“Hard work”

February 15, 2026 ~ Rishi ~ 2 Comments

An important but underrated quality! Something that we don’t appreciate often enough.

A lot of us talk about doing smart work. In today’s age, that is all that matters. Getting more done in lesser time with lesser resources.

But smart work often forces us to consider how to optimise. What if we didn’t know well enough what we are optimising?

I have often wondered about how for our kids, learning the right things is more important than learning to optimise. And how do we make that happen.

So, when our daughter had to go through a 2-month project in Grade 5, I was waiting to see how it pans out. And how the school guides the kids in their approach.

All through the project duration, we were informed and updated on a need to know basis. Naturally, our curiosity was heightened by the time the kids had to present their work.

The one thing I did observe during the first few weeks, and which became evidently clear in the last two weeks of the project, was that the project involved a lot of work.

Well, that was expected. What we didn’t know was how would the kids approach it and how would they come out on the other side.

So, with only a little idea of how things had come out, we went to the school for the exhibition. What I saw was quite fascinating!

The kids had done some really hard work to put things together. Their basic research was quite thorough and their exhibits were impressive.

What was more encouraging was the depth and breadth of the presentations. As we visited the exhibits and talked to them, the kids excitedly demonstrated their work. With a lot of pride.

The school had made them toil in their groups. They had been made to do things properly. And it was showing in how they were talking about it.

There were no optimisations. There were no shortcuts. Just plain, simple, old school approach to doing things deeply.

As the day came to an end, I could observe most of them were happy. With their effort. With themselves and for their group.

They had successfully cleared the test. More importantly, they had learnt the value of hard work.

And hopefully, lessons that will be embedded in their young minds forever…

Being Grateful

April 6, 2025 ~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Being grateful is often something we talk about. How it’s an important aspect of leading a happy life.

And yet it is so difficult to feel that way constantly!

This weekend, I was speaking to my daughter about how wonderful a life she has and how she should be grateful about it.

While discussing the subject with her, I was telling her to look at the bright side of life always. As I gave her some examples of things she has, which others don’t, I realised the same holds true for me also.

Then, as the conversation progressed, and I was telling her about the numerous problems in the world and how we should be thankful that we are relatively better off, it occurred to me that this was applicable for me too.

Finally, we chatted about the notion of positivity and negativity, and how it is upon us to look at the bright side of things and lead a happy life. While she nodded, I felt like nodding too, to acknowledge this in my heart.

As she agreed with my reasoning and to keep these perspectives in mind, I couldn’t help but remember how I had had a similar conversation when I was young.

And then in a few years I had to be reminded of them again. Not because I had forgotten but because I had chosen to not remember.

It happens again and again. Every few months, I have to keep reminding myself of these truths.

Something so simple but so difficult to follow…

Pain Tolerance

March 16, 2025 ~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

How much pain can we tolerate? Literally. In both our mind and our body.

Having suffered a serious injury that led to leaving the armed forces, and having gone through other health issues, this is not just a figurative question. It is a personal one.

Every time something happens to me, my pain tolerance behaviour kicks in. At times I take things in stride and go on without worrying. But at times, it makes me avoid anything that could cause more discomfort.

It is interesting because my mind behaves randomly on the same topic. Strange too.

This Friday, as I took a flight back home and landed with not just a jet lag but a muscle spasm around my shoulder, my mind started to work. It told me to take things easy. So, I have been. Applying ointments and eating painkillers while avoiding any strenuous activity.

What if I had something urgent to attend to at home? I am sure, my mind would have told me to forget about all the pain and instead focus on the urgent matter. I may have still needed the ointments and painkillers but those would have been taken to continue.

Reflecting on this behaviour, I was wondering why is it so? Is it normal? Is it something only I go through? Or am I being unnecessarily paranoid over something not worth its while?

My reflections led me to my earlier experiences when I had either taken heed of my mind and succumbed to the inactivity or when I had pushed the discomfort aside to focus on other important things.

What I realised is that it is all dependent on the motive. Do I have something on my hands which I am so engaged in that nothing else matters? Am I so charged up that a niggle doesn’t bother me?

If I don’t have a strong reason, my mind tends to take things easy; almost as if it is telling me not to bother because there’s nothing more important than myself. Well, that isn’t completely untrue! But it also cannot be true every time because then I wouldn’t be able to grow.

Perhaps the balance is in allowing the mind to let the body slack a bit when needed. After all, the mind and the body know better than us. Interspersed with elongated periods of acute focus and activity when nothing else matters. Something that has worked for me in the recent past.

Again, not generally applicable, but maybe it is a good practice to check on where we are in life when such a signal comes. What do we do in those moments could very well define how much fuel power we have to persevere and continue running.

