Subash.M | Assistant Professor

Today my thoughts kept circling around one question who am I? It feels strange because everyone seems to have a different answer about me. To some, I am a joker. To others, I am wise. A few may find me boring, while some think I am a hustler chasing life too fast. At times, I am seen as an introvert, and at other times as an extrovert. Some say I talk too much, some say I am hurt, and a few even see me as a headache or a burden. How can one person hold so many roles? And if all these roles are just perceptions, then who is the real me? I also wonder whether I am searching for something in others that I lack in myself, or if I am simply projecting what I want the world to notice. If money was not important, who would I be? If fame was not a goal, what would remain of me? Am I truly bothered by people’s opinions, or is it just a fear I carry? The more I think about it, the more I feel that my identity cannot be found in the eyes of others. It must be found in the quiet moments when I sto...

Today my mind felt restless yet strangely curious. I have always loved listening to podcasts, especially the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and other detective stories. Perhaps it is that influence which often pushes me to read the minds of others, to guess their hidden thoughts and feelings. This evening, while returning home from college on the bus, I looked outside and saw countless faces. Each face seemed like a page of a book written in a language I could not understand. One man walked slowly, as if the weight of the day pressed heavily upon him. Another spoke eagerly into his phone, his words spilling out with urgency and excitement. A group of children played with careless laughter, as though the world belonged to their joy. I kept asking myself What are they carrying within? Are these smiles real? Do those eyes hide pain? But no answer came. The truth is, I cannot step into their minds I cannot decode their emotions like a detective untangling a mystery. Then, a simple thought s...

This morning I had a plan. I wanted to write about yesterday’s workshop at ANJAC, Sivakasi. I opened my notes, thought of a few lines, and then suddenly quit. Not because I had nothing to say, but because my mind simply refused to push. So, I let it go. Now, as I travel to my college, sitting in the front seat of the bus, the road stretches out before me. The wind brushes my face, reels play on my phone for a while, and then bam! an idea sneaks in. Not a solid topic, not even a proper concept, but something small, like a spark. And just like that, I feel light. Relaxed. Calm. Almost free from the heavy “to do” list that usually follows me like a shadow. I realized something time is the best healer. There is no use in worrying, hurrying, or forcing life to move faster. The present moment is already happening why should I spoil it by overthinking? Sometimes all we need is a deep breath, a seat by the window (or in my case, the front seat), and a little trust in life’s flow. My small sugg...

This evening was supposed to be just another ride, but it turned into something more a classroom without walls, where the road became my teacher and my companion became the reason I learned. We started like we always do, reporting our weekly highs and lows as if it was a ritual check in. But this time, I wasn’t just riding, I was also observing. That’s because my companion let’s call him my “life brother” (a mix of brother, friend) was right there. His presence made me look beyond the speedometer. Every curve reminded me how life bends unexpectedly. Some turns were smooth, others tested balance, just like moments in life where we need to slow down, think, and adjust. The broken patches of road? They screamed reality life won’t always be polished sometimes it’s rough, but still, it moves forward. As I sat back, I noticed the tall trees standing like silent mentors, teaching patience and endurance. The barricades whispered reminders of boundaries where to pause, where to slow down. Vehic...

Today reminded me of a truth I had forgotten I am stronger than I ever thought. Life has its own rhythm it breaks, bends, and tests us, yet each trial builds an inner force no one else can see. I may carry countless unseen pieces within me, but those pieces are not my weakness they are my strength. My former Head of the Department often said, “Comparison is the theft of joy.” Now I truly understand. Why should I compare my journey with anyone else’s? The earth never compares itself with the sky both exist in their own beauty. My life too is my own path, with its own lessons. I have realized that life is not about control, it is about acceptance. Can I control the heavy rain? No. Can I command when flowers bloom? No. Can I decide the happiness of birds? Never. Like the earth, I must simply accept whether it is rain or sunshine, silence or song. Acceptance is not weakness it is wisdom. It gives us peace even in storms. When pain strikes, I no longer fight against it. I remind myself this...

Today was one of those days that felt like carrying a backpack filled with bricks. Every step, every word, every thought heavy. I kept hearing that famous line “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.” Maybe Eleanor Roosevelt said it, maybe someone else I’m too tired to Google it. But the line hit me like a slap. Because today, all around me, it was gossip, gossip, gossip. Who did what, who said what, who wore what. I wanted to scream, “Please, people, the world has bigger problems than your neighbor’s new haircut!” My ears begged me to shut down like a stubborn laptop refusing updates. But here’s the twist I’m not claiming to be a “great mind” sitting on a mountain of ideas either. I have tons of half baked thoughts and unfinished projects lying around like socks under my bed. I want to do more, write more, create more. But when everyone is busy dissecting people’s lives, I feel like an alien. Fit or unfit? That’s the question I keep as...

Today my mind feels like it has finally learned the art of skipping not skipping rope, not skipping meals, but skipping people. Especially the ones who drain my energy like a phone running twenty background apps. For a long time, I thought I had to face every toxic person, give them an answer, or at least a comeback. But now, I hear this clear voice inside me saying, “Why bother? Just smile and move.” It feels strange, almost funny. Earlier, if someone threw words that stung, I would carry them all day like an unpaid load. Now, the same words reach my ears, knock at my brain, and I just tell them politely: “Sorry, we’re closed for negativity.” The final decision is mine. Sit. Relax. Skip. I don’t know what changed in me. Maybe it’s the hours at work where I bury myself in tasks, or the gym sessions where I sweat out all the nonsense. Or maybe it’s the bike rides, when the wind slaps my face and reminds me that life is too short to stop at every silly traffic signal of drama. Whatever i...