Lessons Learned from Celebrating 50 Years of Marriage.

Last week my family celebrated our parents 50th wedding anniversary. An incredible milestone, marking not only their journey together...but also our family's roots in America. We don't have extended family in the US. To our broader family in India, we are the American Cousins. Started by my Old Man's decision to enroll in a masters program at Cooper Union in the late 60's, we are now a family of twelve in New York. He reflects on this regularly with immense pride.

When my folks expressed their desire to celebrate their Golden Anniversary with just us kids and grandkids, it came as no surprise. Instead of hosting a large social gathering with all the pageantry that comes along with it, we set off to Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. A town situated at the mouth of El Yunque rainforest at the halfway point between San Juan and Fajardo. We stayed down a long road lined with interesting properties, which runs alongside a very raw waterfront, and is heavily spotted with axel breaking potholes. The trip was planned with a lot of consideration.

Running a company ( Bellwether Culture ) while launching another ( NRVLD.co ) is not for the faint hearted. The previous four months have been by far the most challenging of my professional career. I've been dealing with a constant restlessness of the mind that was affecting my personal interactions, quality of sleep, and health. Heading into this trip, I had a hard time getting into a vacation mood. Though I respected the importance of the week, it was tough mustering up excitement. We were making our dissent into San Juan airport, when that changed instantly.

A sudden painful burst of pressure above my left eyebrow permeated through the side and back of my eye socket. It felt like what I imagine liquid channeling through dirt would feel. A sensation so concerning in the moment that it had prompted me to detail the exact feeling to my wife, in the event of an emergency in which I could no longer communicate.?I'm known to be almost too relaxed in most situations, so she recognized this occurrence to be outstanding. We did not say much for the final ten minutes of the flight. With our hands softly entangled, we made regular glances at one another, at our daughter...and I remained focused on controlling my breath.

How quickly things can shift? The moment served an immediate realignment. I consulted my brother upon arrival (an ER physician). He confirmed my suspicion...stress was likely getting the best of me. Thankfully, the pain dissipated to slight discomfort and ultimately vanished. It left behind a fresh perspective and prescription to relax (and perhaps a precautiounary MRI in the near future).

I went full send chill, and the week was absolutely incredible. Uninterrupted quality time with loved ones. Beyond some light morning inbox catch up sessions...I was fully disconnected from work and social media. Nothing mattered beyond enjoying the time we had together as a happy and healthy unit. Here's a reel of our vacation I had posted.

I returned to Brooklyn, where the same business concerns were eager for my attention. This time, I'm facing them with regained clarity, alleviated pressure, intense focus, and a head full of beautiful memories to look back on. Simply distilled, this is what I've been thinking about as it relates to all aspects of my future journey:

• Time is finite.
• Fresh air gives me life.?
• Disconnecting is sometimes the most?productive path forward.
• I like being around good people.?

Obvious right? I wrote this for me, but figured I'd share. I can't imagine I'm the only one that has gone through a stress induced wake up call of sorts. Building something new is hard as shit, and is often times isolating. Uplift the folks around you, respect people's time, ask for help, find solutions, and do you boo. No regrets.