What makes our trophies so valuable?

I once was visiting the parents of a friend and batchmate in the Civil Services. Their drawing room shelf was overflowing with medals, cups, and trophies won by the kids in their school days. The trophies and cups had all yellowed and lost their shine – but not in the...

Never trade self-respect for money

During my investing days, one of my portfolio companies was owned by a well-known politician. He was a very articulate guy, often seen on national TV debates. And his wife was the CEO of the company. This guy had a very progressive image but during our meetings, we...

Reclaim our joy and peace

“There is no peace that lives within us constantly and never leaves us. There is only the peace that must be won again and again, each new day of our lives.” — Herman Hesse Sometimes, we get frustrated that we are not always calm and joyful. We even get...

The Power of Knowledge

In school, I hated biology with a passion. And once I decided to pursue engineering, I thought of the subject as a waste of time. But I was wrong. Today, for my startup HabitStrong, as I research neuroscience, psychology, and human behavior, I am learning the same...

Happiness: An Endless Chase

Vietnamese meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh said, “When you have a toothache you think that you will be happy when the toothache is gone. But when you don’t have the toothache you are still not happy.” Because when the toothache goes, something else comes up....