Depth

The world doesn't need us to prove ourselves. It needs us to develop depth, cultivate creativity, and give something meaningful back.

1. Stop Proving. Start Creating.

There is a difference between wandering through life and living with purpose.

We meet different people, attend parties, have conversations, and sometimes find ourselves caught up in what others think about us. Someone might criticize us, challenge us, or feel the need to prove something at our expense.

But do we really need to respond to everything?

I don't think so.

We have to remember that our purpose is the highest thing we have. Every action should, in some way, contribute to that purpose. If something helps us grow, create, understand, or contribute, it deserves our attention. If it takes us away from what matters, we should question why we are giving it our time.

I don't have to prove anything to anyone.

My responsibility is to understand things more deeply, work on important problems, and give more to the world.

The goal is not to become interesting to everyone. The goal is to become interested in understanding the world.

2. Depth Is a Form of Contribution

We live in a world where superficial things often receive disproportionate attention.

Looks, appearances, social approval, comparisons, and endless conversations can occupy so much of our time. There is nothing inherently wrong with enjoying these things. But they cannot become the foundation of our lives.

What matters is what lies beneath the surface.

Can we sit with a difficult problem without immediately looking for an escape? Can we read something and spend an hour understanding it? Can we listen to someone without feeling the need to interrupt? Can we be comfortable with silence?

I believe these are important abilities.

Sometimes people talk simply because silence makes them uncomfortable. Sometimes we enter conversations without considering whether we are respecting another person's private space.

There is tremendous value in knowing when to speak and when to remain silent.

We should develop the ability to understand people without constantly seeking their attention.

Depth requires patience. It requires curiosity. Most importantly, it requires the willingness to stay with something long enough to understand it.

3. Protect Your Creative Space

Creativity is a lonely process in many ways.

It requires sitting in one place, thinking, reading, experimenting, making mistakes, and connecting ideas that might initially seem unrelated.

For me, spending 50 or 52 uninterrupted minutes on something meaningful is a wonderful opportunity.

I want to preserve that time.

Writing should become more meaningful. Reading should become more intentional. My creative space should remain a place where I can be completely myself.

I want to write about software, finances, philosophy, relationships, art, and the different aspects of human life.

Sometimes writing makes me more sensitive to the problems I experience. I consider that a good thing. It helps me understand what is happening within me rather than simply reacting to everything around me.

We should not abandon creativity because it is difficult.

In fact, the difficulty is precisely why we should protect it.

The learning happens in quiet hours, often alone. The value of that learning eventually becomes visible to the world.

4. Learning the 64 Art Forms

One of the most interesting ideas I have been exploring is the concept of the 64 traditional art forms, or Chausath Kalas.

The idea is fascinating because it expands our understanding of education.

Learning is not restricted to academic qualifications, professional skills, or technical knowledge. There are so many other ways to develop ourselves.

Music, dance, painting, storytelling, cooking, languages, personal presentation, poetry, and even games can become avenues for personal growth.

I want to explore these art forms gradually.

Here are ten areas I would particularly like to develop.

1. Singing (Geet)

Music has a beautiful ability to express emotions that ordinary conversations sometimes cannot.

I enjoy listening to music and understanding its lyrics. But I would also like to learn how to sing.

Developing musical ability can improve emotional expression, listening, rhythm, and confidence.

2. Dancing (Nritya)

Dancing is an interesting combination of movement, rhythm, confidence, and body awareness.

It teaches us to become comfortable with our bodies and express ourselves without relying entirely on words.

3. Painting and Drawing

Visual expression is another dimension of creativity I would love to explore.

Painting and drawing encourage observation, imagination, patience, and attention to detail.

Sometimes we understand something differently when we attempt to express it visually.

4. Conversation and Storytelling

The ability to communicate meaningfully is an art in itself.

I want to become someone who can have thoughtful conversations, tell interesting stories, listen carefully, and communicate ideas clearly.

Good conversation is not about speaking continuously. It is about knowing what to say, when to say it, and when to listen.

5. Knowledge of Perfumes and Fragrances

Personal presentation involves more than just clothing.

Understanding fragrances, identifying different scents, and learning how to choose perfumes can add another dimension to personal grooming.

It is a small but interesting area of knowledge that I would enjoy developing.

6. Languages and Dialects

Learning a language opens up a different way of understanding the world.

I already enjoy learning Spanish through Duolingo. I want to continue developing this ability and eventually become genuinely comfortable communicating in Spanish.

Languages also help us understand different cultures, expressions, and perspectives.

7. Poetry and Literature

This is an area I particularly want to explore.

Poetry, Shayari, and literature have a special place in our culture.

There is something beautiful about expressing an entire emotion through a few carefully chosen words.

I want to read more poetry, understand its meaning, explore different poets, and develop an appreciation for literature.

Reading poetry can help us become more sensitive to language, emotions, relationships, and the human experience.

8. Cooking and Culinary Arts

Cooking is already an enjoyable part of my life, but there is so much more to learn.

I want to understand ingredients, flavours, techniques, presentation, and the science behind preparing delicious food.

Cooking is also a wonderful way of creating experiences for other people.

I would love to become genuinely good at it.

9. Understanding Human Behaviour

Understanding people is an important life skill.

We should learn about emotions, relationships, communication, boundaries, and human psychology.

This also means understanding when to engage and when to step back.

