Between Dreams & Deadlines

Two seeds are planted on the same morning. One rises fast, tall and admired. The other works in the dark, growing roots no one can see — and quietly begins to wonder if it’s failing. Then the rains stop. Episode 5 of the Fable Series is a story about the hardest kind of work: the kind no one claps for yet. Because the doubt you feel in a quiet season isn’t proof you’re falling behind. Sometimes it’s simply the feeling of growing roots — deep enough to survive what’s coming.

A short story with a quiet lesson, from Between Dreams & Deadlines.

At her 90th birthday, a woman is asked what she would do differently if she could live again. Everyone expects the usual answers: travel more, work less, take more risks. Her answer surprises the room.

She has buried her husband, lost friends, and survived illness. Yet she says some of the longest suffering of her life came from disasters that only ever existed in her imagination.

In this episode of the Fable Series on Between Dreams & Deadlines, Sashi reflects on anticipatory anxiety. It's the habit of living through pain that hasn't happened, and may never happen. She shares one simple question to bring yourself back to the present: Is this happening now?

A short reflection for anyone who has ever lost sleep to "what if."

A boy showed up to learn from the greatest, with respect, hunger, and real talent, and was turned away. Not for lack of ability, but because he "didn't belong." Most people would have stopped there. He didn't. This fable is about the quiet power of choosing yourself when the world doesn't, and why the fastest growth never comes from being selected, but from starting. Because growth doesn't wait for permission. 

There was once a mirror that reflected everyone who stood before it, their beauty, their worth, their light, everyone except the one who cared for it most. Episode 2 of the Fable Series is a gentle story about what happens when we spend so long seeing, holding, and pouring into others that we slowly disappear from our own reflection. Because you can't give from a mirror that has forgotten how to show you to yourself. 

A feather agrees to carry a small pebble, and soon feels like it's carrying a mountain. Episode 1 of the Fable Series is a gentle story about how our worries grow heavier the longer we hold them, and how much lighter life feels the moment we set them down. Sometimes it isn't the weight of the situation, it's the weight of our thoughts about it. 

In this episode of Between Dreams and Deadlines, Rahul Zaveri shares a deeply personal journey of leaving behind a stable life, moving abroad in pursuit of a long-held dream, and facing uncertainty when the world came to a standstill during COVID.

What followed was not just a career shift, but a complete redefinition of purpose. From navigating fear, failure, and difficult decisions to building EduPathways and mentoring students towards clarity and confidence, this conversation explores what it truly means to start over when life doesn’t go according to plan.

A powerful episode on resilience, purpose, reinvention, and the courage to choose fulfillment over comfort.

What if happiness wasn’t about choosing between passion and responsibility — but finding balance between both?
In the very first episode of Between Dreams & Deadlines, we explore Ikigai, the Japanese philosophy that helps you discover purpose, fulfillment, and meaning in everyday life. Whether you're chasing dreams, building a career, or feeling stuck in routine, this conversation dives into how you can align what you love, what you’re good at, and what the world needs.
This episode is for anyone trying to figure out:
What is my purpose?
Why do I feel unfulfilled despite working hard?
How do I balance ambition with happiness?
Tune in as we uncover practical insights, personal reflections, and simple ways to start finding your own Ikigai.