So here I am! 202 Days later on os.me. Very embarrassing to say the least. I never thought I would be away from os.me family for so long. But it is what it is.

What did it take for me to come back to the platform? A Saturday? Well not just that. A Saturday which is finally a holiday, where there are no family commitments, no social responsibilities. A rare phenomenon this year. 

The conditions are conducive for a slightly free day. On the top of it I am high on motivation, motivated to introspect, motivated to focus on life. And this motivation is fueled today being my 36th Birthday.

At this age the only thing to look forward on a birthday is some free time. Celebrations no more excite me, neither do anticipation of gifts. The age count only makes me nervous, but mindfully I choose to be grateful for the 36 years behind and not worried about how many are actually left ahead of me.

So on this day my dear os.me family, I would like to share the key framework that has defined my life.

Along with that I will also share 6 attributes, 3 that have helped me succeed (No matter how small it is) and 3 that still challenge me. (Playing around with 3s and 6s today :P)

Framework – A Life of Moderation

 नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नत: ।
न चातिस्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ।।16।।

In chapter 6 of Bhagwat Geeta, Krishna emphasizes the benefits of living life in moderation.

Moderation in diet, as well as moderation in thinking, recreation and actions is the secret to healthy living. Lord Krishna further clarifies this by saying that, eating too much food or starving, and sleeping too much or remaining awake all the time is not health friendly. Such people cannot concentrate or do sadhana.

And this has been a defining quality in my life. Everything in moderation. 

Food

When it comes to food, I do not overeat or starve. Have moderate quantity 3 times a day. I do not eat spicy or bland, I do not eat too much of sweet either.

I do not drink too hot or cold drinks. I do not consume tea, coffee or even milk. I rarely have beverages and no alcohol.

Fun

I have a very good sense of humor and always keep the office environment lively but I never attend any office party or outings. I do not go on any kind of treks or picnics but I do travel a lot, travel with some associated purpose ( religious, family function, attending the ill or funerals in family)  

Movies – Rare, Binge watching -Never, Sports on TV – Very occasionally, Documentaries – Ah yes. Overall 3-4 hours in a month. Sports – None in last decade, Gym Attendance – Increasing every month.

Ambition 

I am totally committed to my work, I spend atleast 14 hours a day thinking about the job at hand or any creative solution, at the same time I do not aspire to be a CXO. I have never put myself in the hierarchical race. But I work towards evolving my thinking like any founder or CXO would think and act. This has led me being pulled into many things even if I do not look forward for it.

I aspire towards financial freedom at early age but at the same time I do not aim to be a millionaire. I have paused my lifestyle at a decent scale and any surplus just feeds into my goal of retiring early.

Spirituality

I am totally committed towards my spiritual growth, but i have not taken huge steps on the path of Sadhana. I practice mantra chanting and devotional activities 45 mins a day every day without fail, but i have never done a sadhana which requires a commitment of atleast 3 hours a day for prolonged periods of time.

Overall, ever since I have experienced my life to my senses, its all been in moderation.

No walk, No sprint, Just Jog!

Top 3 Traits that have helped me succeed

1. The Discipline of Time – Punctuality and Planning: If there is one thing for which you can put your money on me then it has to be for planning. I have mastered the art of breaking down a larger task into minuscule activities and tag it to timelines. Having grown in suburbs of Mumbai and travelling in local trains have made me sensitive to calculating every second on the clock.  
2. Grounding to Core values in Life – Gratitude and Compassion: While there are many things in life that i still have to achieve, I am grateful to what i have. And this is what keeps me going. Gratitude builds strength to achieve more and at the same time keeps my emotions in check when i return empty handed. Compassion and kindness have helped me build a larger family outside the blood relation. When we start looking everyone from the same lens of love, you will never feel alone. Love reciprocates Love.
3. Continuous Learning – Professional or Spiritual:  I have changed my career track 4 times in last 12 years. Every time i have taken this risk I have come out as a even better  person. Now my professional learnings are agnostic of product I work on which is rare in core field like mechanical engineering. And all this has been possible due to my openness to take risk when learning is evident in the opportunity. This has been possible due to my experience in spiritual pursuit. I have never been rigid to a school of thought or a particular sect or a guru for that matter. Wherever there is learning visible, taking you in right direction, take that jump.

Top 3 Challenges

1. Anger:  Many people who know me well say that I have changed (positively) a lot over the last decade when it comes to anger. The truth is my inner battle with anger management is still ON. I will win someday. Love and compassion always wins. I will get there. I will overcome my first impulse which is anger. And then, there will be no more inner battles. As far as external world is concerned, I am already doing good 😛
2. Not being Stubborn:  I spoke about life of moderation. The downside of it has been lack of stubbornness. If one has to out rightly succeed in life then stubbornness is very important. Being headstrong catapults one faster towards the intended goal (assuming the direction is correct). this will take a lot of time, may be not this lifetime.
3. Fear: Fear and anger have been close companions on my journey. The fear of falling ill, the fear of losing equilibrium, the fear of losing this body. Fear is another of my 1st impulses. Cant wait for the day when I actually take “A leap of faith” and explode into a life free of fear.

While there have been frameworks and attributes that have defined my life for the past three and a half decades, over the last 8 years its the North star of my life that has helped me calibrate every small decision and action.

That North star is of course Swamiji, my spiritual father, the love of my life. Swamiji if you are reading this, seeking your blessings on this day.

Jai Shri Hari!