Yesterday, I turned 63.
One more year. One more birthday. One more rotation around the sun.
But I have been thinking about birthdays a little differently. Rather than seeing them as another year added to my life, I prefer to think of them as 365 more days of life experienced. Another 365 days of conversations, encounters, relationships, discoveries, and all the little things that make up our existence.
And when I look back at the year gone by, I realise just how much there is to be grateful for.
I have been fortunate to have lived a life that has taken me through some remarkably different worlds. The first ten years of my working life were spent in the relatively humble environment of a factory, working alongside people on the shop floor, engaging with workers and labourers, and going out on the road, knocking on doors to sell. Those years taught me lessons that no classroom could.
From there, life took me into very different arenas: being part of the early days of e-commerce in India, working in digital marketing and digital transformation, and now exploring newer possibilities through Ananta Quest.
Each phase brought its own challenges and learnings, but most importantly, its own set of people.
The same has been true outside work. School, college, postgraduate studies, colleagues, professional peers, old friends, new friends, neighbours, and the many people I have met along the way. Add to that the places I have lived and the city I call home.
When I look at the sheer diversity of people, places, and experiences that life has offered me, I can only feel fortunate. Privileged, even.
Perhaps there is another consequence of having experienced so much. I find that I have very little FOMO these days.
I have seen enough, done enough, and enjoyed enough to know that I don’t have to do everything, follow everything, or participate in everything.
For years, cricket was a passion. Today, I find myself increasingly distanced from the relentless volume of matches and coverage. Tennis still interests me, but I am drawn to exceptional matches rather than following the sport religiously. After the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era, I am still waiting for rivalries that will draw me back with the same intensity.
I have been a film buff for years, but no longer feel the need to watch something simply because it is there or because everyone is talking about it. I would rather watch something that genuinely interests me.
Even politics, on which I have held strong opinions for years, has become a different proposition. I still have my views, but I have increasingly come to recognise the futility of endless arguments on WhatsApp groups and social media. When an argument changes nothing but leaves me irritated, why should I donate my precious time and peace of mind to it?
This isn’t disinterest in the world. Nor is it a withdrawal from life.
If anything, it is about being more conscious of how I want to spend my time.
Because the flip side of having less FOMO is discovering how much there still is to look forward to.
There are new things to learn, creative pursuits to explore, ideas to write about, and opportunities to contribute in whatever small way I can. There is the work we are trying to do through Ananta Quest, and the conversations I want to encourage through What If You Live To Be 100. There are new experiences to seek out, new perspectives to discover, and perhaps even a few things I haven’t yet imagined.
And then there are the simple pleasures.
My walks around Mumbai, for instance. I have spent years exploring this city on foot, and it continues to surprise me. The city that has given me so much has its contradictions, frustrations, and imperfections. But I continue to look at it with a glass-half-full attitude.
There is always something to discover: a neighbourhood I haven’t explored, a street that tells a story, a building that holds memories, or simply the everyday lives of people going about their business.
I observe, take pictures, write, and document what I see. In the process, I find myself appreciating the city, and life itself, a little more.
And then there is the satisfaction of being able to give back in whatever way one can. The lunch service we run at the hospital, for instance, gives me immense satisfaction. There is something deeply fulfilling about being able to make a small but tangible difference to someone’s day, especially when they or their family are going through a difficult time. It reminds me that not everything we do needs to be about personal achievement, learning, or enjoyment. Sometimes, the simple act of doing something for someone else is rewarding in itself.
A good game of bridge, an enjoyable round of golf, a conversation with an old friend, time with family, or the pleasure of meeting someone new and discovering their story. These things may not make for spectacular milestones, but they are often what make a life rich.
Perhaps that is what I value most at this stage. Not the accumulation of more things or the need to keep up with everything happening around me, but the freedom to choose the experiences, people, and pursuits that genuinely add to my life.
I don’t know whether this is wisdom that comes with age, or simply the result of having lived long enough to understand my own preferences a little better. Perhaps it is a bit of both.
What I do know is that I remain conscious of the time I have on this planet. And that makes me quite ruthless about how I choose to spend it. Time is precious, and I would rather spend it on things that enrich me, engage me, challenge me, or allow me to contribute in some way.
As I turn 63, I find myself looking back with gratitude rather than regret, and looking ahead with curiosity rather than anxiety.
I have had a wonderful life so far. I have been fortunate in my work, my experiences, the people I have met, the friendships I have made, and the family and friends who continue to be part of my journey. I cannot thank God enough for all of this.
And I know there is still so much to look forward to.
So, to everyone who has been part of my journey, in ways big and small, thank you. Your presence has enriched my life in ways you may not even realise.
My wish for all of you is that you find reasons to look forward to your days, appreciate the people around you, and make the most of the time you have.
The world around us may be volatile, uncertain, and occasionally overwhelming. But if my own life has taught me anything, it is that circumstances change, difficult phases pass, and things have a way of turning around.
Stay calm. Stay curious. Keep looking for the good.
And keep living.
Here’s to another rotation around the sun. And to making the most of the 365 days that come with it.
