It is one thing to be alive and starkly different other to be living. I know, most of us won’t find this statement meaningful but for me, this has been the guiding light for almost all decisions that I have taken up in my living history. An important reason for this ideology is the Aditya Birla Group. It has been around me since my early childhood when my parents started building their first house and I could see the ultratech cement bags. But more than the utility of its brands and products, which is exemplary, it has been the emotional connect that its advertisements seek out. Right from the ‘What an IDEA Sirji’ to the IIN advert, it has always been about strengthening society. ABG focuses so much on the impact of its actions that it succeeds in evoking the same emotions among its users and this I feel, is commendable. The distribution of their brands across market segments, catering to all the sections of the society while upholding the quality of deliverable, speaks out loud about their moral integrity.

They stress on inclusive development and my continuous interaction with their brands has instilled the same sense within me. Whether I buy an Allen Solly, a Louie Philippe or a Peter England, somehow, I am always reminded of a single thought of ‘collective growth’ wrapped in a freshwrap and my buying spree is so frequent that this idea technically never subsides. The IDEA that ABG has, not only the former cellular brand but the intrinsic vision, is so great that it stands out everytime. I still remember how their Ultratech Cement Orphanage Ad motivated my father to fund the education of two under-privileged kids. Personally, their ‘Rise above the rest’ campaign reassured my belief to pursue my dream.

Moreover, ABG doesn’t stop at just evoking emotions digitally, it believes in implementing ideas and its CSR initiatives speaks volume about its moral fiber. Their moral outlook resonates with me and it motivated me, at one time, to volunteer for NGO organizations like Gramiksha and Robin Hood Army. ABG has been integral in guiding my life choices and it will not be wrong if I term it as a mix of moral virtues that I aspire to imbibe.

What is a challenge?

Since the inception of life on earth, living beings have been learning their way out of circumstances. An important facet of learning is that it is always accompanied by a challenging or a threatening situation and no one ever has been lucky enough to get their way through without experiencing atleast one such moment. Evidently, I too had to deal with situations which were challenging and honestly, it has been a frequent affair for me. The frequency of challenges ensured that I developed the requisite skills to overcome them and the one interaction which had the most impact is a recent incident.

Imagine going on a road trip and after a long time of comfortable ride you hit a speed breaker and the car comes to a jerking standstill. It is awful. You are stranded on a highway with no plausible way of movement. You must be thinking how a speed breaker can halt your journey. It is there to break the speed and not to kill it. But seldom times, it so happens that things get big and ugly without any logical cause and trust me, you’ll believe only when you experience it firsthand.

I experienced it when my mother was diagnosed with Stage 1 carcinoma. No one in our family ever imagined the tiniest possibility of this happening but there it was, a reality. I was in college when my father broke this news to me. I was sad and afraid about the outlook but I couldn’t cry. I had to be my mother’s strength. We started with the treatment and it was hard on her. The pain was unbearable and the medicines made her weak. Even during this time she pushed me to pursue my Interview preparation for IIFT which I had no motivation to pursue. But her persistence made me give it a chance. Her selflessness in this moment reshaped me in fundamental ways. I wouldn’t have been half the man I am if it were not for her. I cleared the Interview and my mother got into IIFT. She taught me that in times that are tough, you may get weak but still shouldn’t lose. After all, the only time you can be brave is when you are afraid.

shivamtomar

The Sun never sets-An ode to the leader | Shivam Tomar, IIFT