Pause.

Dear Friend,

Pause. I have spent the past four days reading a fantastic book called 'Thrive' by Arianna Huffington and with every word I read I find myself rooted and focused on what she has to say because of the beauty of her thought process. Today I'm on the second of what the calls her 'Third Metric' and it is titled 'Wisdom'. To be honest with you,, when I first started reading 'Thrive' I thought it would be a whole lot of 'Gyan'but she's struck such a delicate chord with me today that I had to share it with you as my dear friend. The reason for my doing this is simple. You have in some way, shape, or form influenced my life and made it a little better with your actions. So today, if I can remind you of that beauty you have given to me, then I'd have re-payed a little bit of the kindness debt I have accumulated in my heart. Pause.

Pause. Pause and look around you - observe where you are seated and where you are reading this facebook post/email. Maybe you're reading it on your iPhone 6 or your Mi Pad. Pause and observe the people in the room around you and if there's no one, notice that the most important people to you are just a Whatsapp text or Skype call away. Pause. Whether you're sitting in Starbucks or near your Grandma's feet, maybe you're reading this as you bite in to a Hide and Seek biscuit and sipping some intense filter kapi. Pause and relish this moment, that flavour, the smells, the sights. Pause.

Pause. When I was in school, Dad used to take Adi and me by our Kinetic Scooter to school. We were always leaving home late and were inadvertently late to school. But no matter how late we were. Dad would point at the tall trees that lined the Army Grounds we rode past and ask us to look for mangoes in the trees. He would show me kites in the sky and point to bee hives on the buildings. Maybe on that beautiful Bangalore morning there would be someone that day wearing some odd outfit and we'd be party to that too. Pause. It was a beautiful lesson I learnt growing up and Mrs. Huffington brought it to my attention this morning. I realise that representing this insane generation of Millennials, I've forgotten the joy of pausing my busy schedule and smelling the roses. That I have forgotten to put away my novel in the train and make silly faces at the baby sitting next to me as she's so enchanted by the mole on my nose. That I have forgotten, in my pursuit of being the best version of myself, to thank the people who've helped me get this far in the first place. Pause.

Pause. So the purpose of this blog/letter/email, whatever form you are receiving this in is to first say thank you. Thank you for being a part of all that I am today and all that I am to become. Second, it is for me to share this realisation I've had today - when the world is spinning out of control, realise that the way you deal with things is very much within your control. You have the power to pause, step out of your shoes, throw away your device for a bit and get a pedicure, or walk the cool sands of the beach nearby. You can just be. There is beauty all around you waiting to be relished. There's a younger sibling somewhere waiting for your advice; maybe Mum and Dad who haven't heard you say you love them in a while. Or maybe there's just that Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake tub waiting to satisfy your sweet tooth while you watch 'Love Actually' for the billionth time. Pause.

Pause, because with this I wish you all the luck with your pursuits. May you always have the fire and passion you've inspired me with through your work and the mad pursuit of your goals. I pray that you always possess the child-like wonderment to pause and watch the dragonflies dance around the lights with the grace of a drunk ballerina. Pause.