Though it sounds Shakespearean, the idiom Misery loves company wasn’t coined by the Bard—the ultimate master of stories on power, revenge, and the messy depths of the human condition. The idiom is thought to have roots in Latin and classical literature. The phrase “Misery loves company” is just a pithy way of saying that when … Read more
If you asked me what I like to do to unwind, I wouldn’t hesitate to rattle off a list: run, read, write, play my instrument, and cook (sometimes). Every single one of these is something I voluntarily do—something I wouldn’t hesitate to say I “enjoy” doing. And yet, for a couple of weeks, I couldn’t … Read more
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; stand a little taller. Kelly Clarkson Paraphrasing a sentiment Friedrich Nietzsche expressed nearly a century earlier, the title track of Kelly Clarkson’s album Stronger stands as a modern anthem of resilience. The song was a massive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and cementing itself as one of … Read more
As I write this, I have six browser tabs open, my daily to-do list is glaring at me from my peripheral vision, and I hear the faint ticking of a clock in the background. The muffled chatter of my household fills the air—it’s just enough noise to distract me, but not enough for me to … Read more
Are we all, in one way or another, caught up in our own version of the Immortality Project? For as long as humans have understood mortality, we have raged against it. From ancient alchemists searching for the elixir of life to Silicon Valley billionaires funding longevity research, the human species has been keen to escape … Read more
Ever had one of those days where you pause mid-email, stare at your screen, and think, “What’s even the point of all this?” Well, congratulations, you’ve just had your first existential crisis of the day. Don’t worry, they only get more frequent as you get older. I’m at that age where I realize life’s a … Read more
There’s a famous Buddhist parable about the second arrow. The parable invokes a vivid metaphor: imagine walking through a serene forest when suddenly, you are struck by an arrow. The sharp pain you feel is undeniable—this represents the first arrow, the unavoidable hardships of life; most of the time, you have no control over such … Read more
The Art of Delegation is saying, ‘You’ve got this,’ while quietly hoping they really do. We have 32 teeth. Fewer if, like me, you had an overeager dentist growing up—but that’s a story for another day. Now, think back to everything you ate yesterday. How much of that could you have managed to consume if … Read more
I always find the week before a New Year is an interesting time to ask people how they feel about the upcoming year. The responses never cease to amuse me. Quite a few of them are in yolo mode, partying away the last week. I even learned a new term—rot week—a self-care trend involving spending … Read more
One of the things I like to do as the end of the year draws closer is to reflect on the lessons learned during the year. In this post, I list ten takeaways that stood out for me this year. Some sound profound. Few are mundane. Honestly, many of these lessons aren’t new—life seems intent … Read more
A few hobbies consume nearly all of my free time—writing, playing an instrument, and running. At best, I’m average at all of them. Yet, as another year draws to a close, I feel like I need to confront the one question that has been gnawing at me for as long as I can remember: why … Read more
You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.Eleanor Roosevelt In The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel reflects on his time as a valet. “The best part of being a valet is getting to drive some of the coolest cars ever to touch pavement. Guests came … Read more
Less is more. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe When asked about sculpting his famous statue of David, Michelangelo supposedly said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Isn’t that the crux? The most remarkable sculptures in the universe already exist; they simply require an expert sculptor to chisel away … Read more
I take the high road because it’s easier to look down on people from up there. Lately, I find myself grappling with questions that are bigger than my daily to-do list. Maybe it’s a function of age, but instead of obsessing about my favorite problem—productivity—I’ve pivoted to worrying about things that are much more uncomfortable: … Read more
I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead. Mark Twain Fans of Bollywood movies know this: three-hour movies are a classic staple. Traditionally these films offered audiences a journey of escapism, a break from the outside world’s hustle, oppressive heat, or for a lot of moviegoers, an … Read more
You are only as young as the last time you changed your mind. Kevin Kelly In the 16th century, when tobacco was first introduced in England, it was seen as a reliable prophylactic against the plague. Kids were encouraged to use it and faced punishment in some schools if they didn’t take the required dose. … Read more
It’s 7 p.m., and I’m completely drained. I’ve spent the entire day locked in negotiations—with myself—about writing this very piece. I kept debating questions like, “Should I write in the morning or evening?” “How long should I spend writing?” “Do I even know what I want to say, so why start today?” “Maybe I should … Read more
The options are limitless. But time isn’t. Choose wisely. I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another … Read more
If you are the smartest person in the room, it’s time to find a different room. Confucius. In Alice Schroeder’s biography, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, the author illustrates several anecdotes that led to the Oracle of Omaha becoming the legend he is. One such story exemplifies a value Buffett believes … Read more
In his Man in the Arena speech, Theodore Roosevelt emphasized the importance of having skin in the game: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is … Read more