Story Spark Day 14 - The Moment of Decision

Okay, welcome everyone to day 14 of Story Spark session. We have completed 2 weeks, we will be completing 2 weeks after the session, and again we are in the second week. So we are in the process of finding and digging and seeking stories from our life. So today's session is entitled The Moment of Decision. We all take decisions in our life which change the course of our action, change the course of our life, and that is what we are going to reflect today. They're going to go ahead and journal about some of the decisions that we took in our life, the moment that we were on the crossroad, the moment where where we had few options and we had to choose one of the few options, and then we'll dig deeper into what happened there and how it shaped and what was the message out of it. So we'll do that journaling, and then we'll do the sharing of those stories, and then we'll end up every— like every day, end up with 3 affirmations. So let's get started. I'm gonna Share the music and let's get your pen and paper ready. So I want you to close your eyes for few seconds and think about a time in your life when you were at a crossroads. You had to choose between two or more than two options, more than two paths, and this decision change something either outside or inside you. You want to think about what was the situation or challenge What all options did you have? What kind of emotions you were having? Fear, dilemma, excitement. What did you finally choose and why? And what changed after the decision? And overall, what did you learn from this whole episode? I'm gonna repeat the questions once again. What was the situation or challenge that you had when you had to take a decision at the crossroad? What all option did you have? What kind of emotions— the fear, delay, buzz, excitement— you had? What did you finally choose? What changed after you chose that decision? And overall, what did you learn from that episode? I'm going to give you another 30 to 45 seconds to note it down, and then we'll go into Good evening. Okay, I think we are done with the timing. So good to see. I think this is the highest number of members present in the StorySpark session, so I'm going to take a screenshot. Everybody come on video. I want to celebrate that. So Rajesh ji, come on video. Yes, and let's take a screenshot and then we'll go into story sharing. So 1, 2, 3. Okay, I hope I captured it. Okay, so in the meanwhile, let's start with story sharing. So let's start with Dinesh ji, who joined first. Yes, Swami.

When I completed my engineering, I had to choose one out of two. One was to be in the place where I was, that too with my parents. At that time, we were in Raourkela, the steel city, and the second choice was to leave that place and find out a better life somewhere else. I don't know why, but I chose to leave. I left my parents, I left my hometown, I left my friend circle and went to Goa. That was an altogether very different place. Somehow I managed to be there. Meanwhile, I got a better job in Gujarat. I was there in Gujarat for 14 long years, and today I feel myself to be happy and blessed that I chose the second path, which was unknown, bit difficult, but still it was fruitful. Thank you.

Awesome. So everybody type SPTY, Story Power to Youth, in SG. You chose the road less traveled. Let's go to Venkat now.

Good morning to all. Um, yes, to not share secret even they— we provide the fees. So I had been practicing my workout, in the gym named called Tramboreum Gym. Tramboreum Gym was one of the oldest manual gym, 30 years old gym. I had been practicing since year 2013 to 2020. It was very hard to move because of the gratitude. I, I was one of the obedient student.

Okay, I guess Venkat was having choppy connection, so Maybe he'll be back. Um, yes, let's now go to Tanay, and once he's back, we'll probably ask him. Venkat, are you back? Okay, Venkat, looks like your connection is not stable, so we'll come back to you after we finish Tanay's story sharing.

Thank you.

Good morning all. I am from a business family and there was no precedence that anyone did any, any job or anything. So my, my parents were sure that I will also go into, into business. So when, uh, when I completed my 12th, so there was like a tradition, like they said, like I was from a small place, so everyone goes to like nearby city for for studies, and my uncle did, my father did. They all went and they came back for— back to business. So when I also went there, but I didn't start my like college, I just started preparing for IIT and I failed miserably in the first year. So my father was like, why I am wasting my time, I should go back and join business. But I persisted, I persisted. I went to engineering college, HPDI. I did my, my engineering. And that was the choice where we're like, everyone was pressurizing me, my father was pressurizing me to come back and join the business. I still like continued with my, with my, with my studies and finally came to Noida. So it's like people think like it's like a business is like a I mean, a lot of people are going and doing business, but at that time, like, the choice I made, I landed into, into a different city. Whether it's good or bad, I don't know, but still, like, I'm happy with the choice which I made at that time.

Awesome. Thank you for sharing, and story power to you as well. Our choices define our life, and you choose to do there. Okay, let's go to Dr. Elka. What was your moment of decision? Please unmute.

So mine is very recent, just now. And, uh, I was not going to go to Rome for this osteoporosis conference, only my husband was going to go. And last minute, uh, my husband said that you already have the visa and I already have the room, only have to register you for the conference. The registration fee is not much, I register you and the ticket is And that particular day the ticket came down by ₹10,000. So he said that I will book you because of my points and very little money we have to pay. So I said, okay, I'm coming. And I think that I was not going because of the expenditure part. And when he made me believe that the expenditure will not be much, then you come. And I said, okay, I'm coming. And it was the best decision I made because the amount of knowledge that I gained over there. And the knowledge is not only about the bone, but the knowledge about the culture of the people, the people over there. And how the research is being done in so much deep levels. And we are— they are so much ahead of what we are doing in our country. And even the conference, the way it was done, and how the people in Italy, how helpful they are whenever you have a small question to ask them. Like, I always take this map with me, and they used to write down the things wherever you want to go, how you want to go, and how you want to do. I don't want to take too much of your time, but the the culture and the science that I learned from them. And the— and there was a talk about art, music, and dance in bone therapy for learning and for improving the bone. And that was the biggest help for me, what I learned from there, which I'll be including it in my keynote. So thank you so much.

