This regret is more like a confession - I feel I should have started early on my entrepreneurial journey.
I grew up in a middle class family with the belief that financial security is extremely important for the family and financial security can be obtained only by doing a secured job. So, getting a government job at any level was desirable. Unfortunately, I did my MBA and landed up with a sales job. Since the name of the company was Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HUL now), my parents were happy because the brand offered stability and security to its employees. They got more relaxed when I shared that many of my colleagues are above fifty years of age. My dad said "That means the company don't fire employees". The entire thought process was about making the future more secured.
Now, after 16 years when I look back at my life, I realize that stability is the biggest risk for an individual because stability is like the gutter filled with stagnant water where complacency breeds. Soon, this parasite named complacency multiplies fast creating an unreal world of comfort for its victim. When the victim loses visibility of the real world, the parasite comes back to bite the victim and suck all the comfort out of the victim's life. That is the reason we see people struggle with mid-career crisis, factory workers committing suicide after the factory closes down, depression, frustration and attrition on the rise. All this is accompanied by diseases like blood sugar, hypertension, neurological disorder, the list is quite long. Relationships suffer, family suffers ultimately filling the erstwhile stable life with chaos and uncertainty. Some weak hearts give up while others realize the hard fact of life - we human beings are designed to evolve by taking up new challenges, either we evolve or we perish, we cannot remain the same.
I regret understanding this quite late, changing the deep-rooted beliefs were difficult but deep introspection helped me understand who I am and helped me to follow my dream of becoming a speaker and a trainer. My new beliefs and my self-worth gave me the courage to take up new challenges and grow as a trainer, speaker and author. I am still learning everyday and evolving.
I believe this is true for everyone, either you are in job or business, you need to constantly look out for new challenges - you are secured and stable only when you practice the ability to fight everyday, you are happy only when you are confident of facing the odds, you are victorious only when you have killed the parasite called complacency inside you.
I grew up in a middle class family with the belief that financial security is extremely important for the family and financial security can be obtained only by doing a secured job. So, getting a government job at any level was desirable. Unfortunately, I did my MBA and landed up with a sales job. Since the name of the company was Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HUL now), my parents were happy because the brand offered stability and security to its employees. They got more relaxed when I shared that many of my colleagues are above fifty years of age. My dad said "That means the company don't fire employees". The entire thought process was about making the future more secured.
Now, after 16 years when I look back at my life, I realize that stability is the biggest risk for an individual because stability is like the gutter filled with stagnant water where complacency breeds. Soon, this parasite named complacency multiplies fast creating an unreal world of comfort for its victim. When the victim loses visibility of the real world, the parasite comes back to bite the victim and suck all the comfort out of the victim's life. That is the reason we see people struggle with mid-career crisis, factory workers committing suicide after the factory closes down, depression, frustration and attrition on the rise. All this is accompanied by diseases like blood sugar, hypertension, neurological disorder, the list is quite long. Relationships suffer, family suffers ultimately filling the erstwhile stable life with chaos and uncertainty. Some weak hearts give up while others realize the hard fact of life - we human beings are designed to evolve by taking up new challenges, either we evolve or we perish, we cannot remain the same.
I regret understanding this quite late, changing the deep-rooted beliefs were difficult but deep introspection helped me understand who I am and helped me to follow my dream of becoming a speaker and a trainer. My new beliefs and my self-worth gave me the courage to take up new challenges and grow as a trainer, speaker and author. I am still learning everyday and evolving.
I believe this is true for everyone, either you are in job or business, you need to constantly look out for new challenges - you are secured and stable only when you practice the ability to fight everyday, you are happy only when you are confident of facing the odds, you are victorious only when you have killed the parasite called complacency inside you.
This is a point driven home with the minimum number of words possible. The fact that I share the feelings about becoming complacent with a false sense of security, was another reason that I could relate to the post. I believe this has reinstated my confidence in my ideas.
ReplyDeleteWishing you all the best Prateek. I am sure you will live up to your own expectations.
DeleteThis is a harsh reality of life which very few of us realise in time. I am glad u followed ur passion. Keep doing the good work and inspirational writing
ReplyDeleteThanks Sheefali. Happy to see my thoughts resonating with so many people.
ReplyDeleteSandeep Very well expressed in few words on depth of complacency. A very true situation every sensible person feels but about but succumbs to many self made attributions. Good one Sandy and I wish you all the best and confident to see you as celebrity mentor to many present day youngsters. Muthangi
ReplyDeleteThank you Sir. I felt very inspired when I met you last time. Your hunger for evolving and creating new things even at this age is truly amazing and exemplary.
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