The Musk 001 - First

Welcome to the Musk Newsletter, Issue 001.

Every Monday, I’m planning to reflect on the previous week and share my thoughts, commentary and learning from my daily life. I’m calling my newsletter, The Musk.

Ever since I started using Obsidian, I have kept a daily note of my thoughts, reflections and things as it happens. This is similar to Ryder Carroll’s Daily Pages. This single habit has helped me to quickly review my days without much effort and helps me to capture anything that is potentially meaningful for me.

Some of the things that I’m planning to include are an article I read, a podcast I listened to, a video I watched, a photo I shot along with my thoughts and commentaries.

Let us start with the first issue.

Week 45 (08/11/2021 - 14/11/2021)

This week was a roller coaster ride. Relationships are something I struggle with and need a lot of helping hand. It has taken me a while to accept this sticking point in me. I have lived most of my adult independently. I grew up with a stammer and always felt like an outsider in any situation. Reviewing my weekly entries has shown me that the one thing I need to implement is to approach my key relationships with love and patience.

Speaking of love and patience, I spent my Father’s birthday on 10th November without him for the first time. Just when I was sort of getting out of this emotional struggle, on 14th November, I got the news that my maternal grandfather passed away. After trying to console my mother who has lost her husband not too long ago. I reflected on the life’s brevity in my Obsidian journal and pondered on this verse of the Holy Quran:

God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear: each gains whatever good it has done, and suffers its bad- ‘Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make mistakes. Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those before us. Lord, do not burden us with more than we have the strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelievers.’ - Chapter 2, Verse 286

May God Almighty accept my grandfather’s good deads and forgive his known, unknown and secretive sins. Ameen!

One thing that really inspired me in the past week is a Tamil film, Jai Bhim. We watched it on Amazon Prime on 12th November It’s an excellent film on how power, money and most importantly casteism conspire together against Tribal people. This film helps in identifying who is a caste supremacist and who stands for social justice. If you are interested, watch the trailer here.

Finally, a photo of Lamb Briyani cooked by the wife on 12th November:

Quote of the Week

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Unknown

Thanks very much for reading the Musk Newsletter, Issue 001.