Challenges are an important part of one’s life to give them newer experiences, opportunities to learn and become a better person. And one of the most important ways to overcome those is to first accept them as it is, instead of how you wanted it to be. Whether you fail, or succeed, what is more valuable is the journey, and not the destination.
I too, faced one of such challenges in my life that helped me grow as an individual, and make me reach the point from where I wish to take on the world now. The incident dates back to September 2004 when the only bread-earner of our family, my father got paralyzed. Due to non-availability of any sources of income, sustenance became difficult day by day. We survived on savings and help from relatives for the initial few years, but we also realised that it won’t last long. Soon after, I started working at a tuition centre nearby to teach students part-time. On weekdays, I would attend school, come back to home to change, and leave for the institute only to return at around 11 at night. After a few days of this routine, we felt that it was important that I start carrying a mobile phone. Although I was reluctant to this idea of spending on a mobile phone and a connection at first, I gave in to my mother’s wish since I did not want to add on to the tensions. Out of the few connections available back at that time which offered good services, Idea was one of the most easily reachable networks in our area, and luckily, the cheapest as well – it had launched 1p/sec plan around that time itself. Without a single thought we bought the Idea connection, and all our possible worries due to the communication gap vanished in a minute. Idea brought in that wave of ease, and became the bloodline of communication of our home.
Fast forward to 2014, it was the time when I was appearing for interviews to get into a good undergraduate course. I still remember the day when I had to buy the formal wear and one of my interviews was due in next 3 days. I was apprehensive of exploring options that any brands offered because of the “brand = costly, and sometimes unaffordable clothes” perception that I carried. It was then when one of my cousins took me to the pantaloons store in the nearby mall that my perception broke. It was not only the affordability of the products offered, but also the comfort and confidence that I felt wearing the formal set which was unmatched for. Since then, I have appeared for a number of interviews, and shopped for various events and occasions organised at the workplace alike, and pantaloons stores have been my go to place. Also, it taught me another one of the most important lessons of life – to not have pre-conceived notions about anyone or anything around you, and instead experience them yourself, first hand!