What are your biggest challenges?
There is one film that quietly walks into my mind and rearranges my perspective without announcing itself, every time watch it. It’s
“Perfect Days”
Directed by: Wim Wenders
Released in: 2023.
The film follows Hirayama, a Tokyo public-toilet cleaner who lives an extraordinarily ordinary life. Each day looks the same on the surface—waking early, tending carefully to his work, listening to music, watering plants, reading, noticing sunlight, shadows, trees, strangers, silence. There is no grand plot twist. No heroic arc. No sudden transformation.
And yet… Everything is happening. Hirayama is not “escaping life.” He is deeply in it. Present. Awake. Tender toward small moments.
He reminds us that meaning doesn’t only live in the dramatic milestones. Sometimes, life is not waiting for us at the finish line… it’s quietly happening in Tuesday mornings, familiar routines, ordinary breaths, sunlight through a window, a well-made cup of coffee, while we are reading or simply looking blank, sitting with a friend or with a dog curled nearby, gazing at a plant – it’s just about simply existing and thriving.
That’s why it stayed with me.
Every year we talk about resolutions, bucket lists, ambitious plans, life transformations. And then life shifts—as it should.
Circumstances change. Energy fluctuates. Responsibility pulls. Plans bend. Many of those resolutions dissolve quietly somewhere between March and April, leaving behind either guilt or indifference.
So here it is:
This is just a thought,
Not a New Year wish
We already have plenty of those
for us for every new year.
But, can we simply live
every “now,” every day,
for the remaining 364 days of 2026?
Can we live to find out,
What makes us happy,
What fulfills us,
And what truly works for us –
Through all the changes
That we don’t know yet are in the cards?
Maybe this year is not only about chasing the “big life” but also truly inhabiting the one we already have.
Noticing. Feeling. Participating. Living—before “now” quietly becomes “then.”
But, that’s all from me. I want to know what you think – is it truly possible?
💬 Let’s Talk
Instead of asking each other about our New Year resolutions, tell me this:
Which movie, book, song, play, character, or even a single line do you want to carry with you into 2026?
— not as pressure, but as perspective.
Dear Vid,
Happy new year once again .
You have reviewed the movie without watching & it’s marvellous.
You asked
Which movie, : Amadeus Mozart
book, : own book I commissioned to write. Work going on, it’s autobiography & fiction.
song, : ek bungla bane nyara, K L Saigal
play,: All Shakespeare’s tragedies
character, : Hamlet
or even a single line: Mai dil hu ek arman bhara, to aake muze pehchan jara, Talat
https://youtu.be/RqpECqkBVzE?si=MtKCERNiie7HkHPm
I want to carry with me these into 2026.
Dr. Raj, wishing you a very happy new year again 😊
And haha… this time I’ll say it clearly — no, I didn’t “review without watching.” I actually did watch Perfect Days, and it stayed with me in a very different way.
At first, I honestly started it because of those world-famous public toilet designs — the kind people often compare with Norway’s iconic public toilet architecture — beautifully built, yet created for the most ordinary everyday act.
That contrast pulled me in. But by the time the film ended, what stayed wasn’t the design… it was the mindset.
Hirayama choosing a life stripped of noise, ego, titles. Instead, finding dignity in simple work, loving music, books, trees, soft routines, light filtered through leaves, and carrying pain quietly without turning bitter.
It changes how we look at “ordinary” life. It changed how I saw my own days too.
And your list — Amadeus, Shakespeare’s tragedies, Hamlet, Saigal, Talat, your own book in the making — it felt like you’re carrying soul companions into 2026, not just art pieces. Loved reading that.
Thank you for always bringing poetry, thought, and warmth to conversations here. 🤍
Exactly dear Vid, I knew my sincere response will elicit more from you on that movie that I loved too.
Your discussion on it (ideal way to review is this, discussing it rather than commenting on it) is fascinating one..
I spent yesterday visiting a Veershaiva Lingayat Mutts few centuries old. At this time yesterday in that small hamlet with three Mutts I watched all wooden carved entrances, stone steps, incense sticks, no TVs blaring.
Your liking of the movie for the choice of simple life of the protagonist made me tell you these observations. I felt like leaving all this & go and stay there, an unknown life.
Thanks for elaborate reply. ❤️❤️❤️😍😍🥰🥰
So that was a ruse to squeeze a little more out of you about the movie 😄😄 and I’m so glad it worked!
I loved that line of yours —
“ideal way to review is this, discussing it rather than commenting on it.”
