I must have been seven or eight years old. It was a cold winter evening, and my parents and I were chatting over an early dinner when suddenly, the power went out. These were the days of frequent power cuts—even in Delhi. Papa lit a candle on the dining table, and the small flame created a soft circle of light around us.

I remember saying, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think the whole world was dark—except for this tiny patch of light near the candle.”

Papa looked at me and said: “That’s exactly how life is sometimes. Our worldview and perspective are shaped by what we know—or what we don’t. If you hadn’t seen the brightly lit room, you’d believe the world was only as big as this circle of light.”

He went on: “As you move forward in life, never limit your thirst for exploration and continuous learning. And as you learn, keep updating your maps. You’ll have to shed some old lessons to make room for new and more relevant ones. Remember—you can’t pour more into a cup that’s already full.”