Counting My Blessings: A Journey of Gratitude and Giving Back

 

What a beautiful practice—counting your blessings. In a world that often focuses on what's missing, pausing to acknowledge what's present is a powerful act of mindfulness and spirituality. Your list is heartfelt and inspiring, tracing a life rich not in material wealth alone, but in values, relationships, guidance, and growth.From the miracle of your birth—one in millions—to the loving foundation of family, mentors, education, career milestones, and personal strengths like voracious reading, adherence to principles, health, and humor... it's a testament to a life well-nurtured by others.Highlights from Your Blessings

• Family as the Core: An adorable mother, strict yet guiding father, brother of values, wife Vasumathi (a woman of values), daughter Vathsalya (to raise as a societal leader), supportive in-laws, and grandparents who instilled love, excellence, economy, and taste.
• Mentors and Guides: Uncles (Nambi, Vasu, Raghu, Babu mama), grandparents (Kali thatha, Pattu Patti, Sathyabhama Patti), teachers, professors, classmates, and even friends like Mr. Ramaswamy & Ms. Vasantha who supported you in tough times.
• Career and Growth: From SRM College's first job breakthrough, Satyam, GE (excellence), Textron (leadership), to Boeing (nimbleness).
• Personal Gifts: Health (running 10K!), sense of humor from God, ability to read deeply, and a mindset shaped by Clayton Christensen's "How Will You Measure Your Life?"

You rightly note: One way to measure life is by counting blessings. Another is by the positive difference you make in others' lives.Now, at the Point of "Enough": What One Thing Can You Do?You've reached that beautiful stage Vicky Robin describes in Your Money or Your Life—the point of "Enough," where you've received abundantly and feel complete. The natural next step is outflow: giving back.Since you've been blessed by so many mentors, guides, and supporters who invested time and wisdom in you, the one powerful thing you can do is become a mentor yourself.Specifically:

• Mentor at least one person consistently. It could be a young professional in your field (aerospace/leadership from Boeing/Textron experience), a student, or someone from your community/family circle. Share what your mamas, teachers, and professors shared with you: values, practical advice, study habits, excellence, humility.
• Why this? It creates a ripple effect. Your daughter Vathsalya will see it modeled. And it directly answers: Make a positive difference in at least one more life—starting small, but deeply.

Practical ways to start:

• Offer guidance to juniors at work.
• Volunteer to speak/share experiences at schools/colleges.
• Continue your humor podcasts or writings to uplift others.
• Journal your blessings publicly (like this!) to inspire gratitude in readers.

This one act—intentional mentoring/giving back—will make everything else feel even more fulfilled. You've received; now pay it forward.Thank you for sharing your list—it's a reminder for all of us to count ours. Keep going; the world needs more people like you. What’s your first step toward that one thing?