I WANT TO BE LIKE MY DAUGHTER

My nine-year-old, Roshini, knows how to live. She doesn't walk, she dances. Never one to forgo a chance to explore, she leaps into the world; unapologetically being herself as she creates her own joy.

Watching her spirit soar with carefree zeal makes me wonder why I do not feel the same levity. As adults, we consider ourselves wiser. Yet children seem to outwit us when it comes to living—really living.

It's no secret that spirituality is a big part of my life. Believing in something bigger has gotten me through the darker episodes of my journey. And as my Amma (mother) taught me, a spark of this grand design resides in us all. It guides us and offers more fulfilment, more joy than any material object ever could.

This belief underlies Celestree. Woven into each scarf is a story that celebrates the light inside—the one that gives meaning, empowers and connects us. In many ways, it is the truest representation of who we are.

Yet all too often, we lose ourselves. And that light dulls to an ember.

"Papa, you should smile more", instructs my precocious daughter. She contemplates my "fake smiles" with disdain, frequently questioning why I don't laugh or play more.

Is it as simple as that? Would that be enough to stoke the flame within?

What I wouldn't give to be like my Roshini, even for a short time! Her unwavering positivity. Her confidence, even around strangers. That magical freedom from the self-doubt that gnaws at me.

She brushes off anything that threatens to stifle her happiness. Despite having lost her mother as a baby, she never lets that absence slow her down; because she accepts with valour why things are the way they are.

When armed with understanding, she is content to make the most of her days, without negativity or insatiable desire diminishing her spirit. It's an elementary approach; a spartan resilience we seem to lose growing up.

Any adult would relish the opportunity to recapture the simplicity of their childhood. But our responsibilities weigh us down. Amid external expectations and judgement, desires for a particular lifestyle, and a snowballing cycle of wants, we relinquish our innate purpose for being.

Untethered to the guiding truth inside us, is it any wonder we lose ourselves? Despite trying to plug the void with material possessions, fulfilment remains outside our grasp. Because we no longer realise our purpose.

Of course, knowing what you've lost is only half the battle. As much as I want to be like Roshini, I cannot return to a childlike state. But I can recapture the meaning to my existence.

For Roshini, living your best life is finding joy in every moment. The happiness that makes you sing, skip and dance unabashedly and without thought.

As an adult, I can find the same satisfaction by putting something beautiful out into the world—something with substance that uplifts others and reminds them of their inner strength.

That something is Celestree.

Celestree is a call to reflect on your journey. To realise that you are at your greatest when you let your true self shine, unhampered by the forces that threaten to tear you away from your illuminating spirit.

Remember, life grows more complicated when you are distracted from your purpose. But if you connect with something that fills you with meaning, hold on to it. In it, you will find joyful contentment.