According to the classic Noah Webster’s dictionary, luck has been defined as “a purposeless, unpredictable and uncontrollable force that shapes events favorably or unfavorably for an individual, group or cause”.
Or in other words, luck is something which you can’t control, yet it has the power to alter your destiny.
Such helplessness..
Interestingly, the concept of luck attains philosophical status, only when its ‘bad’.
When both the positive or negative aspect of ‘luck’ is not under our control, then why to ponder on this mystery? Why don’t we remain aloof from the whole concept itself, and accept the ‘fate’ and let our destiny decide for our lives?
Sounds so easy, and secured: Accept your fate, and move on. No fight, no fear and a perfect scapegoat to pass on the blame.
But isn’t it cowardly; totally pathetic style of living?
image: Wheel of fortune as depicted in Sebastian Brant`s book; Source: Wikipedia
If you observe the definition, then it says that luck “.. is a force that shapes events favorably or unfavorably for an individual”. There is a big “OR” in between favorably and unfavorably; good stuff and bad stuff and it is this bridge, this vacuum that we need to conquer after luck plays its part.
There is always a hidden, unspoken, undeclared Law of Karma which can transform all bad lucks into good, excellent lucks.
Ok, may be not purely ‘good & enriched luck’ but heck, it can be atleast better than the evil of bad luck and misfortune which will eventually happen if we don’t change anything.
I realized these facts unknowingly, in the midst of shaping my own destiny and refusing to accept what ‘luck’ had in store.
Here on this excellent platform of Rodinhoods, I wish to share five bad lucks of my life, which actually made me stronger.
1) Letter To The Editor & My New World View
I was in class 7th, and loved reading newspapers. The Pioneer & Telegraph were the most respectable English dailies according to all Bengalis at time, and I used to absorb each and every word published. The section called ‘Letters to the Editor’ fascinated me most, because common men like me used to share their opinion, and it was published. How cool was that! I decided to write my own letters related to burning issues, and used to send them religiously.
But none of them published. I was disheartened. Week after week, every day I wrote them a letter and none were published.
Bad Luck
I observed that a person named M. Subramaniyam’s letters was consistently published in that section, atleast 3-4 times a week; I was intrigued. After 3 months of sending letters to the editor, I decided to send a letter to this guy (local addresses were mentioned below the names), asking how come his letters were published and mine were not? I was actually angry, and jealous, and the letter which I sent him amply demonstrated those emotions.
A week later, I received his reply, and it changed my worldview forever.
First of all, he laughed off my anger, stating that he has never seen or read a class 7th student getting angry because his letters were rejected by an editor of a newspaper. But, he said that I should never, ever stop writing, even if they are not published.
“There are three things which run this world: God (or your belief & trust); Love and Patience. Rest everything is just a by-product “, he wrote, which I couldn’t fully understand that time but a thought which eventually shaped my future decisions.
“Seek progress, not perfection”, said his words, which are still empowering me.
He urged me to read like a maniac, and keep writing, no matter what is the outcome.
In the signature part, I found ‘ex-IAS Officer’ written. After a month when I gathered courage to visit him personally and thank him for his invaluable advice, I found to my horror that he has died. He had written that letter from his hospital bed, and his son told me that most probably, that was the last letter he wrote.
2) Class 12th Results & Travel Bug
I scored a dismal 58% in my 12th from Uttar Pradesh Board, which was notoriously infamous for giving low marks during those times (2001). I had prepared rigorously even boycotting India- Pakistan series which was happening in Toronto.
Bad Luck.
The mood was pretty gloomy at my house, as everyone from the neighbor to the housemaid expected atleast a first division. Parents were almost ready to spend a fortune to get me into some big name private university, which had acres of campus and claims that Bill Gates would be personally hiring you once the course finishes.
But something was not right. I refused to get enrolled. Paying monstrous amount of money to get a degree seemed as if bad luck is winning. But on a deeper level, I realized that its not bad luck; its just the results of an examination which will hold no importance on the grand scheme of things.
God, Love and Patience, all three were missing from this decision, and I refused.
I asked myself, whether I was serious for getting good marks? Did I devout my 100% to the exams? Without any shame, my conscience replied in a big NO.
Hence, it was not bad luck anymore. It suddenly converted into an omen, a sign from The Almighty that He had some other plans. I just needed to connect the dots.
“What will you do now? Start coaching for bank clerk exams atleast..” panicked my mother, who is still working with a national bank as I write this blog. I turned another page from the novel I was reading, and laughed away her concerns.
Yes, I had to study but not this way, where second division and the donation money determined my future. I wanted to get education, not curriculum and degree.
One fine morning, as I got up, I had this amazing idea: I will travel. Travel whole of India, and experience life, as it happens, on the outside in real world, not inside a classroom. I had been reading E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India, and I still believe that the author came in my dreams, and gave the solution.
