Rachit Rohan

Blog

  • Fresh Perspective

    The new year is here!

    Every day is an opportunity to grow and learn. There is an abundance of information which is getter larger.

    I continually read more books, learn more, and listen to new thoughts.  I experience growth and awareness. My goals are to keep developing my self and be exposed to new approaches of doing things or to see things from different perspectives. This is to build awareness and make smarter decisions to make the most of my time.

    With such rapid changes all around us, I feel it also important to make time for reflection and to be present with one’s thought to understand the core reasons why am I doing something and what do I hope to achieve from the activity.

    This is why taking breaks from the ordinary are so important whether it be a vacation to a new place or just being in nature. You have a moment to be in a different environment, separate from the daily cycle.

    The most important thing I have learned is to get clear on what I want. Within the cosmic perspective, our lifespans are minuscule. Within the short time frame of my life, I hope to get clear on what I want and fulfill my dreams.

  • BMW i8 Driving Experience

    YouTube player

    Driving the BMW i8 was an awesome experience!

    The design of the car is extremely futuristic and attractive. With LED lights all around, scissor doors, and aerodynamic elements all throughout the car. Both the interior and exterior of the car is well thought out. Entering the car feels like approaching a hybrid of sports car and spaceship,  the doors open up, lighting all round, and the driver is focused on the impressive cockpit.

    The turbo 1.3-liter 3-cylinder engine (357 hp, 420 lb. ft)  powers the rear wheels and the electric motor powers the front. This plugin AWD hybrid has three distinct driving modes:

    COMFORT: Regular driving mode with the engine starting up as required.

    ECO PRO: Heavy focus on efficiency and uses the electric battery as sparingly as possible.

    SPORT: My favorite mode, the dash turns red! The car really comes alive with the engine revving and electric boost for the motor to help with acceleration.  The surge of acceleration via e-boost was most satisfying as it propels you forward!

    The passenger compartment is made up of a carbon fiber composite, aiding in the 50:50 weight balance. I really liked looking out the rear view mirror and seeing the gap between the tail lights and body. The low drag coefficient of 0.26 is a testament to the car’s forward thinking design.

    The driving experience of the car is dynamic as power is intelligently managed between the four wheels with the gas and electric motors, the brakes feel precise as well as responsive for regenerative braking, and the handling is confidence inspiring. The six-speed automatic had seamless shifts and reacted quickly to the paddle shifters.

    Even though the engine noise is synthesized, it sounded amazing through the speakers. With the ambient lights, cool design, and great engineering, this is the future of cars! Overall a truly pleasurable experience!

  • It’s all about thoughts!

    With the empowerment of the internet, everyone has access to an abundance of thoughts, ideas, opinions, and reviews. This allows us to make better/smarter decisions. How we think about the decisions is what sets us up for success!

    I’ve always been curious on why certain people achieve more in their lives, what drives them, what they do differently that makes them so successful. It’s their thinking that gets them where they want to go. Having an attitude of abundance and continuous improvement are the core reasons for success. My own personal journey to do more in my life started with the very simple questions such as: Why not me? What is stopping me from getting where I want to go? What can I do differently than what I have done in the past?

    Constant evaluations in all areas of my life keep me motivated to grow. Constant refinement in my thoughts and actions keeps me on course on who I am becoming. Working on my vision for my life keeps my imagination active. Using a values-based approach to situations takes care of morality and ethics. Taking calculated risks keeps me responsible for my actions. This all has given me the thing I desire most in my life, clarity! I know who I am and what I want to do. It is quite a liberating feeling!

    Realizing the insignificance of many things, thinking big, gives me a feeling of unlimited potential.  I now address situations with different perspectives and take action. Learning all about self-awareness and emotional intelligence, I remain calm, cool, and collected. I show restraint in my reactions and remain happier than before.

    I am glad to keep growing and developing myself. My journey has just begun, with every goal I complete; I get the opportunity to dream bigger! Every day I am turning my dreams into reality, soon they will have a more positive impact and at a global scale!

  • 5 Podcasts That Changed My Life

    Listening to podcasts are a great way to maximize my time. Filling my mind with informative and educational content helps me develop my thinking and feels good.

    I started experimenting with the podcasts app on my iPhone and tried out some comedy podcasts.  Getting into podcasts heavily, I did some research and got a better podcast app.

    I was amazed at the amount of content and categories available so I searched for some recommendations, this Forbes article really helped me. Since listening to those original podcasts I quickly started to listening to podcasts from many categories such as technology, entrepreneurship, finance, mindfulness, design, tips, life habits, space, travel, leadership, and interesting stories.

    These five podcasts below are from the more than 50 I have listened to and have stood out because of the quality content that influenced me to think deeply:

    The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe

    • Learned to think more critically
    •  Started question things around me more
    • Analyzed claims by people more and research the facts

    This Is Your Life with Michael Hyatt

    • Excellent advice on complex situations
    • Great stories from a CEO perspective
    • Inspiring to hear in the morning

    StarTalk Radio

    • Lots of laughter and fun to hear
    • Deep insight into the world of astronomy
    • Engaging answers to thought provoking questions

    Eventual Millionaire

    • Valuable advice and tips
    • Motivating stories to achieve my dreams
    • Realized making mistakes and overcoming them is critical to success

    Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders

    • Encouraging stories of overcoming challenges
    • Gained further understanding of starting and running a business
    • Learned that new opportunities are everywhere

    Bonus:

    Tara Brach

    • Started practicing mindfulness more often
    • Calming to listen to
    • Integrated gratitude into my life

    Listening to these podcasts have deeply enriched my life, I look forward to hearing more inspiring content and use that to add value to my life and others around me.

