Wow! That was one hell of a year! And did it fly? No, it didn’t. It glided smoothly hour after hour, day after day, month after month. There were times it soared up high in the sky, and times it dived into the depth of the abyss. And once again, fortunately it was not stable, even though I expected it to be. And the reason I say it was fortunate is because, had it been stable, I wouldn’t have learned life’s valuable lessons.
It’s been almost a year since I wrote my last blog. Last week, I went through my old posts and realized what a moron I have been. I have been keeping myself away from doing something that I enjoy. So here I am, starting it again. And what could be a better day than today to get it going.
The thirty-sixth year of my life has come to an end. And to sum it up, it felt like I lived more than a year in the year gone by. The year started with a hope, followed by a lot of drama, misunderstanding, self-afflicted pain, broken relationships, self-realization and I have managed to end it with a dash of optimism and a surge of hope. Over all, the past year was not mind blowing. But I surely have learned a lot from what I have lived through and I am sharing few of those lessons with you all.
A couple years ago, I was introduced to the theory of law of attraction and the mystical concept of The Secret. Knowing the person that I am, I never believed in the theory because it opposed the fundamental principles of life, divinity and existence. Yet, I chose to try it out, with sincerity and devotion. Who doesn’t like to have good things happening in one’s life? And not to my surprise, it turned out to be a dud like it was supposed to. And here’s my first lesson from the year gone by - No matter what religion or faith you practice, never introduce a third party between yourself and The Almighty. Just thinking about something doesn’t make it happen. Having negative thoughts doesn’t bring negativity into your life or vice-versa. Forget the positives, why would any sensible person attract any kind of negativity in his or her life? These theories of attraction, affirmation, manifestation and healing are nothing but the invention of a few smart heads who have engrossed a huge fortune by luring individuals into thinking all this is real by brainwashing them. Here’s my theory and it does make sense. My destiny was written and sealed before I was born. Everything that has happened in my life and is about to happen is decided by none but The Almighty. We thank Him for all the good things but question Him for the wrongs. But our failures and bad times are nothing but a test. How we come out of the misfortune and change our lives for good are measured by the actions we take. It’s the law of action that plays a crucial role in our lives. Our actions govern our lives and existence. And no matter how much you attract, you get only what you are destined to have. So my advice to all those who have doubts on these bogus theories, is you chuck them out of your lives and do what is necessary – act on making your life better. For those who believe, get well soon!
Moving on. We live in a world where we cannot exist on our own. We need other humans to interact with. Some are comfortable being among family, some find joy in the company of friends and colleagues. And some people find bliss being among animals. It is quite impossible to exist on our own. I have transitioned from being an introvert to almost become an extrovert. I work on a platform where I have to interact with people beyond my circle of influence. And I have done it quite successfully. Getting attached to people comes quite naturally to me, and that is where I go wrong. I still haven’t learnt whom to trust and whom not to. It’s so funny, I mentioned about some ‘special’ people in my life in my previous blogs, and none of them are special anymore. They have turned out to be liars, hypocrites and untrustworthy backstabbers. They stooped so low for reasons best known to them. I am a person who can forgive but not forget. I am also fortunate to still have a handful of honest and amazing people in my life and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Here’s my second lesson – Make friends, get close to people but don’t get too attached. You don’t realize unless things go awfully wrong. And when it does happen, it gets very difficult to move on. Don’t rely on others, it’s your life and you have to drive it forward. Trust is a fragile attribute. It can be as firm as a mountain or can shatter lives, and it all depends on the person you are dealing with. For all those not so special people in my life, get well soon!
We all have a leader within ourselves. And we exhibit our leadership qualities in some way or the other – at home, work or any other place of activity. Some do not allow their leadership skills to come out in the open. But here’s the thing. Leadership isn’t a privilege, it is a responsibility. Leadership isn’t a tag that can be given away, it is something that is earned through hard work and determination. While you are performing, you can keep it. But when you don’t, you have to give it away gracefully. You can’t hold on to it when you are not worth it. That brings me to my third lesson - Often leadership is a lonely road, having followers doesn’t necessarily make you a leader. Having blind followers will not take you to your destination. A true leader doesn’t belong to a stage, but among his true followers. A true leader sees a leader within all his followers. Leadership is not about the number of followers you have, it is all about the efforts you put in to change lives. For all the self-proclaimed leaders I have known in my life, get well soon!
I started my entrepreneurial journey a little less than three years ago. I have no qualms in admitting that I haven’t been successful in this journey so far. I know the reasons for my failures and I am constantly working on improving myself. Looking back at my three years in this journey, I now see it in a different way. Every person is an entrepreneur. A home maker is one, she works day and night to earn happiness of the family. An employee is one, he trades time and efforts to earn money. And a business owner is one, he leverages other people’s time and money to earn wealth. Every type of person invests in something, works and builds on it and gets returns on the investment. Fourth lesson – Entrepreneurship isn’t defined by the kind of business you do or by the profits you make. Nothing is great or small. Do whatever makes you happy as long as it is ethical and legal. And please don’t follow an entrepreneur blindly. His success doesn’t guarantee your success. Sometimes it is best to break away from a system if it doesn’t work for you. Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results, is insanity. Do mistakes, and learn from your mistakes. Failures are pillars to success, so embrace them. Do the best in whatever you do, and never hesitate to do it your way. Success will come knocking at your door, sooner or later.
Life is incomplete without family. And I am fortunate to have an amazing family. I feel sorry for myself for keeping myself away from them for a long time. Being a single parent, I realize how important it is for me to spend time with my five year old son. The last few weeks have been awesome, just being around him gives me strength and hope. The more time I spend with my baby, the more happiness I earn. And there is nothing more precious to me than a wide smile on his face. So take my advice, and it is one of the greatest lessons of my life – Spend time with your family. Life is unpredictable, we don’t know how much time we have with our loved ones. Spend your time wisely. Yes, money is an important aspect of our lives, but don’t sacrifice your family for the sake of money. Money once lost, can be earned back. Earn your money, but not at the cost of your family. They deserve your presence in their lives.
This sums up my past year. I am a year older and wiser now. I have committed many blunders and I sincerely wish I don’t repeat the same in the future. But I am human, no guarantees. But here’s something I will definitely do – I will work harder than before, my actions will speak for me. Hollow and double-faced people – stay away from me, my trust goes out only to those who truly deserve it. I will revive my entrepreneurial journey by continuing to work with truth and integrity, and endeavor to become a true champion of honest and effective leadership. And lastly, I will work endlessly towards giving the best life to my baby.
Before I end, I would like to mention something very close to my heart. Today is World Cancer Day. My prayers go out to all those who have lost their battle to cancer, and my love and support to all the brave fighters and survivors. You can read more about it at www.worldcancerday.org. You can also donate as low as $5 towards one of the many initiatives undertaken by the Union for International Cancer Control. #WorldCancerDay #WeCanICan
Thank you Lord for the year gone by and for the times to come. Looking forward to a happier and fruitful year ahead. Immense love and gratitude to my family, friends and well-wishers.
My dreams and aspirations are waiting for me. Here I come!
Much love and God bless!
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