Every girl who has grown up in India knows the many challenges women have to face in our country. We’ve also come to realize that it’s a lot better now than it used to be when our mothers were growing up. On many occasions, when we hear our mothers talk about the things they’ve faced, we also realized they’ve worked really, really hard to make sure that we don’t have to face most (if not all) of the challenges they did. And the ones that we inevitably have to? They’ve made us stronger and readied us to face them as well as overcome them. Here are a few amazingly inspirational quotes from a letter by Chanda Kochhar addressed to her daughter that puts into words what every mother would want to tell her daughter. It’s part of the book titled Legacy: Letters from eminent parents to their daughters and we can’t wait to read the rest of them too!
“I… learnt from my mother that it is very important to have the ability to handle difficult situations and keep moving forward in life, no matter what. Even today I can remember the equanimity and calmness with which she handled the crisis on hand when my father passed away. You have to handle the challenges and emerge stronger from them, rather than allow them to bog you down.”
“It was also from my mother that I learnt the importance of adapting to circumstances and not being afraid of the unknown. While working hard for my career, I looked after my family, and have been there for my mother and in-laws when they needed me around. They reciprocated in kind with their unconditional love and support for my career. Remember that relationships are important and have to be nurtured and cherished. Also keep in mind that a relationship is a two way street, so be ready to give a relationship just as you would expect the other person to be giving to you.”
“I believe in fate but I also believe that hard work and diligence plays a very important role in our lives. In a larger sense, we all write our own destiny. Take destiny in your own hands, dream of what you want to achieve, and write it in your own way. As you go ahead in life, I want you to climb the path to success one step at a time. Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps that make the journey complete.
“As you go forward, you will sometimes have to take difficult decisions, decisions that others might scorn at. But you must have the courage to stand up for what you believe in. Make sure you have that conviction to do what you know is right, and once you have it, don’t let skeptics distract you from your path.”
“Remember that good times and bad times will be part of your life equally, and you have to learn to handle both with equanimity. Make the most of life’s opportunities and learn from every opportunity, and challenge that life brings along.”
Image: By World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland (Chanda Kochhar – India Economic Summit 2011) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
