Coming from a Tier 2 city, I have had a very limited exposure to Global Brands during my upbringing, Aditya Birla Group being one of them invokes some earnest nostalgia. It reminds me of the time when our family home was under construction in 2006, several bags of Ultratech Cement used to be present at the construction site. It became a regular sight every time I visited that place and now that I think of it, ABG has been an integral part of my life right from my formative years. Without any cognitive efforts, it was ingrained in my upbringing. I have always looked up to my father, he has been my role model and the excruciating efforts he has taken while fending for the family is surreal. I returned home after completing my engineering and was preparing to leave for my job. My family has always adhered by the notion “the family that dines together, stays together” and now that I was about to leave, it was more significant than ever. During one of these family suppers, we came across the “Khud Ko Kar Buland” TVC by Birla Sun Life Insurance that embarked on a journey of a single father taking care of his autistic son while working in a manufacturing unit. The 4-minute TVC spoke volumes about all the trials and tribulations the father-son duo had to go through daily and despite being bogged down by the circumstances, how they keep on moving ahead confidently. A serene silence pervaded the place. No words exchanged, just happy glances shared. Nothing beats that sense of accomplishment when you gift your Father something from your first salary, a symbolic gesture for passing the baton of responsibilities. Buying that Van Heusen shirt was an intense moment, it was like a baby step towards a lifelong dream.
“Dance like no one is watching, love like you’ve never been hurt; sing like no one is listening, and live like its heaven on earth.” Coming from a family of music and dance aficionados, I have always harbored an innate admiration for the performing arts. Matter of fact, during my PI for IIFT selection process, I was asked to sing when I mentioned it as my hobby. Somewhere deep down I was in awe of the aura and vibes, a performer exuded on stage. The massive fan following, demi-god stature and, the sheer ability to ‘own’ the moment was something I coveted as a kid. While everyone in my peer group aspired to be Frederick Drew Gregory [former NASA astronaut], I had my heart set on being Freddie Mercury [Yes, I wanted to break free so bad!!] and make the world groove to my rhapsody. Goddess of Fortune smiled upon and I was selected to represent my school in a Zonal Level singing competition. With the preparations going on in full swing, I was determined to bring laurels home. The D-Day dawned and when my name was called, I proceeded towards the stage with that ‘shine’ in my eyes. As soon as the instrumental track was played, things in my head started going berserk. I stood there, ‘frozen’ like an iceberg asking myself to let go of the stage fright and perform. After all, this is what I have wanted to do all my life. If I had one wish, I would have asked for an invisibility cloak and vanished. It was a catastrophic moment for me. After living in a puddle of self-despise for over a week, I decided that I am not going to let one disaster define me. With a newly found zeal, I went on with my preparation and was able to perform well in the upcoming event which was my “Khud Ko Kar Buland” moment. “If your First Instinct is to run away from Failures, You are probably doing it the wrong way”, now that I have stumbled upon this tweet by Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla while going about the daily routine, I ponder isn’t it the first reaction every person has when cornered with grim failures, after all, fear of failures is a primal instinct. I started contemplating my own life choices on similar lines. I could recollect all the crest and troughs of my life and how my life instances have been in complete consonance with this quote.