The Art of Balancing Passion and Profession

Have you ever wondered how to stay true to your passions while thriving in your profession? For me, it’s been a journey of trial, error, and most importantly, growth. Along the way, I’ve realized that balance isn’t some static state you achieve and then forget about. It’s a constant dance, one where you must stay tuned to the rhythm of your life.

When I first started out, success felt like something tangible, like titles, paychecks, recognition. But overtime, I began to ask myself: What does success really mean to me?

I’ve come to realize that success is less about external accolades and more about waking up each morning feeling genuinely excited for the day ahead. It’s about knowing that your work aligns with your values, that it’s adding meaning not just to your life but also to the lives of those around you. It’s a feeling of purpose, not just productivity.

One of the hardest yet most rewarding lessons I’ve learned is to pause and listen to my inner voice. In a world that often rewards busyness, it’s easy to keep running without stopping to reflect. But those moments of introspection—whether it’s during a quiet morning walk or journaling at the end of the day—have often given me the clarity to make decisions that align with both my career goals and my personal passions.

It’s in those quiet moments that you can ask yourself: Am I doing what truly fulfills me? Or am I just ticking boxes?

While every journey is unique, there are a few habits that have helped me along the way:

• Block Time for Yourself: Just like you’d schedule a meeting with a client or a colleague, schedule time for personal growth. Whether it’s reading, painting, meditating, or just taking a breather, prioritizing yourself is non-negotiable.

• Let Your Passions Shine Through: Your passions are what make you unique. Let them flow into your work, even if it’s in small ways. They can be the creative edge or fresh perspective that sets you apart in your professional life.

• Learn to Say No: This one’s tough but necessary. Every “yes” you say to something that doesn’t serve your bigger goals takes time and energy away from the things that truly matter.

Finding balance isn’t about reaching a perfect equilibrium – it’s about learning to adapt and realign as life evolves. Some days, your profession may take center stage; on others, your passions will demand your attention. And that’s okay.

The key is to honor both parts of yourself—the professional and passion. The more we learn to embrace this dynamic balance, the closer we get to living a life of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.

So, here’s my question to you: How do you define balance in your life? Let’s start a conversation—I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Yours,

Rashmi Manjunath

­­You’re meant to be lived!

If you feel things deeply, if the world has weathered you, if you are going through something that is uncomfortable or painful, or hard, you often must decide between allowing yourself to dive into those emotions or allowing yourself to numb them. A lot of us chose to numb our experience of the world. A lot of us tell ourselves that it is too much, that is all too inconvenient to deal with the depth of our circumstance. It is often not our fault. The world has given us so many ways to kill our pain through media, or prescriptions, or the sensationalizing of being cool and favorable over being inquisitive and authentic, it is almost a subconscious thing we do. We try to protect ourselves from pain, but if I have learned one thing over the past years, it is that pain demands to be felt. It will show up in other ways if we do not deal with it.

You must chase the things that ignite you. You must do the things that brings you joy. You have to surround yourself with the people who bring you back home to yourself, be with the people who respect you and embrace you in ways that make you feel like you are worthy and accepted and loved. You must do the work to heal yourself, even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts, so that you do not continue to approach your life within the boundary of what is heavy within you. You have to put yourself out there, you cannot rob yourself of experience or happiness or inspiration because you are scared of how you will be perceived. You must be unapologetic in the way that you exist here. You have to believe that your ideas, your hopes, and your being deserve to take up space. I also know it’s easier said than done, but there is also no harm in trying your bit. Because trust me our existence is finite. And as hard that is to understand, as hard as that can be to connect with, from time to time remind yourself that in the most human way – that we are all living on borrowed time. We live as if we are promised the experiences and the potential we are chasing. We live as if we have control over what happens to us, but we don’t, and that is liberating, because it is pressing, there is urgency within the lesson. It is meant to wake you up.

So, the greatest thing you can do when you are dealing with pain, or hardship, or change, or opposition – is to feel it. Do not run from your feelings. Run towards it. Run within yourself. Give yourself a bit of time. Get to know your mind, your heart, your soul. Trace your fingers over your wounds. Get to know the parts of yourself that you have hidden from the light. Heal yourself from inside.

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

My Reason Why

It took me a very long time to discover myself in a way that I can express myself, my thoughts and visions. Is there anyone reading this? Can I really reach you with my words? Do I make a difference? That remains a question, but I like to try. And this is why: Along the way I found out what works and what doesn’t work for me. I know my low points, my weaknesses and I know better than anyone how I work. As always said, and remains a clichè, treating another as you would like to be treated yourself is the key. Unfortunately, I can’t control how someone else thinks, how they treat me and in what situations that has brought me. A lot has happened so that I have lost hope often enough, confidence has been damaged and I have often stood on the brink of collapse. Yet with time and awareness I have found my way back and kept my space intact. I want to show who I am, not how someone else presents me. I want to share how I think and not how others perceive.

