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Indrajeet's Newsletter

Issue: 2, Sunday, December 10, 2023

Hey Reader! 👋

I hope life is being kind to you!

I know it’s been a real long time since you last heard from me. I’ve been well but swamped with work so prioritizing satire and newsletter writing has been difficult for the past two months.

However, there are moments when a thought jolts into your mind, and you just need to let it bleed onto the paper so it doesn’t evaporate.

I was attending my cousin’s wedding a couple of days back, and amidst the chaos that is Indian weddings, a sorta profound thought made its way into my mind.

So, this newsletter issue is just to expand on that thought and serve as a reminder for the self rather than to preach. I’m digressing from my typical newsletter template so that I can focus on only one key takeaway this time.

We spend almost one-third of our day and life working, making money, and doing things that bring food to our table. Yet most people barely talk about these things when introducing us to others. Our job titles hardly matter.

No one says, “Hey, meet Indrajeet, he is a great digital marketer.”

Instead, they make the introduction using something that occupies only a handful of hours of ours each day or week. Something we do that brings life to our life. And it could be for as little as 15 minutes each day.

That something is the art we practice.

People find delight in introducing like, “Hey, meet Indrajeet, he plays the guitar really well! You should check out his videos on Instagram.”

It’s like what you do for a living takes a backseat when people wanna get to know the real you.

And you don’t even need to be an artist. Your fanaticism is also a great kickoff point. “Hey, meet the most rabid Metallica fan in this city. He even knows St. Anger songs by heart!” or “This fellow is a hardcore

Again, even if you aren’t a fanatic, a mild interest works. “Meet X, the coolest Office buff I know. Talk to him for 2 minutes, and he’ll remind you of Dwight.”

And I’m sure, you must have experienced this too!

It’s often the twinkle in your eyes that makes people wanna get to know you better when you talk about your passions, interests, or hobbies. People don’t say, “I don’t understand what programming is, but I’d love to read your code someday.” But they’ll say, “I don’t understand your genre of music, but send me some videos, and I’d be delighted to check ‘em out!”

What you do that sets your soul on fire not only forms a key part of your personality but also how people perceive you. (As I’m typing this, I’m reminded of my college days when my classmates would call me India TV because I would watch the news channel only to catch the cringy 144p alien conspiracy theory videos downloaded from YouTube. This was in 2009.)

Signing off for now, but not before I express my gratitude for being patient during my hiatus. I hope to be more consistent in the coming year. Also, I’m keen to know if you’d like to read things like this here or on the blog.

And before I leave, here’s a reminder to spend as little as five minutes more nurturing what makes you feel alive. Whether it’s learning a new song, cheering for your favorite sports team, or belting out Creed and Nickelback songs in the shower making a Spotify playlist. Ultimately, it’s your passions, hobbies, and little quirks that make the world a little more interesting.

Farewell for now,
Indrajeet