“This is what is available.”


Last week, I wrote about how the halfway point of the year is a natural invitation to pause, reflect, and reset. A gentle checkpoint. Not the dramatic “New Year, New Me” kind—but more like a quiet “Okay, how am I doing?”

Today, I want to stay on that path, and share a phrase that recently struck a deep chord with me:

“This is what is available.”

It came from an exceptional leader I’ve had the privilege of working with over the past year—someone I admire deeply, not just for his sharp mind, but for the way he navigates complexity with this calm, steady presence (the kind of person who could probably defuse a ticking time bomb and make you a cup of tea at the same time).

When I asked him what principles had shaped him, he shared this line—something his father used to say often: “This is what is available.”

It’s not a shrug. It’s not resignation. It’s an anchor.

A quiet way of saying: stop spinning stories about what should be. Start engaging with what is.

His father would say it during conversations that were drifting into fantasyland—“if only we had more money/time/support/unicorns”—and it had this beautiful way of gently landing the moment back on solid ground.

And I saw how this leader lived that principle. In meetings, decisions, even everyday conversations—he’d subtly steer things from abstract hand-wringing to “Okay, what can we actually do?” And when things got too circular, he’d respectfully step away—not with drama, just with clarity. Like: Cool story, folks. I’m off to where progress is possible.

That really stayed with me.

Especially as I’ve been navigating some big changes in my own world.

You see, earlier this year, an entire industry I’d worked in for over 30 years... kind of disappeared. Poof. Practically overnight.

There were definitely moments I felt lost. Unmoored. Like I was stuck in an old episode of Survivor, except I had no map, no fire, and Jeff Probst was nowhere to be found.

Last week, I used the phrase: This is what is available.

So I sat down and made a list:
Skills.
Relationships.
Experience.
A reasonably steady head.
Decent health.
And an ability to laugh at myself (especially when I forget why I walked into a room).

It didn’t fix everything. But it changed something important: the way I showed up.

So this week, I have a gentle invitation for you:

When things feel overwhelming or uncertain, try pausing and asking—

🟢 What is available to me right now?
🟢 What can I work with, build on, or move forward from today?

You might find that you’re standing on more solid ground than you thought.

This cute three minutes song on this subject lifted my spirits: https://youtu.be/xFdvzH24LP8?si=b2p_zW5YeNVtOt1K


So if you’ve had your own “this is what is available” moment lately, I’d love to hear about it. Just hit reply—I really do read every note.

Mindfully, 
Sanjay
(Self-appointed 'Availability Specialist')

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