So true. That’s exactly how something meaningful becomes alive… through conversation, not conclusions.
And wow, what a stunning way to spend the 31st. Those ancient hamlets, carved wood, stone steps, incense… no noise, no screens… just time, place, and presence. That kind of space does something to the soul. I totally relate — I love wandering into history, architecture, forgotten corners, old traditions… losing yourself and somehow finding yourself at the same time.
Really enjoyed this exchange, as always ❤️
That’s why I mentioned the absence, to be able to share with her all impressions for her creative responses & your discussion of old temples, hamlets, going away.
I have some distant but realistic dreams.
I want to go there, we three.
Discuss in person.
Write
❤️😍
Great 👍 will do
Thanks for new year greetings, I greet you once again. Number through which certain things like videos, photos to share is not to be seen around today. 🫣😇😎🥰🥰❤️
Haha Dr. Raj, I got what you meant 😄
Looks like the “mystery number” has disappeared for the day!
No worries at all… whenever it’s back, share freely 😊
Happy New Year once again 🤍
After I wrote to you, on return it was there & I wrote there about this 😍
This is a beautifully grounded and deeply humane reflection. It carries the same quiet power as Perfect Days itself—unhurried, attentive, and honest. I love how you resist spectacle and instead honor the dignity of the ordinary, reminding us that presence is not a retreat from life but a fuller way of inhabiting it.
Your writing gently dismantles the pressure of resolutions and replaces it with something far more sustainable: curiosity, noticing, and participation in the life already unfolding. The way you frame “now” versus “then” is especially resonant—it lingers, much like the sunlight and routines you describe.
This doesn’t instruct or persuade; it invites. And that invitation—to live the remaining days with awareness rather than urgency—feels both timely and timeless. A thoughtful, calming piece that stays with the reader long after finishing it.
Verma, this was such a kind, thoughtful thing to read 😊
What touched me most is that you truly read it… not as a “post”, but as a feeling. That line you used — “quiet power” — that’s exactly how Perfect Days felt to me too. No noise, no preaching, just life… gently unfolding, asking you to notice it.
I loved how you picked on that part about “invitation instead of pressure”. That means a lot because honestly, I’m also tired of the loud obsession with resolutions and dramatic reinventions. Sometimes just being present is enough. Sometimes it’s everything.
Thank you for this generous response. It felt like a conversation, not a compliment 🤍
I’m so glad that resonated with you 🤍. That’s exactly what makes sharing these reflections meaningful—the sense that someone is truly hearing not just the words, but the feeling behind them.
I love your point about presence being enough. It really is everything sometimes—the quiet, unfolding moments that don’t demand change or performance, just awareness and care. That’s where life whispers its deepest truths.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and open-hearted response. It genuinely feels like a conversation, and I appreciate that space we create through it. 🌿✨
Yes it is… what an amazing way to start the New Year, with heartfelt conversations and honest, hurried, and emotional responses and exchange of thoughts! That’s the beauty of this platform and why I love to present my thoughts 🎁 thanks Verma, for your warm, candid responses. Always feels good 😊
What a beautifully written reflection. It’s clear that “Perfect Days” didn’t just pass through your thoughts—it settled there, gently reshaping how you see the everyday. You’ve captured the quiet power of Wenders’ film perfectly: that profound reminder that meaning isn’t always in the milestone, but in the mindful repetition, the tender attention to the small, the silent joy of simply being present.
And your question—is it truly possible?—is the real heart of the matter. I believe it is, but not as a constant state. It’s a practice, a series of conscious returns. Some days we inhabit our “now” fully; other days, we’re swept away by planning or worry. The beauty of Hirayama’s lesson is that he offers no perfection, only presence. Each day is a new chance to notice the light, to really taste the coffee, to listen—not just hear—the music. It’s possible in moments, and those moments can become anchors.
—
To your wonderful question for me:
The piece I want to carry into 2026 is a line from poet Ross Gay in The Book of Delights:
“We are enlivened, I think, by the contemplation of and engagement with our collective sorrow and our collective joy.”
It’s my perspective-talisman. It reminds me that fulfillment isn’t a solitary pursuit. It’s found in the shared human experience—in feeling connected to both the grief and the beauty around me. It takes the pressure off chasing a personal “happy” and opens me up to being part of something larger: noticing, feeling, and participating in the collective aliveness, just as you described. It turns the everyday into a conversation, and a shared one at that.
