Most people I know are incredibly talented, driven and ambitious. Many have reached the pinnacle of achievements or are almost getting there. There is an automatic drive to do something impactful to win our peers and community’s love and respect. Our brains cannot deal with the modern world. In the old days, during the caveman times, all that was needed to be an outperformer was to provide food and security. It meant status and mating access. Over time, dynasties grew, and power shifted from the caves to the thrones. But the underlying drives did not change. There couldn’t be a … Continue reading Lesson 25: Live Life on your terms

One of the biggest drivers of travel is the bucket list. You can hear about it everywhere. “1000 experiences to do before you die.” “I have been to 100 countries.” “7 continents done.” As I started to travel, I got caught up in the bucket list. I wanted to check the items off a list and shout out to the world my accomplishments. Over time, that receded. I no longer wanted to see it all. I wanted to go deeper. I was happy to stay in a place longer and possibly miss out on many experiences. I stopped chasing the … Continue reading Lesson 24: You can’t have it all

Our thoughts, cognitions, beliefs, values, experiences influence us and shape us up. As I travelled, I also used the time to explore myself, using the tools of self-reflection and introspection. I asked myself: Who am I? Who is the real me? The same questions apply to every single person in this world. All the experiences have made you the person you are today but Is that person you or Are you transformed into someone else? There are more profound questions one needs to ask oneself. Sometimes a lot of personal work is required. When I explored, I used the opportunity … Continue reading Lesson 23: You are who you are

Every morning, starting before sunrise at about 5:30 am, in Luang Prabang, Laos, the Buddhist monks go around the neighbourhoods asking for donations. People, many of them seated on their knees, line up the streets patiently on the road. The monks quietly walk by as the locals give rice and offerings to the monks. This ritual is called the Tak Bat. Everyone is silent. There is a sense of calm as the daily processions continue. And within an hour or so, the routine is completed. When I observed this daily ritual, I immediately transported myself to a period of stillness … Continue reading Lesson 22: Engage Less and Observe More

As I travelled, I came across societies and communities very different from mine. They had different cultures, values and traditions. In large cosmopolitan cities such as London, there are people from all over the world. There is a mix of cultures, traditions and values. In small towns and villages, there is a lot more homogeneity within society. In the United Kingdom, a small village in Wales is not as racially diverse as a small borough in London. It is the case around the world. Mumbai is a lot more diverse than a small village in Karnataka, India. As I travelled … Continue reading Lesson 21: We are the same. We are different.

Ciudad Perdida, also known as Lost City, is the archaeological site of an ancient city in the Sierra Nevada, near Santa Marta, Colombia. Tourists can do a three to five-day trek to the Lost City. Archaeological studies have confirmed that the ruins are more than a thousand years old. Here three tribes – the Arhuacao, the Kogis and the Wiwas, are settled in the villages. In the 1970s, treasure hunters discovered the place, hidden from the public for centuries, and since then the authorities have named the site as Lost City. The local tribes always knew of their city’s existence … Continue reading Lesson 20: Do not judge people by your maps