A Journey Through Ambition, Burnout, and Back to Joy

A Moment of Truth

What happens when your fire dims under ego’s shadow? I’m Taran—tech designer, traveler, photographer, organic farmer. My life, like a ride on my Royal Enfield Thunderbird, follows my heart. But one dusk, my Honda Africa Twin’s engine still, my heart racing in ego’s fog, I nearly unraveled. This is my story of rising, falling, and rediscovering joy through nature’s wisdom—and how you can weave your path.

A Singular Path

In a city of ambition, I joined a tech firm, my mind sparking ideas. Unlike colleagues chasing titles or gossip, I carved my trail. “My path is mine,” I’d say, crafting apps that learned like minds, designs that pulsed. My go-getter spirit and bold risks—pitching untested concepts—earned promotions yearly. Awards stacked up, my name a quiet beacon.

Beyond code, I was an alchemist. I didn’t buy vehicles to impress; I chose them by instinct—each echoing my need for endurance, freedom, and the quiet defiance of a go-getter. My Mahindra Thar carried me to the Western Ghats, where I photographed tigers and eagles at Chembarambakkam Lake. My organic farm bloomed, each harvest proving satisfaction trumps bank balances. I shared coding hacks, photo tips, farming secrets freely, unbothered by peers patenting my ideas. “Knowledge is a river,” I’d say, “let it flow.”

Ego’s Trap

Success stirred envy. Colleagues coveted my travels, my farm, my Mercedes GLA’s stride. Some feared my rise, their smiles masking schemes. I barely noticed—until ego struck. A frenemy presented my app design as theirs, and applause followed. “These are my triumphs,” I thought, guarding my ideas, my heart a fortress. The game shifted.

Frenemies outplayed me, claiming my sparks. I pushed harder, my Thar tearing to pitches, my camera chasing clout, not joy. Stress coiled; anxiety shadowed me. My health frayed—sleepless nights, racing pulse, depression’s fog. Awards came, empty. Ego had knotted my tapestry, pulling me from truth.

Nature’s Wisdom

Drained, I parked my Africa Twin by a forest’s edge, camera still. Quantum physics spoke of unseen patterns; neuroscience unmasked ego’s illusions. My instincts, long muted, whispered: “Trust life’s rhythm, guided by a supreme commander, a cosmic flow.” Clarity dawned: chasing “my” success had tangled my path.

Nature taught me:

• Japanese forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) let me breathe with pines.

• Talking with trees in Kanha revealed truths.

• Thunderbird rides turned miles into meditation, where physics—a river’s curve—and chemistry—soil’s rebirth—spoke through nature’s frames.

My mantra, “Reduce and Reuse,” guided me:

✔ Reduce ambition’s weight.

✔ Reuse each lesson’s light.

A Lighter Weave

I coded for joy, not glory. On my GLA, I drove to Kabini, sharing tales with my kids, framing a leopard’s gaze, its power mine. My farm thrived, its cycles reuse. Colleagues took credit; I laughed, my heart light. I’d photographed India’s animals Elephant, Lions, Tigers, Rhinos, beautiful birds—each shot proof experience, not wealth, was gold.

The city envied my Africa Twin’s roar, my travels, my ease. Each vehicle, a feather in my cap, was chosen for freedom, not fame. My tapestry—code, jungles, fields—needed no applause, only a life reduced and reused.

Takeaways: Weave Your Tapestry

1️⃣ Define success personally: Mine’s travel, photography, farming—not bank balances. What’s yours?

2️⃣ Share generously: Ego thrives on scarcity. Plant ideas like seeds.

3️⃣ Learn from nature: Take a forest walk; physics in a river’s flow teaches resilience.

4️⃣ Live “Reduce and Reuse”: Shed ego (reduce); repurpose setbacks (reuse). Trust life’s rhythm.

5️⃣ Follow instincts: When stress clouds you, listen within.

Closing: Your Threads

Ego tests us, but it teaches. My Thunderbird, farm, photos are threads in a larger weave. The alchemy is living true, learning daily, trusting life’s flow.

Your turn:

📌 Share a moment ego tested you—how did you find your way?

📌 What’s one lesson nature taught you?

Ride, create, let go. The road is yours. 🚀🌿