Tanmay Vora in Uncategorized | May 28, 2026

The law of timing

When pursuing our dreams, we should pay respect to the law of timing.

According to Buddhist philosophy, some things in life arrive only when we are emotionally, mentally, or spiritually ready to hold them without destroying them.

I experienced this early in my career. During the first 6 years of my struggle to build a meaningful career, I always thought the world was cruel because I did not get what I wanted.

The fact was: I wasn’t ready and the universe was humbling me towards my rite of passage.

Eventually, the dark clouds parted and my career took off. It is only in the hindsight that I can now realize how profound the law of timing is.

This does not mean we passively wait for things to come to us. We have to work towards it. Relentlessly. Take each setback as a feedback. Improve constantly. That is within our circle of control.

Then trust the law of timing. Sometimes, a plant that takes longer to grow is just deepening its roots. Just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean there is no growth.

This is especially more important to remember in a world of instant gratification.

Things meant for you will come to you. If they don’t, you are still not ready for it.

A good enough life is a great life

A good enough life is a great life.

Motivational speakers tell you to pursue greatness so that you can leave your mark on the world. Make the proverbial dent in the universe. But the reality is: the world will eventually forget.

Here is a gentler truth: The pursuit of greatness is noble, however life of kindness, generosity and presence is enough. When we are gone, the most beautiful memories people will hold of us are not our trophies, accomplishments, or estates we build.

They will hold you in small and mundane memories: the way you cared for little things, made a breakfast (or a cup of ginger tea), the jokes you told, the beds you lovingly made, the places you traveled together, the conversations, the way you listened when they were in distress, the way you helped, connected with them, the way you shared generously, your attitude towards life, your joy, energy, and presence through it all. These are the simple things that people may remember about us.

Your legacy is NOT like a viral reel for everyone to see, it is the quiet rhythm of your daily love and kindness.

(P.S: I write this remembering my elders, grandparents and people I admired who are no longer around.)

Your circle of control

The world is a crazy place to be. Multiple wars are ongoing. AI is taking jobs away. Stock markets are tumbling due to geo-political sentiments.

And there’s lot more happening out there that you cannot control.

But here is something I have realized the hard way after spending (read wasting) hours and days trying to make sense of it all.

All the time you spend thinking about things you cannot control comes at an expense of things that you DO control.

Smallest action you can take now to improve whatever situation you are trying to improve is much larger than doing nothing but consuming how crazy the world is.

Presence Through Grief

It has been difficult past two weeks, seeing someone in the extended family pass away suddenly from a fatal brain stroke. It was shocking because it happened suddenly, but does any loss happen suddenly, or is life eroding slowly in ways that are hard to notice?

During times like these, people try to say something useful and positive to offer solace to the grieving family members. However, what I realized through experiences like these is – it’s not important what you “say” but that you just “stay” with them.

Sometimes, words cannot heal the wounds that our presence can. Not trying to fix anything. Not trying to say something, however well-intentioned it may be. Just being there. Offering our presence while we let them grieve.

Simply observing, feeling, and witnessing all of it.

Words cannot bypass someone’s pain. Our presence (being with them) holds the space, and offers a pathway for light/healing to come through darkness, eventually if not immediately.

Perhaps, that is the essence of 13 day mourning period in Hindu tradition, where family and friends stay together with the grieving family to offer their presence and prayers.

It is a reminder that we are here, not to rescue other people from their pain, but to help them get through it by simply being with them.

Nurture Your Independence

The real flex today is not running on the treadmill of ‘busywork”.

Not the 14-hour workdays. Not back-to-back meetings. Not a calendar that leaves no room to breathe.

The real flex today is:

Saying no to work that doesn’t resonate.
Choosing your own pace while being intentional about your impact.
Deciding who you work with and what you work on.
Embracing non-linear paths to create your version of success.

Building this kind of life takes investment – in skills, mindset, and your financial independence.

No one gets there on day 1, but nurturing your independence – professional and financial – is one of the most powerful things you can do to your future self.

Because the ultimate goal is to work with purpose on your own terms, not just work more.

Finding the Way

“Wayfinding” is a beautiful term because the path to mastery is never a straight line.

It is a journey that unfolds – as everything around us changes. Charting a fixed path is impossible, and if you are treading one, you are most likely on someone else’s path.

We are unique and so is our path. It requires constant searching, endless curiosity, willingness to experiment, learn from multiple disciplines, and test your ideas. Wayfinding happens when we are willing to move forward despite uncertainty.

The search itself transforms us and makes us ready for destinations we may never have imagined.

