Thursday, November 13, 2008

DREAMS DO HAVE A WONDERFUL WAY OF COMING TRUE….

Maybe not exactly the way you want it sometimes, maybe not right away. But they do come true, if you believe in your dreams and hang on to them. I recently read the “Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. A Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Knowing full well he had just a few months to live, he stood before a 400 strong audience to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” That got me thinking… and counting. Counting the many dreams that have come true for me. Let me share some of these here.

I dreamt of doing English Literature.
In the early 80s, living in the small town of Bellary that had one Women’s College which offered one ‘Arts’ combination (History, Economics, Logic & Political Science) the dream seemed almost unachievable. No girl had left home to study. We had a strict grandmother who did not think girls needed to be educated all that much. But fortunately we had fairly liberal parents and I had sisters who supported me. So off I went to Chennai (Madras in those days) to do BA English Literature in SIET Women’s College. I was probably one of the very, very few students there who was doing the course for the love of it. I thrived in the course, loved every subject and did every assignment with such passion that the teachers loved what I did.

I dreamt of doing Journalism.
I always wanted to write. Journalism was the next logical step. So I stepped into the soaring portals of the University of Madras to do my post graduation in Mass Communications & Journalism. Sari-clad (in those first few days when I thought all PG students must wear saris), a long braid, big glasses... I was quickly branded a “paavam”. Until of course my first assignment that I had to present in class. I had chosen the topic: “Magazines in USA”. Besides a detailed background, I had taken two magazines as case studies: Time & Reader’s Digest. We had to present our assignments in class, not just hand it over. I had gone to great trouble to research my subject. Of course it helped that I was really interested in the subject. That assignment presentation changed the way my classmates and my lecturers looked at me. Again, I was among the few who were doing this out of genuine interest.

I dreamt of being a ‘working woman’.
No girl from our family had ever worked before. So this dream seemed another crazy one. By then, my grandmother had passed on. I did this written test for PTI (The Press Trust of India) and was selected. I was expected to do a stint in Delhi. But Destiny had other plans for me. My cousin never gave me the letter I got from my PTI. I answered an ad for Trainee Copywriter in a small ad agency in Bangalore without knowing what I was getting into. I was selected and found my designation was a misnomer. I was a Trainee Copywriter and there was nobody to ‘train’ me. But that I found was the best way to learn. I took to advertising like the proverbial fish to water. And it has been a wonderful journey since then.


I dreamt of marrying Sunil – my first, and only love.
I met Sunil at my first job. We probably worked for just 6 months or so. But that was more than enough time for us to fall in love. Given our disparate religious, social, cultural and economic backgrounds, our love story seemed doomed from the start. It would never work out I thought. I kept breaking up with Sunil and going back to him again. Sunil never wavered – not for a moment. Through the most tumultuous and traumatic period in our relationship, I always kept telling myself “Someday. Somewhere. Somehow”. In fact I had these words neatly written and framed. The mantra worked. Despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we did triumph and got married in 1989.

I dreamt of having Anu.
I somehow always felt that I would never be able to love a son as much as I would love a daughter. I always wanted a daughter. In fact, during our courtship days, we had even decided on the name for our child of love: Anandita. A name I had come across somewhere and that I loved. When we met, Sunil and I would always talk about Anu. So when I was pregnant, I so, so wanted a girl. And Anu was born – the best gift that I could have ever got from a benevolent God and a kind Universe. I remember when Zarine came to visit me at the hospital, she said “So this dream of yours has come true too!” Anu is all that I wanted my daughter to be. And I am so very proud of her.

I dreamt of having my own agency.
This was probably Sunil’s dream first. He always wanted to have his own agency. Because of our complimentary skills, we were kind of preparing ourselves for Jumde Art Copy. There were many, many times when I was working in Adwit that we would have these meetings and training sessions and were asked to list out our goals. I would always say I aspired to have my own agency. Things fell in place and Sunil and I started Jumde Art Copy in 2000. I joined him full time two years later and by God’s grace there has been no looking back since.

I dreamt of owning a beautiful home.
Sunil and I started our married life in a tiny rented home with literally nothing. We did up our home slowly – bit by precious bit. When we bought our own 2 Bedroom Apartment in Sultanpalya, almost seven and a half years later, we were thrilled, but finances were tight, so we had to do up our place on a shoe-string budget. Major furnishing stuff was done one at a time. A wardrobe one year. The kitchen the next year. A book case a year later… And then another seven years later, we bought this lovely home in Sobha Zircon. It was all that I wanted my home to be. We were in a better position financially and decided not take any piece of furniture from the old home, except for the two chairs that we have had since the first year of our marriage. We did the entire home at one shot and we love the effect.

I dreamt of having my magazine.
When I was doing my journalism I always wanted to have my own magazine. I decided I would have a magazine for the youth. While I don’t actually “have” my magazine, my name appears in the masthead of ‘Rave’ as Creative Director. Jumde Art Copy has designed the entire magazine and the credit should go to the entire team, but it’s my name that’s on the masthead!