  • Road Trip Summer 2015

    Road trips are a great experience that should be taken more often. You get to enjoy driving on great roads, spend quality time with your family, and view scenic landscapes.

    Traveling to many countries gives you a new perspective and understanding of how people choose to live their lives. However, US and Canada are so vast that it seems like they are composed of small countries.

    For any road trip to be enjoyable, great roads are a must. Experiencing the vast range of the interstate system and highway network in US and Canada is a satisfying feeling. This great infrastructure lays the foundation for a prosperous country.

    Great roads require a great vehicle to maximize the fun. The 2015 Subaru Forester XT is an excellent example of a balanced road trip machine. Here are a few reasons why it was so awesome:

    • The suspension was firm enough for the curves
    • The ride was comfortable over the bumpy roads
    • The turbo provided adequate power for passing
    • The HID Headlights illuminated the road well
    • The large sunroof contributed to a bright cabin
    • The power tailgate was very convenient when loading luggage

     

    The road trip lasted nine days and I have described each day below:

    Day 1 Ontario to Vermont

    • Beautiful scenery along the way and visit to Dartmouth College

    Day 2 Vermont to Cape Cod

    Day 3 Cape Cod to New Brunswick

    Day 4 New Brunswick to Nova Scotia

    Day 5 Cape Breton

    Day 6 Nova Scotia to PEI

    • Left Sydney and then off to taking the ferry between Caribou, NS & Woods Island, PEI. Drove on the coastal drive and made our way into Charlottetown. Taking the fireworks cruise was a great idea.

    Day 7 PEI to New Brunswick

    Day 8 New Brunswick to Ontario

    • Long drive from New Brunswick passing through via Quebec to Brockville. Picnic stop in Quebec.

    Day 9 Ontario

    Apps used for navigation are Waze for in city traffic, Apple Maps for long drives, Google maps for getting location addresses.

    Below is a Google location history map of the trip:
    Epic Road Trip

  • Personal Finance

    Value for Value!

    Abundance and Scarcity!

    Energy Transfer!

    It simply amazes me how much a monetary based society can create so much prosperity and havoc at the same time. With fiat money, the fractional reserve banking system, and the taxation system makes me understand the broader implications of wealth in my quest to achieving financial independence.

    In my eyes, money is simply a tool which is amoral. I see money as potential employees eager to work 24/7 hours a day, 365 days a year. Learning about compound interest, investing, and credit, I was motivated to build good financial habits at a young age to set my future self up for success.

    I started reading books such as the Intelligent Investor, Your money or your life, Early Retirement Extreme, and Rich Dad Poor Dad. I quickly learned the power of savings rate, asset allocation, and made me curious to venture into the stock market.

    Having a diverse portfolio of low MER index funds and ETF’s and knowing a historic average stock market return of 6%-10%. I simply plan to use the power of dollar cost averaging and continually invest till I reach a tipping point where my investment returns are more than I am putting in. At that point, I will simply let compound interest do its magic and be financially free.

    Understanding that net worth and self-worth are independent of each other, I take the time to think before purchasing anything and think in the long term will this add any value to my life? I consider the cost of anything I buy as $0 to buy from a position of strength and analyze objectively.

    With rapid technological advances, there is a lot of demonization. As a result, I try to maximize every dollar to the fullest and look at the net present value and net future value to gain a better perspective. Coming from a mindset of abundance and thinking there is more than enough for every day makes day to day life easier and relaxed. Every day new solutions are found, new ways of thinking,  and new emerging technologies disrupt the marketplace.

    With the internet as the great equalizer, the next billion are coming online creating more and more opportunities for generating wealth. This is a promising time for any investor, emerging markets are my favorite investments as they are hopefully empowering people and raising consciousness.

  • How travel changed my life

    Ever since a young age, I’ve always been fascinated with how people live their lives. Everyone has limited time and it’s those that make the most of it that truly succeed. Some places foster an environment of growth and prosperity while others limit potential and fulfillment.

    Growing up on three continents and traveling to more than 30 countries gives me a unique perspective and appreciation of all the places and helps me gain a broader understanding of how one should live a good life.

    Here are three reasons how travel has enriched my life:

    #1 Attitude of Appreciation

    Seeing how different buildings are designed and used, watching people interact, and how the infrastructure is meeting the demands of the population are a few but essential part of the bigger picture that you start to appreciate. Taking a stroll on a city street during rush hour such as the Shibuya Crossing made me think of all the intensive planning and foresight to plan such a city and keep it running 24/7.

    #2 Sense of Wonder

    Taking a gondola ride in Venice, walking on the Great Wall of China, and going on a safari in the vast plains of Africa makes you just stop, breathe, and ponder. So many people before me must have lived such rich, fulfilled lives throughout time. It makes me wonder what their dreams were, what they do want from life, and what they were afraid of. This sense of wonder as now made me look up to the skies and imagine what interplanetary life would be like, and hopefully experience it in my lifetime.

    #3 Acceptance of Responsibility

    Making the most of each day goes hand in hand with travel. Researching, planning, budgeting, and going through the travel process makes you accountable and prepared. These same skills have trickled into my daily life and have benefited tremendously from them. It is both exciting and liberating knowing that you are responsible for your life and the choices you make.

    All in all, travel has deeply enhanced my life. I look forward to more travel experiences and the unique people, places, as well as the deep thoughts that come along the journey.

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