warikoo Wanderings

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MY DAD'S REACTION TO THE BOOK

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Last week, I got my hands on the physical copy of my book. It was an emotional moment. Needless to say, I wanted to share it with my world.

So, I carried 20 copies of the book, intending to give it to my close friends and family. One of which was reserved for my parents.
I wrote a lovely letter to them on the first page of the book and gave it to Ma Papa.

My dad holds the book, opens it, read the letter, sighs and then says, "Koi aur title nahi tha?" (Wasn't there any other title?)

FML!

Parents will be parents.

There was a time when I used to be angry at their reactions. It was like nothing was ever enough. You continue doing well in life and yet even a single decision that doesn't comply with their worldview would draw instant reactions, mostly the adverse types!

Today, I find their reactions amusing.
And I also understand where it comes from.

The truth is - most of our parents have had it hard in life.
For them, life was a constant battle to survive.
Certainly for my parents.
We grew up with very little money. Hand to mouth existence.
Took loans for everything. Perpetually in debt.
A big reason for our situation was a decision my dad took professionally that backfired.
He was without a job for 2 years.
We suffered a lot because of that decision not working out.

And clearly, that experience left him bitter.
That experience shaped him up.

So when I decided to step down as the CEO of nearbuy.com in 2019, he wasn't sure it was a good decision.
And he did caution me, "Make sure you think through the decision."

The early Ankur would have taken this as a sign of poor confidence in my decision.
Today's Ankur knows that he is simply worried that I would end up with the same bad decision, that he caught himself in.

Here is what I have realized about parents.
Most of them want the SAME THINGS from us, that we want for ourselves.
They too want us to have stability, money, fame, respect, fulfilment.
All things that we would desire as well.
What differs is, their path.
They go back to what paths had the highest probability of success - when it came to achieving these.
And not surprisingly, those were standard paths during their time - doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant, etc.
Becoming a writer, a journalist, a musician - they were all risky decisions.
And there were enough examples to prove that.

The world has changed today.
But our parents' experience hasn't.

The next time you find yourself in conflict with your parents, ask yourself: "What experiences shaped them up for them to see the world the way they do?"
My experience tells me - this approach will help you not get mad at your parents :)

I replied to my dad, "This title is nothing to do with SHIT. It is to do something that is bigger than you, while having fun doing it."

"Acha. Phir theek hai!"

:))

PS: My first book "DO EPIC SHIT" is out on Amazon India, Amazon US and Amazon UK. You can pre-order it right now, to get it before December 31st, just in time for New Year :)

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BOOK I AM READING THIS WEEK

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This week I started reading My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future - the autobiography of Indra Nooyi.
I have long admired Indra Nooyi's trajectory and while she has views on work (especially for women) that I do not fully agree with, it is impressive the way she has navigated her life.

The book is an OK read. Not as exciting as I had expected. Hopefully it picks up.

PS: Indra Nooyi started a practice while at PepsiCo, where she was the CEO, where she used to send a letter to the families of her top performers.
That was inspiration for me to start the same at nearbuy.com too.
It remains one of the most special things we used to have at nearbuy :)

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QUOTES TO SHARE

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The day one is able to fix their relationship with themselves, they give themselves the opportunity to fix all their relationships.
​(Share on Twitter)​

Most people don't want their problems to be solved by you. They just want to be heard by you.
​(Share on Twitter)​

Being aware of the fallacies we are susceptible to, makes us commit less of them.
​(Share on Twitter)​

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RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTION

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Last week I asked you all:

How well did you do on your 2021 resolutions?

1. Accomplished 100% of them
2. Accomplished some of them
3. Didn't accomplish any
4. Didn't set any resolutions

Here are the results:

Observations:

1. This was the most interesting - as you grow older, you accomplish 100% of your resolutions, but you also don't set any resolutions. LOVE it! :)
   It's as if the older people are like, nothing happens by setting resolutions - haha!
2. The share of "Didn't accomplish any" consistently goes down, as one ages. Young people are least likely to accomplish their resolutions, as per this survey :)
3. "Accomplished some" remains the highest share - proving yet again that resolutions are rarely taken seriously :)

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PICTURE OF THE WEEK

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​The book hit #1 on the Amazon India Bestsellers list - which is such a proud moment. To see the book standing next to the ones that I have loved and adored is truly a special moment.

You all made it happen and I don't think you all realize how much this means to me.

Forever indebted :)

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THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

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How many books did you read in 2021?

1. None
2. 1-3 books
3. 4-6 books
4. 7-10 books
5. 10+ books

​​Click here to let me know your answer (anonymously)​​​​​

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CONTENT I SHARED THIS WEEK

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Podcast:​
Title of episode: 20 Lies
​Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, JioSaavn or Gaana.

YouTube:​
Title of video: My best investments in 2021
​You can watch it here.​

Instagram:​
Title of video: Fall in love with yourself
​You can watch it here.​

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You can, of course, always write to me by simply replying to this newsletter.

I love reading all your emails, even though I may not be able to reply to them all.
Yes! I READ ALL MY EMAILS. ALL OF THEM.
​​​(Sardiyon mein garam garam rajai mein sone ki kasam!)