I grew up with very high expectations in a highly competitive environment. I did well, but not exceptionally well. I learned to respect elders, and I never said no to authority. I took care of my siblings and my family. I took the path everyone expected me to take. I learned the things I thought I needed to learn.

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But there was one thing missing—I never really made any decisions for myself.

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At 31, I was happily married to the best guy, doing well in my job, and had paid off my MBA education loans. But honestly, the thing that bothered me was: what next? I felt like I didn’t know who I was. So I did Vipassana and came back to work. However, I knew I had to take a break. I needed to get out of the cycle of expectations and everything I was "supposed" to do—to really just live. What a privileged thought, I know. But I accept that.

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I traveled solo. I learned to play piano. I learned kickboxing. I learned MMA. I learned swimming (I still don't know how to swim). I walked in the afternoons and read books. I listened to a lot of crime podcasts (which I want to stop). Having the time to focus on myself opened up a lot for me. I think I’m more receptive to feedback, trying approaches I would have never thought of, and rejection because I tried things I had never done before. I was a beginner at almost everything I attempted, and also much older than most people in my classes, but I learnt and thrived. (Also, thanks to the brutal job search process.)

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If any future employer is reading this, please note that among the books I read, I also explored topics on design, product management, and statistics for data analytics. I genuinely love learning new things and taking on new projects—something I consistently did even while working.😁

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I get asked this question in almost every interview, so I wrote it down.