complete 11 essays

What the Years Taught

Some things can't be taught. They have to be lived. These eleven essays are about the perspective you gain only after enough time has passed — the quiet shifts in how you see money, happiness, work, and the people around you.

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Essays in this series

31 January 2023

I was just lucky

My lecturer said the only way to make it in life was to become a software engineer. I said "let's see." Thirteen years later, I work with software engineers every day. Disproving my lecturer was just a bonus.

28 January 2023

No experience is irrelevant

I said yes to designing a film poster without knowing how. I learned Photoshop over a weekend and delivered it on time. Every experience prepares you for the next one — you just don't know what the next one will be.

25 January 2023

This is the best time to be a consumer

Ten years ago, being a consumer was painful. Today, groceries in 10 minutes, cashbacks on everything, and a new competitor launches every time we start hating a company. We're finally spoilt for choice.

22 January 2023

Money can buy happiness

Every book says money can't buy happiness. But hiring someone to clean my car every day stopped my mom's complaints and gave me peace of mind. In my case, money bought me happiness.

19 January 2023

Our routine burns us out

During the pandemic, home stopped being a sanctuary and became a prison. We realized the routine we never knew existed — and it wore us out. Maybe it's a phase. I badly hope things get back on track.

16 January 2023

Rest and be thankful

On a bench at Dindigul fort, I saw the words "Rest and Be Thankful" engraved in stone. Looking out over the city, I felt grateful for everything. Sometimes words in random places change how you see the world.

13 January 2023

We all deserve to be happy

We never fully enjoy happiness. By being sad about not being happy later, we're not being happy when we actually are. Cherish the good moments and experience them to the fullest. We all deserve to be happy.

10 January 2023

Form your own opinions from scratch

Half of us are following customs without questioning who created them. Read widely, talk to people with opposing views, and form your own opinion. If you realize you're wrong, don't hesitate to change it.

7 January 2023

Stop looking at billionaires

We look for inspiration from billionaires whose lives can't be replicated. But you can learn real-world skills from the people around you — your lecturer, your neighborhood tea shop, your dad.

4 January 2023

Set a day to pamper yourself

Every month I spend a day just for myself. Not about family or friends — just me. Loving your own company is much needed in today's world. Get yourself out there and have a day for yourself.

1 January 2023

Forget your world once in a while

In Hampi, I sat under a neem tree and felt like nobody. No credentials, no identity. A new place makes you a nobody — and being a nobody teaches you more than being surrounded by friends and family ever could.