Some weeks are a learning phase, which stay with you for the better.

One such was the past one.

It started with a great conversation in the neighbourhood café on a Monday morning, and the amazing place had this quote written on one of the chalk walls:

If you’re lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you must have the courage to live it.

It couldn’t have been a more appropriate day/moment to have come across the fantastic reality! And somehow all my conversations (or observations) in that week happened to move around this quote.

It started with the talks then in the morning, when we were talking of all the great entrepreneurs & what made them successful. Steve Jobs – obsession for design, Jeff Bezos – obsession for customer satisfaction, Elon Musk – obsession for micro-management in his products (he calls it nano-management). And each of them had the courage to do what they wanted to do, the way they wanted to do. The courage to not be a people pleaser, the courage to lose quantity over quality & the courage to let go of all your savings of years to create the thing you believe in! That makes these people successful – the top 1 percentile.

Amazing stuff to learn out here: be obsessed with what you do – crazy, maniacal pursuit – that’s how you succeed.

The next setting – a company meeting which rather turned out to be a life coaching sorts of meeting for me. (I tend to feel that almost everyone wants to teach me something – maybe because the people I’m meeting know my parents well, so feel like advisors or maybe because I tend to see everyone as a teacher – don’t really know the exact reason!)

We were talking of government policies, it then turned to a lot of people turning pseudo-rebellious – and then it turned to the societal brainwash – loss of individuality. We are afraid of doing a lot of stuff due to the whole logic of “log kya sochenge” (what would people think). So many of us have not listened to our heart’s calling because of this. And for just this instance, the gentleman proposed a very rational context:

Do you remember your great grandfather’s name? He asked me.

I, of course being embarrassed that I didn’t know this piece of history, said in a meek voice – no.

He then said: When you don’t remember your great grandfather’s name – who’s contributed to your whole lineage, made your family worthy of the status or the standards you’re enjoying now, do you really think that the people who comprise of the society you’re so afraid of annoying really care about you? They don’t. You’re a just a topic of discussion at times, a moment of haayy-tauba and *poof* they’ll forget you when they come across something else.

And I couldn’t have agreed more. Being a student of Psychology, it is well read that to a person the self is the most important. And we see everything with us as the centre. We feel everyone is seeing us, talking of us, thinking of us. But that definitely is not the case.

Which brings me to the learning, much reiterated in that room: Do what you want to. Don’t think of the society. But yes, while you know of your rights, don’t forget your duties & responsibilities.

Requires courage, yes. A fleeting moment of courage & the rest is history.

And I could see this in practical.

I was working with someone on his start-up (I keep doing such stuff on the sidelines of my designated profile). We met past week. And he apologised to me. Because he couldn’t start the unit because of family concerns – it was a different industry and everyone wanted him to play safe. The society at play, pretty evidently. I could only nod & understand his situation, while faintly hoping he had the courage to live the way he wanted – the life he chose.

Lesson: Not everyone can do it.

Sunday, I met another friend – a very positive lady, who wanted to start something of her own & was evidently quite frustrated of working under someone & not exactly the way she wanted.

We met at the same café. And I made her see the same quote. The week kind of came full-circle then. Reiterating the stories above & thrashing out ideas so that we could get into the entrepreneurial mode.

I’m sure it got her going on the path she wants to.

Lesson learnt & reiterated: Positivity & a moment of courage makes everything possible.

Not sure if you read till here, but just yesterday I came across a moment which required me to also feel so – positive, courageous, risk-taking & a strong believer in my dreams. I must say it’s difficult, but not impossible. And your loved ones definitely help you take that leap of faith. Mine did help me pass through that moment beautifully.

Point to be noted: Never discount the contribution of love in the pursuit of excellence. It makes everything possible.

Now to leave for a bit summer evening enjoyment. Sayonara, till the next post.

(Another long post, blame me for writing so much!)