“Be strong. This is life. You’ll have to learn to fight.” “You can’t be so sensitive.” If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of statements like these, you know how hollow they can feel. I’ve heard them many times myself. Most days, I can brush them off. But there are moments in life when […]
When It Feels All Too Real Read More »
For many years, until fairly recently, I believed in certain superstitions I grew up around. Even when a part of me questioned them, a bigger part of me followed them without protesting. Life already felt hard enough, and I didn’t want to risk making it harder. In hindsight, I can see that this wasn’t intuition
My Not-So Superstitious Self Read More »
When I was a child, there was an incident that upset me deeply. It’s one that stayed with me for a long time. My parents and I were out for dinner with family friends and their children. In this week’s blog, I share what followed: misbehavior, accusations, and lies. This story matters, because I hope
Why Are You Lying? Read More »
I’ve never really believed in New Year’s resolutions. The few times I tried to make them, they felt disconnected, almost phony. I never understood why we wait for one year to end and another to begin before giving ourselves permission to change. I believe growth can happen the moment we decide it matters. That said,
My Favorite Guides Read More »
As a child growing up in Bombay, I spent hours looking up at the sky from my window. I had a breathtaking view of the sun setting over the Arabian Sea, the kind that makes you pause mid-thought without quite knowing why. When I woke up early to study for exams, I would glance outside
Every good day doesn’t guarantee another good day. Every day that we are alive doesn’t guarantee another day of life. Still, it gets so easy to take a good day and life for granted until there are days when your heart feels heavier than usual. This past month has been one of those for me.
Transitions of Loss Read More »
There was a time when the slightest perceived unfairness towards an innocent or myself would set me off. I’d lose my cool, then spiral into shame for not handling the situation more maturely. I envied people who could stay calm, composed, and seemingly detached when faced with unfairness. Why couldn’t I be more like them?
My Relationship with Injustice Read More »
There’s a question that has lingered in my mind for years, and it always gets louder when I’m around children. When I see a child who harbors the fear of doing something wrong or has the need to people please for love or shrinks himself under a cloak of invisibility, I’m reminded of the quiet
Why Was It Hard For Me? Read More »
My parents ran an Indian fast-food restaurant in Chicago during my teenage years. I spent most weekends there along with holidays and celebrations, including July 4th and Diwali. As a family, our schedule was the exact opposite of most people I knew, because we could never take time off when they did. That’s how the
“Never” Didn’t Work for Me Read More »
Maybe everything feels overwhelming right now. Maybe it seems like there’s too much to do and not enough time. Maybe it feels like everyone wants a piece of you when you’re struggling to give enough to yourself. Maybe you think you’re running a marathon without a finish line. All of the above is where I
