Riejesh

Tag: #life

  • The Quiet Toll of Going All In

    The Quiet Toll of Going All In

    Since my last blog, something changed. On paper, life looks productive. Client meetings. Deck preparations. Strategy discussions. Exposure. Growth.

    But, In reality – it took a toll.

    I went hard. Harder than I probably needed to. And somewhere between back-to-back meetings and late-night revisions, my body tapped me on the shoulder — fever, cold, exhaustion. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to remind me I’m human.

    I had just started getting back into the gym rhythm. And then — pause. Again. It’s funny how discipline returns at it’s own pace… and excuses return louder.

    The Digital Noise

    I used to start my days with MFM and The Daily Brief. Sharp inputs. Clear thinking. Off late I miss it.

    Not because I didn’t have time — but because digital overload has a way of numbing curiosity. My mind is resisting going the extra mile.

    And then the subtle excuses creep in:
    “Tomorrow.”
    “After this week.”
    “Once things settle.”

    They never fully settle.

    The Trade-Off I’m Learning to Accept

    Sometimes I wonder… Should I have gone this hard from day one at my current organization?
    Maybe. But that would have cost me something else — exposure, networks, IIM rooms I once only dreamed off.
    And I’ve made peace with the fact that , Energy never disappears. It compounds.
    All the effort. All the grind. All the silent nights.
    It will return. Tenfold.

    Not necessarily as applause — but as leverage.

    Small Escapes Matter

    On a lighter note — wrapped up Stranger Things. What a show. The pacing. The transitions. The closure . Proper storytelling. It felt good to lose myself in something crafted with that much intent.

    We’ve been wanting to catch a movie in theatres too. But logistics and “Nothing worth watching” has rendered our decisions.

    Funny how accessibility shapes behavior.In our previous home, a theatre was five minutes away. Now it feels like a task.

    The Bigger Undercurrent

    Beneath all this routine — something is brewing. This week, I have an important meeting. Not just another meeting. One that could quietly tilt my career toward a different arc.

    Even writing that feels surreal. There was a version of me that thought this was not possible at all.

    Now? It’s on the table. Fingers crossed — yes.

    Where I Stand

    Life is moving at a pace I once couldn’t imagine. Faster. Heavier. Fuller. But I’m in a better space.

    Habits are finding their way back.There’s still a lot of work. But this time, I’m not chasing everything. I pause , access and choose . Interesting times ahead. I’m ready.

  • Just another Sunday !

    The world was moving at its own pace . A laid back Sunday was on the cards. Woke up to the chirping of birds and wandered off to grab some nice Biriyani for lunch.

    What followed was a casual shopping for footwears and just as we were getting started , I received a call .

    Not a regular catch-up, as the timing was off. It was my dad. Now for those who know less, my dad runs by the clock. So anything off the charts actually makes me wonder why?

    After the usual questions about my whereabouts, I received the news about my aunt, the only one I caught up with weekly and stayed with when we visited Trivandrum. Thoughts flooded my mind like a dam bursting. But she was only 51 years old; it couldn’t be that serious, I reassured myself.

    Dad’s voice, “she met with a minor accident.” He sounded light, not that his voice was shallow or showed any remorse. I can’t really blame him as he was only exposed to what was said to him. We took a pause, slowly thinking it might have been a bike.

    As the call end button was pushed, I looked up at my spouse and said, “That road is dangerous.”
    She – “Should we call your cousins?”
    Me – “They will be in a state of panic. Should we disturb them now?”

    My mind completely blind. The connection between my brain and reason felt… severed.

    She – “No .. But … “
    Me – “Let’s pause and then take a call”

    We headed to Lalbhag garden, and just as we paid for the car parking and the entrance, there came a second call.

    I took the phone, saw who actually called me, and then I froze for a few seconds. I told my wife, “Not good,” and slowly pushed the options on the screen to attend the call.

    Dad – ” She has left us behind”

    She was carrying lunch to her loved ones on the safest side of the road , from the front a WagonR came hurtling in, out of control. It hit a pipe , hit her , and then crashed into a wall. She did not bleed , but head injuries don’t ask for permission.

    This was the fourth person close to me to leave in the last three years. We sat there, empty, thinking about her family, about to be swallowed by chaos.

    What was meant to be another Sunday, ended as something else entirely.

