Shukriya

...scroll up for the latest drop...        

I have been thinking about starting a repository of reflections on my LinkedIn channel to share my gratitude, quotes and stories of people who inspire me.

Why? Because we often spend too much time cribbing about the things we don't have and not taking a moment to actually be thankful for the smallest of things and joys we do have.

• Why? Because we are after all each one os us is a reflection of the circle we keep, the experiences we create for ourselves and the energy we receive and give back to the world.

Because this is creative writing, I want to keep it simple, real, yet vulnerable. I am going to try and post every week but I am also aware that sometimes life happens. So here is my INVITATION FOR ALL OF YOU to join in and create something wonderful together. And I will not hold it against you for using the LLMs to share your thoughts :) For some penning words on a public site come naturally and for some, its not easy. I get it. My only ask: keep it positive and inspiring. Because we only GET BETTER, TOGETHER.

May 10, 2026

It is mother's day and my social feed is full of happy pics, gratitude, flowers, celebrations. Some quietly leaning into their caves because the one who gave them birth is no longer alive. Some wishing they had better relationships with their parents/children. Bottom line, lots of emotions and each one is special. And also a reminder to celebrate your moms everyday, because they show up everyday - not just on Mother's Day :)

Drawing on this day, I wanted to share my inspiration for this week.

If you are part of my social universe, you know my feed is full of people who inspire me, people I can learn from everyday. A non-negotiable for anyone who earns real-estate in my community. One such name within my Insta feed is Deepica Mutyala , founder and CEO of Live Tinted. She represents ME. And a lot of people who look like me. The ones who grew up scanning a room to find one familiar face. The ones who learned early that if you want to see yourself reflected, sometimes you have to build the mirror yourself.

This past week, Deepica graced the graduation ceremony at The University of Texas at Austin as their commencement speaker. The same platform where she graduated, fifteen years ago.

Let that land for a moment. The same stage, but a completely different standing. She not only brought tears into the eyes of her family and friends in attendance, but immediately raised the bar for everyone in her community. Her pride, her journey as an entrepreneur, her struggles and her success - all of it at display as she shares her remarks.         

This moment felt very personal and it hit close to home as I navigate my own next chapter, asking myself some of the hard questions that #bossmama Meredith Klein surfaced in her Inc. article this week: what does building something actually cost and are we being honest about it? And then I look at my own family, my nieces Ashween Sawhney , an independent creative and Rasmeen Sawhney , founder of Aroosi, Anubhav Sawhney , Chef and Food Stylist at Fame and I tell myself, this is exactly what it looks like when the next generation stops waiting for permission.

And then there is Deepica, who did not just build a company, she built a mirror so the rest of us could finally see ourselves. Going back to that same stage fifteen years later was not just a career milestone. It was a message. And I felt it. Maybe it is because I get it. I have that dream too: my alma mater College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University , my stage, my someday. And watching her up there made me think, yeah, I am going to get there. (my inner self is singing apna time aayega, Bollywood for "my time will come" 🎶)

This is my Shukriya to you, Deepica. For making me and every young South Asian woman believe and feel seen. And what a special gift to your mom on this Mother's day. Her pride was evident when you called her name and she stood up and did namaste to everyone in the audience. We felt it too.         

"It feels good to be seen." - Deepica Mutyala

April 10, 2026

So this week, my inspiration came from our very kind and engaged LinkedIn community. As I was going through my morning routine of reading my news, my daily feed, articles of interest and posts from people who inspire me everyday, I came across these inspiring words from community of SEVEN and our very own Lan Phan who is never short of daily affirmations (Thank you Lan, your impact is felt everyday!)

"The rarest of human qualities is consistency."

The tag for the post said, stay consistent, that's what people trust.

I have been reflecting on it ever since. It sounds so easy, but to show up everyday consistently is harder than we think. My very wise and kind best friend and my husband Shiva Purnachandra has always followed this to the tee, his entire life. Whether its his running discipline (never misses a run), quality time spent with family and friends (always makes the time with intent) or ferociously learning about how the universe works (never stops researching).

This kind of consistency is quiet. It doesn't announce itself. But over time, it becomes the most visible thing about a person. For me, its always been about consistently showing up for others. With no favors in return. Its who I am, how I operate and how I succeed, everyday.

Two things worth your time this weekend. Lan's wonderful book that started this reflection and Shiva's recent podcast that brought it home. In this podcast, Shiva and his fellow runners Nayana Gadkari Anand Dasgupta Kumar Deepak Ranjan talk about their consistent effort of showing up everyday, which led them to the finish line, running their first ultra marathon (= running 31.2 miles consistently for non-runners like us 😊).

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you read this?        

April 3, 2026

I am grateful that yesterday (04/02) I could take an afternoon off with a dear friend Kim Darwaza, REALTOR to get a nice lunch with a friend and stroll through the beautiful shops, antique stores in Middleburg, VA. I was transported straight to Paris as I stepped into this beautiful store called Creme de la Creme. While quietly browsing and convincing myself I was indeed in Paris, I came across a table splattered with several printed quotes and inspiring notes. One stuck with me and sharing that with everyone today.

"We're all lost. The best chance we got is to wander this life with the people who matter." - Kristen Ashley

My takeaway is that nobody really knows what they are doing all the time. And it is OK. We dont need to have everything figured out, or have that perfect plan. One just needs the people who truly matter, with you. Because even when you are lost, its less scary when people who matter are around you (friends & family). So maybe, the point is not to have the perfect path. Maybe it is just about who is walking or wandering along with you.

What comes to mind when you read this quote