You don’t know how strong you are until you don’t have another choice. Things can go from 100 to 0 very quick. One day we have all of it and the next day everything’s gone. It feels like all your dreams are gone and you are never going to be able to do things you loved. You are hurt 24/7 and you think this will never disappear for the rest of your life. You feel alone, and need to fight on your own. This is the point you need to be stronger than you ever were. When I was in a worse state, it was always something that was missing. Someone who understood me, who felt what I felt, who could articulate what was going on inside of me, someone who took care of me, someone who could guide me through and name all the chaos inside of me. But when I had none around, I had to be there for me, all by myself. I wanted to discover who I was, what caused my thoughts, my questions and my emptiness, and how I could fill, name, and express it, how I could find myself in the chaos.

I am an Introvert for the most parts, I am highly sensitive person, someone with an extra sense, I see, feel and think deeply, intense and often. This has always been something that got in my way, and also what I am uncertain about. I feel more vulnerable, because when you feel and experience everything  so intensely, it can cause you enormous damage. I learned my lessons in this and formed my vision and passion. Healing takes time, but it’s worth to wait because great things will come, every little progress you make can make you so happy without someone knowing because you need to do everything by yourself.

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

Platonic Competition!!

I think we all need to understand that part of living a healthy life is having different people who understand different parts of us, so that we don’t overwhelm our friends and expect too much of them, or ignore valuable relationships because they feel “incomplete”. We all want to be fully seen and understood, but it’s not shallow or meaningless to just have a friend we talk about TV shows with whom isn’t also, like, your platonic soulmate. That’s still your friend! You still enhance each other’s lives with your company. Not everything that matters is profound.

I think a lot of you are lonely because you’re waiting around for someone who sees into your soul instead of just a plain smile you throw at your life, finding common ground, and planting a little garden there. Even if that garden only grows star trek fan theories and memes, it’s still good. I think the funniest and realist thing I’ve realised lately is how troubling idealisation can be, every person is just a person. The very people you want to impress or be a part of are just people. Even if they seem wildly intimidating because of the way they look or because of their reputation etc, as embarrassing, as remorseful, they are too going through stages of growth just like you are. We only see what we want to see and then drown ourselves further in our own depression and we don’t have to.

Also on the other note, it all matters…….That someone who turns out the lamp, picks up the windblown wrapper, says hello to the invalid, pays at the unattended lot, listens to the repeated tale, fold the abandoned laundry, plays the game fairly, tells the story honestly, acknowledges help, gives credit, says good night, resists temptation, wipes the counter, makes the bed, waits at the yellow, tips the maid, remembers the illness, congratulates the victory, accepts the consequences, takes a stand, steps up, offers a hand, goes first, goes last, chooses the small portion, comforts the grieving, removes the splinter, wipes the tear, direct the lost, touches the lonely, is the whole thing. I genuinely feel, what’s most beautiful is least acknowledged, and what’s worth dying for is barely noticed. With all the serendipity that life throws, pick up the pleasant ones on the days you feel warm and nice, and learn the hard way through the tough days, yet learn to just smile through the path and keep moving, you’ll always bloom.

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

Convolution

I know how hard it is to move on, especially, when it is all you’ve known. I know pain means you care and I know caring means holding on. I know the cycle, that is, you forgive to find yourself back where you started. I know you think you’re weak, that giving chances makes you vulnerable. I know some nights you find yourself reminiscing of the good times, before your sun was devoured by sadness, I know it’s hard to let go when you know they are no good to you. I know something in you keeps telling you to hold on but don’t feel too bad for feeling the way you do, for wanting more, a way out. People consist of coming and going, they are made of memories and dreams, so moving on shouldn’t be such terrible thing and letting go of people who don’t care shouldn’t be hard, so move on, but do it for yourself and no one else, so it to prove yourself that you’re worth saving, do it because you should love yourself more than anyone else and do it because deep down, you know that you deserve more.

Sometimes our habitual thinking takes over and we end up complaining or being upset about things that don’t actually matter to us. Break the habit, before you get worked up about something, ask yourself, Do I really value this enough to exhaust myself emotionally over it? ask yourself if it is worth to have it play on a mental loop in your head. Ask yourself if it is worth your energy or worth your words. You are in charge of how much space a thought takes up in your life, take the time to carefully consider what you let be a part of your being and your spirit.

You’re a beautifully, woven and intricately designed masterpiece. There is not a single soul like yours. There is not a single person who sees the world like how you do. There is no one who has gone through what you’ve gone through— all of the ups you’ve celebrated and downs you’ve climbed out of. There is no one who thinks about life the way you do, nor anyone who interacts with others like how you do. Your identity is entirely your own, you are made of beautiful stories and life changing experiences. You are made of your favourite songs and the books that have changed you. You are made of the people you love and the places you’ve explored. Who you are is truly unique and wonderful. Who you are is worth celebrating every single day.

