Whenever you find yourself talking negatively to yourself or judging or shaming yourself for something you have done wrong maybe today, or in your past, think about saying those harsh words to the younger version of you. How atrocious of you would it be to talk to your inner child like that, of telling the most disdainful of phrases that would never leave your mouth for the people you love? We live in a world where it is normalized to treat yourself with grit and harshness and to be hard on yourself because guess what we live in a hustling world where everybody charges with lightning speed towards their goals and if you render yourself with steadiness and ease, we are losing the damn game of life.

It is the callous and dull moments of life that make us feel grateful for the ones brimming with joy and love, it is the struggle in life that makes us feel gratitude and joy for the moments of success and accomplishment. The darkness in life fosters the ability to be able to yearn and fully live through moments of light. In the contradicting dualities of life, in the contrasting being of the realm of joys, tears, smiles and fears we laugh, we cry, we misunderstand, we dance, we break and we rise again as a version of yourself that has better knowledge, understanding and awareness of their unique individuality.

As I recall my journey on the path of learning and insights, I am proud and elated about my recent endeavour to be invited and serve as mentor for Branding and Marketing at Indira Gandhi University of Technology. Life has its unique ways of surprising you, from being a student of the world of marketers and brands to teaching degree students about the nuances of the branding world through the insights I gained working in the industry, I feel pride in the journey that I have stridden upon and am excited about what the path of life leads me to.

Reflecting on my recent achievements, here are a few lessons that I learned during the discourse.

1. The factor that decides whether you are leading a good life or having a good day is you. Whether you want to remain the same or change your entire existence, whether you want to quit your job or stay in the same company or whether you want to let the negative words or influences of others affect you, you get to decide that.
2. Whenever you doubt yourself the next time, remember how many silent admirers you have on this planet. There is someone who admires how beautiful your smile is, there are people who get inspired by the way you unapologetically lead your life, there are people who remember how you were kind to them as a stranger, and there are so many people who are inspired by you just being you, maybe not reaching out to you because of being reserved or some other reason, but always remember you are more competent, smarter and more capable than you can ever think.
3. You can change your life whenever you want, you can fall in love with yourself the very next day. You can discover your new favourite song, you can meet the love of your life next week, and you can find your dream career next year. You don't know that one decision you make or one moment that plonks its anomalies in your existence can completely change your life. The key is to keep going.
4. Every person you admire is the reflection of beauty that you hold within yourself. The idols you look up to, the ideal lifestyle you want to live, guess what you are going to be whoever you wish to be. The life you are dreaming about, the truth is your future self is already living in the reality that you yearn for to come true, all you need to do is believe in it.
5. Taking time to rest doesn't make you lazy or a failure. It is a sense of true self-care, to nurture your body and give it what it demands in the moment. You are not unworthy and you are not behind if you make one bad decision or decide to take a detour that does not match the laid-out plan of life you thought you would have. It just makes you human. And you being just the way you are is enough.
6. You don't need to be extremely beautiful or talented, highly accomplished or rich to be called successful. Your journey is unique and the way you learn through your mistakes, go through the hardest days of your life, face your trauma and come out of the other side of it with newfound wisdom and mental resilience, makes you successful. You have time to be whoever you. want in life, rather than fixating on what you haven't achieved, have faith and pride in the lessons you have learned in your journey so far at a young age.
7. The world, our relatives, our friends, and the news outlets thrive on a negative bias. We are accustomed to holding the negativity that exists around us to be the only truth of life, whereas tragedies and animosity render it to be the only gospel truth existing. While it is true that horrendous circumstances do exist around us, 7 billion people are living their lives on this planet. Someone got their dream job today, someone just found hope in their health, someone got married to the love of their life, or someone got admitted to their dream university. The entities of true love, unconditional devotion, and dreams coming true do exist, we need to see and believe in them more actively.
8. Lastly, let today just be today. If you didn't do your best, fell back into the pattern of old habits, argued with someone, or were not as productive as you needed to be, learn to be compassionate with yourself. You are doing the best you can with the amount of self-perception and energy you have, accolade yourself for it.

Remember every day is a new opportunity, to show up as a completely new person, with a new mindset, a new perspective and a new identity. Your past doesn't define you

What resonated with you the most, let me know in the comments below!

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