interesting and when I looked up online I found that this is a quote by French philosopher   Jean-Paul Sartre , where "B" represents birth, "C" represents the choices we make, and "D" represents death. Ironically thereafter, I even watched a movie called “The    Choice” where two individuals that are poles apart are attracted to each other and end up making choices to live and love each other hoping against hope and overcoming many challenges. And today I came across this thought provoking article in social media that talks about thinking through some of the choices carefully before we make them especially the choices that impact our life and the people we hold dear… “One day, you’ll realize that the same person cannot be found twice in life. Not everyone is replaceable. Be careful with the hearts you to...

Parkinson’s Law — originally coined to describe bureaucracies — states: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”  Over the years, I’ve realized this doesn’t just apply to office work. It applies to life itself. Give yourself a free evening, and you’ll likely find a way to fill it — sometimes with intention, often out of habit. A weekend with no plans? Suddenly, errands appear. Obligations multiply. Emotional loops replay. It’s as if stillness is too unfamiliar, even threatening. So we stay in motion — not because we must, but because we’re used to it. And it makes me wonder: Are we managing time, or is time managing us? We often chase productivity, but rarely ask: Productive toward what end? Sometimes, the most radical thing we can do isn’t to squeeze more into our day — but to protect some space within it. Space for rest. Reflection. Or simply, to be. When the mind is blank, we often let the motions take over. Stillness can feel like a void. Silence, unsettlin...

We were recently listening to Hotel California again, and one line stayed with us long after the music faded: "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device... You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." It’s haunting — not just because of the melody, but because of the unsettling truth it hints at. Sometimes, life feels exactly like that — a grand, beautiful illusion. Full of movement, choices, and color on the surface, yet beneath it all, a quiet sense of being trapped. Not by walls or systems alone, but by our own thoughts, fears, expectations, and the identities we've carefully constructed over time. At other times, it feels like a well-decorated maze. We move through routines, ambitions, desires — always seeking the next thing that promises escape, relief, or meaning. Yet slowly, a realization sets in: what holds us captive isn’t out there. It’s in here. - We carry invisible prisons — comparison, old wounds, societal scripts, internal pressures...

 The first time I came across the term Atmanirbhar was when Prime Minister Modi launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. Over the past decade, I’ve come to understand that self-reliance isn’t just a national aspiration — it’s deeply personal as well. At the national level, Atmanirbhar signifies more efficient, competitive, resilient, independent in areas like energy, raw materials, defense manufacturing, capital, and even markets. But for an individual, self-reliance is more nuanced. It means being physically, mentally, and emotionally self-sufficient — reaching a state of contentment that doesn’t depend on external validation or stimuli. It’s about finding inner stability and peace, regardless of what’s happening outside. Recently, I mentioned to Sweety that she seems to be constantly seeking distractions. I don’t think it landed well with her — and understandably so. It's not easy to hear, and perhaps not easy to say either. But that moment made me reflect deeper on what individu...

Back in Nov 2024, when we were trying to figure out a path forward for our relationship, Raj had said “Love can be an enabler, that can nourish our soul, and grow ...I want that.”  At that time, I understood his intent more as a goal we can aspire for and work towards. Now after 4 months, slowly I am realizing the effects of it. With changing times we have adapted to new ways to stay in touch and supporting each other to learn and grow together. It constantly surprises me how our love in subtle ways has enabled us to keep each other motivated and be accountable for the goals we have set for ourselves.  Along with that, our love has also been an inspiration to some creativity in areas that we have not tried before. Here is a result of one such inspiration.. मेरे ख्वाबों में देखु तेरी मुस्कराहट (I see your smile in my dreams) तू बन गया है मेरी जीवन का सहारा (You have become the support of my life) कोई हो या न हो मेरे पास (Whether there is someone or not with me) फिर भी जी ल...

Who knows our True Self? Do we ourselves know it?  With ever changing situations, circumstances and moods when do we exhibit our True Self?  Is True Self just an idea of how we want to portray ourselves?  This is what I came across while I was searching answers to these questions above.. "Being authentic means sticking to our values, and our beliefs, even when faced with pressure to act otherwise, being honest to ourselves and taking responsibility for our actions." In our daily lives being around family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers how many of us exhibit our authentic self? I think most of us are wearing a mask while projecting ourselves to be different people at different instances of time based on situations and moods.  When are we our True Self? The most important factor that enables us to be our authentic self is courage to unapologetically accept who we are and express our opinions, thoughts, choices and behaviors without the fear of judgement and con...

