January 1, 2020
Hi Friends, Happy 2020!
Last year’s theme was all about dealing with devils, taking advice from chimpanzees, and practicing togetherness.
The three questions I repeatedly kept asking myself were as follows:
- What if a devil tried to destroy me? How prepared am I?
- Should I take advice from a chimpanzee?
- Why togetherness with my spouse is necessary?
Dealing with devils
Our 2019 “devils” were the time our home got burglarized, Jinal had a pregnancy-related complication at week 32 leading to hospitalization, and a pressure cooker explosion destroying the electric range in the kitchen (fortunately no one was hurt).
We all have “devils” we need to deal with in life. But what’s more important is to be prepared to deal with them.
Yes, I was terrified when these challenges presented themselves. But I also felt prepared, strong and courageous enough to face it all.
In the end, we were blessed with a beautiful boy Seth, who is now four months old, healthy, happy and super-adorable.
Furthermore, throughout 2019, I invested time reading and implementing strategies to protect me and my family from future devils….because guess what, you can only “protect” and not “prevent” the curveballs in your life.
Taking advice from chimpanzees
When you become a new parent, people will shower you with unsolicited advice.
But much of this advice was based on old wives’ tale or someone’s personal situation may or may not apply to everyone.
For example, people would say, “Enjoy while you can…” as if the enjoyment will disappear once the child is born or grows.
In general, I’ve come to conclusion that the best person to take advice from is the one who has “been there, done that” and you’re happy with the results they have achieved for themselves.
Practicing togetherness
A big part of 2019 was practicing togetherness with my wife, Jinal.
To me, togetherness is being on the same page with your partner. You brainstorm your options to deal with an event or situation and come up with a plan or system that works for you as a couple.
We knew that we would be seeing many family and friends during the year and the last thing you want to do is argue or disagree with your spouse in front of them.
I would say we did a pretty darn good job of staying aligned and I’m very happy to see this in our relationship.
If I could leave you with one parting remark, if you haven’t already, take the time to protect you and your family. Get that life insurance policy or create your estate plan/ living will you’ve been putting off for years. If you’d like to learn what I’ve discovered, let me know and I’m happy to help.
Till next time,
Kunal