I still vividly recollect how I was stuck in Chaotic traffic and unexpectedly got a call from Delhi asking if I could be part of an elite panel of speakers whose names sounded like who is who in the world legal fraternity.
Honestly I did not realize the magnitude of the event and swiftly turned down the offer giving the mother of all excuses saying that I would be hard pressed for time. The event manager could not believe that I have turned down the offer when several others were desperately trying to be a part of it. The next morning when I got the call for the second time from them, I could comprehend that they were quite serious about my participation. When I went to the website and saw the list of speakers, I knew it could not be bigger than this with the likes of Somnath Bharathi and Ram Jethmalani being the key note speakers. For a moment I felt like thanking Reid Hoffman the founder of LinkedIn for giving my profile a world wide publicity. I had quickly relented the invitation and thought I should make use of this opportunity which seldom comes my way. I was indeed more ecstatic to see my Company placed next to some of the best fortune five hundred Companies in the World. Definitely a proud moment for all of us.
Several thoughts came rushing to my mind. More importantly I knew that every accomplishment starts with a decision to try. I truly felt that my hard work over the years has been rewarded. In my heart I knew that I was perhaps lucky to brush shoulders with the right people in the real estate industry who believed in my capabilities and reposed oodles of trust in me. Yes everybody needs mentors who would believe in you more than you believed in yourself. They are the ones who give you the wings to fly and conquer the insurmountable odds.
The human mind is so startling that just the belief someone has in you makes you perform beyond your capabilities. Getting opportunity to do what you are capable of is one aspect and the other is getting the due recognition for it in a proper platform. Your heart always yearns for that recognition even though you believe in your work making all the noise and not the other way round. So travelling to Delhi on a special invite from the Global Outsourcing Association of Lawyers was an extremely exhilarating feeling. On the eve of my speech I did have my butterfly moments but felt overjoyed to share space with the finest talent in the legal fraternity. We need to accept the fact that the kind of exposure and experience you get in working in Cities like Mumbai and Delhi can be extremely enriching.
Law is such a dynamic and evolving field and you get stagnated in your field if you don’t keep yourself abreast with what is happening in the national and the international scene. I did speak wholeheartedly about the Ethics and Compliance Issues in today’s global corporate world and had to face many disdainful and supercilious questions from the audience regarding the ethical issues in Real Estate Companies. I spoke at length about our Company and how much CSR activities we had silently done without much publicizing it and I had to drive home the point that there are many Companies who do business ethically and will not compromise on the values and principles.
I knew that I had delivered a fairly impressive speech but never had a clue that I would be invited to again speak in a Global Conference at the most happening place on earth the financial capital of the world, New York. The reluctant me never responded immediately and the news had to sink in. Swiftly I remembered that life begins at the end of my comfort zone. Yes the greatest strength in me is to go confidently in the direction of whatever challenges that come my way and when you do that, the life you have always imagined will seamlessly unfold in front of you.
I have visited few European countries before, but going to one of the busiest cities in the world as a panel speaker was going to be a career defining moment for me. Yes I did my earnest preparation and this time the topic was Anti-Corruption Policies adopted by the Global Corporations and how effective is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K Bribery Act. I knew that the success of my speech lies in believing in myself and the grit and determination to face the obstacles that may come my way in travelling great distances alone. It is often said that everyone needs to travel alone at least once in their life time. It is said that away from home and surrounded by strangers, you can be anyone or no one, anonymous or camouflaged. It was hectic time for me doing my research and having mock discussions with my co panelists who were from the leading law firms in New York and global heads of Anti- Corruption departments.
Initially I did feel little hesitant in expressing my views and then I told myself I would neither be deterred nor bogged down by any of them and would express my views with candor. The day to travel arrived much sooner than I anticipated and I travelled with mixed emotions. My law college classmates who have inhabited all the corners of the globe were more than happy to accommodate me and took good care from the moment I landed at the JFK. I was ready to explore the cities I have only read about. On the day of the conference I travelled from New Jersey without actually doing a recce the previous day. The moment I stepped out of the Penn station at New York, I was so awe struck and mesmerized by the phenomenally tall giant structures staring at me. The yellow taxis were whizzing past me refusing to stop. I immediately rushed to take the help of a Cop to help me find a taxi while going through some really anxious moments about making to the venue on time.
Much to my annoyance, he dropped me at the wrong place and finally another Indian Girl accosted me to the venue and the pointed heel which I was wearing was not exactly helping my cause. I reached the grand venue finally and the stage was set. I was facing the large audience and was sitting with my co-panelists whom I am seeing for the first time. There was a sudden adrenalin rush with lots of pride gleaming in my eyes that I am representing my nation and I had to express vociferously what I believed in and felt glad that I have reached where I am due to my sheer hard work and dedication. Just viewing the famous New York Skyline from the place I was sitting to deliver my thoughts was in itself a very divine experience to say the least. I made sure that I was not carried off by the grandeur and had to express freely what I really wanted to say amidst the overbearing Americans.
They definitely quizzed me about why nothing much has been done in terms of strict legislations to remove corruption in India. I could just breeze past the discussion with lots of poise since I was well prepared. I could also discuss with ease the various aspects of corruption in the US and UK. I talked about my Company with lots of passion and fervor and the audience could sense my emotion and passion for whatever I had done thus far while handling large complex transactions. I did feel ecstatic that when some of the lawyers came up and said that they indeed liked and agreed with whatever I have said. I did feel elated that I got an opportunity to speak at a Global stage about our Indian real estate industry and create an impact amidst the well informed audience. Still unable to come out of the spell, the city had cast on me, I rushed out of the conference hall after the event to catch a glimpse of the almost hypnotic and mesmeric buildings of New York. After my official work I had time to explore the colossal city of New York and was quite charmed and captivated by it. I had taken time off to travel to the west coast as well and was equally bewitched and besotted by the bay area.
The saying “Take a trip alone and don’t miss the opportunity to learn something about yourself” made a lot of sense to me after this travel. As Freya Stark rightly said to awaken alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensation in the world and I am glad I experienced it. We sometimes need to embrace the beauty of our solo journey which greatly helps in rediscovering the real you.
It is never too late for us to dream, travel and achieve more.