I bought a huge full scale map of India, and spread it out on the wall. I located the farthest place from Lucknow as I wanted a location which is so far from my hometown that I should require atleast 48 hours to travel by train.
I located Mangalore, which incidentally was called the educational town of Karnataka. I wanted to learn computers and Internet, and found a college which provided that. Fortunately (Good luck now?!), a delegation from my selected college reached Lucknow after some days, and after my dad and mom met them, they were convinced that it can be considered for my higher education. Although my relatives tried their best to stop my exciting exit, my parents eventually agreed after we visited the college, checked the hostel and explored the city (my dad was in Indian Air Force, and he firmly believed that a boy has to live alone, far from family, to transform into a man)
Again, luckily, the college was sponsored by Mangalore University, and the whole course fee was a fraction of what those big, thousand acre campus Universities offered. It was a 5 year, integrated MSc in Information Science, a rare course which was introduced as an experiment during that year and our batch was the first and last of this course.
And trust me, the experience of studying at Mangalore was something which will remain with me, till I die, mainly because of the incredible train travels I managed 3 times a year.
The 75% marks which I finally got has less much value, compared to the experience of sitting on the train coach’s entrance and absorbing the beauty of gorgeous Konkan Railways route, feeling the vast expanse of Madhya Pradesh, getting the chills of watching Chambal Ghaati right infront of you and the thrill of exploring Mumbai while waiting for the next train.
(Once when there was an 8 hour gap between connecting trains, I ventured out of the Lokmanya Tilak Railway Station in Mumbai, reached a nearby playing ground, got included in a group which was playing cricket, and scored a 50 in only 20 balls. All the players came with me to the railway station to see me off..)
The travels, the insecurity of staying at a place which is 2500 kms away from your family, the fear and the amazing friendships and little bits of heroism and bravery – Mangalore taught me everything.
Actually, I must confess that right now, if I am strong enough to claim that I am a Writer, it’s because of Mangalore and the travels I did.
3) Call Center & My Book & My Wife
In the year 2006, I graduated from Mangalore, fresh with MSc IT degree in hand. Although I resented the idea of queuing up at IT companies and telling fascinating lies infront of the interviewer, I did that, as all of my batchmates were doing.
But I sucked at it. When they asked me where you see yourself after 5 years, I replied that I am sitting on a beach, writing my novel.
Rejected
When they asked me to solve a programming challenge, I honestly asked them for the reference book.
Rejected
I had this problem of nervousness as well; I stammered and uttered all wrong answers when the ruthless interviewer looked straight into my eyes and asked about pointers and references.
Rejected
When all your batch-mates are getting selected at awesome sounding names such Infosys, IBM and Wipro and Satyam (it was 2006-07), and you are getting rejections like free candies, then it plays havoc with your life.
Heck, I didn’t even had the luxury of saying that it’s a recession, as it happened in 2008, and 2006-07 year was when any Tom Dick or Harry with a IT degree was getting easy placements.
Back luck
Every morning when I got up, stood infront of the mirror brushing my teeth, I reminded myself this is just a temporary phase of life. When dad or mom called me in Bangalore asking about any development, I disconnected the call, shouting ‘hello.. hello..no coverage..’ and then used to cry, sob and finally used to get sleep from the emotional tiredness.
If you have ever slept weeping and crying, then you will realize that the subsequent dreams are amazing; as the hidden, unconscious wishes and desires automatically manifests, taking you into a fantasy land.
And during one of those dreams, I found my good luck.
A year earlier, in 2005, Chetan Bhagat’s One Night @ the Call Center was published, and I read it during the long bus journeys in Bangalore, knocking at IT companies for jobs. The concept of the book changed everything.
If that letter from an ex-IAS officer planted a tiny seed of writing within my heart, then this book converted it into a monster, which forced me to confess that I always wanted to become a writer.
Call center, the subject of that novel became my first muse, and inspired a story.
I was fascinated with the term call center, and those creatures that inhabited that place. I wondered day and night, why exactly people joined Call Centers, when all they were supposed to do was making calls!
I decided to stop begging for jobs in IT companies, and decided to join a call center, experience the life firsthand, and finish the story. I am still surprised that how a small decision changed bad luck into good luck. Once you take ownership of your decisions, life certainly becomes easy.
I happened to get the first offer from IBM Daksh in Gurgaon, for a KPO process. It was not fully fledged call center, yet, had the ingredients of the same. I didn’t think twice before saying yes.
I happened to meet a girl, who had joined IBM to pay her bills while she designed clothes at night, and our frequency matched. Her passion was designing, and mine was writing, and when two artists meet, then magic is assured.
I proposed her for marriage, and she said a big yes. Life was transforming for me, super fast.
