I recently asked my mentee what she was looking forward to in September.
This simple question got me thinking about my own upcoming joys. It's easy to get caught up in the stress of daily life and all the things that go wrong. We often focus on the big, difficult challenges, but what about the small, wonderful moments that brighten our days?
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou
I shared the following moments that I am grateful for and excited to wake up to. I realized my September was full of little delights:
Celebrate my sister’s birthday all month long
Practice mindful motivation on Fridays with my Insight Timer community
Teach an in-person product marketing class in San Francisco
Volunteer at the magical Flower Piano event at the SF Botanical Garden
(10 year anniversary Sept 12-21)Practice Abundance mindful motivation and make butterfly origami together at the SF Wellbeing Abundance Fair (Sept 20)
Facilitate IAmRemarkable workshop on Sept 21 to empower folks and break down our unconscious biases and imposter syndrome
And, of course, try a new flavor of delicious Mille Crepe cake from Lady M - Jasmine Calamansi
These aren't huge, life-changing events, but they are sprinkles of sunshine in my life. They remind me that even when the world feels dark and stormy, there is still hope. They are reminders to be grateful for the present moment.
Time cannot be bought or borrowed
I even saw a bench in Golden Gate Park that reminded me of this, reinforcing a simple truth: time cannot be bought or borrowed. The time we have is precious, so we should make the most of it.
Find our own Sunshine
Think about these little pockets of sunshine as a powerful practice to show up everyday. It’s about more than just a list of events; it's a way to practice mindfulness and lovingkindness. By taking a moment to look ahead and appreciate the good things, we are training our brain to see the positive, even when things are tough.
For you, these moments might be:
Try a new coffee shop or tea or boba or your favorite bakery
Read a book or learn something new
Spend time with friends or family
Watch sunrise or sunset
Walk in a park or garden
Listen to a favorite music and dance
These small moments are what make up a happy life. They are little pockets of peace and gratitude that help us get through the difficult times.
Product Marketing Class - Sept 9
I am blessed to teach product marketing and guide the future product marketing leaders of tomorrow. And there is nothing like an in-person class where we get to connect and learn with each other.
www.linkedin.com/posts/div_congrats-to-the-san-francisco-class
And the studio space was wonderful with gorgeous Sunflowers and Dahlia.
A quick stroll in the park led us to find my monarch butterfly.
PMA Scholar Program - Q3 2025
Congrats to the PMA Scholar class of Q3 2025!
A pure joy to be with y'all in the past 12 weeks and learn product marketing together.
www.linkedin.com/posts/divmanickam_congrats-to-the-pma-scholar-class-of-q3-2025
Flower Piano - SF Botanical Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden with 50+ acres of plants around the world is my safe haven. My place to just be.
What pure joy to get an official volunteer badge. And to be a flower piano ambassador for the same areas as last year - California Native, Redwood Grove, Conifer Lawn and South Africa.
Walking amidst the flowers and appreciating the beauty and warmth…
Towards the end of my shift, I smiled like a kid when I saw my favorite artist at the Flower Piano, Samer Fanek on Friday even though his scheduled performance is on Sunday. And I got to hear his friends, Michael Martinez and Josh play as well. And the musical composition from Jaden from Tracy was phenomenal .. pure magic..
Samer Fanek - Guide Me • Desert Rush
Thank you Samer for playing the Arabian beats and for sharing your love for music. Your music connected with my soul, breathtaking - just wow!
Grateful for the chance to hang out with you folks. Mucho gracias!
Hearing that Samer can’t read or write sheet music inspires me to learn to create music in my own way.
I have tried to learn music on Duolingo but my brain sees colors and cannot remember the musical notes. I can feel music and will play my own tunes at the Flower Piano one day.
And the joy to sing along with Larry to “You are my Sunshine” - priceless…
You are my Sunshine. My only sunshine.
..
Please don't take my sunshine away …
SF Wellbeing Fair
Our theme this season is abundance as we welcome Fall.
I welcome abundance as I step into the fair with a group class on mindful motivation and making butterfly origami together with my beloved community.
https://insighttimer.com/nowhere.div
Queer & Well: unplug and recharge
Lake Lagunitas (9.25.25)
Thank you Nick and Ruby with SFLGBT Center and Nopal, Topsail and MK with Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
A magical nature walk/hike 2.6miles around Lake Lagunitas in the redwood forest
+ Qigong practices infused with the elements of earth, air, water and fire.
+ Community, selfcare and wellbeing coming together with mother nature
Another sunshine moment 🌞
Chez D 🎼
Southern Cornbread meets Italian + Japanese flavors
In the book by Dr. Emily Falk, What We Value: Neuroscience of Choice and Change, here are my learnings:
Our choices are based on what our brain values.
This includes our past experiences, current needs, and future goals, and it's how our brain turns complex decisions into simple choices.Identity and social connections shape our choices. Who we think we are and what we believe others think influence what we choose to do.
Small actions create habits and can lead to big changes.
Purposefully changing your daily routines, like taking a different route to work, can open up new possibilities and change who you are.We can change our feelings by changing our thinking.
Using techniques like "reappraisal," which is purposefully thinking about a situation differently, can help regulate emotions.Connecting with others is vital. Our relationships with other people are essential for our well-being, innovation, and our sense of self.
The main "aha moment" is that our decisions, from small daily choices to big life changes, are based on a "value calculation" in the brain. This calculation takes into account different brain systems, including:
Value system: What your brain expects as a reward.
Self-relevance system: What you think of as "me" or "not me".
Social relevance system: What you think others think and feel.
Understanding this process gives us more control. It reveals that we can influence our decisions and behaviors by changing what we think about, what we pay attention to, and whom we spend time with.
I decided to Live as Me: An Illustrated Checklist for How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others So You Can Learn to Love Yourself
A good reminder after reading the book, here are three things I do to live my life to the fullest in the here and now:
Embrace Your Authentic Self: Don't let others define you. The person you should respect most is yourself. Find out what you are good at and what you enjoy doing.
You should accept who you are, including your flaws, and not worry about what others think. It's about finding your own answers and living your life without constantly seeking approval from others.
Focus on Your Own Joy: Your happiness is your responsibility. It's important to find joy in simple things and in your everyday life.
Get rid of things that make your life unnecessarily heavy. This could be physical items you don't use or worries about things that haven't happened.
It's important to set boundaries and protect your peace, even if it means not getting along with everyone. True friends will respect your limits. Happiness is a personal responsibility, and you shouldn't be preoccupied with what others think of you.
Create Your Own Path: Find out what you are good at and what you enjoy doing. Seek out new experiences to add variety to your life, whether it's by taking a new route home or meeting new people.
You should accept who you are, including your flaws, and not worry about what others think. It's about finding your own answers and living your life without constantly seeking approval from others.
Why Joy Matters
Our brains are wired to focus on threats and problems. It's an old survival mechanism. In our modern world, this can lead to stress and anxiety.
Living in fear or constant worry is not a good place to be.
Consciously seeking out joy helps balance this out. It's a form of self-care.
We feel hopeful and connected to the world around us.
So, as you start a new month, take a moment to ask yourself:
What are my sprinkles of joy and sunshine?
What are the little things I look forward to?You might be surprised by how much sunshine and joy you will find…