Random hits on the keyboard

I recently finished reading The 38 Letters from J.D. Rockefeller to His Son. It is not a long book. It does not offer radically new ideas. It speaks of hard work, decisive action, and the importance of purpose. But there is something distinct about it. This is not a man writing to the world. This is a father writing to his son, one who happens to be among the wealthiest individuals in human history. As I read, I began to see glimpses of Rockefeller’s life, his decisions, his focus, and his relentless pursuit of success. Through these letters, he is not merely advising his son; he is explaining the principles that shaped his own life. He touches on almost everything: opportunity, hard work, education, persistence, business, teamwork, motivation, wealth, and risk. These are not abstract reflections. They are lived experiences, distilled into guidance. Because these letters were never meant for a public audience, they feel unusually honest—at times, even uncomfortable. They are not writte...

I am annoyed when my daughter is always on a mobile phone watching YouTube. Mostly, she is watching some useless shorts, featuring kids doing nonsense. Then, she scrolls to another video, to another and on and on. I call her for something, and she ignores me. I repeat, she says, 'aa', and continues. Eventually, I often lose my temper and shout at her. And then comes the discomfort that it is not only about her. At the family gatherings, I see every kid (and big kids) is watching their mobiles. They show the mobile to each other and giggle. They seem to have no interest in what's going on around. We go to lunch together in the office. As soon as we finish ordering, or even before that, we all reach out to our mobile phones and start checking them. Then we start to respond to our emails or WhatsApp messages. The feeling of urgency kills the short lunch break. In the morning, when I sit down for breakfast, I do the same. I open my emails and start to scroll. And my family get ...