This was the topic of the first article in the writing workshop I attended in 2005 in Mumbai. Revisiting the topic again today, after two decades.
Every morning, I wake up with a list of things I want to accomplish and tasks I need to finish. I plan rigorously, act decisively, learn continuously, and move through my day as efficiently as I can. My discipline lets me stick to my planned routine most of the time.
But when I look outside and it starts raining, I immediately run outside to dance in the rain. Or sit by the window, grab a cup of coffee and listen to music that touches my heart. Everything pauses for a few minutes. I savor the moment slowly and share it with my best friends with a big smile. I linger outside long enough to see if there might be a rainbow around the corner. Sometimes I see one and my heart bursts with joy. I feel grateful for life and everything in it.
I don’t see myself as a bundle of contradictions but rather as an assimilation of myself and all the things I love about my closest friends, the books I read, the places I visit, and the conversations that leave a mark on me. My mind absorbs, and expands every day, while accepting parts of myself that are unique to me. I nurture what brings me joy, treasure the relationships I have, and reflect on the one I have with myself.
But at my core lives a sense of wonder and curiosity about life, an openness to learning and new opportunities, and the courage to say yes and to start again.
My heart flutters at the sight of flowers, rainbows, sunsets, and butterflies. It finds peace in the mountains, forests, glaciers, and beaches. It melts at the thoughtfulness of friends, the kindness of strangers, smiles in the eyes of loved ones, and acts of grace by anyone. It finds courage and hope in the stories of others, and strength in its own resilience.
I am ambitious, but I don’t aspire to a life defined by achievements or recognition. I am here to explore and experience life fully, to embrace love as wholeheartedly as heartbreak, joy as deeply as grief, and to live a life that feels true to myself.
