Subtle things

Hiking - the word brings forth the therapeutic power of nature, the magnificent mountain views, lakes, human attributes of strength, vulnerability, a sense of community where nothing but kindness prevails, and feelings of joy and accomplishment.  Heather Maple Pass Loop, 2021                                 Sheep Lake and Sourdough Gap, 2021 I started hiking after moving to Seattle in 2017 and the bulk of my hikes happened to be in 2019 when I signed up in multiple hiking groups on meetup.com . While I continued to go on hikes with friends ( Twin Falls , Wallace Falls , Rattlesnake Ledge , Little Si , Beckler Peak in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Region, one other in Mt. Rainier), I did five hikes with different meetups that year including Lake 22 , Ira Spring Trail , Burroughs Mountain in Mt. Rainier, Easy Pass (anything but easy), and Maple Pass Loop .  I only have fond memories of all ...

I recently bought a new car. I had been driving my old car for about a decade now and it was a second-hand car. It was going very well (being Toyota) and I would be lying if I try to justify my new purchase by citing any major issues with my old car. The reality is I needed a change and there are few features that I had started looking forward to, especially after having started a full-time job and knowing that I can afford them now. Earlier being in graduate school, it was a luxury to even have a nice, reliable car. Also, having driven my old car for a while now, I had the satisfaction that I have enjoyed my old ride and was making an informed decision about the change now.  So, what is it that I am trying to get to by sharing these details here, you may ask? Well, I want to share one principle that got reinforced in my mind as I reflect on a decision I took based on it. And as you might guess, the decision is related to my car buying experience.  I was being nudged frequentl...

Let me start by directly asking your opinion on the title. Agree or not really?  In my opinion, these two concepts of hobby and leisure time can present themselves as a chicken and egg scenario for some of us amid our busy schedules. In other words, should you have hobbies and then figure out some time to enjoy them OR the other way around where if you get some free time, only then you can think of following some hobby?  While I find myself naturally inclined to the first case where I already have hobbies and I try to make room for them from time to time (just like writing that I am doing now), I also know that many of us struggle with our busy schedules. I have heard from friends and family on how sometimes 24 hours are not even enough for the core tasks, leave aside hobbies. But here's one perspective I would like to share with those of you who may not be able to dedicate time for hobbies in their current lives.  In your current routine, you may not feel that you are mi...

Let me share a personal story of something that happened very recently to me. Starting with something that I am sure each one of you reading this would be able to relate with. All this past year, I have kept it pretty much to myself when it comes to in-person meetings. I am fortunate to have a few deep relationships with whom I can talk out aloud and be myself. Other than connecting with them over long phone calls every day, I have been in my own company enjoying reading, exploring new hobbies, or going on short drives.  At the workplace, we started working from home starting March and while I have been going for daily walks up until September but after that, the frequency started gradually decreasing coming to almost a halt by the end of the year. It must have been a handful of times only when I met friends 1:1 and that too outdoors during summer. Despite this secluded life, by God's grace, I have been able to keep myself quite busy and stay positive.  However, despite this s...

If you were to ask me of the first few words that come to mind as I think of this term - challenges, you would hear me saying - hard, inevitable, lonely, vulnerable. And these are the very reasons that hold us from embracing them. We are unsure if we will be able to move past the hard times and even if we do, how long will it take us to get there. It is truly hard to mine and dig deep into what lies beneath or ahead of the challenge when you are actually going through it. Then comes the popular advice that we should see these challenges as opportunities for growth and how they help us emerge stronger than before. As true as this advice is, why is it still hard to put it into practice when it is needed?  I believe one of the reasons is that the benefit seems intangible for a long time until we run into a situation where we recognize how one of the past experiences is being helpful. Over the past some time, I have found another way to highlight the value of challenges to myself. Som...

I  enjoy receiving and giving gifts. Who doesn't? The moment I say gifts, our mind draws pictures of birthdays, weddings, or major cultural festivals where we exchange gifts with our loved ones. Sharing presents has become a tradition for these occasions.  While this is all great and fun but I prefer to practice another model of sharing presents, which is driven more by thoughtfulness. This is the model where you not only recognize the conventional moments such as birthdays or graduation but are also mindful of the other occasions. These other occasions may not necessarily come wrapped with a tag of celebration or an explicit call reaching out for something, but you know that those occasions hold a special meaning in the other person's life. When you follow the latter case, you are giving (or receiving) purely out of your care for the other person and not out of any give and take protocol or bound by any tradition. And to add to that, the surprise element. If you are on the r...

Have you come across moments in your life when you recognize presence of something very subtle and trivial, something that you never wished for, but now that you have it - it has earned a special place in your life?  In my experience of life so far, while our core values and innate nature always stays the same but our priorities, personality, habits, our likes and dislikes all of these elements tend to evolve in some capacity. Over the time I have recognized how certain things that I had never thought about or wished per say, have suddenly turned into things that I deeply cherish. As I share what they are, you may wonder what's so special or endearing about having them? And I would respond by agreeing with your concern but my idea behind sharing those here is to highlight not the absolute value of certain things but the importance that we need to pay in noticing these smallest yet newly emerging joys (life's whispers).  Quite often, we tend to focus and celebrate only the high...