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

Troglodyte

I drift in and out of people’s lives, 

Like a feather in the breeze, 

You never really know I’m there,

Until I start to leave,

I don’t make my connections deep,

Because i’m scared of what I’ll lose,

I don’t try to compete with anyone else,

And I’ll never make you choose,

I prefer to stick to the sidelines,

Because the spotlight hurts my eyes,

I hide behind a constant smile,

So you won’t know it’s disguise,

People tend to forget I’m there,

When I’m in a crowded room,

I can disappear for days on end,

And I’m bound to do it soon,

Don’t worry if you notice I’m gone,

I never meant to stay,

But I know that you won’t miss long,

I’ll be forgotten in a day!!!

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

Troglodyte

I drift in and out of people’s lives, 

Like a feather in the breeze, 

You never really know I’m there,

Until I start to leave,

I don’t make my connections deep,

Because I’m scared of what I’ll lose,

I don’t try to compete with anyone else,

And I’ll never make you choose,

I prefer to stick to the sidelines,

Because the spotlight hurt my eyes,

I hide behind a constant smile,

So you won’t know it’s disguise,

People tend to forget I’m there,

When I’m in a crowded room,

I can disappear for days on end,

And I’m bound to do it soon,

Don’t worry if you notice I’m gone,

I was never meant to stay,

But I know that you won’t miss long,

I’ll be forgotten in a day!!!

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

Solitude

Sometimes, you have to walk away. You have to look at the things you’re giving energy to and realise that even though you could stay, and try to win their approval or try to make it up their ladder, you could also make the brave choice to take whatever energy you have left to a space that welcomes you. It’s never an easy decision to make, and it’s never easy to accept that you might be walking down a path that will involve risk and new unknowns, but there are times in life where walking away is the best thing to do for your mind, and who you are becoming. Even if it means that people will change their opinions of you… opinions of you that are not even rooted in truth. You may still need to walk away, trusting there is so much more ahead of you.

 I want the weirdos, the clumsy, fumbling, awkward ones who call themselves a big mess, that’s where it’s at. Give me the ones whose eyes are coloured with the shades of madness. Throw me in a room with the loners, the ones who never found their place. Sit me down at the table with the dreamers, the ones who feel with eyes and see with their hearts. Surround me with the extraordinary souls, who inhale passion through their fingertips, and exhale creativity from masterpieces in their own bones. I want to dance with the ones who break their own hearts because they only know how to love too hard or not at all, build a path with the pieces of the broken ones. I will follow the trail and carry each piece back to its owner, showing them the stained glass pieces of their beautiful, broken, magnificence.

Find meaning, distinguish melancholy from sadness. Go out for a walk, it doesn’t have to be a romantic walk in the park, it doesn’t have to be a walk during which you’ll have multiple life epiphanies and discover meanings no other brain ever managed to encounter. Don’t be afraid of spending quality time by yourself, find meaning or don’t find meaning but “steal” some time and give it freely and exclusively to your own self. Opt for privacy and Solitude. That doesn’t make you antisocial or cause you to reject the rest of the world, but you need to breathe, and you need to be!!!!

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

The younger self

I hope you fall in love with being alive. I hope you pick flowers and read books and understand that life is so much much more than a snapshot from a boy you won’t remember in a couple of years. I hope you feel pursued. I hope you have the best of friends, and I even hope you get in trouble together. I hope you make fun memories and take too many pictures and scream at the top of your lungs on roller coasters. I hope you visit lotta cafes. I hope you meet strangers, and share the heartfelt laughs, and soulful conversations. I hope you swim in the depths of the oceans, and feel the dirt underneath your fingernails when you climb mountains. I hope you go out on a run and rediscover yourself. I hope you get tanned and still love yourself unconditionally. I hope you know the joys of genuine laughter, and I hope you know the difference between wisdom and test scores. I hope you understand that you can be anything you want to be, but you have to work hard to get it. I hope you do more than sit around and complain about the things that could change- because I hope you are the change. I hope you journal and write every thought down. I hope you  learn how to skate. I hope you eat your fruits and veggies and also drink that frappe and eat that piece of cake. I hope you treat your body well, and respect your reputation. But I also hope you have fun. In fact, I hope you have unapologetic fun.

• 

Because, sometimes, healing consists of sitting in coffee shops and writing the years from your mind. sometimes healing is laughing until you cry, it is kissing your friends faces and being moved and inspired by your life, and sometimes, healing is rest, it is hiding from the world, it is having everything inside of you be still and quiet and eerily bare. Sometimes healing feels like nothing at all, like you are a silhouette of hope and hurt at the same time. Do not fight it, whatever your healing looks like today, whatever it consists of- just allow it to be what it is.

Because my love, I hope you fall in love with being alive yet again!!!!

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤

Parallel World…

• 

I’m very Ugly

So don’t try to convince me that 

I am very beautiful person

Because at the end of the day

I hate myself in every single way

And I’m not going to lie to myself by saying

There is beauty inside of me that matters

So rest assured I will remind myself

That I am a worthless, terrible person

And nothing you say will make me believe

I still deserve love

Because no matter what

I am not good enough to be loved

And I am in no position to believe that

Beauty does exist within me

Because whenever I look in the mirror I always think

Am I as Ugly as people say????

(Now read BOTTOM UP)

Signing off, your lovingly,

Rashmi Manjunath ❤