Living with intention

As I mentioned in the previous post today I read a speech given by a good friend.  The whole speech resonated deeply with me, but the story at the end of the speech was what really struck me.  The idea of micro-service as a way to transform the self was very intriguing.  

Every action has the potential to be an act of service no matter how small.  The key is to perform the action with intention, but in order to truly perform an act with intention one has to be in the moment not focusing on the past or future.  To achieve this I recognize small modifications that need to be made to my day.  I do not need to be as connected as I am.  My time in the morning or evening when I commute can be spent in quiet contemplation instead of cluttered by constantly surfing radio stations.  Practically speaking I can't slow down my commute nor can I walk to work at this point, but I can slow down my mind and be present in those moments.  The big opportunity of micro-service will be when our new family member arrives.  There are going to be plenty of chances to lose ourselves to frustration and take it out upon each other.  However, each chance for frustration is also a chance for service to either the HyWy or our son/daughter.  In a sense it sounds ridiculous, but each diaper changed or feeding is in itself a profound act of service.  For the first 3-5 years a child is not at all self sufficient and as parents we have to selflessly give so the entirety of the first several years can be viewed as an aggregate of micro-service acts.  It won't be easy to maintain this level of awareness, but it is a start to consider it and apply it to today.  My whole day today I have been considering the title of this blog and trying to stay present.  Stay tuned for what happens in a month or two.

I just read that a good friend is giving one of two commencement addresses at UPenn.  After that I read that Karma Kitchen, a project that both the HyWy and I were deeply involved in at one point, has opened an outpost in Japan.  I had a moment to reflect on these two items and where the last ten years after my graduation has brought me.  Along the way I have met some amazing people.  It's interesting in meeting people how you never realize in that first moment where your relationship can go, but in hindsight it seemed so simple.  In ten years some of the people have entered and left my life and some are only just entering, but regardless they have left lasting marks upon me.  I have had the benefit of being a part of truly inspirational projects whose scope and impact I may never fully realize as I'm still trying to understand how they transformed me.  At 33 I feel  like I have lived a life that I'm proud of and this gives me hope for what can be achieved in the remaining 50 or so years ahead of me.  

What is in a name?

As the HyWy and I try to pick a name for our new arrival I have been thinking about things that I didn't expect I would at this point.  I didn't think I would ceaselessly consider the pronunciation of an Indian name by Americans and how Anglicized it could be.  Then I reflected on my own name and all the iterations I have accepted over the years.  Originally when I conceived this post I was going to phonetically write out each iteration, but then I realized that would reveal my name (duh!).  I'm sure there are no secrets about my name, but I'm not going that far.  What I do know is that I subconsciously Anglicize my own name.  I don't completely break it away from it's Indian roots as someone who might crown themselves Harry might.  However, those that do that I know do it for a very very good reason.  After all no one wants to work in corporate America with a name like Hardik or something similar.  Back to my story though, I am making a conscious effort to pronounce my name the way it is intended.  For me that means separating the syllables at a different point than I do and it also means and changing one of the sounds.  One unintended affect of this exercise is that I'm extremely present when I introduce myself on the phone.  At my job I make countless phone calls and I'm often rushing, but now I have to slow down just enough to remember what is in my name.