Chillin' & Learnin' with Aravind

03 Nov, 2023

I bumped into Aravind at a book club meetup. And guess what? In less than a year, we are good buddies now!

This guy? Super chill! Seriously, he’s the last person you'd wanna pick a fight with. Cool as a cucumber!

The best part? He's got this knack for saying the right words at the right time!

I'm gonna spill the beans on a few gems he's dropped:

✨ It's a decision between adventure and comfort

When I was about to cancel my first solo trip, Aravind said these words. The next thing I knew, I was on a train with my bags packed. That solo trip? It turned out to be an amazing experience! 🫶

✨ Haath ka mail hota hai paisa. Ise bachate nahi, kabhi kabhi udaate hai

That's the dialogue from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani but Aravind just tweaked it a bit.

It means money is like the dirt on your hands—you don't hoard it, you sometimes spend it! (Sounds cool in Hindi 😅)

I'm not a spendthrift but I was spending more money on my solo trip and I was all guilty about it. That's when Aravind dropped this dialogue.

And my guilt? Instantly vanished! 😂

✨ Seize those moments with your friends

A while back, I met my friends for lunch. We had a blast, but when it was time to split, we couldn’t. So, they suggested a spontaneous night out.

I was hesitant 'coz I had some pending work for a client. But I ended up going.

I wasn’t fully into it, though. That’s when I spilled my thoughts to Aravind, and he said, "As we get older, it’s harder to hang out with friends due to our crazy schedules, so you better seize those moments."

And you know what? I enjoyed the night out and still managed to finish the work on time.

How? Chilling with friends relaxed me, and the next day, I was super productive and nailed the work!

✨ Be a conductor of wealth

This one Aravind shared with our friend, Ibraheem. Ibraheem was a bit hesitant about easy, legal money-making opportunities.

Aravind's take? Don't stop the money flow. Be a conductor of wealth. Grab those easy money opportunities, and if you don't want it all for yourself, donate some, but keep the money moving.

I don't know about Ibraheem, but I'm all in on this idea!

✨ Build topics to talk about over time

Aravind's in an 8+ year-long relationship. I met his partner, and they're an awesome pair!

I asked him what do they talk about since they're into different things. His answer? Over time, we built amazing topics to talk about.

That reply had my heart! ❤️

I always thought finding someone with the same interests was key, but his perspective changed my view.

✨ Categorize your tasks into energy-giving and energy-draining

When I was juggling hobbies and work, Aravind suggested this task-sorting trick. And it worked like a charm!

And here's the best one:

✨ You are paying to try out a different experience

I'm someone who sticks to the same dish at the same restaurant because I fear being disappointed with something new.

But when Aravind said you're paying for a new experience, not just the taste, it blew my mind!

I tried different things later. Some I loved, some I didn't, but I did try new experiences!

I can keep going—Aravind's full of such nuggets of wisdom!

I'm just glad we crossed paths and became pals!