April 19 - Week 15

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 Picture of the Week:

Fred’s garden, crowned in full weeping cherry bloom. A cascade of white blossoms bows gently over the fence.



Overall:

A full-spectrum week of growth, visibility, reflection, and renewal. From strategic advances at work to steady rituals in health and home, creative expression deepened while historical and cinematic journeys expanded the mind. Family, nature, and humor kept the roots grounded. 


Takeaways from the Week:

  • Strategic clarity and collaborative patience are gaining momentum.
  • Music and writing continue to serve as mirrors and gateways.
  • No work travel - that felt great!

Behavioral Takeaways:

  • Visibility flows from clarity, contribution, and connection
  • Repetition with imagination (scales, hydration, writing) deepens transformation.
  • Personal rhythms matter: shifting schedules can restore energy.
  • As much as Bev remains a distraction, I’m keeping engagement minimal and boundaries firm. 

NOTES

Work:

  • Quietly building Institute 2.0 by creating a strategic content role to amplify past and future work; Jen is the leading candidate.
  • Shared vision and alignment secured with HR, research, and leadership; weekly co-creation sessions with Jen underway.
  • Delivered keynote to global CFO team—very well received.
  • Shared a visual, succinct 1Q update company-wide—reinforced visibility and alignment.
  • Significant uptick in engagement from CEO and CEO office.
  • Had a good interview with Retirement Daily’s Bob Powell discussing our latest research.

Home:

  • Bloomscape walks through forsythia, sakura, magnolias, and daffodils—Brookline in radiant Week 2 bloom.
  • Fred’s garden reached full weeping cherry bloom.
  • Met with tree crews, irrigation planners, and landscapers to reimagine yard structure and flow.
  • Planned planting of five dogwoods, boxwoods, and a new porch project.
  • Paid taxes—ouch! Monthly withholding adjustments now needed.
  • Rahul has started tutoring for his CFA Level 1 exam, scheduled for next month.
  • Broken drainage tap—damaged during winter—was fixed; key for upcoming irrigation system.
  • Received a reasonable quote for clearing tree branches—plan to sign the contract Monday.

Health & Fitness:

  • Hydration baseline stabilized: 3 of 4 days at or above 80 oz, with the one miss at 76 oz.
  • B12 regimen going strong.
  • Walking to and from dinners added joyful movement and fresh air.
  • Secured long-awaited appointments with a podiatrist and orthopedic doctor—surprisingly easily after weeks of delays.

Music:

  • Attended Marc Ryser’s Engaging Scales workshop—shifted mindset from drills to musical direction.
  • Two “aha” moments: scales reveal hidden flaws and strengthen memory.
  • Practicing with imagination, patience, and “Vitamin T” (time!) is now a joyful gateway, not a grind.
  • Let my piano teacher know I’d like to shift to Monday classes next term—Fridays aren’t working. The change may require switching teachers.

Writing & Creativity:

  • Curated and designed Sitting Together in Dialogue, a personal booklet of conversations, poems, and paintings shared with my father.
  • Continued refining the booklet; Krishna agreed to write the introduction. Received a very reasonable quote from Heather, with design discussion scheduled for Wednesday.
  • Listened to Annaka Harris on Mindscape—her ideas on consciousness, the illusion of self, meditation, and virtual reality sparked reflection.
  • Wrote a whimsical yet layered five-act workplace play titled Dave & Surya’s Project.

Social:

  • Met Raef for coffee in Cambridge; he’s preparing for his wine master’s exam and a 3-month move—he appreciated my healthy aging work plan.
  • Mini volunteered at the food kitchen—a meaningful act of service and kindness.
  • Lagging behind Mini 5–2 in our ongoing game of Scrabble—she’s got the triple word magic this week.

Sports:

  • Rahul placed well in a running race—steady strides forward.

Travel Plans:

  • After a month of grueling travel, staying home for most of the week was deeply therapeutic.
  • Drove to Sugarbush Resort for the weekend—a refreshing getaway to cap the week with mountains and movement.

Entertainment:

  • Watched Rory McIlroy win the career Grand Slam at the Masters—an exhilarating moment as a longtime fan.
  • Learned the arc of English history from Celtic Britain to the Windsor monarchy—over 2,000 years of transformation from tribal society to constitutional monarchy.
  • Watched The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland—a swashbuckling classic full of dashing heroism and timeless charm.







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