24 Lessons on My 24th Birthday
Each year, we get a little older and we get a little wiser. Birthdays are an annual reminder for what we have done so far, what we are doing and how much more we can accomplish.
As I complete 24 rotations around the Sun on November 30th and begin my 25th year, I wanted to present a collection of 24 indispensable life lessons, each corresponding to a different year of life, from age 1 to age 24. By encapsulating a year’s worth of personal development into a single, focused lesson, we explore the journey of human growth and the way in which every year of our life brings valuable experiences and cultivates distinct virtues.
Birth: Individuality — My name is a Sanskrit term that means pearl, coming from a Sanskrit poem,
शैले शैले न माणिक्यं मौक्तिकं न गजे गजे। साधवो न हि सर्वत्र चन्दनं न वने वने॥
There does not exist a ruby in every mountain;
Nor every elephant is adorned with a pearl on its head.
Sandalwood trees are not found in every forest;
similarly, the true sadhu — noble person — is not found everywhere.
It’s not everyday that someone is gifted a name that is so unique and individual. This was my first lesson in life, to embrace your uniqueness and individuality.
Age 1: Patience — This was a lesson for my parents more than me. 😂 I was quite a lazy baby who would sit around all day and…
