How I Got A Second Chance At Success

Posted: February 25, 2016

A second chance at success sounds great, but it doesn’t always come by on its own. Sometimes, having a plan B in place can make all the difference.

Life is always about the curves; whether on the road, or in life, it is the unexpected twist that gets us all in a tizzy. It is all well and proper when we talk about facing life head on and standing up to life, but are we actually, truly prepared when that happens? Like the radio belting out a surprise with each song, life throws us challenges; we like some and some, not so much.

More than ever, we need that security net to catch us at these uncertain times as seen in this video of a father who has planned for the security of his family, no matter what.

What is your Plan? Have you even thought of it? The truth is that despite all our talk of independence, self-sufficient individuals, lofty career aspirations and being go-getters, a single incident can change our lives.

For us to find our place in this confusing world is no easy feat, and when you add to it all the hurdles in our path, a plan is a lifesaver. While we feel euphoric at finishing school, moving to college and starting to shape our dreams into the future we foresee, it is never easy.

The second chance at success my parents gave me

Parenting brings a whole new twist to career options, one that I had never considered as a child myself. I took a year off after graduation and my parents were fine with it. I choose the first MBA program I came across and my parents were fine with that too. That my MBA turned out to be a PGDBM, a diploma and not a degree as I had thought was a shock big enough to make me second guess all my decisions. I felt so incapable wondering what I would do with a career that was going nowhere.

Choosing a career is something that is drilled into our minds from the time we pick one toy over another and even as a mother, I see myself doing it to my baby. If he picks a utensil, he might be a chef, if he likes blocks or Lego, he is going to be an engineer, a pilot or a scientist. The options are endless and so are my hopes associated with him. How I help him achieve his goals is what a drafting a Plan is all about.

As a parent I now understand the mind-boggling choices my parents faced when trying to guide me into a career that would be right and suitable for me. More so when they faced the tremendous pressure to get their daughter married, it was the right age you see and I was ‘over- educated’ as it is. Luckily for me my parents had a plan.

The encouragement from them to take up a job and then to do a distance learning Masters in my chosen area sorted out a lot of my problems. I went on to love the work I did and even though I had to work extra hard for two more years working and studying, I managed it. The support of my parents and the fact that they had planned enough financially made a difference. The option for me to have an extra degree made all the difference to my life both personally and professionally.

Planning and ensuring that the necessary finances and options are available for our future and that of our loved ones is paramount. We might have the best intentions but not having the funds to execute them is a sad truth many have to face.

#KhudKoKarBuland, as this video above says – plan wisely, invest safely and stay secure today and tomorrow.

mother and daughter image via Shutterstock