I clung to Steve Jobs words ,“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”-like a drowning man clutches onto a log of wood to stay afloat.

This was at a time when I exhausted all my Civil Services Examination attempts. A time when my childhood dream, or should I say, lifelong dream, was almost within my grasp-having reached the final stage of Civil Services Interview. Disbelief hit me when I couldn’t find my name in the final list. All these years of studying, accumulating knowledge- it seemed like a waste. With no plan B, I was left unemployed.

But I promised myself I would transform my failed destiny. When we move in the direction of hope and change -the poison of the situation changes into medicine. Any problem or suffering can be transformed eventually into the greatest happiness and fulfillment in life.

The tenacity and discipline which IAS preparation had instilled in me- helped me become 1 of the youngest marketing communications heads. The IAS knowledge accumulated helped me write profusely and become a published author(over 5-6 fiction/nonfiction books published);a scriptwriter; a performance storyteller. A jury member and panellist at management colleges. I hustle numerous passions like boxing, horse riding, aerial yoga.

THE TAKEAWAY? This isn’t my individual journey. All of us have similar stories within us. Lets pull up each other, share each other’s stories/videos and inspire each other, to build an empathetic community that embraces failures as a badge of honour. Lets say NO to stigmatising those who face setbacks and those who fall behind in life! For the real journey, gets better when we hold each other and march ahead like a team.

#InspiringIndia #SuccessGyan #SuperSpeaker #super500 #iasaspirant #civilservicesexam