—
And for you, Vidisha:
Thank you for this thoughtful, grounding post. In a world shouting about transformation, you’ve shared a whisper about integration—about finding the extraordinary in an ordinary Tuesday. Your writing itself is a act of noticing. It’s clear that Perfect Days didn’t just give you a thought; it gave you a language for a feeling many of us are reaching for. May your 2026 be rich with those unnoticed moments suddenly seen, with the deep peace of participating in your own life, exactly as it is, day by day. Here’s to the quiet thrivings.
Oh wow, thank you for this. Really. I actually slowed down reading your comment, the same way the movie makes you slow down. There was so much warmth, thought, and real presence in what you wrote, it honestly felt like a quiet conversation more than a “comment.”
What you said about the way of living isn’t a permanent state but a practice… something we keep returning to, felt so real, honest, human. Not idealistic, at all!
And yes, some days we manage to be fully here, and some days life just sweeps us away. But maybe that gentle returning, that “coming back to now,” is the real work. And the real gift.
Thank you for sharing the line by Ross Gay. I actually reread it a couple of times.
“We are enlivened… by our collective sorrow and collective joy.”
That’s beautiful. It feels like a reminder to stay human, to stay connected, to not build walls around our feelings. I loved that you shared it.
And about the last part you wrote – that was really kind. Thank you for seeing the heart of what I was trying to express, not just the structure of the writing. It meant a lot.
If anything I wrote felt grounding, it’s only because people like you respond with this kind of honesty and depth. Makes the whole thing feel like a shared space, not a monologue.
Truly grateful you took the time to write this so thoughtfully. Sending warmth your way, and wishing your 2026 has many of those quiet, grounded, fully alive moments you spoke about 🤍
Thank you for your heartfelt reply Vidisha 🌷🤝
Same here and Hapoy New Year, once again 🎉
Such an interesting post and sounds like a really great film. Some pieces of media just leave their mark on us so deeply. There’s a line in Pride And Prejudice that always stands out to me. The book in general, really changed my life. Have a lovely 2026!
Oh that’s such a lovely share 😊
You’re so right, some stories just don’t “end” when the book closes or the film stops… they settle somewhere inside and quietly shape how we see life after that.
And Pride & Prejudice… yes! That book has so many lines that feel like they breathe with you even years later. I love that it meant that much to you.
Thank you for reading and connecting so thoughtfully. Wishing you a beautifully gentle and happy 2026 🤍
Happy New Year 🎉
Dear Vidisha just like you I too often enjoy movies for their architecture.
Two movies that sound very cliched but always my first choice are The Host and Twilight. Both by Stephanie Meyer.
I loved host because of the post modern architecture and significance of desert in the plot.
And Twilight is soul. The Cullens’ home is also very aesthetically designed.
In terms of book there are so many. But in terms of profoundness I can think of a book called Stolen. Its set in the Australian Sandy desert. I loved everything about it!
I loved your post. I actually haven’t seen any Japanese movie yet. But you make it sound very appealing, will surely checkout ❤️
Awesome 👌 thank you so much for sharing that energy and enthusiasm for films with architectural brilliance. I’m genuinely so happy to meet someone who gets excited about this stuff. I rarely find people who care about spaces in movies the way I do.
I haven’t seen The Host, but yes, I loved Cullen’s contemporary, biophilic home in Twilight. That house really caught my fancy back then.
I’ll definitely give Stolen a try. I trust your judgment.
By the way, have you seen Ex Machina? It was shot in that futuristic cabin in Norway, the Juvet Landscape Hotel.
And if you enjoy sci fi, it’s a 🍒 on top. I also love Alicia Vikander, so that’s another reason I enjoyed it.
Scandinavian architecture and a Scandinavian actor together is kind of a double heart impact for me ♥️
Oh yes I’ve seen Ex Machina. The plot was amazing but I stayed for the architecture.
I’ve actually purchased a couple of small Scandinavian design items for my house.😄
I also really loved the architecture in Ultraviolet as a kid.
Yesterday I watched skyscraper, really loved the architecture. I hope someday they build a tower like that.
Have you heard about The Line in Saudi Arabia? I was seeing some pictures and it seems they were building something like this.
I also love want watching The Local Project channel on YouTube. Some of those houses really nail it.
You know nowadays I’m really digging the retro futuristic vibe. Pastel colours and tinted glasses.
I thought of doing that for my home but it would have taken a lot of skills and expenditure.
One of my earliest architectural fascination was after watching The Lake House. The house is a main character in the plot 😄