People you know come knocking on the door. They bring candles. The light of their little fires blinds you; your eyes are used to darkness. They ask you questions with no answer. Some know better, and sit with you in silence. Others give you food you can’t taste. As they each take their leave, they turn and give you a brief look, hoping you’ll join them. They shut the door gently behind them.| Salman Ansari
Six weeks ago, my mother died suddenly. Her name was Fauzia. A reflection on grief, loss, and the importance of being present with those we love.| Salman Ansari
The moment I looked eye to eye with a wolf, and the truth behind the ugly myths that haunted the wolves in America.| Salman Ansari
It was the summer of 2019. I was driving through Yellowstone National Park when I spotted something through the windshield that got my heart racing. A lone bison. I’d never seen one before. I pulled over immediately. When I stepped out of my car, the air felt heavy. I stared, stunned. I knew not to come any closer. Not because of a posted sign, but because of the energy in the air. It was eerily quiet. I could feel the bison’s gaze resting u...| Salman Ansari
In December of last year, my cat Scooby passed away. I am still not over his loss. Maybe I never will be.| Salman Ansari
Last weekend, I attended a meditation retreat. After an hour of sitting, a loud thump broke the silence. A man had just collapsed onto the floor. At first I thought he just fell asleep. Then he began shaking. I quickly got up and tried to help him. Another man, who just happened to be a doctor, knelt next to me. I helped straighten the man’s legs and put a pillow under his head while the doctor tried to wake him.| Salman Ansari
I visited a place called Little Farm at Tilden Nature Reserve, up in the hills of Berkeley, California. It’s a working farm with all kinds of animals—sheep, goats, geese, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, cows, and more. I noticed I was the only adult there who wasn’t attending as a child’s accompaniment. But then I reminded myself I was chaperoning my inner child, and I continued on my merry way to meet the animals. Everywhere I looked, children were stuffing the animals’ faces with litt...| Salman Ansari
I just finished reading a beautiful book called The Mysterion by Kabir Helminski. The book is a wonderful introduction to the Sufi lens on spirituality, and how to find connection with our inner selves and those around us in an increasingly disconnected world. What I liked most about Kabir’s writing is that he offers a practical mindset to the nature of Self, and how to manage our inner world. In this way, his writing reminded me of Alan Watts, and I was surprised at how much it resonated w...| Salman Ansari
Recently, I finished narrating an audiobook edition of my upcoming book of fables. I thought it’d be worth collecting all the knowledge I’ve gained on audio production through the recording process. Even if you’re not doing any audio recording, these tips can help you elevate your microphone audio in online meetings and presentations. The way we show up online is heavily affected by our audio quality (even more than video!) I’ve gotten lots of compliments on the clarity of my audio—...| Salman Ansari
Returning to the simple beauty of blogging. Reflecting on the chaos of Substack's current platform, and how it may not be for me anymore.| Salman Ansari
Recently I was on stage at the Town Hall Theater in Lafayette, doing a Q&A after a book reading event, when the moderator asked, “Why are fables so important to you? What is it about them that motivated you to write your own book of fables?” I replied: “The classic fables are timeless gems of wisdom. Our shared stories, myths, and folklore are invaluable guides on how to live our lives. They’ve lost prominence in our modern societies, though we need them now more than ever. But that...| Salman Ansari
You see, there was the small matter of my desk. I refused to use it. I would hide on my couch and avoid it as much as possible. I couldn’t get myself to sit at that damn desk and write. I thought about it for a long while, and decided the problem was the desk itself. It was one of those fancy adjustable desks. It could lift itself up quite high, but it wouldn’t go down low enough for my liking. That put upward pressure on my arms, which pushed on my shoulders, which I believe to be the ca...| Salman Ansari
Let me tell you how we killed the salmon. You see, years ago, man came along and saw the salmon swimming upstream. 'Wow, look at them go!' we said. 'They keep swimming, even against the current…'| Salman Ansari
So many hours of our lives are wasted worrying about what other people think. Even with the power of meditation, I still got caught in these worry cycles. Finally, I found answers in a book called 'The Courage To Be Disliked.'| Salman Ansari
