World's greatest gift, turning 36 & unsolicited advice
That's a lot of different topics in one article but that's what happens when you write after a year!
I sincerely apologise for being consistently inconsistent when it comes to writing and depriving you from quality reading, I’m sure you missed it. I’ve been blogging since last 15 years on various platforms and can attest to the fact that we’ve more tools than ever to help us write better but unfortunately, AI still doesn’t have the cure for lack of inspiration. Disregarding David Perell’s golden rule of ‘‘creating a hook’’ to write great articles, I still believe there is some merit in a self loathing introductory paragraph. It serves as a constant reminder on why I should write more and whine (also wine) less.
12th August would’ve been an inconsequential day in most of our lives. For us, it was one of the most significant milestones in our lives. My designation of ‘‘husband of one’’ got upgraded to ‘‘husband of one & father of one’’. Our daughter just turned one month and each time she is in my arms, I’ve this fuzzy feeling which is a cocktail of joy, bliss and fulfilment. I’d be lying if I said being first time parents is fun; it’s a lot of struggle, hard work & anxiety. However, with time - you start communicating with your infant & chaos starts to turn into organised chaos. Having an empathetic employer & loving parents definitely helps because it does take a village!
Birthdays were always a big thing when I was a kid. Mainly because one would get a lot of attention that day and more importantly you have an element of surprise in form of gifts lying on the table top, neatly wrapped in shiny papers. Growing up in a typical middle class family meant writing down the approximate gift value against the person who gifted so that you can return the favour. This year, I got this gift a month early. Wrapped in a white swaddle with wavy hair, unusually large eyes & nails big enough to scratch her father’s face. There are some debts that can’t be cleared, being blessed with a child is one of them. I hope I’m able to reciprocate the generosity of this universe with love and kindness.
Now I definitely don’t want to miss out on this golden opportunity to give free & unsolicited advice on my birthday. So go on & ignore (or implement) at your own risk. More than anything, these pointers are more of ‘‘note to myself’’.
You are what you eat.
Trust but (always) verify.
Envy skill sets, not individuals.
Sleep is the ultimate recovery tool.
Happiness is only real when shared.
Listen to understand, not to respond.
Complain sparsely, compete fiercely
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Life is too short to have a small talk.
Opinions are biases if not backed by data.
Misery is inevitable, suffering is optional.
Love thyself before loving thy neighbour.
Appreciate in public, criticise in private.
You are not what you say but what you do.
Grass is always greener on the other side.
Journey of a thousand steps starts with one.
Things are never as bad or as good they look.
The only permanent thing is impermanence.
Try to please everyone, end up pleasing none.
Over index on action, under index on planning.
Takes decades to build trust & minutes to lose it.
If you don’t control your time, someone else will.
Compounding is easy to understand, difficult to practice.
Treat every interaction as a medium to learn something new.
What looks like overnight success is often years of hard work.
Learn the art of seeking feedback, it’s a gift that keep giving.
Whether you think you can or you can’t - you’re right either way.
Understand the different b/w earning money and building wealth.
Never take criticism from someone whom you won’t seek advice from.
It’s not about how hard you get hit, it’s about how quickly you get up.
This moment is the ultimate truth and reality. Everything else is a mirage
The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read
Goals are meaningless without habits that will eventually help you achieve those goals.
Never spend the money you don’t have on things that you don’t need to impress the people who don’t care.
You don’t control what happens to you but you definitely control on how you respond. Focus on latter.
Never waste your time in reading a list of 35 plagiarised life advices just because you’ve nothing better do. Also, get a life.