Awards, a book and 12th grade !

As a general habit of checking my mail inbox before going off to bed, I opened the mail yesterday only to be greeted by news updates announcing some “National Creator’s award” which to me was really surprising because I personally never really gave much thought to the vlogging channels or say motivational speakers and all that would just be the vain suggestions of my YouTube feed. I woke up today telling my parents how Aman Gupta (Shark Tank has become a family show for us these days) had also been nominated in a particular category. While we were just discussing how the media landscape was helping many people transform their lives, my dad holding a newspaper in his hand remarked how the awards had already been announced, and then the discussion over breakfast continued to be about different creators from RJ Raunaq, to BeerBiceps and to Maithili thakur.

I consider myself a very idealist person, and non-conventional paths, especially in careers, have always intrigued me. So, I began researching the background of the different names in the news, and after spending over an hour (or more), I was at a loss for words because these were stories of utmost dedication and determination. Irrespective of their academic background, these people had begun from scratch, attempting something new, trying to spread their messages. To make such a bold move and to turn a deaf ear to other’s comments is indeed scary and I couldn’t fathom the daring it must have taken.

Coincidentally, later that evening, I finished reading the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. A book that encourages the reader to stop being paralyzed by fear, to experience the thrill of taking risks, to have faith in one’s abilities, to have conviction and to be able to question the social norms (in terms of building assets, career choices etc.).

These two main highlights of my day led to a common conclusion i.e. the power of self-belief and grit. What these stories indicated was that there was no restriction on what you could become or no particular definition of achieving success, the only prerequisite was to be passionate about a particular goal and to work hard for it.

I am not someone who believes in such sayings or advice when it comes to personal lives but somehow it felt as if the universe was sending signs, and why not welcome them? Especially when I am about to enter the last year of school life, a step away from beginning my own journey and defining my own terms!

-          Khushi_M