Greetings!
The last year or so has been tumultuous to say the least. Over a period of 18 months I lost four major parental figures in my life. All very close to me. The biggest loss, of course, was my own father who moved on to his heavenly abode in the first week of January this year. A void that cannot possibly be filled. Shoes so large that even the three of us siblings together are not able to fill it. Even as we dealt with the grief and the heartache we slowly began to pick up the pieces. Within weeks we had to address the exigencies of the business. After all life does not wait. Bills and salaries have to be paid. The teams needed clear cut leadership. And even without thinking or realising we began to take up the role.
The world around us watched carefully, expecting us to fall, but we slowly and surely grew from strength to strength. Padded up. Walked up to the crease every day and faced the myriad balls coming at us simultaneously from every different direction.
Looking back, I realised that the one thing that helped me through this was the fact that I signed up with a very insightful therapist within a week of my father passing. Having her with me helped me tremendously in maintaining my sanity. Of course it helped that my wife steadfastly stood at my side and the boys and the family kept closed ranks and stayed together like a rock. And of course there is the support of my friends and well-wishers. My friends were my anchor and kept me from falling apart. There was many an exchange of conversations on ideas and strategies. Each of them showing me some new way ahead. Brick by brick we rebuilt the walls to protect the void. More so to hide the void. And to fill the void.
We consolidated and worked out the path ahead. Kept our heads down and just focused on the job at hand. Building the team that we needed for the journey ahead. Making it seem easy even though it felt arduous to us. I found reserves of energy and strength that I never knew I had. And I constantly felt like a Being with Boundless Energy. Working long hours, pushing my limits. Pushing even without thinking, without realising that I was pushing. I felt like I used to during my school days. Making everything look easy. Everything coming to me easily.
And over this period I finally connected to my true passion, the desire to make an impact, to make a difference, to move from wealth creation to creating a better world for the people around me. I have had many such conversations in my head from the time I finished from university. But could not really give them real shape.
Out of this thinking was born our foundation – Vipodha Wellness Foundation. Discovering that Rolex was owned by a not-for-profit foundation inspired me to take the plunge with Vipodha. The genesis of this name is from its meaning – “Bestowing Inspiration”. INSPIRATION, a feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something or some experience. INSPIRATION also gives us both the means and the motivation to rise above, be creative, grow closer to our goals, learn from others, and achieve enhanced well-being. Our core mission is TO INSPIRE. To inspire as many as we can on our journey. Our journey to drive sustainability and life-long learning.
We aspire to be an inspiration for individuals, organizations & the society to take a positive step towards self-actualization & for each to achieve their full potential. We want to partner with them in a quest to achieve true purpose & drive behaviour that helps to realise that purpose. People must be empowered to do their best, be their best and find their calling.
At Vipodha, we believe in the indomitable human spirit and its unlimited potential. Its potential to truly change the world to be a better place for all its inhabitants. To make the most optimum use of our finite resources & to create a lasting impact on the lives of all in our sphere of influence. We believe that individual well-being & knowledge are the two most important tools in improving one’s quality of life. We aspire to achieve this by way of making meaningful contributions across the fields of self-growth, mental wellbeing, arts & life skills.
As part of our journey, this magazine that I had put together during the Covid lockdown days has now been dedicated to be a part of Vipodha’s journey and become its mouth piece. So the best way to re-start the magazine, that went on hold over this crazy year due to my pulls and pressures, we felt was to set the theme for December 2022 as INSPIRATION. Here I am dedicating the rest of my life to inspiring as many as I can. I am throwing this thought out in the universe in the pure hope that I am truly able to deliver on my purpose.
God Bless!
