The Week Before the Jury

Learning to show up as myself

This week, I started going to the gym.

Not because I needed to prove anything. Just because my sister's birthday reminded me to take care of myself. First day, full body workout. It felt steady.

I also started playing table tennis with Jigmat. I need to practice regularly. Some things you just know are right for you.

I reconnected with Nidhi after a long time.

She had a puncture, arrived late. We went to a Korean restaurant. The food was okay. The conversation mattered more.

She shared her story. I listened. She asked about my life, my work, my direction. She checks in on me. That felt good.

I gave her a guitar. She treated me well. Sometimes showing up for someone is enough.

I cooked this week.

Egg gravy, Korean-style. Hot and a little too salty, but it tasted like mine.

I realized something: I've been cooking other people's way for a while. This week, I brought my taste back. That small shift felt bigger than it should have.

Someone told me something important this week:

"Tell what you don't know first. For clarity. That builds you up."

I've been thinking about what it means to be authentic. Not as a concept, but as practice.

It's not about having everything figured out. It's about starting with the truth, even when you're not sure what comes next.

I'm presenting today at 2 PM.

It's called "Journey of an Authentic Development Professional."

I'm starting with family. Then the RI story about Garaisya children asking for a song in their language. Then what I've learned.

I don't know what happens after. But I'm focused.

This week taught me that authenticity isn't loud. It's quiet. It's cooking with your own taste. It's holding someone's hand and asking how they feel instead of assuming. It's going to the gym not because you should, but because you choose to.

It's showing up as yourself, even when you're still figuring out who that is.

For now, this newsletter and LinkedIn are the only two places I'm holding.

That feels enough.

This is from January 2025 - the first month of my Annual Edition.

I'm documenting the entire year of 2025. Not highlights. Not lessons. Just what actually happened.

Where I was. Who I spent time with. What the days felt like. What I learned.

If you want to read the full record of 2025, enter your details here:

Read Full Annual Edition

You'll get access to the complete story as I write it.

Thank you for reading.

—
Meenakshisundareswaran Ravichandran (Nami 🌊)

Note to Readers

This newsletter is a factual record of the week as it unfolded. It is written to document experiences and reflections in real time, not to offer advice or conclusions. Some questions remain open by design, as they are still part of an ongoing process.

Where to find me:

• Newsletter

• LinkedIn

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