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Today marks the tenth anniversary of my retirement. On this day in 2014, I changed the trajectory for my life's journey. With deliberation and resolve, I took early retirement, bidding farewell to the uniform to embark upon a fresh journey into the realm of business. As I reflect upon the trajectory of my life's journey, from the disciplined rigors of military service to the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship, I am filled with gratitude for the myriad experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. Here are a 10 things on which I have changed my mind in the last 10 years: 1. Changing your mind is hard.  2. Stock investment is more about human behavior than business numbers. For an average investor it is much better to buy an index fund.   3. Simplicity beats all.  4. We are all unique individuals shaped by our distinct experiences and perspectives. We understand the world differently.   5. Don’t give unsolicited advice.   6. Common sense is not common. Everyone k

 I am proud to say that today marks the 12th straight year of unbroken daily practice of meditation and exercise. This is my personal best.  On March 09th, 2012, I decided to start meditation. Obviously I couldn't see this far then. And I wasn't sure about how long will I be able to continue. But God has been kind and I am going strong. I meditate twice a day (morning & evening) and I also do freehand exercises twice daily for 15 minutes. And I have not missed a single practice of meditation or exercise (that is twice daily) since last 12 years.  I consider this a great personal achievement.

 After writing on the blogger for 10 years, I have now starting writing on a new platform - https://vimals.substack.com/

Most people are wired to seek status and success, not necessarily happiness. I guess it's always a battle between "Pleasure" (burst of dopamine based happiness) and "Meaning" (long-term peace within).  The first step is to identify this fight that we constantly have inside our head. It is possible that pleasure completely rules the kingdom of our mind. But the soldiers of "meaning" can be awakened anytime. They never die completely.  It is important to succeed and become financially independent but can't we see that even after achieving our goals most of us are still miserable. I know of a man who is poorer after he made lots of money. He had a wonderful relationship with money earlier but now he is so possessed by the idea of protecting and growing his pile of money. He is not kind to himself or to others.  The second step is to wage a war. Daily battles in which we will lose initially but constant "practice" will help us gain more gro