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We think we know who we are, but we don't

Let me ask you the most important question of all time:
​Who are you?

Well, you could reply - I am my name.
But then, if I change your name, does that change you?
Not quite.

So then, who are you?

Well, you could say - I am my body.
But then, if I cut your hands or gave you a liver transplant, would that change you?
Not quite (and not that I would cut your hands, Thakur!)

So then, who are you?

Well, you could say - I am my family, friends, and relationships.
But then, if you got stranded on an island all by yourself, would you cease to become you?
Not quite (and I hope that never happens).

So then, who are you?

Well, you could say - I am my heart.
But then, if you had a heart transplant, would you become lesser of yourself?
Not quite.

So then, who are you?

Well, by now you are visibly irritated, and you say - I am my mind.
But then, your mind takes you to so many places you never want to go - dark, torturous places. Without your permission. Does that seem like something you control?
Not quite.

Answer, my friend.
Who Are You?

By now, you know this question wasn't as easy as it sounded.
It is a trick question.
You think hard.
But you struggle.
After all of the answers above, which you are embarrassed you even shared, you can only think of one final answer.
Is it that I am nobody?

And that is when you finally become somebody!

We are nobody.
We are not our names.
We are not our bodies, our hearts, our minds, our relationships, or our thoughts.
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We are simply a construct.
That we have made of ourselves.
Where we have come to believe that we are somebody.
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That we have rights and wrongs.
That we have likes and dislikes.
That we have dreams and desires.
That we have skills and capabilities.

But we are nobody.
We are simply observers of the personas we create.
And the root cause of our misery is that we get involved with this persona as if it is us.
We get so caught up in our thoughts, our worries, our dreams, and our desires that we forget what we were when we were born.

We were free.

We didn't have a future or a past.
We didn't have fears.
We didn't have ambitions.
We didn't have skills.

We just had play.
And play, we did.

Before we stopped playing.
And got serious.
Became adults.

What if we continued to play?
By living life in a manner where we are always free.
Doing things we want to do.
Pursuing a skill that we wish to pursue.
Learning something that we wish to learn.

Play!
Because that is who you are.

Book I read this week

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Started and finished "New Words for Old: Recycling Our Language for the Modern World" by Caroline Taggart.

It is a simple and easy read that looks at the story behind some of the words we use every day, and how their meanings have changed over time.

Can easily be finished in a few hours - but only for those who are interested in the origin of words.

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Build An Epic Career

The reviews have started to flow in :)
The book is #1 in India in the Education Category.
Students aged 20 and professionals aged 45 have written to share how much they loved the book.
People are posting their best quotes and paragraphs from the book.
It makes me so, so happy - thank you for all the love.

Build An Epic Career - in English, in Hindi​

Question of the week

How much, on a scale of 1-5, do you know yourself?

• 1: Do not know myself at all
• 5: Know myself completely

(and see the results of others, too)

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Results of last week's question

Clearly, career is a top priority when younger, and as we age, health takes over. I am surprised though; that relationships are not the top priority as people age.
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​My response?​
Relationships, any day!

3-2-1
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3 pics from last week

​Build An Epic Career hit #1 in the Education category in India, on Amazon! :)))

One of my favourite quotes from the book, shared by a reader on their Insta :))

And this review of the book just made my day! Best review already, haha :)

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2 quotes I wish to share

In the pursuit of comfort, don’t desire the rewards of risk.

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The beast in your life should be you.
Not your car.

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1 new thing I learnt this week

The word cushy (as in cushy job, which means comfortable job) actually stems from the Hindi-Urdu word Khushi.
It came about during the British rule in India when soldiers and officials used to describe their jobs as comfortable or 'khushi'. Which then became cushy.

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🎙️ My top content from last week
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📹 YouTube:​ All investment options explained​

📱 Instagram: Her goal was always to be happy​

🐥 Twitter: Harsh reality of raising money​

🎧 Podcast: How much money | Kitne paise​
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You can, of course, always write to me by simply replying to this newsletter.

I love reading all your emails, even though I may not be able to reply to them all.
Yes! I READ ALL MY EMAILS. ALL OF THEM.​
​(Moongfali ki patti daanth mein phass jaane ki kasam)

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