What if…
It is one of those questions that leaves so many stories without closure. We go back searching for that one signal, that one sign, that one moment when a little more attention, a longer conversation, or simply being more available could have made a difference.
After hearing Simon Sinek speak about the “8-minute rule,” it means so much more now. Perhaps concentrated attention, real listening, or an honest conversation can help someone feel seen, supported, and gently guided back on track. We can step away, we can make ourselves available but the real challenge is finding the right moment to do so.
Recently, I came across a beautiful explanation of a Bhagavad Gita teaching on “Nimitta”: we are not the sole authors of how our lives unfold. Arjuna carried the entire weight of what might happen next in war , and Krishna reminded him that his effort matters but he is not the only cause. There are countless forces, circumstances, and people we may never see.
We do our part, then lie awake wondering whether we did enough. When things work out, we take it as proof of our worth; when they do not, we take it as a verdict. But perhaps the deeper truth is this: show up fully, do your part sincerely, and then loosen your grip.
We are in some way, instruments in a larger process able to play our music, but not control the entire symphony. Neither success nor failure is entirely ours to claim.
May we, and the generations after us, learn to believe in nimitta: to give their best, let go with grace, and find joy in the part we are meant to play.
As you did in yours.
Miss you, mate