meeting an influencing personality

The person approached the table where Harsh and I were sitting & greeted me with a handshake, saying, “Hello, I am Bhaskar.”

I responded, “Hello, I am Chirag.”

“How are you?” he asked.

“I am good.”

Then he turned to Harsh, and Harsh said, “Sir, Chirag is unsure if he can achieve his dream or not.”

Bhaskar smiled and commented, “It’s okay to have doubts. It helps build faith in ourselves.”

“Please sit, Chirag,” he said, opening a notebook and grabbing a pen. He looked at me and asked, “So, what do you want to do in your life?”

“I want to be a businessman,” I replied quickly.

“Why? You can work in a big company. Why choose to be a businessman?” he inquired.

“No, Harsh showed me the tough reality of the job life yesterday. If I go down that path, I might not be able to live the life I dream of,” I explained.

“Interesting! But do you know that those who work jobs are like heroes?” Bhaskar stated.

“How?” I asked.

An Allegorical Awakening

“Let me tell you an interesting story.” Bhaskar began to narrate a small allegorical story.

“Once upon a time, there was a man named Chirag. Born in a simple, middle-class family, his childhood was filled with laughter and carefree days. Like any child, he dreamt big. At first, he wanted to be an actor, inspired by the glitz and glamour of movie stars. Then, after watching biopic of a famous cricketer, the dream shifted to becoming a cricketer. His aspirations changed with each passing success story he encountered.

As he approached his 10th-grade exams, his parents, with the best intentions, advised him to focus on studies for a secure future. Chirag followed their guidance, excelled in exams, and was nudged towards science. Later, engineering seemed like the path to success. College was a struggle, but he persevered, secured a job, and eventually found happiness.

Then after sometime got married. Then had children. Now he has big responsibilities on his shoulders. He has to work very hard to support them.

He has lots of desires and dreams, but every time he thinks about them, he remembers his family duties. He makes compromises, believing that if he ensures a successful life for his children, he, too, will find success. A picture of his family graces his office desk as a constant reminder. Thus, he diligently fulfills his family duties, ticking them off one by one. Time rolls on, and at the age of sixty, he bids farewell to his job. With an aging body, he succumbs to the effects of old age and disease, finding himself in a hospital bed. In his final moments, he reflects on a life marked by struggles, numerous unfulfilled dreams, and the realization that the children for whom he labored tirelessly are now engrossed in their own worlds.

Our hero spent his entire life following the expectations of his parents and society, waiting for death on his hospital bed, wondering what he had achieved.”

i decided to join him

I fell silent, unable to find words. Bhaskar’s story struck a chord, and I could vividly picture a life I didn’t want for myself.

“What’s on your mind, Chirag? Isn’t that an amazing life? Don’t you want to be that hero?” he inquired.

“No way. I don’t want that,” I replied.

“Why? This is what you are doing now. Knowingly or unknowingly this has been the purpose of your life.” said Bhaskar.

“But I don’t want to live this kind of life”, I replied.

“Then what are you doing to avoid becoming like that hero?” he pressed.

“Nothing,” I admitted.

Bhaskar took out his iPhone, a luxury for a student, especially in India. He opened YouTube and played a video featuring a 25-year-old person immensely successful in their organization.

“At just 25, he owns two big houses, two luxury cars, and leads a team of 60 thousand people. Many work under him, and he doesn’t need to do much himself. His annual income is over 10 Crores. Even if he stops working now, he doesn’t have to worry about retirement because he has already taken care of his family responsibilities. He can do whatever he likes.”

After a pause, he said, “When people start working to earn money, this person has already taken care of all their financial responsibilities. He chose to work in this system and made a system for himself, inspiring many people to pursue their dream lifestyle. I am also working in his team. Now, I have a team size of more than 350 people, and I am only 21. If I work sincerely, don’t you think I could also build a team of more than 30-40 thousand people at 25?”

“Yes, you can,” I replied.

“Now, Harsh is also in my team. His team size is only 30 today, but he will eventually rise. We will all have systems that would work for us even in our absence. But what do you have that could help you achieve this in your early twenties?”

“Nothing,” I replied.

“So, what are you waiting for? Let’s work together and fulfil our dreams together,” said Bhaskar.

i told my friend

Feeling a surge of confidence after my conversation with Bhaskar, I hurried back to my room and promptly called my father, requesting money. He assured me that he would send the money the next day. At that moment, I felt like I was already on cloud nine as if I had taken the first step towards living my dream lifestyle.

Eager to share my excitement, I called up one of my classmates and said, “I have something important for you. Would you like to know that?”

Intrigued, he asked, “What is it you’ve got?”

“If you want to know, then meet me in class tomorrow. I will explain it to you,” I replied.

When he met me the next day, and our teacher was absent, I asked him about his life goals. Unfortunately, he had no clear goals. I struggled to articulate my thoughts, having no prior experience. Despite my poor attempt to convey the message, he, being my friend, asked, “Are you doing this?”

I replied, “Yes, I am joining today.”

“Okay, you go ahead and join. I’ll join you later,” he responded.

I was thrilled. Although my presentation was far from perfect, the fact that someone wanted to join me made me very happy.

my training began

My father sent the money in the afternoon and informed me about it. I immediately called Harsh and asked him to help me join. He instructed me to accompany him to a nearby bank to create a demand draft and send it to the organization’s office. While filling out the demand draft form, I told Harsh, “You know, I have shown the presentation to one of my friends, and he also wants to join me.”

Harsh was surprised to hear this. I expected him to be pleased with my initiative, but he asked, “Why did you say that? You know it takes time to learn to present this scheme. What did he say then?”

“He told me to join first, and he will follow,” I replied.

“No, man, you shouldn’t have done that. You have no experience. We haven’t even started teaching you. Now, he will never join you because you showed him a wrong presentation from the very first day, ” Harsh advised me.

Ignoring Harsh’s advice, I brushed it off, thinking I had done a fantastic job. Once we made the demand draft, we returned to college, and Bhaskar started giving me training. Patiently, he addressed all my doubts and generously shared contacts of his higher-ups. Bhaskar narrated stories about their team sizes, accomplishments, and personal qualities. He stressed the significance of addressing everyone with a higher rank as “sir,” regardless of their age. Additionally, he provided a list of books to read daily, aiming to enhance my knowledge of business, particularly in network marketing.

facing Skepticism and Criticism from Peers

After receiving training for 2-3 days, I practiced giving presentations to my roommates, who had also joined with me. We dedicated about 20-30 minutes every day to these sessions and spent an additional hour reading business books. Following a week of preparation, Harsh suggested that I call the friend I had previously talked to about this opportunity. I invited him to the college mall, expecting him to join me without hesitation. However, things took an unexpected turn. He not only refused to join but also informed all of my classmates about my working in a network marketing organization.

Within a day, the entire class knew that I was involved in network marketing, and a negative perception began to form. I was labeled as someone whose sole aim was to extract money from innocent individuals. Except for my two friends, everyone started making fun of me.

Entering the class became a daunting experience as I faced taunts and comments. “Look, our entrepreneur has arrived,” one would say. Another would mock, “Hey, he’s the youth empoweree.” I was even referred to as a fraud who should be kept out of the campus.

These comments shattered my self-confidence, and I felt like an outcast in my own class. It was unbearable, but I was not ready to give up. Then, unexpectedly, the tables turned.

Gradually, people started respecting me, and even my classmates changed their attitude. I became renowned for my presentation skills. When someone came to meet me, they left impressed, and sometimes, they wanted to meet me again.

The transformation of how I regained respect will be explained in the upcoming chapters. Until then, stay tuned..