30 things at 30

I hit 30 today. That's a big number. But I don't feel it in my bones. Quite literally perhaps because this is the most physically fit I've ever been. But also mentally because I've spent my 20s mostly being a free spirit.

I see fitness as a combination of cardio, building muscle, flexibility, gut/body health, and mental health. They all complement each other in surprisingly strong ways.

The best way to learn something is to teach it. Especially in the AI-era, where it's become easy to outsource your understanding.

I really miss Amma. I hope she's proud of who I am today.

Food preferences are far too personal. Plenty of people have had Cheese Dosa and loved it, who am I to say what's the right way to do something? Will I ever touch a Cheese Dosa in my life? No. Do I think Rameshwaram Cafe gets unnecessary hatred? Yes. Will I ever order a ghee-soaked Dosa? Also no.

As an employee, I am in the reputation-building business.

Being the dumbest person in the room is an honor and a privilege.

People are preoccupied with their own lives and only care about themselves; You truly do not matter to most people. And that, IMO, is very empowering. So go forth, get on that stage, talk to that stranger, and say the thing you're afraid of being judged for.

The bar is very low for most things in life. If you put in even a small amount of effort, you can beat the vast majority of people in a surprising number of fields. Yet I'm often surprised by how most people just don't cross it, including myself.

You are what you do all day. If you cannot find a modicum of purpose in your work, which is what you spend majority of your waking hours on, you are turning into someone you don't like. Better to quit than be like that.

I strongly view money as a way to "purchase" freedom. An expensive zoom lens lets me not worry about carrying multiple lenses so that's more freedom. An expensive car would make me worry about it all the time, so that's less freedom and I won't buy one.

Lying is bad because it takes away my freedom to state a fact without thinking twice.

Please do not make Schrödinger's jokes.

I shy away from political discourse because almost anything can be debated and countered. There are too many wrongs in this world. By not participating, I do understand that I'm maintaining the status quo. It is what it is.

Internet and social media is a lot of fun but the negativity is too high. My strong opinion is that most humans in real life, the people you actually know, are good people. And the people you think are evil are generally people you haven't empathized with, or haven't observed from up close. I'm not saying evil people don't exist, just that it's maybe 5% and not 50% of the population.

Sometimes, life is just unfair. It is what it is.

Everyone is judgemental. If you think you're not, you're simply lying to yourself. It's human nature. Pattern recognition is how we survive.

I enjoy seeking first-hand information as much as possible, even if I burn my fingers at times. Second-hand information is always colored by the first person's bias. Be ruthlessly truth-seeking in your ways, but also equally willing to learn that your assumption was incorrect.

My love-language is curiosity. I dislike uncurious people.

I enjoy my solo-yolos because I get to observe people, lives, and cultures in silence. I have pages and pages of travel notes that are purely people-watching.

Ok fine. Maybe I should go get married and stuff. Applications for "the one" are open :)

The world needs more kindness. Show up, be there, be nice, even if it means taking a small loss or two. The universe will always repay you.

"Skill > gear" is cope. If you have the means for it, go ahead and buy unnecessarily high-end stuff even if you're just starting out. You're more likely to do the thing if you have something of good quality.

I love second-hand stuff for this reason: high quality at a low price. The cost of buying used however is the time spent in understanding why things are priced the way they are, and I think that's a really good way to learn what you're actually paying for.

Self-help books (yes, I do have many) are useless. Motivation and inspiration are ephemeral. Setting a timed goal is what helps. Momentum is what keeps us going. I also might have undiagnosed ADHD.

Like most things in life, it's all practice.

The cheat code to life, IMO, is delusional self-confidence.

It takes one big W to cancel all the Ls. Even if things do not work out, you still win. You had the guts to head into the unknown and try something that scared you. A failure is better than a nothing.

When I'm confused about making a choice, I think to myself "can I look back and enjoy the view?". Don't die with regrets.

Every bit of wisdom that can be written down has been written down over the past thousands of years to the best of humans' ability, yet we still falter, because wisdom cannot be learned pedantically. It must be lived. So live. One day at a time, fearlessly, until the day you perish.