Aruna Gobalan's Blog, page 3

The Link Between Identity and Impostor Syndrome

It may sound odd, but in this era of lifestyle vloggers, social media influencers, and ubiquitous life coaches who seem to have it all figured out, talking about impostor syndrome feels out of place. And yet, if we tune into the people we meet IRL (in real life—not the curated highlight reels online), we’ll see […]

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Schadenfreude Explained: Why Misery Loves Company and How to Be Better Than That

Though it sounds Shakespearean, the idiom Misery loves company wasn’t coined by the Bard—the ultimate master of stories on power, revenge, and the messy depths of the human condition. The idiom is thought to have roots in Latin and classical literature. The phrase “Misery loves company” is just a pithy way of saying that when someone […]

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When Hobbies Start to Feel Like Work

If you asked me what I like to do to unwind, I wouldn’t hesitate to rattle off a list: run, read, write, play my instrument, and cook (sometimes). Every single one of these is something I voluntarily do—something I wouldn’t hesitate to say I “enjoy” doing. And yet, for a couple of weeks, I couldn’t bring […]

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The Benefits of Adversity: Why a Kick in the Teeth Might Be a Very Good Thing

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; stand a little taller. Kelly ClarksonParaphrasing a sentiment Friedrich Nietzsche expressed nearly a century earlier, the title track of Kelly Clarkson’s album Stronger stands as a modern anthem of resilience. The song was a massive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and cementing itself as one of Clarkson’s […]

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Flow State: The Mental Vacation You Didn’t Know You Needed

As I write this, I have six browser tabs open, my daily to-do list is glaring at me from my peripheral vision, and I hear the faint ticking of a clock in the background. The muffled chatter of my household fills the air—it’s just enough noise to distract me, but not enough for me to […]

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The Immortality Project: Are We Chasing a Legacy at the Cost of Living?

Are we all, in one way or another, caught up in our own version of the Immortality Project? For as long as humans have understood mortality, we have raged against it. From ancient alchemists searching for the elixir of life to Silicon Valley billionaires funding longevity research, the human species has been keen to escape death. Whether […]

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If Life is Temporary, Why Bother? (And Other Fun Existential Questions)

Ever had one of those days where you pause mid-email, stare at your screen, and think, “What’s even the point of all this?” Well, congratulations, you’ve just had your first existential crisis of the day. Don’t worry, they only get more frequent as you get older. I’m at that age where I realize life’s a paradox—the […]

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Seven Takeaways from The Daily Routines of Creative Geniuses

I've always been fascinated by the daily routines of famous people. When it comes to exciting things, learning about someone’s daily habits ranks somewhere closer to seeing my favorite band live than sitting through a timeshare presentation. A glimpse into someone’s routine offers a sense of what sets them apart from the rest of us, and […]

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The All-or-Nothing Mentality Is a Trap

The all-or-nothing mindset is the equivalent of saying, ‘If I can’t win, I’m just going to take my ball and go home. Okay, so you took the advice to set SMART goals and got very specific. You commit to running 3 miles a day, 5 days a week, strength training for 20 minutes on alternate […]

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The Parable of the Second Arrow: A Lesson in Focus and Presence

There’s a famous Buddhist parable about the second arrow. The parable invokes a vivid metaphor: imagine walking through a serene forest when suddenly, you are struck by an arrow. The sharp pain you feel is undeniable—this represents the first arrow, the unavoidable hardships of life; most of the time, you have no control over such events. But […]

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