Month: April 2024

Yesterday, we took Zyan to the Orange County Zoo for the very first time, and while some may think he is too young (he is), just watching him careen all over the place, happy to be able to run and walk around so many people made it totally worthwhile. I have to admit, I also enjoyed it, and that was one of my secret reasons for taking him. I cannot wait to see and experience new things due to Zyan. Seeing him full of joy with the just us three is a special kind of time.

While it was a pain to get there and park as it was Irvine Park, I am glad we battled through that frustration to get to a new place for us. Times like this are what we will look back on, and I cannot wait to tell Zyan about his first time at the zoom, how he touched a snake, got close to a peacock, and ran past a bear and a jaguar without slowing down. It is these moments that I look forward to savoring in my quiet periods when he is not so young.

I want him to have my curiousity , passion for learning, being willing to do new things, try new experiences, be comfortable being uncomfortable, but most of all I want him to know he has parents who plan on being by his side as much as possible. Next stop (hopefully) the petting zoo or maybe San Diego or the Aquarium!

One of the main joys with Zyan is all the firsts he gets to experience which we benefit from greatly. Even thought he wasnt feeling 100%, we still managed to get him to the gurudwara (albeit late), and watched him take in the crowds as he wandered around. He is so eager to see it all. His walks mostly uncontrolled running about on his toes. He screamed occasionally (his new thing) at the unjustness of me stopping him going onto the street.

Yet the entire time there, I couldn’t stop expressing gratitude for even having these moments with him. A pang of hurt still reverberates as the ones that will never get a chance to see him, but its softened by his giggles and kisses. So much of the. year feels like its speeding along, and time with him so short. Each morning is one less that I will get in the future and that drives me forward to make them better.

Visakhi represents renewal, rebirth, gratitude, and the birth of the Khalsa where its recognized the need of unity and the great things we can achieve together. All massive things on their own, and to share a day like that with my son just makes it even bigger. I also get to teach him what this day means at some point which means I get to live it in the way so its more real life than lecture.

Each thing represents now a way for me to live and learn from so I can teach it forward. That’s a deal I can live with. Happy Visakhi!

With the beginning of a new month, and a new quarter for 2024, I spent time reflecting on my goals for this. year. What’s clear that there are some habits I get to get better at especially in the area of communication with those close to me. I speak in shortcuts which doesn’t always support me or become self-righteous or self-pitying that quite frankly doesn’t look cute on a 52 year old.

I also had some wins. From regularly getting up at 415am on weekday to get to my 5am Crossfit class, cutting down my sugar intake significantly, intermittent fasting an average of 16 hours (usually more) to finish reading 2 books (The EMyth for Attorneys, and Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity ) to setting a daily revenue goal, focusing on the business aspects rather than just lawyering, and whole heap of under learnings.

There were some gaps as well. First, still learning to make systems a habit, and realizing it is slow going at first, and that’s okay. My impatience can become an obstruction at times. I get to learn to slow down. To take it in. Oh, just remember that I completed and sent out my first personal essay of 2024, and of course, it featured Zyan. And that brings me back to my life. Him. Suddenly, all of it makes sense, My drive to do all of these things has a face: his.

And so I begin this quarter imagining the biggest financial, emotion, and personal year possible. All of it so I can be a good provider, father, husband, friend, son, brother, brother in law, lawyer. What good is success if it doesnt make you the best version of yourself? Thats a question I plan on answering this year.