  • One Week into 2026: When Life Doesn’t Explode—and That’s the Win

    One Week into 2026: When Life Doesn’t Explode—and That’s the Win

    A Quiet Start to 2026

    A week and ten days into 2026, work decided to test the waters—hard.
    There were moments that genuinely felt scary. One wrong update, one misplaced value, and the damage could’ve spiraled. It didn’t. What could have turned into a disaster ended with minimal collateral damage. Effort showed up. Experience held its ground.

    This job is like trying to swim with sharks wearing a silly inflatable pool float. No delusions here! One little slip-up and instead of circling me like I’m some kind of fish, they’re chomping down like I’m a buffet special. But hey, days like these are a goofy reminder that precision, patience, and some serious prep work are the real lifesavers!

    Outside work, good habits have quietly returned.


    Cycling to the office is back on the table. Walking 10,000 steps a day? Retired—for now. Last year, my body chewed through that effort like a sugarcane press, with very little to show for it. This year needed a smarter approach, not louder discipline. So far—touch wood—it’s working.

    Reading has made a comeback too. The gym still lingers in the background like an unopened tab in the browser of my mind. I’ll get there.

    Home, though—that’s where real progress happened.
    Small steps over the last month have paid off. The space feels lighter now. Calmer. The balcony is finally clearing up, and the TV purchase feels like the final piece clicking into place. Happy space. Better energy.

    Sleep, on the other hand, has been… interesting.
    Dreams have taken unexpected detours—school friends on long-forgotten outings, and then a return to a house from 2004, where my career once found its footing. What’s strange isn’t the memory—it’s the precision. Layouts merging, old storerooms reappearing where they shouldn’t. It’s as if the mind is quietly reorganising timelines. Or maybe just reminding me where I’ve been.

    Moving to the new house has pleasantly adjusted this year’s budget, but the benefits are undeniably worth it—delicious home-cooked meals, less spontaneous travel, and the greatest advantage of all: precious time saved from traffic. Living close to work is a wonderful luxury that enhances our quality of life. It’s a fantastic upgrade cleverly hidden in the logistics!

    I feel better now.
    I’m more stable and less easily upset. I’m grateful for the people, routines, and unseen support that keeps pushing me forward when things could have gone wrong.

    Quiet progress still counts. Sometimes, it counts the most.

  • I Showed Up Every Time: A Quiet Goodbye to 2025

    I Showed Up Every Time: A Quiet Goodbye to 2025

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  • Reversi : A Journey Through Time and Choices

    Reversi : A Journey Through Time and Choices

    Last night, I took a detour from my usual watchlist. Not typically a fan of Korean cinema, I decided to shake off the monotony and hit play on Reversi, a slow, time-loop drama I had heard whispers about.

    And wow. What I thought would be just another film turned into a full-blown emotional avalanche.

    By the end, I sat there—quiet, heavy-hearted, overwhelmed. Not by any dramatic twist or tearjerker climax, but by something far deeper: regret… and gratitude.

    How many times have we looked back and thought:

    • “I wish I had bought that bike earlier.”
    • “If only I had invested more in that stock.”
    • “I should’ve worked harder.”
    • “Why didn’t I take that leap of faith?”

    The endless “if onlys” and “what ifs”—they pile up silently over time like unopened letters, each one carrying a weight we didn’t sign up for.

    How many “if” moments do you carry?
    How many regrets are quietly living rent-free in your mind?
    But here’s a tougher one:
    How many times have you truly celebrated the choices you did make?

    Reversi dives into that emotional battlefield. It reminded me of another gem—Oh My Kadavule—which beautifully explored the same truth: Time is the most valuable currency we own.

    And here’s what I’ve come to realize:

    • Whatever your life looks like right now—it’s unfolding at its own perfect pace.
    • The roof over your head, the hands that help, the meals on your table, the bike you ride, the people you love—they are not accidents.
    • They are your timeline. Your story. Your truth.

    We often fantasize about an alternate reality. But the truth is: You’re already living the best version of your life.
    Not because it’s perfect. But because it’s yours.

    So, to the one still haunted by the “could haves” and “should haves”…

    Pause. Breathe. Look around.
    You have more than you think.
    You are more than you think.

    Reversi is not a movie for the faint-hearted. But it’s a quiet masterpiece. One that nudges you—gently, yet powerfully—to appreciate the now.

    Because sometimes, the only thing we really need… is perspective.

    Adios, amigos. Until next time—choose today. Love now. Regret less.