What's in a failure?

Everyone has their own definition of failure. Often times, the definition varies. It always revolves around not being to "accomplish" something you thought you could. Failure is a fancy word that people tend to associate the hurdles in their journey with. What most people don't realize is the fact that it is just a part of the journey. Though it may appear to be magnanimous on the outside, it really is an opportunity to shift gears and try again in a different direction. The important thing here is to convince yourself that there is more than one way to get to the destination. If there are obstacles on one way then you take a pit stop, refuel, and head in a different direction. You continue to do that until you reach your goal.

So what's your definition of failure? Stop here. Think about it.

Whatever your definition maybe, write it down. If you have more than one then that's fine too. Jot them down.

It is extremely easy to criticize your own performance. That's because, sometimes, what had envisioned yourself to be is not exactly what you see in real life. THAT'S OK. You can only do what comes to your mind at that instance of time. Once that moment in time has passed, it's passed. Forever. You learn from that experience and do it a little differently next time. We tend to be judges on our actions. When applied negatively, the consequences can be very dangerous. On a brighter side, you can use your own judgment to motivate yourself and take a step forward. Amazing things happen when you do it. The key thing here is to believe in yourself. Believing in possibility. You are unique in your own way. There is no other person on this planet, or any other planet, who is same as you.

Cherish what you have. Cherish you have to offer. Don't let those-so-called-failures stop you from who you are and who you aspire to be.

Now look at your definitions of failure. Think of experiences that take you back to that chilling time. How did you feel being there? Probably not a great feeling. On the flip side, what did you learn from that experience? Now think of a time where you applied what you learned from your previous failed experience. Sometimes you may never get a second chance. So be it.

Failure is merely an experience. Just like happiness, joy, sadness, loss, and a room full of accomplishments.

what is my sweet spot?

Where do I succeed?

What's my niche?

my passions: poetry, fashion(personal shopper app, portfolio), health, public speaking, sports, writing

Where do I want to see myself in fashion industry?

My true passion lies in 'fashion'. I'm conscious about how I present myself in every situation. Presentation trumps Content. You can dress-to-the-occasion or dress-to-impress or both. Understanding the difference is as important as understanding them individually. Believe it or not, it is very easy to over dress yourself and lose your identity in the process. I am not saying you shouldn't push yourself to try a new style. What I am saying is, pay attention to what you're wearing and what kind of message it sends out about you.

It's amazing how little it takes to dress up nicely. Yes, you don't need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to do that. All you need to do is to allocate some of your time to realize your true potential. Isn't that true with any skill?

Don'ts
1. Never wear a brown belt with black shoes or vice-versa. Understanding the color combinations is very important. 
2. Never wear a wrinkle shirt
3. Avoid jeans and tennis shoes
4. Repeating the same combination over and over again
5. Never mix work and party clothes

Dos:
1. Re-organize your wardrobe. Separate your work and party clothes
2. Step it up with Accessories
3. Dress to the weather
4. Be bold (to try something new)
5. Quality over quantity

How do you keep your positive energy going?

"That shouldn't have happened", anyone after a tough loss. A lot goes into analyzing a situation that didn't go exactly as planned. If you are in a situation where your plans were shattered by the brutal reality then how do you cope up with it? That's the question I hope to answer here.

I had an interview for a job about a month ago. I knew one of the two people who were supposed to interview me for couple of years. I had everything going for me in the right direction. That being said, I knew I had to do well in the interview. I religiously prepared for a week for that. I felt good about my preparation. All I had to was to focus on my presentation skills.

On the day of the interview, I got up early and had a really good breakfast. I couldn't wait for the interview. My nerves were in check. I was feeling good about everything. I was just in a really good mind set. I arrived at the client location about 45 minutes earlier than the scheduled interview time. I was all set and ready to go on all cylinders. My sharp outfit was a sign of pure confidence.

Around 10:45AM, an HR lady came to the lobby to sign me in for the interview. I sat down with her for about 15 minutes talking about interview procedure, pay, benefits, etc. Nothing from that conversation really changed my mindset. I knew most of the information she shared with me before hand. So I didn't really get excited about meeting her.

The interview lasted about 50 minutes. Most of it was conversational. They knew what they were looking for. And, I knew what I was looking for. Therefore, it was a battle to see if there would be a consensus. They dug into my resume and asked me several questions about my previous experience, which was fine. I didn't think they would spend so much time looking at my resume and ask questions based on it. I thought it was going to be about the current position and the skills needed to fulfill that position. So I might have read them wrong.

Either way, I was happy with my performance. I did everything what I wanted to do during that interview. I had no regrets walking out of that campus after the interview. I was excited about the opportunity and the way I carried myself during that interview. The HR said, they would let me know their decision in a week or two. The first week passes by without a response. And, the second week passes by without a response. My patience was growing thin by now. On the first day of the third week, I get an email from my employer who set up the interview, saying we should move on with other positions. In other words, I didn't get the job I prepared a week for. Was I devastated? No. Did I think I would get the job? Yes. Was I disappointed? Yes.

One of the lessons I learned from that experience is that making peace with myself has a lot of benefits. It took me couple of days to realize about possibilities and better opportunities that lie ahead of me. It's all in the head. It depends on how you look at any situation. Which side do you want stay in and why?

I chose to believe in myself yet again. I didn't care about the company I interviewed for anymore. I was open to all possibilities. That gave me strength. I decided to go back to being myself. The kind of person who was funny, energetic, positive minded, and confident. I love being myself. Do you?

Telugu Poem 18: లక్ష్యం

దిక్కు తెలియని ఈ పయనం ,

సాగేనా మునుముందుకు ,

చీకటి ముంగిట్లో ,

నీడలేని ఎండల్లో ,

అలుపులేని ,

ఈ ఋతువుల మార్పుల్లో ,

కాంతిపుంజం లాంటి ,

నా ఈ లక్ష్యం ,

చేరతా ,

ఈ శ్వాస ముగిసేలోపే ,

చేరతా .