Sonia Majumder

Lately, I’ve found myself spending time at dog adoption centres, not because I was ready to bring a pet home, but because I was searching for a different kind of emotion. In a world that often feels performative, I wanted to experience something simpler and truer. What I found there was unconditional love.

A dog does not care about your title, your followers or your latest achievement. They greet you with joy simply because you are there. Sitting with them, walking them or watching them curl up beside a volunteer has reminded me that love can be uncomplicated. It has softened something in me and offered a quiet lesson in presence.

At the same time, I’ve been immersing myself in stories and ideas. I followed the Cannes Lions programmes from afar, even though I chose to spend that week wandering the streets of Istanbul instead.

Recently, I came across a piece of advice in a book, describe the life you want, and your brain will begin to build it. The idea stayed with me. Perhaps imagining a future is not wishful thinking but a form of direction-setting. By naming the life we long for, one rooted in purpose, kindness and meaningful work, we start noticing the paths that lead us there.

People often say that success comes from finding the right people, from surrounding yourself with those who inspire and elevate you. I still believe that. Yet, lately, I’ve also felt disillusioned. The media landscape can seem like a relentless spectacle, rewarding outrage over nuance and noise over sincerity. It is easy to feel cynical in the midst of it.

But perhaps that is precisely why small, authentic experiences matter so much. A wagging tail at an adoption centre, a quiet afternoon in a foreign city, a sentence in a book that sparks hope, these moments remind us that there is another way to live. They invite us to choose depth over distraction and connection over performance.

I do not have all the answers. I only know that the life I want is one in which love is given freely, creativity is nourished by lived experience, and success is measured not by applause but by authenticity. And maybe, by describing that life clearly enough, I am already beginning to create it.