Excellent. Thank you so much. And story power to you as well. Everybody type SPTY. That was very interesting. And yes, art, culture, and music for bones— nobody would have thought about that. Okay, Rajeshi, time for you, and then we'll come back to Venkat.

Okay, yes, good morning everyone. Uh, yes, every— in everyone's life there are like, yes, uh, times when the— it's very difficult to take decisions. So this was one year back when my son, he was— he wanted to go abroad for studies, but it was like I was not in that position financially and mentally also. I was just thinking, it is like no one has gone into our family, so I don't know how he would manage. And will it really be like a right decision to decide and go? Because financially also it was quite costly, and I was thinking that yes, we can't afford it. And then somehow like he was, no, I just want to go. He was stubborn on that choice. I'll manage, I'll— you take loan and I'll repay, all those things. But then it was there, my— that fear was into my mind that, uh, how he will alone, he will manage over there. That was something which was bothering me, uh, all the time. But when he was stubborn on this and he was not listening to it, I thought everyone has, right to live their dream life. If he's so, um, reluctant that no, he has to go abroad and study there, I think I, I should take decision and give him this chance. And, uh, after that I just accepted, uh, that yes, I have to send him over there. And I started managing things, finding the ways how we can manage financially and for other things. And today, like, he has completed one year there, but I feel that was the best decision we could take, uh, for him. Now he's so happy over there, and yes, he is learning so many things. Whenever I listen to him, I find, yes, he is exploring things, he's living his life, he's doing lots of hard work so that he can grow further. So I feel, yes, it was difficult, but I took right decision. Thank you so much.

Excellent. Thank you for sharing, and story power to you as well. And yes, let's come back to Venkat. I hope the connection is stable now. So looking forward to your story.

I couldn't take a decision. The reason is normally comfort zone, but in my case gratitude. I had been practicing for workout since year 2013. I was working out in Rambo Amal Gym. Rambo Amal Gym was one of the oldest manual gym, 30 years old gym. My master was Mr. India Bodybuilder. Normally masters do not share the secret even we pay more fees. So in my case, I was obedient student. Had been practicing for more than 15 years, so he shared a lot of secret. So that's the reason I was, uh, staying with him. But for better, we have to, uh, move. We have to learn more. Uh, in Rambo Gym, my goal was bodybuilder. My master, um, 60 years old, um, Mr. India bodybuilder, he shared all the techniques he learned. That techniques suitable only for, uh, 30 years back, but nowadays, um, nutrition, diet, exercise, everything is changed. For that I need to move, but I couldn't move. The reason is gratitude. If you move— if you don't move, then God create the situation to move. That happened for me. I didn't move. But God created a situation, pandemic situation and flood. So there are a lot of reasons. Finally, my master closed the gym. So that's the time I needed to move. Then I smoothly moved to a slum gym near Korumbakkam, Chennai. Within a year, I practiced and I participated 6 bodybuilding competitions. And got 3 shields and 3 medals. That is the one moment it was very hard to take move because of the gratitude. Thank you.

Excellent, excellent. Thank you. Sometime, yeah, sometimes the divine intervention happened for us to do the right thing. Awesome. So with that, uh, I'm going to share one quick moment of decision for my life as well. It was in 2000 end of 2010 when both my grandparents had expired and it was a moment of decision. I was in Bangalore and I had to choose whether I want to continue in Bangalore or I come to some place which is nearer to my mom and my dad. And after a lot of deliberation, I choose to come back to Noida in 2011. And when I put my resignation in my first company, I had 6 levels of exit interview and they kept on coming with newer options. We can do this for you, we can do that for you. But because I had the clarity that I want to be closer to my family, it became much easier for me to stay firm to my decision. And I think that was one of the best decision I took for my family. So that was one moment of decision. When you have clarity, then it becomes much easier to take decisions. So with that, let's go towards the end of this session where we do 3 affirmations. I've got once again 3 affirmations for today, and as every day, we'll take— I will start by reciting the affirmation once and then we'll do it together. So please unmute yourself and let's start with the first affirmation. I honor my decisions.

Everyone: I honor my decision.

I honor my decision.

I honor my decision.

Number 2: I embrace my crossroads.

I embrace my—

I embrace my crossroads.

And last one for today: My choices shape my story.

My choices, my choices, my story.

Awesome. So have a wonderful day, everyone. Thank you so much for joining the 14th StorySpark session. Keep sharing love, keep sharing your amazing journey, and most importantly, take note of your choices and your story. Have a wonderful day ahead and see you tomorrow for Day 15.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.