A Five-Year Journey of Growth: My Personal Bucket List of Skills, Serenity, and Service

    

When I imagine the next five years of my life, I don’t think of grand destinations or extraordinary adventures. Instead, I picture a journey filled with meaningful learning, inner calm, and everyday growth. This is my bucket list—simple, soulful, and deeply personal.

1. Becoming Conversational in Four Beautiful Languages

Languages open doors to people, culture, and connection. In the coming years, I hope to learn to speak Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, and Urdu with confidence. I know reading and writing may demand more time, but conversational fluency itself is a satisfying goal. To greet someone in their native tongue, to understand their stories, and to respond with ease—that is the experience I look forward to most.

2. Playing Short Keerthanais on the Veena

The veena has a divine presence in my life, and I want to deepen this bond. My aim is to be able to play short and simple keerthanais with grace, while strengthening my brain–eye–hand coordination through steady practice. Even a few minutes of soulful music each day can transform the mood, the mind, and the home.

3. Reciting Poetry in English, Tamil, and Sanskrit

Poetry allows us to touch emotions that everyday words cannot. Over the next few years, I hope to learn and recite poems across English, Tamil, and Sanskrit—three languages that offer different rhythms and strengths. English brings imagery, Tamil brings warmth, and Sanskrit brings spiritual depth. Reciting these poems will be an artistic and meditative experience.

4. Cultivating a Calm, Cool, and Relaxed Persona

More than productivity or accomplishment, I want to embrace a softer, calmer version of myself.
This includes:

Regular prayers to anchor my thoughts

Daily exercise to energize my body

Listening to or practicing music to soothe my mind

With each of these habits, I hope to grow into someone who responds gently, stays composed, and moves through life with ease.

5. Prioritizing Health and Extending Help to Others

Good health is a quiet blessing, and in the next five years, I want to honour it fully—through mindful eating, rest, movement, and timely medical care. Equally important is my desire to help those who need support, whether through time, guidance, or presence. Being useful to someone else is one of the most meaningful experiences.

6. Beginning Every Day with Gratitude

Above all, I want gratitude to guide my mornings and shape my thoughts. A simple moment of reflection—acknowledging what I have and who I am—can transform how the entire day unfolds. Gratitude fills life with quiet joy and gentle purpose.