Dear Readers,
I’m Mohit Gupta — entrepreneur, wanderer, doting husband and father and editor-in-chief at ROADFOLK.
For me it was always spontaneity over routine. To live in the moment. More often than not, I let my heart rule my head. Over this last decade I lost sight of that me. I am now ready to re-discover that soaring feeling. Re-discover my almost primal need to move and explore. I am ready to embrace the unexpected and the randomness of it all. To accept that life cannot be predictable, as we very well discovered these last few months. To accept that our attempts at control are feeble and ineffective at best. We are best when we allow nature to engulf our senses. To guide us and to take us forward.
During these lockdown days many of us have had the opportunity to re-think our lives. RESET our journeys. I am, most definitely, one of those “many”. ROADFOLK is a product of my re-think, my reset.
As we enter the post lockdown phase of recovery and re-building, we decided to share some of our stories. To put out our true emotions. To expose, perhaps, our most vulnerable selves. In the hope and desire that we might impact someone else’s life. We must explore that will we simply go back to how we were, or will we make an attempt to re-build a better world. A better life for ourselves and for all around us. A new world, more focused on living well rather than amassing more.
Life is an arbitrary and wonderful expedition with no sense of a definite direction or a definite ending. The only truth is love. Love in all its forms and most importantly we need to learn to love ourselves. At the end, that is all that matters.
ROADFOLK is our little effort to explore the idea of Better Living. The idea of Intentional Living. We shall share perspectives from our simple, routine, ordinary lives. It has always perplexed me that in our desire for creating wealth, and for many the absolute need to simply survive, we all lost sight of making living easier and better for the world at large. More Fun. More Laughter. More LOVE. It was all lost in the need to control. No animal, and we are no different, wants to be caged or controlled. And that is what society has all along sought to do. To dispense codes of conduct and to control humanity. At ROADFOLK, you’ll get to read stories about our travels, detailed and first-hand accounts of our struggles, and our undying love affair with the Road………
The more I think. The more I allow myself to feel. The more I let go of control. The more I allow myself to breathe. The more I begin to connect with who I am. This time of reflection has begun to connect me with who I am. That for me has been a most wonderful discovery. Baby steps, as I have a long way to go.
And I am finally happy and willing to allow myself to get lost in the journey. To embrace living as opposed to existing. To let go of the material and focus on love. Have I finally found my calling? Can’t say, the jury is still out on that one. But can some of our thoughts make a difference in someone’s life? They most definitely can.
We want to reach out to all those on the path and those who want to be on the path to Better Living.
Fortunately, I am not alone in this journey thus far and for the way ahead. I sincerely appreciate the love and support of all those who have been a part of making ROADFOLK come alive and for keeping us going ahead. My wife, Gouri, for her everlasting love and constant encouragement and, of course, her contributions to our section on eating better. My sons, Vidur and Varun, for standing by me whilst busy with their own endeavors. Rhea, the co-editor, steadfastly keeping it all together and sharing some of her challenges with mental well-being. Urvi will keep our design on track. And last but not least Anisha and Taryn who share from their hearts. I am eternally indebted to all for having brought us thus far and for showing us the way ahead.
We have all risen above our fear and trepidation and chosen to share our thoughts. Are risking being judged. I pray to all who read our stories and thoughts, please do not judge and simply explore if they speak to you at all. If they do, then it would make us ecstatic and if they don’t then perhaps, we shall connect in some other way. Still no need to judge.
This month we have been exploring the idea of Evolution. How the world has evolved and how it continues to evolve especially given the challenges in front of all of us given the current undergoing pandemic. Our intention is to explore a new idea every month and make every possible effort to contribute in your lives – our respected readers.
Rolling stones gather no moss. We are most definitely ROAD FOLKS. We wanna celebrate the everyday.
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” – Jack Kerouac
