Written in Time

Revisiting old chapters, the leverage of resourcefulness, and longevity as a new frontier

Reading is a workout for the brain.

And like any exercise, its benefits evolve with time and commitment. I cherish the experience of being lost in a book as the day passes.

In our goal-setting lifestyle: 12 books in 12 months or a book a week, we find these resolutions challenging as life gets busy.

With dropping attention spans where memes live rent-free in our heads and screens demand constant attention, reading often falls to the bottom of the priority list.

I have been an avid reader all my life. War and Peace with its 1200+ pages was not a tome to me, it was an enlightening summer read. However, I am noticing the impact of Shorts and my own diminishing ability to read for long periods of time.

How do you keep your reading habits alive?

Groups like Cubbon Reads or Lodhi Reads are creating spaces for bibliophiles to connect. Even Uber collaborated with Penguin Publishing House to put books back in our hands.

Reading benefits us at every stage of life and offers us meaningful value.

The Benefits of Reading, By Age:

• For children: Reading builds vocabulary, strengthens imagination, and fosters empathy by exposing them to diverse characters and stories.
• For young adults: Books help navigate identity and life transitions, offering wisdom and perspectives during formative years.
• For adults: Reading sharpens cognitive functions, enhances critical thinking, and provides a much-needed escape from daily pressures.
• For older adults: It slows cognitive decline, strengthens memory, and offers comfort through nostalgia and emotional connection.

As we age, it can evolve into a richer, more layered experience. I picked up these two old favourites to read as a New Year project, Great Expectations and The Color Purple. The books are revealing entirely new meanings.

The words haven’t changed, but I have and so have my perspectives, and that’s the magic of revisiting stories.

How can you start or rebuild your reading habit?

• Read on topics you love, not what you think you should. Biographies and historical fiction classics will be my go-to this year.
• Curate your reading for moments: short stories for quick breaks, self-help for personal growth, expert insights for inspiration, etc
• Block 15 minutes to read on your calendar daily, perhaps before bedtime? Treat it as if you were having an important meeting.
• Find an accountability partner or join a local book club to stay inspired.

The books will always be waiting. Are you ready to turn the page?

Leadership Code ~ Mindful Musings with Vani

Mini Masterclass on Being Resourceful

Leadership, often is about finding answers, even when resources are scarce.

Being resourceful is one of the most valuable skills a leader can develop.

It involves solving problems creatively by leveraging what’s available. It is also about turning challenges into opportunities and finding unconventional ways to meet goals without waiting for perfect conditions.

Key elements of resourcefulness include:

• Knowing when to seek support: Reaching out to mentors, colleagues, and industry peers for guidance and support.
• Optimising all resources: Fully utilising available people, tools and technology to drive solutions. When under constraints, creative solutions can emerge that change the status quo.
• Learning and unlearning: Sometimes what we know limits us to what is possible. We have to know when to leave behind the known when we cannot find answers. And we have to draw from other insights to see if a thought insight may offer a whole different perspective.

Airbnb is a great example.

How they began during the 2008 financial crisis. With no funding, the founders leveraged their own apartment as a testbed, offering air mattresses and breakfast to guests.

They used existing tools like Craigslist to market their service, designed their own branding materials on a shoestring budget, and even sold custom cereal boxes to raise funds. Their resourceful approach turned a small idea into a billion-dollar company.

Resourcefulness, definitely, helps us to thrive in uncertainty – as it fosters adaptability, builds resilience, and encourages teams to stay solution-focused. Leaders who embrace this mindset inspire others to think creatively and persevere, no matter the obstacles.

Next time you face a constraint, pause and consider: How can I make the most of what’s already in front of me?

Pulse of Progress

Tales of Tech, Innovation and more

Everything has an expiry date — or does it?

While the natural rhythm of life has always been ageing and eventual decline, advancements in science are challenging this inevitability. Beyond exercise, nutrition, and anti-ageing creams, there’s a new world shaping up!

It’s like pressing pause, or perhaps even rewind.

Longevity startups are becoming the new frontier of science. Why you ask? Because they are diving into the once-mythical idea of extending the human lifespan and health span.

From the fabled fountain of youth to cutting-edge gene therapies – our/humanity’s fascination with living longer has never waned.

Today, it's backed by bold scientific approaches like:

• Cellular reprogramming to rejuvenate ageing cells.
• Removing senescent “zombie” cells to enhance bodily function.
• Gene editing using CRISPR to fix age-related mutations.
• AI-driven drug discovery and personalised medicine tailored for individual health.

Pioneers in this space are turning science fiction into reality:

Altos Labs (funded by Jeff Bezos) is focused on cellular rejuvenation to reverse ageing. Whereas, Google-backed Calico Labs is delving deep into the biology of ageing to extend the human lifespan. There are a few more names we can add to this list.

But as we push the boundaries of life, profound ethical, cultural, and societal questions arise:

• Who gets access to these therapies? Are they destined to be the domain of the ultra-wealthy?
• How will population growth, resource management, and societal dynamics change in a world where people routinely live beyond 120?
• What does it mean for the structure of life—education, careers, relationships—if our lives stretch across centuries?

I believe the quest for longevity is about ensuring those added years are meaningful.

What is your view of immortality? Would you choose to press pause on time or let the natural order run its course?

#LifeLines

#LighterNotes

May the force be with you,

Vani

Share your thoughts and comments with me at [email protected].