Life has a way of leading us down roads we never expected to travel, leaving us at crossroads where the future feels uncertain. Right now, I find myself at one of those moments. For the past few years, things have been steadily good. I’ve been working from home as a software developer at a top product-based company, performing decently well. Some days, my work excites me, while other days it feels like an endless loop of monotony.
Then, life threw me a curveball. I fell in love with a state civil servant—a person whose life and work were a world apart from my own. It’s been the most transformative experience I could’ve imagined. We got married, full of dreams of a beautiful future together. But what was supposed to be a blissful journey turned out to be an awakening that changed everything I thought I knew about work and purpose.
The pride I once had in my role as a software engineer began to fade. His work—dedicated to public service, driven by direct impact and constant human interaction—sparked something in me. It made me question my own path. As a software engineer, most of my time is spent staring at a laptop, isolated in a virtual world. But the job he does is the complete opposite—facing people, solving problems, making a real difference.
The human connection I had longed for during my work-from-home days suddenly seemed like a crucial part of my life that I had been missing. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I wanted that sense of fulfillment and connection. I started to believe that perhaps I still have time to prepare for the UPSC and transition into the civil services.
But then, the big question arises: Should I leave behind the security and stability of my current job for an uncertain yet potentially more rewarding path? Is it worth giving up my “high” for something I feel might be a better fit for my heart and soul?
Gentle Rhythms 
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