Because while life is short, it is long enough to play in the balance…

Frustrations

February 23, 2025 ~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

They are difficult. They take a lot out of you.

They are also very engaging. And can keep you occupied, thinking about related stuff and going down a rabbit hole.

They are however, also a source of motivation. To do things differently. And try something new.

This past week, I went through all these stages…

As I felt the weight of frustration tugging at my heart and mind, it felt like I got stopped in the tracks.

The frustration had been building for a while. I had seen signs of it in between but I kept going, disregarding those signs. Or rather telling myself that it will get resolved on its own.

What I didn’t realize was that the underlying reasons for the frustration weren’t going away. And with time, they only became more pronounced.

When the feeling hit me, it took me a while to digest the situation I was in. It was as if I was stuck in a maze while trying to find my way out.

This wasn’t the first time I was going through such an experience. But even then, each time is different. And the initial thoughts are always muddled.

As if on cue, my mind took it upon itself to remind me of all the past signs that I had seen but ignored. I kept going back in time and thinking about all related things.

It was only after a couple of days of being in that zone, did I get to unraveling the sources of the frustration. That too after realizing that there was no point in wallowing in the past and it was better to figure out how to move ahead.

However, I first had to fight with my mind to stop going into the past and instead help me weigh my options and path forward. It wasn’t easy but somehow, having done this before, I was able to get my mind to agree.

Then came a long process to map out possibilities and what would work best for me. And then sharing it all with my wife to help me understand if my thoughts are in the right direction.

This entire week went past in dealing with this episode. But I was glad I could come out on the other side with some positive thoughts and a plan of action. And that it didn’t take longer than this.

Hopefully I can now get to execute these plans!

I turn 5!

December 29, 2024 ~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Five is a good milestone in life!

I remember how I celebrated when I turned 5.

I invited a lot of my friends, the first proper memory of me celebrating a birthday.

Those days birthdays used to be at home, so there was decoration, cake, and some eatables. All organised at home.

My friends were eager to lap up all of it and there was a lot of excitement as the cake was cut. We played for a while after that and wound up the party late in the evening.

I was happy that I was going to go to first grade in school in the new school session. I was a young boy now!

I couldn’t feel or provide the same level of excitement to our daughter when she turned 5. Her fifth was just after the first round of Covid and we could only manage a low key celebration at home with cousins over.

She was however happy to have celebrated it and we all had a good time. It was also time to acknowledge that she was now growing up to be a young girl, ready to start her learning journey.

Today, as I write this post, I have a similar feeling. Its been five years since I decided to take writing seriously and am elated at having completed 5 years of continuous blogging.

It all started with a new year resolution in January of 2020, when I chose a Sunday rhythm to publish my blog. It’s been 260 weeks and in these 5 years, I believe I have grown as a writer. I have tried different things, ideas, and techniques.

And I have been rewarded very well by all of you who have read it at some point in time or regularly. It’s like appreciation from an elder about growing up well.

This year, I also took a break from the translation project I was working on, related to my grandfather’s work. Because after having worked on it for a year, I realised that it would be best to bring out his story in a different form and not just as a translation.

As I enter the new year, I hope to continue writing more of these blogs and also start writing a long-form story / book. Maybe someday in the future I will publish something.

And a decade or so later, when I look back at this milestone, I would realise how at this point in time my journey was just starting…

Growing up Fun.

December 22, 2024 ~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

Children are fun. But only when they are small.

Is what I used to think. Until a while back.

As our daughter is growing up, watching her actions and reactions is proving to be a great source of amusement. And learning. In the right way.

This week, there were two instances when I saw my own little self in her. It was both surprising and fun.

The first one was when she was prepping up for her sports day at school. Watching her get ready for participation, I was motivating her to give it her best without worrying about the result. It brought back memories of my early years when my parents used to play that role for me.

In the second instance, while on vacation, it was bemusing to see her reactions toward younger kids around us. She was giggling at their behaviour and quietly watching how their parents were acting around. But also commenting on what she liked or not about what she saw.

It was as if she was suddenly older now. Worrying about the stuff us older beings have on our mind. Aware of things around her that much more, privy to how people behave and how others react to it all.

There have been multiple such instances in the last couple of years where she has left us speechless with a most common sensical take on a topic. Or when she will utter something funny, knowingly, leaving us laughing our guts out.

The discussions we have now have also evolved. From the most basic stuff to complex phenomena, she questions me on myriad things in and around us. Some known, some left to Google, nah Perplexity, to answer.

The conversations are much more deeper. About how things work, what others feel, why certain decisions are taken, and so on. And not just from a perspective of knowing about it but debating about why it must be so, or whether it is good or bad, right or wrong.

