Issue #50 - The Power of 8

When I began writing this column 50 editions ago, it became a tapestry of my emotions and thoughts from the week. It allowed me to express things I couldn't regularly share with others (thank you, Covid for teaching us resilience and self-respect).

Gradually, these thoughts and pent up emotions flowed like a stream, turning into a regular weekly substack of thoughts (well, almost every week with a few hits and misses).

More importantly, this journey has taught me to be mindful of the thoughts in my head and the feelings in my heart, processing them as the columns continued.

Whether I wrote about my beloved grandpa, lessons I learnt from life’s crisis, Human relationships, cherished friendships, an annoying but well learnt lesson, mental health issues, a lark to the past or a memorable reunion, it has been a magical journey that I am proud to have started and sustained over the past two years.

Thank you, to my cheerleaders and my family, who support me with every little ❤️ on each article.

Your support and shares mean the world to me. And cheers to the next 50, and beyond… !

Mental health is the primary topic on my mind (again) today because it's something we often outsource to a therapist (which is still stigmatized in our society) or avoid discussing altogether.

Whether it's an 80-year-old uncle in the family showing signs of severe withdrawal, a single mom struggling with a child diagnosed with developmental issues, or a sibling tirelessly caring for a parent while another sibling barely helps—we see them all.

Yet, we remain silent about it. Even nonchalant perhaps.

We whisper about it in family WhatsApp groups, where responses are rare except for the occasional birthday or anniversary wish (and honestly should be relegated to the past along with the Dinosaurs). The good old telephone calls used to be a breath of fresh air in times when gadgets were few, but hearts were open.

Not any more, when the gadgets (and communication devices at that) outnumber the total number of people in that family.

And yet there is radio silence. For decades….

Even doctors face emotional health issues, and young teens (sometimes even younger) struggle with social media and peer pressure. Exam results or the lack of a fair playing field push the brightest kids into dark echoes of confidence loss.

While we may not be able to fix everyone's situation, we all have 8 minutes, don’t we?

You might wonder, what's this 8 minutes all about?

I recently watched an interview where it was said that all a person in dire need of emotional help needs is 8 minutes of your time.

Not money, not fame—8 minutes to hug, to comfort, to talk, to just listen without judgment, or to simply "be there" for them.

Mental health is more important than anything right now, and we see people around us—families, friends, colleagues—who are struggling. It could be due to the loss of a loved one, a pet, a broken relationship, a job loss, a health setback, a business failure, or a loss of social status. Anything that prevents them from being at their best.

Or it could simply be burnout.

When a loved one asks you repeatedly, often without hinting that they need help, to join them for a cup of tea, lunch, a catch-up, or even a video call, they are asking for those 8 minutes.

For help. For comfort. To be heard. To be held. To be cuddled. To be comforted. To be able to breathe again.

Without prejudice, without judgment, without malice.

Reach out to those who need those precious 8 minutes out of the 1,440 that we have every single day, until our last breath.

Time passes by, just like the sun rises unfailingly, just as the birds chirp every morning, just as the water flows silently without attracting attention…

But can you set a code with a friend / loved one which says next time “Do you have 8 minutes?”

Who knows, we may need that 8 minutes someday. And it could be just around the corner.

Till next time.