A colleague once told me she'd completed an Ironman. I had to ask what that actually meant. A 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on the bike, and then a marathon — all in one day, all of it finished before midnight. At the time, it sounded [...]
As I look back on this past year — especially the early days of building and launching Vana Lab — one lesson stands out more than I expected. It didn’t come from a book, a mentor, or a workshop. It came from the very human [...]
Earlier this month, at age 95, Warren Buffett wrote his final shareholder letter (see pdf here). As he reflected on his life, a few life lessons stood out for me: 1. Your Starting Point Matters — But What You Do Next Matters More Buffett begins [...]
When people talk about investments, they usually mean money. Start early. Be consistent. Let it grow. All solid advice. What if you took the same idea and applied it to everything else that matters? Instead of reaping dividends only in dollars, how might you earn [...]
I’ve been spending more time lately thinking about how we relate to our stuff—and to each other. One phrase from my mindfulness and philosophy reading has really stayed with me, and I wanted to share it with you: Have things. Be with people. It sounds [...]
As my parents have gotten older, I’ve found myself wanting to make their lives easier. I’ll offer to carry things for them, handle tasks they used to do themselves, and even suggest they take it easy instead of pushing themselves too hard. It comes from [...]
Over the past few months, as part of my meditation practice, I’ve been exploring Zen Buddhism and its teachings about attachment. Recently, I came across a quote by Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist Anthony De Mello that really struck me: “Now the tragedy of an [...]
I'll do it after I get my degree... I'll do it after I get settled at my new job... I'll do it after I save up enough money... I'll do it after the kids go off to college... I'll do it after I retire... Sound [...]
With endless distractions in today's world, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters. I just re-read the "Nine Promises That Can Bring Happiness" from Legendary basketball coach John Wooden from his book Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the [...]
I'm training for my first Olympic-distance triathlon, and because I didn't swim growing up in NYC, I've been focusing on my swim technique in an indoor pool. Swimming in open water is a new experience for me and a few weeks ago, I went for [...]
