There isn't a right way or a wrong way; it is only your way.

Hello Everyone!! Every month reminds us of something special, and for me, the month of March is about the onset of summer and the end of the academic year. It reminds me of preparing, planning, and revising our subjects during school days for our Annual examination. Though it's been more than 15 years since I have left school, the experience of repeating the same exercise for 12 long years is so deeply imbibed in me that I still have feelings of nostalgia about the month of March!

               Do you feel the same way as I do?

I remember discussing with friends how to complete revision quickly and how best to prepare for the final exams. However, all of us adopt our own ways, depending on our favourite subjects and also on our strengths and weaknesses. For me, Mathematics and Science were always intriguing, but language subjects were challenging. I always picked Maths and Science to study first and kept languages for later. For my sister, it was the opposite.

               We are, after all, unique, isn't it? And, our strengths and weaknesses, therefore, differ markedly.

All of us want to get things done right, and our thoughts keep juggling between what's right and the wrong way of accomplishing a task. But, lately, I have realised that it is tough to tag any approach as right or wrong. It's about what works best for you and what draws all the joy and happiness to bubble from inside you.

                I firmly believe that there is no right way or a wrong way; it is only your way.

During my college days, while working towards my engineering degree, we were granted study holidays before the semester exams. Frankly, it was during this break that we really got serious about our course work. In my first semester, I had 'Engineering Drawing' subject, and it was one of the most intriguing subjects for me. I would never miss this class. In the study holidays, I remember spending one entire week preparing for this subject while dividing the rest of the ten days for the other five subjects. Do you remember doing this when you were studying? We tent to focus and spend hours on our favourite subject, and you still never feel like we have spent much time. I recall scoring 95 out of 100 on this subject, and I was curious to find out where I lost the other five marks. My friends thought I was crazy about fixating only on that one subject. Eventually, everything worked out, and overall, we scored good grades in our exams. But as the topic suggests - 'There isn't a right way or wrong way; it is only your way.'

              As a child, I always dreamt of becoming a Doctor. In the '90s, pursuing an MBBS degree was a common aspiration for most teens. But during my 12^th grade, I changed my mind to pursue Engineering instead. This was because I loved Maths. I admired the way my Maths teacher taught us in my 12^th. I remember my close friend telling me that being a Doctor was the most satisfying job and to rethink my decision. I have a lot of respect for Doctors, I deeply value their determination and the challenging journey they take to accomplish their goal to becoming Medical Doctors. But, it was not what I wanted to do. I still remember bagging a seat at a Medical college near Bengaluru but looked forward to my Engineering Admission, scheduled after the medical admission. It was a tough call between selecting Engineering and Medicine, but I chose to follow my heart. I felt pressured by everyone around me. How can you do this? They said, astounded at my decision. They were truly surprised that I gave up my medical seat. My mom even tried to convince me emotionally since becoming a Doctor was actually her dream. But, I powered on and accomplished my Engineering Degree. Later on, I worked in an IT company for five long years.

            I eventually quit my job since I wanted more from life. I wanted to explore and find something that aligned with my interests and strengths.

            As human beings, we have numerous dreams and desires. Some aspire to change their career, while some stick to the same job for their lifetime. Some get married soon, some late; some allot career as a priority over other aspects of life, and some are happy Home Makers. Some choose to pursue their lives abroad, while, some like my husband, wish to live in India forever. Some are happy with a secured job, while others take risks to start business preferring to be independent. But most of us want a guarantee before making a choice or making a significant move; everyone is scared of landing up living with a wrong choice.  As my mentor Puja Puneet says, "it is easy not to make a choice than to make the wrong choice".

           But I will tell you; it is far better if you intentionally choose what you want to become and still fail than to not choose at all and leave it to the elements.

          Here's another quote from my mentor that keeps swirling in my mind – "Not many people want to get clarity in life because if they get the clarity, they have to do something about it". And what if it fails?

            The chances of your success are much higher when you follow your heart. For it is the heart that matters. Remember, there is no right or wrong way. Trust the universe that it will eventually work for you in the long run through the cycles of success and failure.

            It is best to stop fantasising about things that society considers the right way.

          What if Deepika Padukone felt that being a badminton player was the right choice for her, never listened to her heart and never took the riskiest option to enter Bollywood?

           She was, after all, a National level Badminton player and the daughter of the renowned Badminton Champion Prakash Padukone. Don't you think it was a tough call for her, to follow her heart? We all know she is the queen of Bollywood now. Don't you think people would have judged her for her first movie, where she was still an amateur actor and made her feel that it was a wrong decision to enter the world of cinema?

         We all go through these challenging moments where multiple options are presented before us. Stop getting too critical about making the right choice; go with your heart, there could be 2 possibilities: you could succeed or fail, but you will not regret living life your way.

              Like Muhammad Ali says - "Don't count the days; make the days count."

If being decisive is a challenge for you, and you want to overcome the same, I will help you build Courage and Confidence as a Life Coach. I am here to help you unleash your full potential. To book a free clarity call with me, reach me at shobita.raghu@gmail.com, and I will get back to you.