When we give ourselves permission to revisit the books and experiences we love, we unlock the power of ritual.| Salman Ansari
I’m working on a fable about a fish. I’ve probably rewritten it ten times by now. At first I felt frustrated by this endless cycle of iteration. But then I remembered: This is how it goes. This is the process. The task is to keep iterating until that “feeling” is reflected back to me in the work. It’s that pestering creature in my head that made me start writing in the first place, the indescribable essence that I must strive to describe.| Salman Ansari
Procrastination is often perfectionism in disguise. And perfectionism is a misguided attempt to secure an impossible guarantee. Liberate yourself by letting it go.| Salman Ansari
The power of a creative lies in their sustained belief that something is worth making, even if they can’t predict its outcome.| Salman Ansari
How I learned to love drawing again by embracing playfulness. Ultimately, it was the practice of sharing, not studying, that kept me drawing.| Salman Ansari
It’s the end of the day, but you just got into some productive flow. You’re on a roll, so you tell yourself, “Let’s just keep going. It’s almost done.” You’re almost at the finish line, so why stop now? Unless you’re on a deadline, there’s value in leaving a little for tomorrow. The obvious reason to avoid overworking yourself. But there are a few other benefits to leaving creative leftovers.| Salman Ansari
Forget about about failure. Instead ask yourself, “What if I succeed?” What if you succeeded on the path you dream about? Is that really the life you want?| Salman Ansari
Chaos is alluring, but routine is rewarding. As much as I like the idea of being loose with my schedule, too much freedom leaves me feeling overwhelmed and uninspired. Routine allows me to channel my urge for chaos into creativity.| Salman Ansari
You’ve been meaning to start writing online, but you’re afraid. You’re afraid of what people might say when they read it. You’re also afraid that no one will read it. You worry that your work isn’t good enough. That no one gives a damn about what you think. But the fact that you worry is precisely why your work will be genuine, interesting, and unique. Because you care, your perspectives are invaluable to the world.| Salman Ansari
We process external signals immediately, but fail to notice the internal signals that come from within. Our intuition can guide us to better understand how we experience the world, and more importantly, how we want to experience it in the future.| Salman Ansari
If you spend all your energy thinking about doing, you’ll have no energy left to actually do anything.| Salman Ansari
Find the hidden opportunities that can energize you and accelerate your career.| Salman Ansari
After a phase of burnout, I took a sabbatical. It led to an awakening of sorts, both intellectually and spiritually. Friends called me ‘Salman 2.0’. I wondered: What will 'Salman 3.0' be like?| Salman Ansari
With every moment that passes, the ready ones grow stale.| Salman Ansari
When we notice a bird, behold it, remember it… we give it meaning.| Salman Ansari
My body becomes my ally in the battle against loneliness.| Salman Ansari
After struggling with burnout and taking a sabbatical, I learned to embrace my inner questions.| Salman Ansari
We are human — imperfect by nature. Yet we still expect perfection from our creations.| Salman Ansari
The skies were orange. The air was ashy. Late at night, this poem came to me.| Salman Ansari
New York is a city that thrives on density. In the wake of a global pandemic, its greatest strength has become its noose. COVID has set its foundation on fire. I'm grieving for New York's present. I'm worried yet hopeful for its future.| Salman Ansari
How to use Aristotle's three appeals of persuasion to ensure our message is clear, well-grounded, and resonates with our audience.| Salman Ansari
Feedback has the power to inspire and energize us. But it can also lead us astray. We must handle feedback with care, and learn to look to our own instincts for guidance.| Salman Ansari
I found myself in a crisis of questioning: I was writing more than ever, but wasn't sure exactly why. I share the story of how I tackled this difficult question, and the answers I found in the teachings of Elizabeth Gilbert.| Salman Ansari
What makes a book resonate? Beyond the typical factors (genre, author, etc.), I believe a major factor that is often ignored is timing. You need to be in a place in your life where you are ready to receive the message being presented by the author. If you’re not, it doesn’t matter how good the book is or how many weeks it’s been on the best seller list. The book won’t connect.| Salman Ansari
