About Founder
I am financial services professional who has spend last two decades in the area of Financial Risk Management. This blog is a window into my transformation journey within Banking and Vedic Sciences.
Writing this seemed easy. As, I pride myself on being an open book, so I thought how hard can it be? However, I soon found myself uncomfortable and struggling to put thoughts into words. I walked away from it and decided to watch a documentary featuring Obama. Obama was conversing with a person who was living paycheck to paycheck.
Obama asked a question – “Do you have an idea in your mind what work should be”.
The lady replied “I just want to be at home, on my porch in my rocking chair, my refrigerator’s full, my bill is paid, my child is taken care of. That is the dream. That is peace”.
Lady turned around and asked “Are you at Peace. Now”.
Obama replied – “I actually feel pretty good, I have achieved most of the goals I have set. My kids are kept, we have got nice house with a nice porch, we have got rocking chairs. It has to do more than just me. I worry about the next generation”.
This conversation struck a chord with me and by the time you reach the end of this, you will know why?
Do you know how a planet is formed?
It is literally formed by a tiny speck of dust coming together in the interstellar space where it collapses under its own gravity. It is a multi-staged and complicated process with nothing but chaos at the heart of it. There is an order to the chaos, with every speck of dust playing a crucial role. Everything has a purpose and a meaning. You cannot see it but must trust it.
This is not an astrophysics blog.
It is my transformation journey over the last 25 years that had a higher purpose, not visible to me but was slowly forming me. A story that is filled with challenges, learnings, resilience and above all a whole lot of fun.
First Stage of creation – Creation through Chaos
Similar to the first stage of a planet formation, where Immense Gravitational Pressure pulls in stardust, I was attracting “Knowledge” and “Experiences” from Vedic literature and life experiences.
Having grown up in a privileged family , I lived a comfortable life with a positive outlook. I had no real direction and was floating through time and space. I was not thinking like Obama, worrying about future generations. Rather my focus was on what am I going to wear at the next Friday event. I graduated in late 90s, enrolled for an MBA and then went on to do another Masters in England.
Looking back chasing my thirst for knowledge was the first “Big Bang” moment of my life.
It was a big unknown step for me. What can only be described as a period of self-discovery. My time in England, besides learning about how we make decisions when faced with uncertainty, was spent on learning the need to separate whites and colour before washing. My friend’s thought pink was my favourite colour, little did they know.
And then like a movie, my life took a dramatic turn, and I would experience “Immense pressure” and become truly uncomfortable.
After finishing my studies, next few years of my life saw me traveling for work from Indianapolis to London to New Delhi. During this period, I lived through two organisations filing for bankruptcy – one a life insurer in Indiana due to mismanagement and the other in Energy Trading due to Enron. I felt vulnerable, frustrated and no matter what I did, events beyond my control kept me on the edge. Things were about to get even more challenging.
My personal life along with my professional life was also transforming. I was jobless and dealing with personal loss. Things became even more uncomfortable when my wife and I were left without a home and nothing but a suitcase. So, at this point I was truly lost.
This period can only be described as period of incredible adversity and no short of the centrifugal pressure that a planet experience in its formation. I still remember my first interview happened the same day as I returned from the funeral. I can vividly recall the need to quickly compartmentalise my emotions because I really needed that job. It felt like a do or die moment.
During this time my grounding in Vedic literature and practices ensured that i stay grounded.
Eventually, I did get the job.
Looking back, this was the “Second Big Bang” moment of my life.
I had to embrace uncertainty. Over the next three years shuttling between countries, my life began to transform.
As I share this story, you might feel that I was not in control of my destiny, the truth is that I wasn’t. I was focused on learning, embracing uncertainty and seizing the opportunity. What I learnt during that chaotic process was:
1. Embrace uncertainty – if it makes you feel uncomfortable, it is making you stronger.
2. Challenge yourself to do more and push boundaries – you will grow.
3. Never assume what is going on in someone’s life – you don’t know the circumstance under which people are operating.
Be humble, polite and demonstrate empathy.
Looking back practice of meditation, mindfulness and Vedic sciences was one of the main reasons for the transformation that I observed both my personal and professional life.
Far away from home, I was moving around the world with learnings, knowledge and wisdom forged in the centrifugal pressure of adversities that I had faced.
I was ready for the next stage of creation.
Second Stage of creation – Finding the glue
As the cloud of stardust pull in water particles to act as glue to hold them together. In my context, coming through period of significant uncertainty, I really needed a glue to keep me together. During this period, family, mentors and Vedic sciences acted as that glue. Next stage of my transformation saw me working in the middle of financial crisis at the epicenter of storm. My grounding in Vedic science and practices enhanced the transformation journey and ensured that i stay grounded, resilient as I was attracting and absorbing diverse experiences.
So, what learnings can I share with you from this stage:
1. Find people who believe in you, even more than you do. Actively appreciate, treasure and nurture those relationships.
2. Don’t be afraid of change, absorb it, ride it and grow with it. You will not see it now, there is a purpose to the change.
3. Make conscious decisions and follow through with them – there is no right or wrong decision, they are simply part of the process and reflection of you in the moment.
Third Stage of creation – Growth and Expansion
The planet is beginning to take shape and is attracting particles, gasses to create a stable atmosphere so that life can thrive. In this phase of my transformation journey, I was focused on creating a stable environment .
My journey so far has inspired me to stay grounded and find magic in transformation. If I was to share with you the essence of the churn that I have experienced in my leadership journey, it will be:
1. Stay uncomfortable as much as you can, it will challenge your boundaries and will grow you in way that will surprise you.
2. When you know something feels right? Trust your instinct, but at the same time hold your position lightly with compassion. Listen to others point of view. Not everyone will see what you see.
3. Like the core of a planet, keep the flame of curiosity burning within you. It will teach you things you never thought were possible to learn.
Coming back to Obama’s discussion, if I had thought like the lady in conversation and opted for “Comfort”, I would have led a totally different life and would probably still be in New Delhi picking clothes for the next Friday event. Instead, I chose an uncertain path that made me vulnerable and at times very uncomfortable. But it was a path of growth and expansion.
So, I will leave you with these parting words – Don’t run away from change, embrace it, it is magical inside and will form you in ways that you cannot imagine. And if you need help of Vedic sciences in accelerating your transformaiton journey, do get in touch.
With Love, Blessings and Gratitude
Vedic Katalyst (Manish M)
