What Truly Matters in Life: Insights and a Heartwarming Story

Dear friend,

I hope you're doing well. It's been a busy couple of weeks, and I've sat down to write to you a few times. But I noticed I was pushing myself to write, telling myself that it's been too long and I "should" write. Yet, I've decided not to let the pressure of "shoulds" drive my actions. I'd rather write to you when I have something genuine and exciting to share.

Today, as I thought about writing, I had a specific topic in mind, but it didn't quite excite me. Then, I remembered a story about my granny that always makes me smile. I thought, "This is what I want to share with you."

So, here's the tale: Many years ago, when my granny was a young bride, she had a heated argument with my granddad. She was so upset that she declared she'd jump into the river and end it all.

The twist? It was drizzling outside. So, she went to get her umbrella before heading to the river. A scene that has made us laugh at our dinner table many times.

But this isn't just a funny story. It connects with some thoughts I've been having recently.

In the grand scheme of life, what truly matters? What's worth our worries and stress?

Does the rain and umbrella really matter when one is heading to end their life? That too when jumping into the river?

We often rush to solve our problems and challenges. Yet, it might be worth pausing and asking, "Is this even worth solving?"

At first, it might seem like everything is crucial. But if we step back from our automatic responses, we may find that these challenges aren't as monumental as they appear.

This past week, I had conversations with three clients who were dealing with significant challenges. I asked them, "What's the worst that could happen if we don't solve these issues?" 

Surprisingly, in all three cases, the worst-case scenarios were challenging but ultimately manageable.

We also realized that the likelihood of these worst-case scenarios materializing was less than 5%. What's more, the more these individuals stressed over these issues, the higher the chances of them not responding effectively.

Hence, it became clear that even before attempting to solve these challenges, we had to acknowledge that they weren't as monumental or crucial as they initially seemed. This acknowledgement paved the way for ease, which, in turn, led to better responses and increased the likelihood of a positive outcome.

So, dear friend, I invite you to ponder the same question - in the larger picture of life, what's genuinely worth your concern?

In the words of Mark Manson, What truly deserves your precious f*cks?

With love,

Arjun