I was at Universal Studios, Singapore with my family. I was standing in front of the scariest ride of the island, Battlestar Galactica. It had a maximum speed of 90 kmph and stood at a massive height of 43 meters making it the tallest dueling coaster in the world. The broucher had a “warning” sign printed beside the description saying “not for the weak hearted.” I was alarmed and panic stricken because my fear of heights was triggered. But, I thought to myself, what if I never come back here ever? What if I am not lucky enough to get a second chance to experience this thrill? And, what if I do not have the people around me to give me the push that my dad was giving me? These questions in my head inevitably started making my legs move. I started walking towards the entry point to make the best of where I am and what I have. And, that's what, I believe, life is all about!
This was just a simple incident where I overcame a challenge within a few minutes and made a decision of taking up a task. There have been many such incidents not just in my life, but in everyone’s life. The difference of result lies in the approach and the perspective from which you look at the challenge.
In the summer break after my 12th class, I founded a start-up called “Kooky” which dealt in vertical wall gardening. I took up the initiative to do something different. But, it was not as easy as it sounds. I was trying my hand at something entirely out of what the usual crowd would do at my age. It was a mental challenge for me where I witnessed my peers passing their time and enjoying the summer break. And, I was struggling with getting orders for my products, learning to negotiate with customers and sitting in my office, sending mails and updating posts. I got better and better with every call that I made and every e-mail that I sent. I also designed the logo, tagline and decided on the brand name. The efforts were materialized into results and the sales increased. I also experimented with product photography and marketed my products mainly through social media and word of mouth. “Kooky – Elegant Living“ is a now a trademarked brand.
This entire experience was exactly similar to how I felt standing in front of Battlestar Galactica. The exact same fear, anxiety and panic. The only difference was the duration I took to materialize the results because the scale was different. But again, I asked myself the same questions - If not me, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where? And, that's what, I believe, life is all about!
#ABGLP #ABGLPWOOMECOMPETITION #ABGLPWOOMESEASON2 #SIBMBENGALURU
