Category: Mirror -My Reflections

This is my humble attempt at creating an ideal day routine for enhancing health and well-being with lessons learnt from the three knowledge systems of modern medicine, Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM), and Ayurveda. Please feel free to critique it and point out any errors in my understanding. …

Personal Exploration-4: Understanding Trigunas, Pancha Butha & Tridoshas -March 30, 2026 I had for long been intrigued by the three fundamental concepts of trigunas, pancha butha and tridoshas and the relationship between the three. This month I decided to explore these concepts and their inter-relationships to help me understand them better and integrate it with my life where needed. This short writeup is the summary of my learning. I request you to share if your understanding is the same as …

Among the many definitions of art, the one that appeals to me is “art as a means of translating knowledge into experience.” Reflecting on this definition, I often wonder if cinema is the ultimate art form for its ability to create almost ‘real-life’ experiences. I am aware that this is a contentious idea given the longevity and significance of the other art forms like painting, poetry, literature, sculpture, architecture, music, dance and drama. This short write up is my attempt …

Exploring the Nava-rasa concept of aesthetics in Indian thought, I was intrigued by the absence of the two prominent emotions: happiness and sorrow that we more frequently experience in our lives. What I thought was a logical, missing piece in the puzzle, soon had a logical explanation that to me was quite revealing and insightful. This short write-up is my learning from this exercise. I seek your critique to see if I have missed out on anything and help me …

Personal Exploration: From the year 2023, I have written book reviews that summarise my learnings from the books I have read. In 2026, I decided to write down my understanding on certain key concepts for self-reflection and refinement of my learnings. I am sharing this with interested readers for you to critique my understanding and help me refine my learnings. Thank you for your time and support. Personal Exploration -1 Understanding Values, January 15, 2026 ‘We are the sum of …

The Long Journey Ahead, 14 10 2025  I wonder often why I don’t do what is right. How can I consciously ignore the right path and step on the wrong one despite knowing it. I found the answer when I came across the contrast between jnana or knowledge that is hearsay, and vijnana which is experiential knowledge. In other words, jnana can turn into vijnana when it is experienced and is internalized to becomes intuitive. Intuitive knowledge is seen not …

Six Stages to Acceptance Progress can also be viewed as accepting the new, be it ideas, offerings or environment. Often this acceptance is not immediate or voluntary for habits or comfort of the familiar is tough to discard. While with minor changes the distinct stages of progress may not be visible, with major changes it is easy to see these six stages in both individuals and organizations as they respond to new ideas, people, or challenges. Each stage can be …

Nature vs Nurture Debate? 12 10 2025 For long I have been intrigued by the nature vs. nurture debate. Are qualities like leadership, character, dedication and talent inborn abilities or can they be cultivated? The Greek Philosopher Plato believed in the concept of innate knowledge and the soul as the vehicle for this transmission. On the other hand, thinkers like John Locke and Jean Rousseau believed human mind is tabula rasa, i.e. a blank slate. The qualities individuals acquire are …

Emotions Ignite, 11 10 2025 Risk is a captivating topic. I am fascinated by why some embrace risk, while others shun it. My personal experience with smoking and investing gave me some insights into both. After I stopped smoking, I began to wonder how intelligent and sane individuals can smoke despite knowing that it is a proven health hazard. Likewise, I wonder why I choose a conservative investing style for the last two decades despite seeing the crazy bull market …

Anatomy of A Conflict Conflicts are the spice of life, taking many shapes and sizes, ranging from wars fought by nations to boardroom battle for control, and disputes between friends and family members. In measured servings it flavors our lives and sharpens our edges to develop and grow. However, an excess dose or a chronic conflict can be stressful, hampering our lives. Finding the source of a conflict is the key to its resolution. Conflicts could emerge from any one …

Executive Presence, 09 10 2025 In the initial days of my career, I was surprised to see a few of my colleagues make a big impact on the leadership team despite similar work contribution. Later in my career too, I found that some executives had what I had by then learnt called the ‘Executive Presence’, that set them apart. On reflection, I found that many of these young impact makers were children of IAS officers or top- ranking executives who …