Newsletter #2: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
👋🏽 Hi there! If you’re new to this newsletter you asked me to add you onto it, or I missed you on the last one! Welcome! Take a look at my first newsletter here for context on why I’m doing this :)
🎄🎄🎄
That time of year where Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey waltz out of the ocean.
Happy December everyone!
As this year creeps to an end, I can’t help shake the feeling that I haven’t quite processed everything that’s happened this year.
It’s the best and worst year I’ve been through at the exact same time. On the bright side, there’s so much to be thankful for: a roof over my head, a healthy body and mind, completing the three part trilogy of getting married, seeing close friends of mine find clarity and achieve really important milestones in their own lives too.
On the not so great side, I lost 2 members of my family to Covid, and my uncle had to get a double amputation over the summer (though he’s climbing stairs now with two artificial limbs, which quite frankly, is an insane turn around).
So with this spectrum of events, I decided to write down three things I’m taking away from this peculiar year:
When really good things and really bad things happen at the same time, it’s important to cherish the good, and process the bad, and confront the ugly. Joy can alleviate pain but it cannot resolve it. When we let ourselves experience the emotions we’re holding back we’re able to align ourselves better with the reality in front of us.
Intentionally investing back into family. Until this year I took for granted what I had, until it was put to the test and I saw how my entire family came together in a challenging time. Those actions are decades of tiny moments caring for one another and spending time together. Great family dynamics takes work to maintain, especially one like ours that’s spaced out across continents.
Finding time for solitude. I haven’t done much of this over the past year and starting with this month have taken a more intentional step to do so.
What’s happening this month:
PlantHero:
We’ve started booking corporate classes to teach folks on how to become better plant parents, including one with T-mobile’s employees next month. Why classes? They help us spread the word, and also bring in more cash for us to invest into product building.
Product building: we’re experimenting with building a hardware device to better eliminate guesswork for plant parents and equip specialists with more data. While still in the early stages of exploration, it’s an experiment I’m super excited about.
Personally:
In an effort to rewire my relationship to social media in a healthy way, I’ve started reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. I did a 3 month “detox” last year but when I came back to social media I fell into the same mindless cycle. This book provides an interesting, research based approach to utilizing these tools without them taking over your life. I’m not currently on my personal FB/Instagram so please reach out via text / phone call / face time whenever you’d like to catch up!
I’ve decided to take our camera out with us on our weekend exploits. It’s given me a thoroughly satisfying creative outlet.
I tried Egg Nog for the first time in my life, and I’m honored to say that the award for the finest egg nog I’ve ever had goes to a friend of mine in Seattle, David Ossim. Here’s his mouth watering recipe if you’re interested!
Quote I’m pondering:
All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit in a quiet room alone
- Blaise Pascal
Photo from the past month:
I miss you all.
Thankful I got to spend a ridiculous amount of quality time with many of you this year. I hope you find some quiet time to reflect, and I can’t wait to catch up with you in the new year.
Love,
Ankur