I just left my full-time job, and will be spending the majority of my time on creative projects. In this post, I share the five key principles that motivated my decision, and why I'm doubling down on them.| Salman Ansari
When a negative thought penetrates our mind, it can linger for days, weeks or more. Why does negativity hold so much power? How can we overcome it?| Salman Ansari
What do guns and cars have in common? They're both privileges that are available to each and every American who can afford one. They’re also tools of murder. Every year, for the past three years, more than 40,000 Americans died in traffic fatalities.| Salman Ansari
I’ve worn a lot of different hats over the years — engineer, manager, teacher, founder, coach, and others in between. Switching roles can be overwhelming, challenging, and even depressing at times. But I've found it to be one of the best ways to escape the confines of the career path and discover new sides of myself.| Salman Ansari
As I write this, I’m on a plane flying over the Pacific Ocean, contemplating the trip I just had. I’ve always wanted to visit Japan (Tokyo in particular), and it finally came to fruition this past week. The last time I wrote about my travels was after spending several months teaching in South Africa. While this was a much shorter trip (one week, to be precise), I feel just compelled to share my thoughts after this one.| Salman Ansari
Your past as an individual contributor helps you tremendously as an engineering leader. It's crucial to understand why, so that you can do what's necessary to maintain your technical edge. Ultimately, your technical skills are a critical part of your engineering leadership effectiveness.| Salman Ansari
You're in yet another boring 1-on-1 meeting. It seems like all you do is go over random updates, or just chat about life. You could be using this time to do 'real work' instead! Thankfully, it doesn't have to be this way.| Salman Ansari
There are many reasons why building diverse teams within inclusive environments is beneficial. Others have written about them at length, and the cases are compelling. If you aren't already familiar with the data and rationale, please take the time to do some research on it. Without strong intrinsic motivation from your leadership, change is unlikely.| Salman Ansari
It’s important for people to truly understand the consequences of the Equifax hack, and to take whatever actions they can to protect themselves. This is no joke: it is quite likely a significant number of people’s entire livelihoods will be destroyed as a result of this breach.| Salman Ansari
Ideas are like candles. We must make the most of their light while it lasts. If you abandon an idea too early, it leaves the idea in a vulnerable state. What you return to might be unrecognizable.| Salman Ansari
We talk ourselves out of creating, because we think it's too intimidating. But if we ask ourselves to take just one step, the mountain becomes manageable. A small step becomes a giant leap.| Salman Ansari
As I struggled to cope with life during a pandemic, I sought to restore stability in my life. But some things are just out of our control. I share some of the most impactful learnings I've had around how to deal with uncertainty by embracing it.| Salman Ansari
You've likely heard the saying: 'A jack of all trades is a master of none.' But the extended version tells a different tale: 'A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.' Society forces us to be specialists, but there is great power in embracing multiple pursuits.| Salman Ansari
I just reached 2,000 followers on Twitter, and I felt nothing. There’s a strange emptiness in reaching a milestone you expected to matter, only to find that it doesn’t. Eventually, I realized: The success was the friends I made along the way.| Salman Ansari
Discovering ourselves through writing, one layer at a time. If what I’m writing now is just the outer layers, what lies hidden beneath?| Salman Ansari
Waiting for motivation is a losing game. Start with a tiny task, then ride its momentum.| Salman Ansari
Sometimes we feel exhausted after just ten minutes of work. Other times, we get immersed in work for hours. Instead of planning our lives with time, we must learn to notice and manage our energy.| Salman Ansari
Crippled by fear of public scrutiny, writers avoid what they really want to say. But there’s a middle ground to be found: Lower the stakes with semi-public sharing, and liberate your strong takes.| Salman Ansari
Great feedback is a gift, but most feedback isn't great. By clarifying our needs when asking for feedback, we can dramatically improve the effectiveness of the feedback we get, and protect our peace.| Salman Ansari
What if we looked at life not as a mission to avoid the bumps, but a challenge to embrace them? In the end, we may look back and realize those weren’t bumps on the road—the bumps are the road.| Salman Ansari
