Most people spend their entire lives playing it safe. My father spent 71 years of his life proving that “impossible” is nothing but “lack of imagination”
My father came from a humble background. My grandfather had five kids to feed and educate on his meagre income from a clerical government job. So, my father started working from the age of sixteen, to support his family. From there, he went on to have a 55 year long legendary career where he served in the Indian Army, worked in large multinational companies, universities and finally built a thriving business. He won many awards for his work in entrepreneurship and education. He has been photographed with the Indian Prime Minister, President, Chief of Army, State Governors and many other important people.
Not only was he a great role model for me, he was also the chief architect of my mindset. Here are 5 principles that he lived by and that have become a part of my life too.
1) Ambition
My dad chased big dreams and goals throughout his life, and somehow always found a way to achieve them. He lit the fire of ambition in me that still burns today. In a promotion pitch, I opened with the lines “Think Big. Aim High. Act Bold”, my personal credo, inspired by my dad. I still remember - when I was a kid, my father once said that he would buy a Mercedes one day. I laughed when I heard that because I truly thought he was joking. Our means were so limited at the time that it was unfathomable to me that we would ever be able to afford the ultimate symbol of luxury. A decade or so later, he bought the Mercedes.
2) Adaptability
My father was a risk taker. He not only accepted change but fully embraced it. He constantly reinvented himself through his life and career. Watching him, I learnt not just to survive change but thrive in it, allowing me to live across many cities, work in diverse settings and with diverse teams. As the famous saying goes – “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change"
3) Relationships
My father always said that “Relationships are your biggest asset” and he lived and breathed by it. He spent his entire life building and nurturing deep and fulfilling relationships. He touched the lives of many people through his life. During his last rites, so many people came to pay their respects that we completely ran out of space despite it being a large place. That show of love and respect was overwhelming. I felt that of all of my dad’s achievements, his relationships were his greatest.
4) No such thing as impossible
My dad did not believe in the impossible, and the same belief runs in my DNA. If my dad decided that something needed to be done, he would always find a way. No excuses. A famous childhood story about him that I have often heard is that – Once my grandmother asked my dad to go buy flour at night as she ran out of dough to make chapatis. My dad, around 10 years old at the time, set out on his cycle to go to the grocery store. By the time he reached there, the store had already closed. So, what could a young boy do in this situation? As it turns out, quite a bit. My dad knocked on neighbors' doors and found out where the shopkeeper lived. Then my dad went to the shopkeeper’s house, made the shopkeeper come back to the store, open it, and sell the flour to my dad.
5) Resilience
Whenever there was a setback in life, my dad used to say “It’s all a part of the game”. No matter what happened, my dad would move forward. His path to success was paved with many failures, setbacks and losses. But he never gave up. I remember the time when I was really struggling with grief after losing him, I heard his voice in my head saying the same words, reminding me that loss is also a part of life. So, whenever I have a crisis in my life, a health issue, a family situation or a professional setback, I remind myself that it’s all a part of the game.
And just like my dad, I intend to play this game well!
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