Life's Paradoxes: Reflections for 2025
The wisdom in contradictions
I know you haven't heard from me in a while! 2024 was an amazing year filled with new beginnings! Wishing you all a very happy, prosperous, and healthy 2025!
Some interesting paradoxes of life that I have been ruminating over:
You Need to Face Death to Truly Live - Imagine being granted immortality. At first, it sounds amazing, but think deeply, what would be the point? If tomorrow is guaranteed, there’s always time to procrastinate. For us mortals, however, the illusion of infinite tomorrows leads to the same trap. Postponing life until it quietly slips away. To live fully, we must confront the reality that there’s no magical tomorrow. Life is fragile, and death is inevitable. If you live to 80, you get 4,000 weeks. The peak years of 20 to 50 give you just 1,500 weeks. Time to master a craft, raise a family, and enjoy lie. This isn’t about embracing the “hustle culture” but about prioritizing. Focus on what truly matters to you and pursue it deeply until it no longer serves you.
"It’s not death we should fear, but never having truly lived." - Marcus Aurelius
Money Buys Freedom, Not Happiness: Money solves many problems like housing, healthcare, travel. Its greatest value is freedom. It gives you the power to choose how to live your life. The paradox is that people often need to make enough money to realize it’s just a tool. When money starts serving you, rather than controlling you, true freedom begins.
Focus on Effort, Not Results, to Achieve Results: The Bhagavad Gita teaches us to renounce the fruits of our labor. I’ve found this to be true in my own life. When I shifted my focus from the outcome to the process: whether reaching out to product managers or learning for curiosity’s sake, the results followed naturally. The joy of immersing yourself in the task often brings the success you were chasing and allows actions to not cling to you.
Happiness Contemplated Is Happiness Lost: The moment I start asking myself if I’m happy, happiness slips away. True happiness is found in immersion, in being part of something larger than yourself. However, gratitude is an exception: the more you think about it, the more it grows.
Live in the Present but Plan for the Future: I struggle with this the most. Should I enjoy today without worrying about tomorrow? Or should I be responsible and plan for a tomorrow that might not come? Balancing present joy with future needs is a delicate act. Living fully in the moment doesn’t mean neglecting the future. Compounding whether of wealth, health, or relationships, depends on small, consistent actions today. Enjoy the present, but prepare for the tomorrows you hope will come.
Care for Yourself to Care for Others: This became clear to me during a year of physical therapy for chronic back pain. I couldn’t be present for my work, partner, or friends. Prioritizing your own physical and mental well-being isn’t selfish, it’s essential for supporting the people around you.
Thinking Without Action Is Futile, and Action Without Thinking Is Rash: J. Krishnamurti compared the endless thinking without action to plowing a field without sowing seeds. Overthinking often inflates risks and fears, preventing us from taking the first step. On the other hand, reckless action without thought is a call for disaster. The balance lies in acting with purpose while embracing imperfection, iterating, and improving over time.
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.
Give Love and Respect to Receive It: Love and respect are not demanded but earned. Treat others with genuine kindness, and you’ll often find it reciprocated. The key is sincerity. Giving respect with the sole expectation of receiving it corrupts the gesture and defeats the purpose.
Training the Body Trains the Mind Before I started running, I underestimated the mental strength required for physical exercise. Showing up on tough days, pushing through discomfort, and staying disciplined are virtues of the mind. Paradoxically, training your body is one of the best ways to strengthen your mind.
Treat your body with reverence so it remains obedient to the mind. — Seneca
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear your thoughts. Did any of these paradoxes resonate with you, or do you have others to share?