I dreamt of writing a book.
This dream is ‘work in progress’. For as long as I remember I wanted to be an “Author”. I remember writing that as my ambition is somebody’s autograph when I was in school. Maybe the third or fourth standard. I wrote a Mills & Boons type of novel to prove a point to my friend Nimmi when I was in the 11th or 12th. It was titled Sweet Sorrow and had a French setting. But that was an amateurish attempt. On and off, I have been writing poems and thinking of getting them published but wondering if they were good enough. All along, there was part of me that yearned to write a book. Goaded by friends and well wishers and my ever-supportive husband who believes that I am destined for great things, I have embarked on that adventure too. I started my book in December last year and have done 14 typed Pages in all… Anu tells me that at the speed I am going, I will finish the book by the time I am 90! But it’s shaping well. Anu was the first one with whom I shared it and her feedback? “I never knew you could write so well!” Encouraged by that I plough one. And when I shared it with my best friend Ranjana, she said “Wow! This is professional stuff”. So I am hoping I am on the right track.

There are many more dreams awaiting fulfillment. Like owning a Greek island! And with the way the property prices are going down, who knows that dream may be realized too!

Ranjana tells me all my dreams will come true, because I have a clean heart. I think it’s not just me. I think the dreams of most people come true, but they are so focused on worrying about the future or fretting about what they don’t have, that they miss seeing all that they have. One of the Internet forwards I received had these wise words that I tell myself every other day… I plan to frame them and put them near my desk.

“God answers all prayers in three ways.
1. Yes.
2. Not now
3. I have something better planned for you”.

I have always been amazed at how people give up on their dreams so quickly and so easily. If you really, really want something, hang on to it. There was this quote I had read when I was in school: “Hold fast to your dreams, for if dreams die, life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly”.

8 comments:

Selena Nunes said...

Hey Nahida,
When dreams come true and we take the time to count our blessings, then we have really moved on. Congrats on your never giving up your dreams and making every effort to make them come true...Greek Islands, here comes Nahida!

Unknown said...

Dreams do come true. Some times in colour... sometimes, black & white!

Nahida Sunil said...

Thanks Selena. You are one of the people who pushed and prodded me into making one of my dreams come true... Your Notebook and your constant gentle reminders finally got me to start in my novel! And of course, Rave is your gift too!

Nahida Sunil said...

Hi Pooja. The dreams are all in colour. Its just the way we see them. Our persepctives 'colour' (pun intended), all that we see. Am sure many of your dreams have come true too. Just don't get up so caught with what you don't have that you miss out on all that you have.

Ranjana Dasgupta said...

Your dreams will all come true. I want the Greek island one to happen first before I get too old to visit.

Anonymous said...

Nahida,
Every subsequent blog post of yours, makes me want to meet up with you, so much more. But the way that's going, looks like we'll be meeting up at your book launch.

It's so heartening to read of tales of people who are grateful for all that they have received from their Lord. One can endure only so much sob stories that can be summarised by saying, "Let me tell you what's wrong with my life."

You know what I've been experiencing in the past couple of years? I've been learning that it's indeed important that we have dreams and also that they come true. It's not because so that we can fulfill our desires. It's because it's with the fulfillment of every dream/desire, one gets closer to what he 'really' wants. And the faster his dreams get fulfilled, the quicker he gets there.


Anyway, I heard this brilliant podcast the other day that said that in addition to the basic Human rights, (ie right to life, food, clothing, shelter etc.), there are two more rights which fundamental but have not been added to the list. Those are the rights to:
- use your natural talent in a way that's meaningful
- express yourself in a fulfilling manner.
Isn't that just beautiful? Indeed everyone does deserve and has the right to the same. However, as romantic as it sounds, one doesn't get to see this very often in real life. I just look at my classmates and see so many of them highly skilled in one field, but fate pulls them to another. (The book 'Five people you meet in heaven' comes to mind here).

But Nahida, you've done it! May Allah SWT fulfil each and every dream of yours and your family's. May you always lead a life of peace and self-contentment regardless of your external circumstances. Amen.

Nahida Sunil said...

Thanks Arif! We really, really must meet up. No need to wait till the book launch though. How about lunch in Jan. 2009? You and Zahra too. My treat. I'll call and we'll fix it up. There's so much to catch up on...

I have always believed in having dreams, hanging on to them and fulfilling them. You are right, dreams and their fulfilment are critical since they help us realize our full potential. The addition to the Fundamental Rights is brilliant!

jessie said...

Hi nadu
How can I ever forget the romance in your life?
I miss not seeing Anu grow up. I second Ranjana's view that your dreams have come true because you have a clean heart.
Continue to dare to dream and dream a little for me too, pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Jessie