It’s also been a lesson for me on how to understand what will work or not in any given situation and how should I be prepared with alternatives to offer her. Probably a good start considering her upcoming teenage years.

But ultimately, it is all great fun. To be with, to observe and learn from, and to be partners in crime with.

So, yes, I happily accept I was wrong. And it’s such a delight to be around her and watch her grow!

Solitude

February 12, 2024 ~ Rishi ~ 2 Comments

I was at land’s end today, staring into the horizon. It was one of those hiking trails, overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the US west coast.

There were waves crashing by on the rocks down below. Wind in the air hadn’t picked up and the sun’s rays made it a warm outing. Unlike most days.

Some people around the area were capturing pictures, others were just sitting and talking. My own companions, wife and daughter, were busy looking around.

As I soaked all of this in, and looked on, I got into that zone where I meet solitude. It was short lived, probably a couple of minutes. But amidst the surroundings, with so much happening around me, it was refreshing.

As we continued on the hike, I was reminded of a lunch-time chat with a couple of colleagues. We were talking about things we do in our off times to stay fit. One guy talking about how sports was his thing, the other talked about biking. I talked about walking and how it not only helps me with fitness but also allows me to disconnect a bit from other things and find that solitude zone.

Then, as we went the full circle on the trail, up and down the hillocks nearby, I kept absorbing the scenery around me and thinking about it.

I guess I seek solitude because it just helps me be. In those moments, I don’t worry about anything which is taking away my time. Nor do I get myself busy with something to pass time.

I think through things clearly, just about anything. Some days it is to do with something personal. A few days, professional. Maybe a problem that’s vexing me at work. Or a personal dilemma that needs attention.

I look back at or ahead toward life. Without any particular reason, just like that. And I find some gems – a hidden feeling, a long-forgotten memory, a strand of thought of what may be exciting for me down the road.

Sometimes I just don’t have any thoughts running through my mind. I just look on and keep walking, blankly. Putting my mind to rest, refreshing myself in the process.

When I was younger, I wouldn’t have appreciated this as much as I do now. Perhaps the youthful eagerness has been tempered. Or perhaps it’s the little wisdom I have gained out of life until now.

What’s clear though is that by finding solitude time and again in random places, my life has gained a new dimension. One of self discovery, reflection, and assimilation…

“Doing it for fun”

November 27, 2023 ~ Rishi ~ Leave a comment

The past few days, I got to spend time with myself on a pretty scenic drive up and down the pacific highway.

While gazing at the horizon over the Pacific Ocean or driving around the highway with the scenic views giving me company may not qualify as a fun activity for many people, it was for me. There’s something about driving at leisure and spending time doing nothing. Just for fun!

As I spent this time with the family and with myself, I also searched high and low within myself about a few things going on in life off-late. It helped me to reassess my priorities and whether I am doing things that I like to do or those which make me happy.

Later during the weekend, as I spent time with a cousin, we were talking about her passion for art. She is a gifted painter and artist and as we looked at some of the paintings, we questioned her about taking it up as a profession than a hobby. What followed was illuminating for me.

She narrated a few incidents about how she derives pleasure from the art and what she does and while she hasn’t thought about it from a commercial lens, she is happy with how it’s panning out. She was in it for the fun.

This took me back to a conversation I was having with a couple of senior colleagues over lunch a few weeks earlier. We were discussing children and as is usual, the question of their routine came up. The chat was elongated but one thing that shone through for me was the fact that their children were picking and doing things for fun.

Not with any intention or to prove anything. It was just so that they could enjoy the activity and keep doing it as long as they felt good about it. Comparing it with my own daughter’s choices, I could relate to why she was picking up things randomly for some time and giving them up later. Because it probably wasn’t as fun as before.

What’s the point here?

I realized one thing through all these conversations and observations, as well as through the reflection I did while away traveling. That is – we don’t always have to do something with a purpose, it is ok to just pick up a thing for the fun of it. Do it until it lasts, and then move onto something else.

I think over the last few years, I have grown increasingly attached to the notion of why I should or shouldn’t do something. Mostly it is so that I could benefit from it or because I am ready to commit to it for the long term. But what if I sometimes chose things just so that I could enjoy the process and then move on?

Why not pick up a new hobby and try it for a while? Why not start reading a book and if it is not fun, just drop it! Why not pick up a sport, play it for a while and then pick up another? Why not just go on long drives without an agenda whenever it feels like?

This list could be endless. But I am glad I began somewhere these last few days and took some drives and walked some paths that were just for the fun of it…

The Face of ME!!!

This site is about my ideas and what I believe in!

Growth