A Story That Changed How I See Life

3 (Learnings) - 2 (Pics) - 1 (Epiphany),

May 03, 2025

One of the recent stories I heard instantly hit me—and it quickly became my favorite. It goes like this:

In a mother’s womb, two babies are chatting with each other. One turns to the other and says:

“Do you believe in life after delivery?”

The other replies:
“Of course! There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we’re here to prepare ourselves for what will be later.”

“Nonsense,” says the first. “There’s no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

“I don’t know,” says the second. “But there could be more life than here. Maybe we’ll walk with our legs and eat with our mouths. Maybe we’ll have other senses we can’t understand now.”

The first goes:
“That’s ridiculous. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? That’s absurd. The umbilical cord is what scientifically supplies nutrition and all that we need—but it’s far too short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second says:
“What if it’s just different than it is here? Maybe we won’t need that physical cord anymore.”

The first goes:
“Okay, if there were life after delivery, then tell me—why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and after delivery is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

And the second says:
“But I certainly believe we’ll meet Mother—and she’ll take care of us.”

The first goes:
“Mother? You actually believe in Mother? If Mother exists, where is she now?”

And the second goes:
“She’s all around us. We are of her. It is in her that we live. Without her, this world would not—and could not—exist.”

And the first says:
“I don’t see her. It’s only logical that she’s not here.”

To which the second replies:
“Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you really listen, you can perceive her presence. You can hear her loving voice calling down from above.”

Gourav’s Odyssey #5

This is an edition type of The Curious Soul’s Corner newsletter where I share my free flowing thoughts, curations and life outside work.

👋 Hey there, I am Gourav. I write about Engineering, Productivity, Thought Leadership, and the Mysteries of the mind!

I know it’s been a while since I published anything—and I owe you that pause. But trust me, it was a conscious choice. More on that at the end of this article.

3-2-1

This story taught me multiple things which I’ll convey through 3-2-1 of today’s article.

3 Learnings (with action items)

The absence of proof is not the absence of truth.

The next version of you can’t be imagined from here. But it’s real. Just like the second baby believed in a life beyond the womb without knowing what it looked like, you don’t need to fully see what your ideas will become. These ideas still deserve faith, presence, and quiet preparation—because the next version of you already exists. You’re just growing into it.

✅ Action: Set a 30-minute block every week to work on an idea you believe in—even if no one else sees it yet.

It’s a full time job believing in yourself. No days off.

We are getting challenged in various ways, ranging from AI disruption and cost related downsizings at work to parenting at home — you choosing to slow down, switch careers, or spend time with family is resistance, not weakness.

✅ Action: Prioritize inner alignment over outer applause. That belief fuels longevity in tech careers and life.

Try again, but this time with gratitude towards everything.

The world feels volatile—whether it’s political chaos, economic swings, or personal instability. Gratitude won’t solve the chaos, but it will steady your steps through it.

✅ Action: Start each week by writing 3 things you’re thankful for—one from work, one from family, and one from yourself.

2 Pics

Just got back from an unforgettable trip to the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon—here are two snapshots that barely do the beauty justice.

1 Epiphany

I’m still in the process of making my life better,
Still deciding where I wanna be in the future.
But I know—
I’m already living a life I once never imagined.
So good it feels unreal.
A life I prayed for—
And yet, I got even more.

So no—
I can’t, and I shouldn’t, complain.

Instead of chasing happiness in the future,
Maybe I should start cherishing what I have now.

I should live in the present.
Practice stillness.
Be mindful.

Because anything that steals away my now—
In return for a promise of future happiness—
Is just a bad trade.

It’s like selling today
For a version of tomorrow
I never even asked for originally.

And if I keep believing that life gets better only in the future,
I’ll keep moving the goalpost,
Forever chasing.
Never arriving.

I stopped ‘consistently’ publishing my newsletter articles.

On purpose.

Not because I lost passion or discipline in writing —
But because I found clarity.

I ‘too’ had big plans—growth, monetization, selling courses, maybe even a startup.
But I was trading time with my family, missing the very life I was writing to celebrate, but in the future.

So I chose presence over pressure.
I chose the joy of doing what I truly enjoy, rather than chasing a dream romanticized by others.

I’ve come to realize that I can do anything and everything—just not all at once.

I still write—consistently.
I just don’t publish until it feels true to share.
No pressure, no dynamics, just peace.

Writing isn’t my second job anymore.
It’s my sacred space.