Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life?
My initial exposure with Aditya Birla Group (ABG), as I recall, was when the company logo flashed at the end of Idea commercials. The only other product I knew then was Birla Cement (as it was commonly called). Although I did not know the concepts of conglomerates and House of Brands as a child, I did certainly realize then that this is a "big" company and it somehow instilled a sense of trust within me.
The first ABG service that I used, consciously, was Idea Telecom Network. I remember I had a BSNL card initially, but I badly wanted to switch to Idea because BSNL was a little expensive for a 16-year-old, and Idea had some budget-friendly packs. But one more differentiating factor Idea had, was a perception of freshness. Maybe, it was just the peer pressure, but I switched to Idea soon enough. Today, even in a world where Jio supposedly seems to destruct the market, I am still an Idea user (after I switched to Reliance and then back to Idea), and I attribute this loyalty to the trust factor established by the company, back when I was a kid.
Of course, I have been a customer of other products and services as well. Some were first-hand interactions, some rather subtle. I won't forget that the first set of formals I bought for my job were from Pantaloons. I was impressed to know that a significant part of the famous Bandra Worli Sea Link constituted of UltraTech Cement.
There is a pattern in my interactions with the Aditya Birla Group. I come to know of a product or a service first, I appreciate it, only later to realize that it is a part of the Aditya Birla Group. I think this is a sign of a highly successful yet humble company, which has let its work do the talking. It is because of this reason, that I know this company is Big in my life, even if at times I am not aware of its presence, but it's there, doing good for the people.
How you overcame challenges to achieve your ambitions in life so far
"Taking the first step" is something I realized to be an important factor when faced with an obstacle in your life. It makes sense too - when faced with a hurdle, why not walk over it instead of turning around, or settling down.
The first step makes sure that you have decided to take control of your life and come over the challenges. But it should be accompanied by determination and patience to truly see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There have been instances in my life where I went into unknown waters and did not know how to swim across. Be it heading a team for the first time, being on the stage for the first time, handling national events, getting into an MBA, or cracking the internship. There are no clear steps to be followed for any of the difficult situations one faces. But the three virtues mentioned are the ones that guide you on your path.
Inspiration to keep going comes from many sources. Leaders inspire, peers inspire, stories inspire. It is important for great leaders to set examples so that the dark roads get lit by motivation. Whenever I hear a story about how a leader struggled his or her way through in order to reach the summit, it instills courage in me to overcome my struggles as well. On a lighter note, I remember revisiting the movie Pursuit of Happyness multiple times during my MBA preparation phase, just to reinforce the efforts put up by one man to change his life for good.
I do know that there are a lot more challenges out there in the world when I step out of college. But I do rely upon strengthening my virtues and drawing inspiration from others to overcome the challenges and move further my life.