Independence of thoughts

Human beings are gifted with the power of intellectuality. A prominent freedom struggle fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose once quoted, “One individual may die; but that idea will, after his death, reincarnate itself in a thousand lives.” These inspirational words help to understand the fact that though life is mortal the thoughts and ideas will always remain immortal. Inspiration emerges only when a person understands the importance of independent thinking.

Every human being must set goals in life and strive to achieve them. In the course of pursuing the dreams, it is important that the person follows moral values and stays focused in this fast paced world. Staying ahead of the competitors in this rat-race world is very difficult. A person with strong determination, focused thoughts and creative ideas can achieve success in life. While I express these thoughts on independent thinking and individualism, I would also like to share one of my personal experiences which helped me realize the power of self confidence in life. Despite hailing from a well established apparel export family, I decided to move out of my comfort zone and venture out into the established corporate world. The motivation behind this was to explore my abilities, adapt to work with different organizational levels and not fear committing mistakes in life.

A true leader guides his followers and not merely leads them. As rightly demonstrated by our Indian freedom fighters during the independence struggle, it is imperative for each and every leader to have certain leadership qualities which will inspire others to follow them. The leader always challenges the status quo to improve the current situation just like the freedom fighters who challenged the status quo of the British rule in India. As rightly said by Max Lucado, a bestselling author “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” A person is never born a leader, only practice and experiences make him an ideal leader. Having been in apparel industry for over 25 years and heading a business unit at work I have mentored a lot of aspiring youngsters to achieve success in life. These simple yet powerful social initiatives give me immense pleasure and help me realize the purpose of my life. At work to achieve success, I not only believe in following the 3D i.e disciple, determination and dedication but also emphasize on providing enough freedom to every person. It helps them perform better and make them more responsible. A good leader must give enough independence to his team members and colleagues at work. Creative thoughts and innovation emerge only through independent thinking. It is also heartening to witness a revolution where more young entrepreneurs are breaking the mundane professional routine to work in exciting start ups. This culture has not only helped them to explore their hidden talents but also build an under dying interest to work and bring a change in the socio-economic status of the country.

With a hope to guide and inspire more youngsters to achieve their desired goals in life, I wish each one of you a very patriotic 71st Independence Day. Be independent and let independence grow in thoughts of every citizen.