Many young boys grow under their father’s shadow, and so did I until I had to fill in his shoes. Losing my father at a very young age meant I had to step up as the eldest kid and try to fill the void that his death had left. But today when I look back at the struggle, I feel it was worth it every time my siblings look up to me as their role model and father figure.
Life has had its fair share of ups and downs but the dedication to move forward and make something out of my life never stopped me. From working on a failed startup to taking up a full-time job I paved my way, and I can proudly say that I love where I am today. Even after I retire, I do plan on having my own chain of hardware stores throughout the city.
Family has always been at the heart of everything I have done in my life. And that is why striking the right balance between work and personal life comes in. We often don’t realize that we are all on borrowed time and it is important to make the most out of it while we still have our loved ones around us. Traveling has been one way of spending time with my family. Every trip gives us a lifetime experience and memories to live forever. They say not all who wander are lost, but in my case, one wrong turn on our Kashmir Trip in 2012 led us to the high-tension Indo-Pak border in the middle of the night, saved only by a Pak Force patrol unit.
For all the young adults I have one thing to say: always follow your dreams and give your best shot to turn them into reality. Surely times it will get tough but at times you need to hold on to your dreams like a kite tethered to a pole in a storm. Things may not always exactly follow your plans, but I can guarantee that you’ll grow up without any regrets at least!