Tag: #Shaji Kumar

Yesterday one of my my staunchest Critics, commented “once again” that I have made a complete “hash of my business”. This has happened many times with many “critics”. Does that make me an unsuccessful person? Have I not been able to achieve anything meaningful till date? These questions set me thinking!! What was it that I had set out to achieve? Did I make any promises to anyone? Did I make an announcement at any stage in my life? After pondering over it, I decided to draw up a complete “To Do List” and double check on what may have been missed out, giving reasons to attract such “comments”. 

I have enjoyed the privilege of a normal and quite pleasant childhood, thanks to my ever loving parents. However, since the beginning of this peculiarly horrendous year (thus far) their existence status regrettably has been reduced to singular surviving. Then to my surprise, even to this day, I managed to scrape through the education system schematics, which labels me as being “qualified”. Thereafter given the first opportunity, I scurried off to the Military Academy, as I deemed that it would be the only place where I could seek redemption, not to forget the “holy cow” bestowing its blessings, which was the tipping point. Alas that was not to be the final destination, and I opted to resign my commission after 5 years. To this day, even after 32 years, I have not been able to figure out the real reason – Why? Hence I have never actually had any definitive answers, when people used to ask me this question “to begin a conversation”. The reason still eludes me, though with no regrets, however thankfully these reason seeking questions have stopped. 

Then one fine morning, I decided that I wanted to be my own master – be Self Employed. The terms like Self-Employed or Self-Dependent [Atmanirbhar] were not quite in vogue,  during that period in history. However, I wanted to live the way I wanted to live. Blissfully and peacefully, on my own terms. Does that make me a risk taker, yes definitely – a “foolish” risk-taker, I can say since I had no plan – I mean I did not even have a documented Business Plan or a Power-Point presentation [I did not even own a Computer] with number crunching etc. The only thing that I did was, take the DECISION. This first step put the odds in my favour. This process kicked into motion one of Darwin’s Survival theories. It was the double ditch, either I jump through or fall in. It’s all about odds – put the odds in your favour. It is a decision making process. This is what I want my Sons to follow. This is the only legacy that I want to leave them. They should do whatever it is that they want to do – but they have to take that decision and be responsible for it. I have never interfered and neither do I want to. It is their Life and they have to be able to take that decision and live by it – as I have lived mine. 

“Heaven is a conscious choice to defy the ego’s voice”. Creating opportunities, maintaining momentum and advancing one step at a time. This was the focus. All the time I spent over the last 2 decades, engaged in  the so called “Hard-Work”. Thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence. What was it that I wanted to be when I started this journey – to be Self Employed. Be on my own. I did manage to achieve that by providing above-average sustenance to my own family, and in the process also helping a few more, to earn their daily bread by way of their association with my business. I don’t owe it to anyone, but myself and today no one can lay a blame on me for anything – I am responsible only to myself and no one. I have never announced anything at any point, made any promises to anyone, then why does expectations have to be raised – of me. I know myself, and I know my strengths and weaknesses. The change we’re really looking for is inside our heads. The moment you become aware of the ego in you, it is strictly speaking no longer the ego, but just an old, conditioned mind-pattern. To this day, I have never even used the term “Founder” against my name. I have not founded anything, so why should I use this term. I have set my own goals, on my own terms have managed to achieve whatever it is that I set out to be – Self Employed.