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We moved house and felt at home again
Whatever we do, we hope for happy endings and new beginnings. It was a sentiment my family and I shared when we moved house for the first time in decades, from the suburbs of Mumbai to the city side. The move, late last year, was inevitable but not unanticipated: our apartment block was going to be rebuilt. We respond to most changes in the course of life with apprehension and excitement in more or less equal measure. Relocating to another home miles away from our comfor
3 days ago2 min read
Uplifting news stories from 2025 you may have missed
Not everything that happens in a year is breaking news or makes headlines. That doesn’t make these other stories less interesting. They just go unnoticed if we aren’t paying attention. 2025 had plenty of the second kind—nothing newsy or heavy, just moments that didn’t trend for long, but somehow felt good, relevant and insightful. These are some of the uplifting global news stories from 2025 that you may have missed—stories that remind us that good things are still happenin
Dec 20, 20254 min read
Happenings: Lunch With Strangers
We live in a time when everyone seems to be rushing past one another, texting on their phones, chasing deadlines and targets or caught up in the rat race with little or no time to spend with family and friends, the company of people—even if they are total strangers—can be a pleasant and unexpected change. Picture this. One evening, at a restaurant in Bandra, a group of people from mixed backgrounds and probably little in common arrive one by one and share a table with so
Nov 4, 20252 min read
12 simple ways to feel happier in everyday life
We all want to feel happy. We want joy in our everyday lives. But we often look for it in big moments, when it can be found in simple, everyday routines. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find joy even in small, ordinary things and to hold on to them for as long as we like. While these ideas aren’t new, they remind us how we can live a contented life and how much of our happiness is in our own hands. Make time to meet people, which means stepping out of your comfort zone
Oct 22, 20252 min read
5 heartwarming movies that will lift your spirits
There are days when nothing feels right, when things seem a little too much or even overwhelming, and we need a gentle nudge to remind us that hope and joy still exist. At such times we either want to be left alone, waiting for the feeling to pass, perhaps taking long, brisk walks to shake off the gloom, or we reach out to close family and friends. And sometimes, we turn to books, movies and music. Books aside, movies can feel like friends too—stepping in with vivid character
Oct 3, 20253 min read
5 inspiring stories with profound life lessons
None of these stories or parables are new. They have been told and retold countless times, yet they never lose their moral appeal. Inspired and adapted from Zen, Sufi and other tales of the wise, they’re simple and uplifting, carrying timeless insights passed down through the ages. Perhaps that’s why they still resonate with readers: the world keeps changing, but wisdom never loses its power to inspire humans to live ethical, meaningful and compassionate lives. Why are y
Sep 29, 20253 min read
What we can do with the time we have left
I learnt to read time back in elementary school, as I’m sure most of us did. If I remember correctly, it took me less than an hour to master the big hand, the small hand and the seconds hand, and how they worked together to tell the hours, minutes and seconds. It was only when I grew up that I realised there was more to glancing at the clock and telling the time in a split second. I soon found out that time is one of the most deceptive things in life. One moment, the second
Jul 6, 20256 min read
Life and work lessons from my dad and chess
My dad taught me chess when I was in the second grade. By fourth grade, I was beating him half the time, sometimes more during our marathon sessions. Somewhere in-between, I got cocky. I remember one game where he failed to notice his queen was under threat, and I told him so just as he was about to make a different move. Dad wasn't pleased. He said gently, “Next time you do that, I won’t play with you. In chess, never tell your opponent his move or that he’s making the w
Jun 9, 20252 min read
Our 35th Anniversary trip to Bali
On April 22, my wife and I completed 35 years of marriage and we celebrated our Coral Anniversary in Bali—thanks to our children, who surprised us with a week-long holiday there. That’s what children do when they grow up and settle down—they find beautiful ways to give back. Or, as we like to think, they flip the script and start taking care of us. We landed in Denpasar Airport on April 17 with a partial itinerary of places to visit—a scenic beach, the centuries-old Tanah
Jun 4, 20254 min read
5 micro-habits to stay positive amid bad news
Paramahansa Yogananda, the renowned yogi, once said, “Blessed are those who do not indulge in sensational news.” To that timeless wisdom, one might add, “Blessed, still, are those who do not read or consume distressing news.” But in this 24/7 plugged-in world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the flood of bad news. There’s so much of it that at times it seems inescapable, leaving you anxious and somewhat apprehensive about your present and future. While you can’t control g
Feb 26, 20252 min read
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