Quest is the goal. Finding the way, is the way.

Embrace the Fluidity

Embrace the fluidity. Give up on the need for fixed outcomes. Surrender to the flow, and you will be carried to your true purpose and fulfilment.

It’s not lack of effort or goal, but an inner receptivity to whatever experiences and emotions we go through.

Paradoxically, it’s only when we surrender, that we find our inherent strength.

The Value of Being Lost

First 6 years of my career were a total failure. I was laid off just a couple of years after I started working. I started a business that never took off. I endured for 6 years trying different things from coding to web development, from graphic design to copywriting. I even tried my hand at selling IT services, with only modest success.

I thought 6 precious and formative years were lost. It is only after I started my corporate career again in 2004 that I started realizing the value of all that struggle.

At work, I could do many things and that was my super-power. I could write code, decipher code written by others, I could write about it, I could communicate well, I could sell my ideas, I could deliver trainings, I could learn rapidly. Because those years of struggle prepared me for it. The diversity of experiences gained in those tough years propelled me into trajectory of growth. I could take on cross-functional assignments and challenges, learn at the speed of change and never take anything for granted.

In the hindsight, those 6 years were the most fruitful years of my life.

It is only when we are lost and clueless that we are introduced to our real powers as human beings. It’s only when a spring is pressed that we know how much it can bounce back.

I read this beautiful couplet that resonated:

“भटकनों में अर्थ होता है,
टूटना कब व्यर्थ होता है
शक्ति की खोई हुई पहचान जगती है,
आदमी जब बेतरह असमर्थ होता है।”

Loosely translated, it says..

“There is a meaning in getting lost,
It is not in vain to have a broken-heart,
A new-found recognition of hidden strength emerges,
When one is totally trapped and helpless.”

Bob Riley said,

“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the “hero” within us is revealed.”

Hit the Road

My daughter started learning car driving.

The instructor takes the car to wide empty roads so that she can get the basics of gear, clutch, braking etc. right.

But when we actually drive the car, the road isn’t empty. There are so many variables that come into play – cross roads, traffic, U-turns, stop lights, slopes, unexpected bumps and so on.

That is where real learning happens. That is where your instinct sharpens, skills develop and adaptability grows. These unexpected variables forces us to think on our feet and choose best responses to dynamic situations in front of you. On the road, you learn as much about yourself as you learn about the outside world.

In that sense, the road is the ultimate teacher.

What is true for car driving is true for learning anything. We learn the basics in the comfort of a classroom but real learning happens when we execute what we learn, create something new, work with others and execute our skills in a competitive ecosystem.

Technology changes, careers evolve, markets are disrupted, product ideas fail, competition keeps you on the edge – all these (and many more) variables demand adaptability and resilience.

So, prepare well in the classroom to learn the basics, then hit the road. Create something meaningful and let those unexpected variables shape your journey of learning, and making a difference.

Choose Passion

Dear Learner,

We live in a post-qualification world.

When you clear your school and choose a professional course, you would normally be lured by pedigree of the institution, track records of past students, carefully crafted advertisements with salary packages of the past students. These external factors are important to consider, no doubt.

But..

None of these will help you, even when you get in the professional course, if you do not have one thing – PASSION. That is what you have inside you.

Don’t undertake career based on what the career can offer to you. Flip the script and think about what areas of work are you truly passionate about. Where you can contribute meaningfully to solve problems that you truly care about. Love for the subject precedes everything else.

That love will propel you forward. It will differentiate you. It will keep you going even when the going will get tough (and it will). It will reflect in what and how you do. It will show up in the work and speak for itself.

Anita Roddick famously said, “To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes a reality.”

I have seen a lot of people build their careers in areas that they are not passionate about. They work, often feeling stuck, and keep rolling because work pays the bills (or keeps them busy). World of work is full of such people.

But people who have been truly remarkable have all been passionate about whatever they did. Passion was the source of their energy.

Think Sachin Tendulkar. When once asked what kept him going in the world of competitive cricket, he expressed that he was in love with the sound that his bat created when the ball came perfectly on the center of the bat. That is passion which differentiated him from so many others who played national competitive cricket.

Your goals will change. Purpose will shift. Nature of work will change. But passion will keep you going.

As you stand at the crossroads with multiple opportunities, choose that which brings you the most alive.

Choose passion, and you will do great, I promise.

Best,

P.S: This is not a “follow your passion” advice because finding what we are passionate about can take a lot of trial and error along with a fair bit of failure. This is about bringing your innate passion in whatever you choose to do.