The absoluteness of small things

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Of Mountains & Printing Presses What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs And stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night. No time to turn at Beauty's glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can Enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. (“Leisure” by William Henry Davies, 1911)These evocative lines are from a little-known poem by W.H. Davies, a poet largely forgotten, but made immortal by several generations of Indian school children learning the words of this poem by rote. The lines came to mind today, as I sat on the balcony of my apartment in the Kanha Shanthi Vannam compound in Hyderabad, watching the sun retreat into the cooler evening hours. Time itself seemed to slow down as I watched the sunlight change to the fiery sky of sunsets in India, but the lines were evocative of my life these days and the importance we assign to our priorities.

I was chasing the Indian-American IT dream quickly.

I’ve been in the technology industry many years. I founded iVivity in 2000, in the early days of the dotcom era, to create network storage solutions and other services. After a few years of running iVivity, restless for a new challenge, I joined a venture capital firm. It wasn’t long before I started another company – Scentric – focusing on classifying data, followed by yet another initiative named Pramana, a human user validation solution. I was chasing the Indian-American IT dream quickly. Suggested Read: Leadership in 2020 My interest in entrepreneurship came to me by way of my grandfather, a man I greatly admired. I arrived in the Bay Area in California from India, leaving my humble Indian lower-middle class roots behind, bearing just a small suitcase. It was the nineties, and I only expected to be away for three months, but it was two years before I found my way back into the bosom of my family in India. I wanted to build my legacy, while staying true to my roots and family values. And as I built my ventures up, time seemed to go by very quickly.

And I believe in living in that moment, in the best way possible

These days, I spend about a third of my time running my latest venture – MSys Technologies – a data storage company that’s travelled to the US from India. I spend the rest of my time outside the rat race, making a determined effort to enjoy the smaller things in life – sunsets at the Kanha Shanthi Vannam Ashram are just one of them. I also spend some of my time teaching Heartfulness Meditation at my home in Alpharetta, Georgia The irony that meditation, a distinctly eastern practice, was one I learned and adopted in the USA is not one that’s lost on me. But, then again, life comes full circle when you return to your roots.

Pay more attention on how to speak to other’s hearts

This blog is a place I intend to share my thoughts on technology and the way it uniquely blends into my life with spirituality, meditation, and the small things. Speaking from the heart is something I’ve learned to do, and it’s brought cohesion to my life, even when life seems to be moving in multiple directions at once. Chasing after the theoretical notion of happiness – be it the fat bank account, the fancy vacation or the latest car or phone – they all detract from the pursuit of the moment. That’s where life is, in the moment. And I believe in living in that moment, in the best way possible.

The mind must be tranquil to find true fulfillment.

At this stage of my life, I am beginning to pay more attention on how to speak to other’s hearts to inspire them in the same way my own meditation makes me look forward to living every moment of my life without the burden of the past, or of the unknown future, dragging me down. The mind must be tranquil to find true fulfillment. In tranquility lies inspiration, and this blog serves to explore the intersections of tranquility, inspiration, and the rapid advances technology. I hope you’ll come along with me on this journey.

I hope you’ll come along with me on this journey.

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