The one after a long break!

-

Serendipity or Destiny?



Hello reader! I'm back to blogging after a long break of 6 months! And a lot has happened over the time I was on a break! Literally a lot... For starters, I'm in Australia and we're hit by a global pandemic!

When I started off with my own blog, it was about how I was gonna pursue my dream and find myself in the process. I had solid plans for an MBA in India and was working towards it. My cousin who was in Australia with her husband had come to India for a visit and we were casually having a conversation about my career in Dominos! Haha... I was asked what my plans were since I had recently completed my Bachelor's in Computer Science. I was doing a Digital Marketing internship as a filler after my Degree while I was preparing for CAT, the entrance exam for MBA. I was asked why I wasn't considering moving abroad for a Master's when that would be a good opportunity to explore... Honestly, I did not have an answer to this. Maybe I just wanted to get away from coding. Maybe I was finding an easier route to escape a coding job... I got into thinking about this. My dad always wanted to send me abroad for studies and it wasn't a problem at all. So it felt like I had to make use of the opportunities I'm blessed with. I started applying for Universities in Australia while also studying for my entrance exams in India. What happened after this was a series of events that went so smooth, it feels like it was all planned, now that I recollect it!

I got an opportunity to study in one of the best Universities in Australia, gathered all the documents required for financial purposes, got my Visa grant, booked my flight to Australia and landed in Melbourne, all in the blink of an eye. Through explorations in Online Learning, I had developed an affinity towards Data Analysis and selected Business Analytics as my specialization for my Master's. I'm done with my first semester and totally loved the learning experience at my University! Luckily, I was blessed to land in Australia just before the world was hit by a global pandemic in early 2020 after which most of the International flights were on hold indefinitely!

So the whole purpose of narrating this small story was first, to give an update of how much life has changed and secondly, an Analysis of this storyline. All of these events, when looked at in detail has made me feel that it is either all planned (destiny) or is the result of a stroke of luck (serendipity) that resulted from my conversation with my cousin...

There are two ways to look at this - practicality, where I can take the entire credit for what I am today, or belief, where I was lucky enough to stumble upon experiences that led me to the present moment! To be very honest, I'm still confused about what it could be. Some instances were a stroke of luck (instant Visa grant), while others were a result of my actions (scoring well in IELTS for the application to Universities) but one thing is for certain, it was a combination of all of these events that have led me to where I am. So it feels like we need to do what needs to be done, while also count on our stars during certain moments in life. Bezos quotes "We are our choices" which sounds very practical and I believe this... While I also believe that sometimes we are also directed towards our "destiny" almost innocently, without even knowing that we are. Call it Serendipity of our actions or Destiny, we are pushed towards the person we need to be. It's a subtle balance between sheer dumb luck and complete ownership of our actions that help us reach the best version of ourselves. It's a "series of choices" as quoted by Jeff.

What do you think? Do you believe in luck, completely own your actions and take credit, or feel it's a combination of both? 

Location: Clayton VIC 3168, Australia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Importance and Benefits of Mentorship

-
Image
  We are constantly surrounded by people no matter what phase of life we're in. We have friends, elders, and teachers around us during our childhood. We are surrounded by peers, professors, corporates, or bosses in the later stages of our lives. Have you thought about what impact they have on you and what impact you could have on them? Have you wondered how important this could be? We have all come across the popular saying " Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you what you are." We are indeed the average person of the group or company that we keep. The sooner we realise the astonishing effect the people we surround ourselves with have on us, the better we understand the importance of the right people around us. As demotivating and uninspiring as it gets with the wrong people around, it is also possible to feel equally motivated and inspired around the right people. The Importance of Mentorship The first and foremost step to any change you want to create within...
Read more

How startups can leverage Data for Success

-
Image
“Who is my most ideal customer” ; is the first question every business, product, or service must ask. As a business owner or startup founder, it is important to realise that not everybody is interested in what you’re trying to sell. At the same time, there is a customer base that would actually pay for the genuine problems that they face. If you have the solution, it is important to recognise this set of people as the first step to make sure the efforts are getting the results that you deserve. It is said that 20% of what one does drives 80% of the results ; it is absolutely essential to pinpoint to this 20% of activities and data will help you do it . Analytical CRM for startups If you have a marketing or lead generation strategy, you’re already doing analytics even if you haven’t specifically thought about using data. Data is nothing but numbers and information. A question that all startups need to ask and answer is “how are we doing?” ; this involves analysing numbers an...
Read more

Personal Branding for Professional Success

-
Image
 How to recognise and build a Personal Brand? We have all come across the term "Personal Brand" on various social media platforms through influencers and thought leaders, specifically on LinkedIn. Oftentimes, the way the term sounds makes us feel like it's something big; something that only an influencer or thought leader can have. No doubt that they have a great personal brand but are they the only ones that have it? Weren't these influencers and thought leaders beginners at some point? Didn't they have to build upon their personality to make an impact and build a perception about them? This brings me to the point that most of the attendees in one of my university workshops thought they didn't have a personal brand. The fact that we make it sound big within our mind makes it feel unattainable as a beginner and this is natural. But we all have a personal brand at all points in time whether we know it or not! Very simply, a personal brand is what we're know...
Read more