Two Years On...

Celebrating A Lovely Present

Yes. It’s been TWO YEARS (104 weeks) since I started writing Hello Universe. What an amazing ride!

Thanks to all the loyal readers who have been a part of this journey with me. All 305 of you. And a hearty welcome to all the new readers who have joined us last week. All 702 of you.

Yes, in one week, we have gone from being a community of 300 to a community of 1000+. The story of this lovely present is in the “Year in review” section below.

Now, about today’s poem…

At the age of 28, I wrote "Eighteen," imagining a talk with myself from a decade ago. Then at 30, I wrote "Forty," picturing a chat with my future self from a decade later. These poems make up my favorite series in Hello Universe - the "Time Machines" series.

Now, with my 31st birthday coming along in 45 days and my newsletter turning 2, I'm also experiencing big life changes. I've left my job of 8 years and moved to a new city. It's a time of change, challenges, and growth. And it’s making me wonder: Who am I today?

So here's a special poem, expanding the “Time Machines” series into the "Past, Future, and Present Trilogy." Come along as I look into the mirror to figure out who I am at 30 before this moment becomes a memory in just 45 days. Let's dive in together!

Looking into the mirror is fun!

I’m curious to know - who are you today? Before you read today’s poem, drop me a short, one line reply about how you feel about yourself. You can also consider sharing your thoughts as a comment. I reply to all comments with a mini poem, so today might be your turn! 😀

Alright, poem starts in 3… 2… 1!

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Thirty

I've found a way to talk to me,
right now, when I'm thirty.
The person that I am somehow.
The human I am being.

We have just forty-five days,
then this portal will collapse.
So there is but a little time
for maybe or perhaps.

I say, "Tell me about you,
what is your reality?
Who have you always been my friend?
And who will you soon be?

Tell me, is your heart curious?
Are your feet on solid ground?
Is your head up above in clouds?
Is your world also round?

Is life itself enough for you?
Or is there room for more?
When fate itself comes knocking,
do you keep an open door?

Does money move your muscles?
Or does fear drive you home?
Do other people think of you
when you're away to roam?

Do feelings have a place for you
does meaning make you sway?
And when you go out in the world,
are you then out to play?

Who are you friend?" I ask him,
as I look into his eyes.
He softly, kindly says,
"I am the brush painting your life."

---

That’s it! Thanks for reading edition 104 of Hello Universe!

Check out the “Year in Review” and “Some Fun Stuff” below:

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Year in Review

This week, I’m sharing a few Hello Universe moments that made me happy over the last year. Hope you like these too!

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TOP POSTS:

Here are the 3 posts on Hello Universe that gave me a lot of joy to create, and were loved by readers like you!

Walk in the Park

This New Guy

Flying Kites

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REVIEWS:

You may have spotted a link in the footer of my emails where I ask you to rate the poems I write. It leads to a Google form where you can share a rating and leave some feedback.

Here are the ratings and some feedback that readers have shared. 97.6% of the ratings are the top 2 options, so that feels fantastic!

It warms my heart to know that these tiny poems have a real impact on someone out in the world. If that someone is you, please do share a comment or a reply with me and let’s get to know each other better! (especially that last review - I happened to see it today and now am wondering who it was) 😀

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SUBSCRIBERS:

1007 subscribers are receiving Hello Universe today.

This is all thanks to a fantastic present that the Substack team (

Hamish McKenzie

,

Hannah @ Substack

,

Bailey @ Substack

, and

Katie @ Substack

) gave me on the occasion of writing for 100 weeks.

Hello Universe was featured in

On Substack

Milestone roundup: Meet the writers celebrating new breakthroughs on Substack

And then, for 4 days, Hello Universe was on the homepage of

Substack

!

Thanks to this incredible present, we are now a 1000+ member community. If you are a part of this new gang, welcome onboard, dear reader! Here are some tips to help you make the most of this experience:

1. Move Hello Universe to your “Primary” inbox so you don’t miss out on any edition. If you don’t see an email from me on any Tuesday, it’s probably an inconsistency with your inbox, as I have been consistent for 104 weeks now!

2. Check out the Hello Universe playlist on Spotify - it’s full of songs that I suggest in “Some Fun Stuff” every week!

3. If the poems I write spur some thoughts in your head, don’t miss out on sharing your thoughts as a like or a comment. Hello Universe is a thriving community with engaged readers and you will love that experience!

Welcome again, and if you’re new here, drop a short comment below telling us who you are and what you do!

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Some Fun Stuff

This is a place where I recommend read-worthy, hum-worthy, and watch-worthy content from across the internet. The underlined words are links that you can click to access my suggestions:

1. Read Future Telescope: Hello Universe is not the only newsletter that I write.

Technology is my lifeblood. For 15 years, I've been captivated by tech advancements, devouring information from media and academia alike. This journey has given me a keen understanding of the cutting edge. In February 2023, I put pen to paper and began building a community of tech enthusiasts, with Future Telescope.

At Future Telescope, I explore topics like GPT-4, its potential impact, spending money on AI technology, and engage in in-depth conversations with AI about our world.

It’s a new corner of the internet created and curated by your friend Punit. If you like Hello Universe, I’m sure that Future Telescope is also for you.

Subscribe today, and let’s look at the future together!

2. Listen to “Lost Horizons” by Lemon Jelly: This album has been playing nonstop in my ears for the last 2 months. It has seen me pick a new job, leave a city with my friends in it, and settle into a new place. It was playing when I wrote today’s poem. It is my favorite find. Thank you Angshuman and Saurav for introducing me to this fountain of joy. I love it.

3. Watch URTraveller on Youtube: Another friend of mine goes around the USA and shares these glimpses into his life with some admittedly cheesy music in the background. That’s just how he is, fun and sincere with a bit of cheese thrown in. I love this channel because it shows me the world from my friend’s eyes, and I hope you’ll like it too!

If you read through all the way, I am grateful to have you here. Every week when I write to you, I imagine that I’m performing in a room full of people. Somehow, there’s now 1000+ people in this room. It energizes me and motivates me to write better!

How it feels to write to you every week

That’s it for this week. See you next Tuesday!