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Nikhil Rajagopalan's avatar

Ryan, I dare say this is the best post you’ve put out on this newsletter. The narration was lovely; there was a rhythm in the way that you read it that made me pay attention to the feeling behind it.

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Ryan Butta's avatar

Thanks Nikhil, that means a lot. It was definitely the hardest one I've had to write and the hardest one to hit publish on. I appreciate the kind words.

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Liz Day's avatar

Ryan, such an honest and beautifully written piece. I find your cogent explanation of such personal and challenging insights breathtaking. Write on!

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Ryan Butta's avatar

Hi Liz, thank you for your lovely comment! I'm glad you are enjoying the pieces.

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Sarah's avatar

Cleverly crafted as always and honest and compelling reading. So insightful yet instructive. Thankyou.

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Ryan Butta's avatar

Thanks for your kind words Sarah. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and express your support. It means a lot. Thank you.

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Luigi Cappel's avatar

I love the way you shared your personal story in parallel to Venice and Barcelona's changes. I love the quote from Clean Straw for Nothing. Change is interesting isn't it. I appreciate your thoughts on small changes versus big changes. Do we need to change? I think we can change what we do and if we make other people happy through those changes, perhaps some of that comes back in our direction. I like this quote, though, which reflects how I feel about who I am, because intrinsically I am the same person I was as a child, as a teenager, as a 30 year old. "Wherever you go, there you are.”

—Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ, ca. A.D. 1440

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Ryan Butta's avatar

Thanks for reading and commenting Luigi, it is appreciated. Do we need to change? For a long time my answer was no! But at some stage I realised that if I didn't change, I was never going to live the life I wanted to live, in terms of my relationships with loved ones and friends. But it took me a long to see that, and all the while I was wondering why people couldn't just accept me for who I am. There is no easy answer, between being yourself and making changes to please others. But periodic reflection can only help I think. And yes, Wherever you go, there you are. Nice quote!

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