Positivity, hard work and will to succeed will be your strongest allies in life

Dreams are meant to evolve,  and that’s pretty much been the story of my life. Growing up I was raised with the sensibility that it’s important to be fiercely independent and strong.

I wish, more parents taught their girls to be that way. I was lucky that I was born and raised with a lot of love. Having said that, I wouldn’t deny that we did have our own share of issues, but the way we resolved our problems was through communication and lots of support towards each other.

Being the only child, it was difficult for my parents to send me to a boarding school, but it was also a decision that helped shape my future. Boarding school gave me wings and it was literally then I knew I was going to one day fly all over the world, and really live my life the best way possible. As I turned 17, I was ready to take on the world.

My journey since has taken me places, I’ve lived in UK, France, China, Canada and the States. I’ve accumulated 3 degrees and a ton of experience along the way. While I lived abroad one of the biggest things I learnt was to earn my own living and take care of myself. While a lot of my friends had it easy because their parents provided them with a glamorous lifestyle, I got the biggest gift of life – to learn to be strong and self reliant. Every year I worked hard, so I could receive scholarships. My parents too helped with the remainder of the tuition fee when the scholarships weren’t enough. Life as we all know is super expensive, I also needed money to pay my bills. I worked as a Residential Assistant at my University and did odd jobs to make extra money so I could take care of all other necessities.

Also Read: Happiness is the result of your doing

While this story may seem like a pretty normal one, a lot of people don’t realize how much of a struggle it is, for International Students, to be able to work legally in any country abroad. There are a ton of rules and regulations that make it harder to get a job that pays well and gives an opportunity for growth. The struggle was and is real.

Currently I live in Los Angeles, I work as a screenwriter and independent filmmaker. Anyone who works in the entertainment business would vouch, how difficult it is to get projects. It would have been one thing if I had chosen to come back to India to try and make it here, I’d have my family for support and to fall back on. Instead I challenged myself to make it, in an industry that’s harder to break into.

I strongly believe hardships provide a ton more of opportunities for growth. I have since worked harder to finesse my craft and broadened my horizons in the field by taking up projects as editor and cinematographer. I have also done Stand up Comedy, and Subtitling and Transcribing work for the biggest Production Companies in Los Angeles, to make ends meet as and when required.

I consider myself to be a strong willed person, an optimist who doesn’t give up no matter how many hurdles I have to face. When life says jump, I shout “how high”. If there was one thing I could share about my story is that don’t let the fear of failing, stop you from fulfilling your dreams.

It’s better to say I tried and failed, than to live not knowing the journey you could have had.