Curiosity, Courage, Commitment, and Compassion: My “four best friends”
People often ask me, “Who were your inspirations while you were on your journey to success, or who have been your mentors or idols whom you have always looked up to?”. Although I look up to a lot of people in my life, like my parents, my mentors from my professional fields, and business personalities like Mr. Ratan Tata, I have always considered my inspirations to be what I have called as my “4 Best friends” in one of my Ted Talks at IIM, which are “Curiosity, Courage, Commitment, and Compassion.” Let me walk you through my journey
1. How Curiosity Shaped My Success:
Curiosity has always been the driving force that fueled my learning and personal growth. From a young age, I was always questioning, exploring, and eager to understand how things worked, which helped me transform from a door-to-door salesman into a talent-nurturing expert that the world knows today. I have always emphasised that learning shouldn’t be confined to your school or university, learning is a constant process, and being curious is what fuels your learning journey.
2. How Courage Shaped My Destiny
We all think that being courageous means not being scared of anything, whereas in reality, being courageous means “ Being scared of something and yet doing it because we know that taking this step will change ur life for the better “. For me, being courageous was not a choice; it was the only option. I had to move out of my comfort zone multiple times in my life, whether it was leaving Trichy, or leaving India and moving to the USA, or leaving my comfortable job and starting a new venture. Relying consistently on my inner strength to be courageous is what has brought me to where I am right now.
3. Commitment was my superpower
Everyone, at some point, hits a wall while chasing their goals. Everyone gets doubtful of themselves when their plans fail, and such setbacks can make even the most confident people question their initial decisions. There were moments when I also questioned my choices and faced setbacks that made the road toward my goals seem impossible. What kept me going was that instead of letting those failures stop me, I used them as fuel to keep moving forward. I decided to stay committed to my decisions, I learnt from every obstacle, and refused to give up. I finally achieved what I set out to accomplish by simply staying committed to my decisions.
4. Compassion was a strong pillar
Compassion for me means caring for the people who have made it possible for me to be who I am, being empathetic towards everyone, and building strong relationships. During my leadership journey, I have witnessed many instances where compassion created trust and loyalty among my team members.
I believe success is not only about business results but about the impact that you have on people’s lives.
Everyone, regardless of their background, can find and lean on their own “four best friends.” We should always cultivate curiosity, courage, commitment, and compassion in our lives because these values are easily accessible to all and can turn ordinary lives into extraordinary journeys.