To all my readers from the Tamil diaspora, here’s wishing you a very happy Pongal! May this festival of harvest bring happiness and prosperity to you and your loved ones.

A couple of days back, I read a news report which was quite worrying. According to the World Economic Forum, the cost-of-living crisis will be the biggest global risk over the next two years. Global inflation remains at sky-high levels after energy and food costs rocketed last year following the invasion of agricultural powerhouse Ukraine by major oil and gas producer Russia. Supply constraints caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have also contributed to decades-high consumer prices. Conflict and geo-economic tensions have triggered a series of deeply interconnected global risks, including energy and food supply crunches, and strong increases in the cost of living and debt servicing. Such crises risk undermining efforts to tackle longer-term risks, notably those related to climate change, biodiversity and investment in human capital. This report described the cost of living crisis as the biggest short-term risk by 2025, followed by natural disasters, extreme weather events and geo-economic confrontation. Hopefully, there is an upturn very soon for the world.

Today’s quote is from the Buddha. He tells us that thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. What this means is that when we share our happiness with others, our happiness will not reduce when we share our happiness, it shimmers around us and even multiplies when it is shared. So spread happiness all around you today, you will see how beautifully impacts your life.

That’s all this week. Stay safe and be happy!