Embracing Humble Beginnings: The Journey to Success and Happiness

On 24th April 2015, I had opportunity for attending an event organised by my friend AVIS (A Viswanathan) and Vaani at Avestha Bristo. The event is called Follow Your Bliss. This was the fourth edition of an engaging and inspiring Series, where Life Coach, Author and Happiness Curator AVIS Viswanathan gets into conversation with two special guests: renowned social entrepreneurs Dr.Ambika Kameshwar of RASA and Dr.P.Srinivasan of Jeevan. Visit his

blog to know more about AVIS.

I must thank AVIS and Vaani to have invited me, despite the fact that I could not attend their earlier invites. I also realized what I missed in the earlier versions.

Let me begin with a few words on the guests of the evening.

Dr.Ambika Kameshwar, a trained Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, decided not to pursue a career as a performer. Instead she started the Ramana Sunritya Aalaya – RASA (http://www.rasaindia.org/) - in 1989 as a non-profit organization. Here she teaches Life skills to people with special needs using theatre and dance techniques she has developed through her patented Programs - Theatre for Holistic Development and Creative Movement Education.

Dr.P.Srinivasan, a medical doctor by education and training, founded the pioneering and successful medical diagnostic laboratory - Lister (now Lister Metropolis). But he soon decided to pursue an unconventional career in social entrepreneurship in the healthcare space. He set up the not-for-profit blood bank, Jeevan, in 1995 and in 2005, he set up the Jeevan Stem Cell Bank, which is India\'s first not-for-profit public cord blood bank. Despite his hectic and challenging work schedules, Dr.Srinivasan also finds time to indulge in his passion - nature photography. This

web page is worth visiting

. This has a good interview on his passion fro photography. His pictures are available on

Nature Images.

Dr Ambika Kameshwar, Dr Srinivasan and A Viswanathan (AVIS)

Some of the highlights of the sessions from my point of view were:

1. Humble beginning can provide great lessons for one during the survival phase. Dr Srinivasan\'s earlier days were interesting and inspiring. A living example of where there is will there is way. He was buying and selling vegetables and carried several small task to manage his education.

2. One has to trust the inner voice. Believe that grace would come as long as your intent is positive. However, it is important to accept failures and move on.

3. One’s willingness to accept and agree on what not to do is critical. One must let go current to achieve success of following your bliss.

4. While following your Bliss, the journey becomes the success

5. There is always a turning point that gives us an option to Follow the Bliss. For example, Dr Srinivasan went through a double surgery on his brain before restarting hi passion for photography; Dr Ambika realised the potential for the use of theatrical expression for special children while training a group of them for a program.

6. The Fear of losing what you have is always higher than fear of unknown

7. The downs in one’s life is also a kind of success as it helps in finding a new path.

8. Happiness is state of being.