Emotional intelligence is not simply about understanding other people. It is also about understanding ourselves and managing our reactions.

10. Games, Puzzles and Memory

Games and puzzles are wonderful ways to develop concentration, strategic thinking, memory, and mental agility.

I particularly enjoy the idea of playing New York Times games and challenging myself with different kinds of problems.

Learning should not always feel like work. Sometimes it should simply be fun.

5. Personal Grooming: An Investment in Yourself

Among all these areas, I want to make personal grooming a particular focus for the coming months.

I want to understand clothing, colours, combinations, fragrances, skincare, haircare, and presentation.

Wearing good clothes can change how we carry ourselves. Understanding personal style can improve our confidence and help us express our personalities.

But grooming should not become another exercise in seeking external approval.

The purpose is to take better care of ourselves.

There is a difference between dressing well because we want others to notice us and dressing well because we respect ourselves.

I want to develop the latter.

The same principle applies to fitness, nutrition, cooking, and taking care of our bodies.

Our bodies are an important part of our lives. We should invest time in understanding and maintaining them.

6. Focus on One Thing at a Time

There are so many things I want to learn.

I want to understand poetry, become better at cooking, learn Spanish, explore music, develop my personal style, practise yoga, and continue improving as a software engineer.

But trying to pursue everything simultaneously can become another form of distraction.

We need to choose.

For the next few months, personal grooming can be one area of concentrated learning. We can give it attention, experiment, understand what works, and gradually develop our own sense of style.

Once we establish consistency, we can move towards other interests.

One day, one step at a time.

There is no need to rush through life collecting interests without developing genuine knowledge in any of them.

Breadth gives us curiosity. Depth gives us understanding.

We need both, but we must learn how to balance them.

7. Control Your Mind Before It Controls You

One of the most important lessons from the Bhagavad Gita is the relationship we have with our own minds.

The mind can become our friend, but it can also become our enemy.

Lust, anger, and greed can pull us away from our purpose if we allow them to dictate our actions.

We should become more conscious of our thoughts, emotions, and impulses.

This does not mean suppressing every emotion. It means learning how to respond rather than react.

Sometimes we need to dive deeply into a problem and work through it. At other times, we need to step back, pause, and look at the bigger picture.

Yoga, reflection, reading, and meditation can help us develop this ability.

We should also remember that not every situation requires our immediate response.

A pause can be more valuable than an immediate reaction.

8. Apply Depth to Your Work

This philosophy should extend to professional life as well.

As software engineers, we should not simply focus on completing tasks. We should understand the problems we are solving.

For example, when working on an API or designing a publishing workflow, we should ask fundamental questions.

- What problem are we solving?

- What does the customer actually need?

- How will the customer identify the resource they want to publish?

- What assumptions are we making?

- What questions remain unanswered?

- Are we building something that will scale?

These questions are more valuable than blindly implementing the first proposed solution.

I want to spend more time understanding system design, exploring APIs, identifying gaps, and thinking about the customer experience.

The goal is not to appear busy.

The goal is to create something useful.

This is another expression of depth: understanding the problem before rushing towards the solution.

9. Don't Neglect the Beauty of Life

There is another aspect worth remembering.

Life should not become an endless exercise in productivity.

We should enjoy good music, read beautiful poetry, cook delicious food, play games, explore different styles, travel, dance, and spend meaningful time with people.

I particularly like the idea of Dear Zindagi and its underlying reminder:

"Don't let your past blackmail your present to ruin a beautiful future."

We all have difficult days. Some days will feel wonderful, while others will require patience.

We should learn to accept both.

The objective is not to control every circumstance. It is to develop the ability to remain grounded through different circumstances.

And we should never forget to give kindness to the people around us.

A meaningful life is not just about what we accomplish. It is also about the experiences we create and the value we bring to others.

10. Give More to the World

Ultimately, I keep coming back to one thought.

I want to give more to the world.

I want to become a better software engineer, a better writer, a better cook, a more thoughtful communicator, and someone who understands different aspects of life.

I want to continue reading, learning, experimenting, and creating.

I don't want my days to be consumed by comparisons, unnecessary arguments, social media, or the constant need to prove something.

I want to spend more time with meaningful problems.

I want to preserve my creativity.

I want to become comfortable with silence.

And I want to keep developing the ability to understand things deeply.

There will always be something new to learn. There will always be another problem to solve. There will always be another art form to explore.

We don't have to do everything today.

We simply have to keep moving in the right direction.

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A Few Principles to Live By

1. Don't prove. Create. Let your work and contributions speak for themselves.

2. Choose depth over distraction. Stay with problems long enough to understand them.

3. Protect your creative space. Give yourself uninterrupted time to think, read, and write.

4. Learn the art of silence. Not every moment needs a conversation or response.

5. Explore different art forms. Develop yourself beyond your professional identity.

6. Respect your body. Invest in grooming, fitness, nutrition, and personal well-being.

7. Control your mind. Learn to pause before reacting.

8. Focus on one thing at a time. Curiosity is valuable, but consistent practice creates mastery.

9. Stay connected to your purpose. Don't let external validation dictate your direction.

10. Give more to the world. Use what you learn to create something meaningful.

The world doesn't need another person constantly trying to prove their worth. It needs people willing to understand, create, contribute, and make life a little more beautiful.

Let's choose depth. Let's keep creating. Let's keep learning.

One day, one step at a time.