Entitlements

Have you ever felt rejected in your life? Seemed like all your effort is wasted and you did not know why it happened to you? Like your first heartbreak, your annual performance review, or the promotion you deserved. Madam Contest Master, friends, I had the privilege to be in United States for 2 years. My work was going great, my performance was incredible, and my Toastmasters journey was fruitful. But I did not know what was to happen in next few days. Just picture this: Saturday, 22nd June 2019, at the Northwest Methodist United Church, 10 AM, I had my big break to do a special presentation in District 11 TLI. I thought I made it. At least that's what I thought. It went perfect. Audience was enthralled. Organizers were elated. And I was Exhausted. I was expecting a lot of thank you emails on Monday. So fast forward Monday morning, 9 AM, after sipping my morning coffee, as I flapped open my laptop, I was so excited to check my email, and there it was, the big surprise. An email from US Immigration Services which seemed like a security services guy yelling at top of his voice, "Hey you! Your visa is cancelled! Get out of this country!" In a moment, my whole life changed. Have you ever had a moment when there was a big silence on phone and you knew why it was? Well, this is exactly what happened when I told this bad news to my wife. After 2 minutes of awkward silence, she had only one question: Why did it happen to you? Did you deserve this? I guess this is what it is. I'll see you in India next week. And within a week, I had to wind down my 2-bedroom apartment into 2 bag pieces for an international flight from Chicago to New Delhi. The physical and emotional turmoil was so great that I developed severe back pain. Was I entitled to this? Once I reached India, I started working remotely from my hometown. But that was not enough. After 3 months, I was summoned to report to Noida office. All this while, I did not know why it happened to me. Was I really entitled to this? So feeling desperate, I reached out to my friends and asked, "Hey, Vincy, can you tell me why it happened to me?" "I don't know. Check with God." So I went back to the next big thing, the faith. I checked the Hindu holy book, Bhagavad Gita, which says, "Karbade vaadhikaraste ma phalesu kadachana." You are supposed to do your duty, you are not entitled to results. I looked at Bible, which says, "God graces the humble but punishes the proud." I checked that Quran and it says when Satan felt entitled, he was expelled from heaven. And this made me realize it's not the entitlement but the gratitude that leads to life's enrichment. When I looked back, all this while when I was having pain, I forgot that I had the support, care, and love of my friends, colleagues, and Toastmasters. I forgot those beautiful memories I had. I felt humbled that I was able to spend 3 months in my hometown, especially with my parents, just after my mother went through a heart surgery. So this time, when I joined office and rejoined my first ever Toastmasters club, I was determined to give more than I receive. I became mentor to a few members and focused on enriching their journey, and it made all the difference. After a few months, I had to leave for United Kingdom, and my mentee made me this. But this time I did not feel entitled. I felt humbled and graceful. My dear friends, if you ever feel pain in your life, if you are ever struggling, remember the progress you have made. Remember to relive your good memories and remember to count your blessings. This will help you to move from entitlement to enrichment. Mano po, Test Master.