New Day, New Life, New Idea: Before We Summit Together

This week started with a 3-hour flight from Chennai to Delhi. I watched Ravi's development Management video from a different perspective, took notes on philosophy and perspective. Then I landed. No cab was available. So I asked a random stranger if she wanted to share one.

That moment changed something.

The Delhi Moment: Aishwarya and Unexpected Kindness

Her name was Aishwarya. She was a recruitment lead managing Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore for a US firm. During the ride, we talked about work, what drives us, why we do what we do. She shared cookies from a shop in Chennai. We connected.

When we reached Noida, I asked: "Where do I have to pay you? How much for the cab?"

She said no. Just: "You go. Take care. Book the next cab safely."

That's it. She didn't want my money. She wanted to make sure I got to my hostel safely.

She dropped me at the hostel, actually concerned about whether I'd be okay. Not just dropping me off. Actually caring about my safety.

In that moment, I realized what was happening. This wasn't a transaction. This was real kindness. Someone I met 30 minutes ago, caring about whether I made it safely.

So while I was leaving, I gave her the cookies I had with me. Not as payment. As gratitude. Because she refused to take money for the cab fare and instead took care of me.

Her name was Aishwarya.

I saved her number thinking: this is what community actually is. Not planned. Not transactional. Someone choosing to care about a stranger's safety. Someone refusing money and offering concern instead.

That's it. That's the whole story. But it mattered so much.

Deep Work and Mountain Surprises

Started the week heavy into RI project work. Intense, focused, the kind of work that makes you forget to eat. Then Mariyam showed up and said: "Let's go to the (Zaap) its like mountains trip." Not planned. Just: let's go.

We went.

Best decision of the week, honestly.

Building Momentum

Learned about gig economy models. Refined the RI display (still not perfect, but closer). Created photo essays. Planned the LinkedIn campaign for our entire cohort.

Each day built momentum toward something bigger.

I kept thinking about that. About Aishwarya. About saying yes to the mountain (Zaap) trip.

Each of these felt like creating something, not waiting.

Had convo with Satjyot change a lot of things, my brain still thinking and notice things

Lunch and Real Feedback

Situational analytics class. Then lunch with the team & trustee. And someone said: "You have real clarity about where you're going. I can hear it when you talk."

I don't know if that's true. But I wrote it down. Because sometimes the most important data is what people actually say about you, not what you think about yourself.

Two Weeks Compressed Into One Day

I'd been working double-time for two weeks on RI. This day was the exhale. Finalized the presentation. Got data visualizations done.

Tired? Yes. Satisfied? Also yes.

The Reset That Wasn't Really a Reset

6 AM walk. Yoga. Read Carol Dweck's Mindset (actually a really good book about how your beliefs shape your capabilities).

Convo with kirti. We talked about the each other's weeks, about what comes next, about whether we're actually ready.

Diet this week: breakfast, lunch, light protein dinners. Sleeping earlier. Feeling less chaotic, more grounded.

What Actually Happened This Week (The Real List)

Not the polished version. The actual version:

Completed Projects:

• RI presentation (honestly? went better than expected)

• Web page built in CLI for Peter

• LinkedIn campaign planned for our entire cohort

What We're Still Figuring Out:

• RI report (in progress, no idea if it's good enough)

• Placement profiles (finally done, but what does "good" even look like?)

• Whether we're actually ready for Realizing India in 5 days

Leadership Moments:

• Placement Committee elections campaign (proposed authentic, transparent process)

• 13 PLC presentations prepping for Cohort'9 Summit 1.0

Team Moments:

• Collaborated with Mariyam, and our entire PLC

• Received feedback on clarity about personal direction

• Connected across differences and shared resources

• Built something together that's bigger than any individual project

November 6: Cohort'9 Summit 1.0

In 4 days, all 13 PLCs present to our cohort.

Here's what we're showing (8 minutes each):

• Who We Are

• What We Did

• Where We Are Now

• How We're Going Ahead

Then dialogue and suggestions from 5:00-7:00 PM.

The philosophy going into this:

"Winning or losing, life is a celebration." (JV said this, and I think it's the realest thing anyone's said all)

Here's what I mean by that: the real work happens in the trying. Not in the winning. The trying, the collaborating, the showing up even when you're not sure. That's the celebration.

Whether our presentation lands or crashes on November 6, we tried. We thought deeply. We're part of something bigger than ourselves.

That's already a win.

What This Week Actually Taught Me

1. Unexpected connections matter more than planned ones. (Thanks, Aishwarya, for showing me that real kindness is about caring for someone's safety, not transactions.)

2. Before we scale ideas, we have to connect as people. That's why Cohort'9 exists.

3. The speech might be history, but the memories are what stays with you.

4. When someone tells you they see clarity in your direction, write it down. You'll need it when you doubt yourself.

5. Sometimes the best work happens when you're exhausted. You stop overthinking and just build.

6. Your wellness (food, sleep, movement) isn't separate from your leadership. It's the foundation of it.

7. Great leaders don't wait for opportunities. They create them. (Thanks, Peter.)

8. Life is a celebration. Win or lose. (Thanks, JV.)

In 4 Days: Realizing India (Nov 8-21)

After Summit, we shift to the field. Two weeks in Rajasthan. Real communities. Real poverty. Real learning.

Are we ready?

Honestly, no. But we're going anyway. And that's probably exactly what leadership is.

The Numbers (If You Care About That)

• 37.7% focused on work and academics

• 17.8% on design and creative expression

• 8+ hours of group collaboration

• 8.5/10 balance score

• 2 major leadership opportunities this week

• 4-6 hours sleep nightly

• 1 unexpected cab connection

• 1 mountain trip that wasn't planned

• Somewhere around 1000% more authentic than it was when the week started

What Kept Me Going This Week

• Diet: consistent, intentional, fuel not comfort

• Sleep: earlier, shorter, better

• Movement: 6 AM walks, yoga, the mountain

• Learning: Mindset by Carol Dweck (actually valuable)

• Movies: Kantara was worth watching

• Real conversations: with kirti, with Mariyam, with a stranger in a cab

Balance isn't real. Rhythm is. This week had rhythm.

Final Thought

Four days until Summit. November 6.

Life is a celebration. Win or lose.

See you there.

Nami🌊

P.S. If you're part of Cohort'9: let's celebrate together on November 6, no matter what happens. That's the whole point.

P.P.S. Thank you Aishwarya (for genuinely caring about my safety), Mariyam (for the mountain), Prachi (for the help), kirti (for checking in), Azar (for the pics), Jv (for the philosophy), and everyone who made this week real instead of just productive.

P.P.P.S. Also thank you to my 6 AM walk and that Carol Dweck book. You came through.