If not for a call center, I wouldn’t have met Deepali, and couldn’t have experienced the life and times of a call center employee. No, I couldn’t complete the novel there in IBM, but the experience was invaluable to my life. My fictional story, which was only brewing inside my mind now, got new realistic angles, and new plots and radically innovative characters.
The base and the foundation of my ‘writing career’ were firmly cemented, as I understood the reasons I shouldn’t do a job driven only by money.
4) On Being A Writer
There was a temporary phase in my life, where somehow, greed engulfed me. Terms such as ‘package’ and ‘CTC’ sounded like music to my ears, and the urgency for Writing somehow diminished.
I started looking for jobs which paid me good, and forgot to check whether it’s satisfying me or not. During those days, SAP was the in-thing. Rumors were floating that all you need to do is complete a fast track course in SAP, and companies will hire you instantly. I followed the advice, did a course, and ended up at a SAP implementation project in Pune.
I did some good work tweaking the world’s most profitable CRM, but the experience wasn’t exhilarating. What I received as a pay check was almost triple of what I used to receive at IBM, but a sense of dissatisfaction always loomed over my head. Somehow, it didn’t felt right. When I faced myself infront of the mirror, the eyes were not proud and the head not held high. .
Is that all I have got to do, whole my life?
I sucked it up, assuming that maybe SAP will change my life for better in future, maybe I will get a salary with even more 0s, and maybe I will be happy eventually.
One day I got an offer from Gurgaon, and being the confused state of my mind, I instantly resigned, and headed to the new job.
But after 2 days, the HR at the Gurgaon manufacturing hub in Manesar informed me that the SAP team is dissolved. They will outsource the whole process to a third party, and that my services are no longer required.
Bad Luck
Although I could have gone back to Pune or tried at hundreds of other companies in Delhi-NCR region, I decided to quit SAP, forever.
I still remember the sparkle in my eyes, when I faced the mirror, and announced that I AM A Writer.
IBM & SAP taught me so many things; besides getting to know the wishes and desires of the tormented souls who work in the outsourcing & IT industry against their will, I realized one very important fact of life: Job sucks when you don’t love it.
A job motivated by CTC and appraisal is a compromise and slavery of one’s own soul. Those shining glass buildings were actually golden cages, created to enslave those who had forgotten their purpose of life.
No longer will I seek permission from others to write, and no longer will fat paychecks and CTC seduce me. What is the point in doing something which doesn’t excite you or challenge you? The depressing ABAP screen in the SAP software was actually killing me. It took me less than 5 minutes to uninstall that SAP CRM from my laptop, and suddenly I felt light, free and insanely happy.
I concluded that finding purpose in life is the most important task; listening to the silence of your heart is everything, and saying yes to a job which doesn’t excite you is the worst crime, ever.
I freelanced for couple of months in Delhi as a content writer, chose a job in a company which provided Digital Marketing services, and within 2 weeks, transformed into an SEO. Digital Marketing was something which came naturally to me, having experienced the Internet culture of America at IBM, and things started to happen automatically.
I became a start-up & marketing blogger, fascinated with the new Internet economy and recently was mentioned in Mint newspaper for a blog which I wrote regarding TCS firing (irony?) along with a short appearance in NDTV Profits news channel.
Right now, working as a Digital Marketing Manager for a college in Delhi, I am doing something which makes me satisfied and happy. I chose a profession where I can use my creativity, words and ideas and I am getting paid for it!
I am proud to say that the first draft of that fiction novel: The Graveyard Shift is now finally completed. I am editing it right now, and dying to hug that publisher who agrees to publish it.
But yes, the bug of becoming a full time Author & Entrepreneur is still itching me but I am sure that GoodLuck is around the corner.. waiting for me.
5) 1st Encounter With Alok sir and Extreme Good Luck
On October 5th, 2012, I happened to attend my first Rodinhood Open House in Delhi. I had read Alok sir’s blogs and envisioned his grand theory of life & success, but had never met him. I had numerous questions which I wanted to ask, but couldn’t transform them into words when I actually met him.
Words seemed to desert me at that moment.
Bad luck
But hey, there is always that vacuum, that bridge which can convert a bad luck into good luck.
After reaching home, I did what I loved doing: I wrote a blog post on the experience.
And that first blog which I wrote on TheRodinhoods platform earned me a Rodinhood Tshirt, which is the biggest reward I ever received, for being a Writer. Not only this t-shirt made me an integral part of this incredible community, but it also instilled a confidence which a Writer needs, all the time. The t-shirt is, and will be my most prized possession, as it actually lifts my spirits, and fills me up with power, fuel and insane energy.
I may never know. But what know is that Steve Jobs said, “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”, and as I did that, I found myself as the luckiest person.
And I suppose nothing else matter.
About me: Writer, Blogger and Would be Author. Currently working as Digital Marketing Manager at Indian School of Business & Finance, Delhi | Facebook | Twitter | Proud Rodinhooder
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by posting your #goodluck story on trhs!
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