“It doesn’t matter how far you may rise. At some point, you’re bound to stumble.”

Oprah Winfrey spoke these words while giving a commencement speech at Harvard University, and I continue to find more truth in this statement the longer I live.

Each one of us experiences a few “stumbles” in our life. Some of us have the mental scars to show for it, too. Maybe you just got fired from your job and don’t know how to start over or maybe you meet with an accident. Or maybe you are trying with all your might to find a new one without any luck.

Sometimes we work hard for the things we truly believe in, only for life to not go according to our plans. In these moments, you might feel like throwing in the towel or that it’s just not worth the heartache it would cause to chase your dreams. January 21, 2018, was the date when I crossed the HM Finish line of Tata Mumbai Marathon. It was a miraculous moment. I crossed it and a wave of disbelief washed over me. Just after I crossed the finish line, I got a sudden stroke and was hospitalized. I was on bed rest for a couple of months and unable to walk and speak properly. I use to tell my mind, these feelings of pain and doubt are normal, but they shouldn’t stop you. In fact, when you realize you’ve hit the rock bottom, there is only one way to go, and that is ‘UP’. The process may be a difficult one and may even take away all your energy, but with a strategy and will, it can surely be done. I choose not to QUIT, Slowly I have started walking regularly and hoping to get back on road running soon. Without being pushed to the wall, we would have remained in our comfort zone. But this circumstance has challenged me to find the courage to move on.

Don’t forget that you are human,
It’s ok to fall down,
Don’t just unpack and live there,
Cry it out and refocus on what your aim was.