It is tempting. When we see someone we care for is making decisions or has made a decision contrary to what we would have  our instinct tries to tell them what to do  Maturity lies in stepping back and trusting that people are mature enough to figure out what to do At the end of the day, it is their life, it is their choice  it’s more valuable to provide support and encouragement without giving unsolicited advice Give people space to make their own decisions,  even if they decide to take the scenic route that we  definitely wouldn’t have chosen Good or bad, it leads them down paths that they themselves have chosen they’ll probably make it to the end with a few bumps and a lot of lessons. Remember, the last thing we want to do is say "I told you so"

We cannot tell anyone about that one person with whom we share everything  Society often has its own rules or expectations, and societal rules about what’s "acceptable" or "normal" can be restrictive. Relationships are indeed complex and don't fit into what society finds acceptable.  The deepest bonds are the ones that remain outside the lens of society’s expectations, and the beauty of those relationships lies in their privacy. We confide when there is quiet understanding and unspoken trust, where we can just be without being judged or seeking validation.  The world is never going to agree on a definition of who you are.  We will always be brave in someone's mind and coward in another's, strong to one and fragile to another, good to one and terrible to another. We will be seen as annoying to one and comforting to another. Some will feel anxious around us and some will find peace in our company. Some will see us as "too much" while others wil...

All of us are guilty of bending the reality. At times, the truth feels too harsh or overwhelming and People bend reality believing that it can hopefully shield us from the pain of confronting an uncomfortable reality. Bending reality has both its pros and cons. Denial, self-deception, or reinterpretation, can serve as a protective mechanism, allowing us to navigate difficult situations or emotions. but there’s also a danger in it as it might prevent us from truly facing what's happening or growing from it. Some just bend enough to make peace while some bend it like Beckham. Either way our moral compass decides the degree of the bend. I wonder if people ever introspect and gauge how much is too much?

This weekend, I was pondering if I talk too much? The balance between speaking up and knowing when to hold back can be tricky, especially in an office setting. People can feel the pressure to speak up just to be noticed or show they're contributing. People often speak to fill up space rather than speak when they have something valuable or thoughtful to add. Thinking about this I have come to realize, I  talk less but I do have an opportunity to reduce even more -  the more we experience the less we speak.  It’s not because I have less to say, but because I understand more deeply that not every thought needs to be voiced - Intelligent people listen a lot more and speak only when absolutely necessary. - They share advice only when asked - Feedback is a gift. don't waste a gift by giving it to people who you don't care about

Today, I listened to the audiobook The Elephant in Our Mind: Uncovering the Truth Behind Our Actions , and it really got me thinking. In Chapter Two, the author explores how we often weave stories about our choices, painting ourselves either as heroes or victims. This art of justification helps us align our past decisions with our present self. But here's the catch: these stories can distort the truth. One of the key concepts discussed is hindsight bias —a memory distortion that makes us believe we "knew it all along." In other words, based on what we know now, we tend to convince ourselves that we always saw the outcome coming. What struck me the most is how the stories we tell ourselves are shaped by the lenses we choose to view events. We tend to justify our actions by looking at them through a particular filter—often influenced by current beliefs or emotions. The author suggests an alternative approach: journaling the pivotal moments in our lives as they are , without...

There is no bigger wealth in this world than peace of mind No matter how much money or possessions you have, If your mind is still restless you are unsuccessful We realize the importance of what we have only when we no longer have it Time and circumstances can shift in the blink of an eye. Don't get too caught up in moments of excessive joy or sorrow. Fly high if you don't want to be bothered with the small tree obstacles  If we speak too much, we will lie, a fish with its mouth shut will never be hooked if we think too much we will be depressed or obsessed People call me up for advice, just because I advise them does not mean I am smarter than them, I just have made more mistakes than them In fact, they are smarter because they take advise 

 During Makar Sankranti, flying kites is a popular tradition across India, a vibrant part of the festival that marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makar). This event signals the end of winter, the arrival of longer days, and the beginning of the harvest season. People fly kites for several reasons, both symbolic and celebratory. It is believed that the act of flying kites on Makar Sankranti represents the elevation of one’s spirit. As the kites soar high into the sky, they symbolize the soul’s journey toward the divine, aiming for a higher purpose or enlightenment. The bright, vibrant kites also stand as a symbol of the triumph of light over darkness, with the longer days following the winter solstice. It’s a celebration of hope, renewal, and the start of new beginnings. People often begin flying kites a week before Sankranti and continue for a couple of days after, creating an atmosphere of joy and excitement. As I was walking Kuku last week, I notic...