25th Nov, 2018. I came back home, after writing my CAT exam, to the wails and cries of my family. My grandfather had passed away. Death has always been a difficult concept for me to accept and more so when it was of one of the closest people in my life. I still remember the numbness I felt when I got the news. As I paid my last tributes to him, my heart was filled with regret and guilt of not being there for him when I should have been. To this day, I cannot stand going to his room because it feels empty and weird.
What was harder was that I couldn’t even get time to grieve. I had to return to work next morning to work on an urgent client deliverable. Needless to say, I wasn’t attentive at work. Just as I had begun to accept this hard truth and be strong for my family, tragedy struck again. I lost my maternal uncle four days later. It was as if God had decided to take away the blessing hands from above my head all at once.
They say life goes on regardless of how it goes down. A few days later, on 2nd Dec, I had the Division Level Contest in Toastmasters. This was a big contest for me, as I would be competing against the best talents from Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand. This was something that I had been preparing for a year, after having lost out by close margins the previous year. However, the ongoing emotional situation at home did not allow me to have the right state of mind to participate and win the contest. Even my team lost faith and trust in me. But I refused to quit. I refused to let all my hard work and effort go in vain. I had a small hope in my heart that I could do this. I held on to that hope and went to the stage. I performed. I won.
As for my project, I tried very hard to focus and complete all the deliverables assigned to me. I fumbled, I cried over my inefficiency and struggled to meet deadlines. However, I refused to give up. I told myself, if I could do it once, I could do it all over again. And all of this culminated to sweet appreciation from my client for showing thorough professionalism and dedication.
Winning the contest or receiving appreciations did not give me as much satisfaction as the fact that I had won against my inner demons. The most valuable lesson that I learnt in these few days was that every time you find yourself cornered against the wall and feel like giving up, just hold on and stay a little longer. Try to remember the reason why you had started out in the first place. And start trying all over again and trust yourself to do well. Amidst all that turmoil, it was my self confidence that paid off. Today, when I look back on those days, I feel at peace with myself.
Why Aditya Birla Group is big in my life?
When we talk about a conglomerate that has shown tremendous growth is the last few years and has etched itself in the Fortune 500 list, its Aditya Birla Group. Spearheaded by the vision of Kumar Mangalam Birla and standing strong on its impeccable values, Aditya Birla Group has risen like phoenix. Given its wide outreach today, it’s almost impossible to escape being influenced by the company in any way.
The part which has influenced me is the fashion and retail segment. I believe that the way we dress up reflects a part of our personality. As an MBA student, I know how much first impression matters. However, for such a non-chalant person as me, scouting though heaps of dresses at multiple stores is difficult. This is where brands such as Pantaloons have been my knight in shining armor. With a wide range of affordable and classy apparels available under one roof at the same time, Pantaloons has been instrumental in my fashion choices. One other brand which has been my favorite is Allen Solly. I first wore a blazer from Allen Solly to a meeting where I was the only lady among all the gentlemen. When I climbed the stage to present my speech, I received a few raised eyebrows from the audience. However, dressed in business formals, I felt confident and spoke my heart out. I am glad that Allen Solly designs work wear for women which instills a sense of confidence in them. I associate myself more with this brand because I too wish to break the gender stereotypes and take up responsibilities with confidence.