Another year for you, Rahi. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead. Happy Birthday!

You may not know this, but today also happens to be the day India won the T-20 World Cup against New Zealand. One of the standout performers in the series was Sanju Samson, who comes from the same state in Kerala that your mom and I are from. That’s just a little trivia for you to remember someday when you look back at this birthday.

But what stayed with me was something Sanju said when he received his award. He mentioned that there were moments when he felt broken because things were not going the way he expected. Yet he continued to push forward. During those difficult times, he reached out to some senior players, and their advice helped him move ahead.

I think there is a powerful lesson in that. All of us will go through rough periods in life. Some people choose to keep everything to themselves, while others reach out for help. Always remember that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness—it is a sign of strength. It takes courage to be vulnerable and ask someone else for guidance. And when we do, we often discover that many people are willing to support us.

None of us can solve every problem alone. Sometimes we need to trust in the goodness of others. Yes, there will always be people who disappoint us or do things we don’t like. But I truly believe there are far more good people in the world than we will ever have the chance to meet in our lifetime. We are never as alone as we might sometimes feel.

The other day, while thinking about you, I realized something about myself as well. Even if I don’t fully understand every choice you make, or if I don’t agree with every path you take, it is time for me to slowly reduce control. That’s not easy for me, because responsibility and love often show up as control in a parent’s mind. But I will try my best to transition from being a dad who steers everything to someone who sits beside you as a friend—just one member of your personal board of advisors that you can reach out to whenever you want advice.

One challenge parents often have is comparison. We compare with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. Maybe that is just how we were raised. But life doesn’t really work that way anymore. That said, I will share one thought that comes from comparing my nineteen-year-old self with you today.

When I was nineteen, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. To be honest, I was still figuring things out even in my thirties. I only started making sense of certain things when I realized how much time I had spent drifting without clear direction. I’m not unhappy about my journey, but I do wish I had realized some things earlier.

And that brings me to one piece of advice.

You already seem to have a clearer idea of what you want to do with your life, be it a mix of Theater, ventriloquism, Animation, Voice Acting and that is a wonderful thing. But there is one reality that eventually catches up with everyone: time moves faster than we think. Before we know it, years slip by. One thing that becomes increasingly important as life moves forward is financial independence.

Building good financial habits early in life is incredibly powerful. I learned that lesson much later than I should have. But once I changed and became more disciplined, the results came faster than I expected.

As you pursue your dreams, I’d like you to read a book called The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. It’s a wonderful book that explains how behavior, emotions, and personal experiences shape financial success. No matter what path you choose in life, understanding money and building healthy financial habits will make that path much easier. The book is in my Library.

And remember—if you ever need anything, reach out. I’m sitting in the back seat now.

Drive safely !

I wish you a very happy birthday, Rahi.