The Daniel Day Lewises of Os.me

Actor Daniel Day Lewis is a perfectionist. 

He gives 200% of himself in every movie he signs up for. He is very selective about his roles, but once he chooses a role, he goes all in. He has acted in but a handful of movies, which is unsurprising given his level of commitment for a single movie.

Os.me has its own Daniel Day Lewises – authors who make every word count. They value quality over quantity. They are selective about what articles they write about – but when they write, they pack punch in their words. They wow readers with their articles. 

Each of these people have written at least three posts, and fewer than ten posts (well, almost). 

Zack Om Bazarnick

Zack was one of the first writers whose posts I read on os.me. 

Zack wrote poignantly about his struggles and how he overcame them. He wrote about the benefits of therapy. So much so that I considered contacting Zack’s therapist for sessions, but earning my salary in Indian rupees and paying for therapy sessions in US dollars didn’t make financial sense. Through Zack’s post I learned about Baba Hari Dass as well as Neem Karoli Baba. 

In one comment in 2020, I remember Zack wrote that he was working on one article for 30 days (!). Speak about perfection. After The Rainmaker came out, we got to know more about Zack – his experiences formed one of the chapters of the book. 

Here are three of my favorite posts authored by Zack.

Setting Myself Free, A Journey – Zack talks about his childhood struggles, how psychotherapy helped him, and how he cultivated physical and mental discipline, and how he takes 90-day sankalpas to build his willpower and spiritual quotient. To say this post is inspiring is an understatement. This post is meticulously constructed. The writing is exquisite. This is one of the earlier masterpieces I read on os.me, and I became an instant fan of Zack as well as his writings.

Heaven and Hell Exist on Earth – We Have a Choice – This is a follow-up post post to Zack’s first post. He talks about how mindfulness and meditation helped him. I loved the following sentence:

If someone had told me I could have $10,000,000 but that I would have to live with (debilitating) thoughts and feelings forever or, If I forego the money, I could gain control of them, I would not think twice: I’d take the money.  Just kidding, no amount of money can buy peace. – Zack Bazarnick.

Why You Must EAT YOUR DONUTS – Wait, is the title right? Surely we must NOT eat donuts? Zack talks about the importance of indulging in life’s pleasures (in small quantities) from time to time, so that we give the mind with what it craves – doses of evil stuff that feel good (read donuts). Doing so helps the mind adhere to sankalpas and develop our will power.

Rashmi Ramanathan

Rashmi is one of the rare few who are accomplished in their own right but don’t speak much about themselves and shower generous praise on others.

Most regular writers from os.me would have had Rashmi comment on their post. And the nature of the comment would be warm words of praises which are truthful. 

As Rashmi unleashed one post after another, we got to know surprising and amazing sides of Rashmi. Her devotional quotient is inspiring. She is a keen student of astrology – and she has used it for self-introspection. 

I am fortunate to call Rashmi my friend.

Here are three of my favorite posts authored by Rashmi. 

Agent of the Divine – When Rashmi and her family went on a trip

Whenever I feel powerless, I pray. – Rashmi Ramanathan

Astrology as a Self-Improvement Tool – I have had the fortune of being around some remarkable astrologers. However, I looked at astrology with fear and irrational hope. Astrology impeded my self-reliance. This needn’t be the case, I learned after reading the title of Rashmi’s post: she used astrology as a self-improvement tool. If we can use astrology to get to know about our tendencies and proclivities, this gives information to hone our strengths and improve our weaknesses. 

My First Prayer Was Answered – Rashmi’s devotional path started from childhood. When Covid struck her family, Rashmi’s fervent and intense devotion helped her and made her reassure her family. To say I love this story is a colossal understatement. If I were in Rashmi’s shoes, fear would have taken the forefront. Thank you Rashmi, for showing me the presence of another approach, a divine and graceful approach. 

Nikunj Om

I have been intending to write this post about the Daniel Day Lewises of os.me for more than a year now – Nikunj was one of the first Daniel Day Lewises of os.me I had come across. In the recent few months, I learned that Nikunj and her husband Pankaj run os.me. That didn’t change my opinion of her as a Daniel Day Lewis of os.me, someone who packed a lot of wisdom into her words. 

In addition to her amazing posts, in addition to her tireless job of running os.me, Nikunj heaps generous and genuine words of praises on people. When I had written all of one post on os.me and did not identify as a writer, Nikunj encouraged me to write a summary of the book Ikigai.

Here are three of my favorite articles from Nikunj:

An Unusual Friendship – Nikunj writes a poignant article about her friendship with Sadhvi Shraddha Om. 

Krishna’s Gopas Exist – I Met One – We live in an era where the respect Hindus have for the cow, Gomata, is dwindling. In such an age, Nikunj writes about Kashyap, an engineer who is devoted to serving Gomata. A heartwarming story that inspires devotion. 

Sharing Spiritual Experiences – Should you share spiritual experiences? Nikunj provides an articulate point of view saying “No”. Os.me is a platform where respectful disagreements are encouraged – Ravi Trivedi, who was the catalyst behind Nikunj writing this article, provides a counterpoint. This respectful exchange provides various sides of an issue and lets the reader draw their own conclusion. 

It’s amazing how life brings in cherry blossoms at unexpected times in unexpected places. -Nikunj Verma

Ashwin Rajaram Om

Ashwin Rajaram Om pursues excellence in things he sets his mind to. 

Swamiji’s teachings emphasize living a life of purpose, doing something creative, practicing persistence, and achieving excellence in some field. Ashwin checks all the boxes.

Ashwin has written just four articles – each of these is inspiring. His first article talks about his experiences with the Kundalini Sadhana. In response to a forum question, Ashwin wrote two articles on vedic astrology. Ashwin’s efforts in mastering his craft, as well as his observations on how astrology helps with combatting anxiety (spoiler alert: it does not, according to Ashwin). The fourth article is a reflective piece, on the importance of surrender in the path to self-realization.

I’m simply going to list the four posts Ashwin has authored and let his articles do the talking.

One Year of Kundalini Meditation

Fear of Enlightenment

Vedic Astrology – A Perspective

Vedic Astrology – Book Recommendations

Jyotish is not just about making predictions. It is about understanding ourselves deeply so that our lives may be filled with discernment and gratitude. – Ashwin Rajaram

Binge Read Their Articles!

There is one advantage in these authors writing a handful of posts. They make it easy for readers to binge read their articles! In less time than watching a Netflix show, you can read all their posts. 

Go ahead, binge read their posts and take in large doses of wit, wisdom and inspiration.

Image Credit: Alex Gruber from Unsplash