As an achiever, my best days are behind me – has this thought ever crossed your mind? Do you think it’s too late to get started or get restarted now? What does the Leader and the achiever and the dreamer inside you think and say? Few days back, I wrote You are the best, today, I want to share something very important for you – RESTART.
How do you visualize super-star Rajesh Khanna today, I’m sure you remember the young smiling person with amazing style. How about Big B? I’m sure a very finished looking tall gentleman in 70s in French beard, black glasses and inspiring the world. If Big B had not come-back, you would have had his angry young man Image in your mind. So, what do you think, who did better of the two? Who made difference in more lives?
When I was a student back in early 90s, a company called Arthur Andersen used to be dream job in our campus. Where does it stand now? No-where. You can do research. I’m sure you remember Enron, Konika, Nokia, Vinod Kambli also? All these were super-stars once and fizzled once their “best days” ended. I just think they failed to restart and reignite and reinvent and rebrand themselves.
Now what’s interestingly common between Amitabh Bachchan, Steve Jobs, Mary Com, General Motors, the Beatles, Sourav Ganguly and many more such people and companies? I’m sure you’re getting the point. They all saw their own “best days” and then those days ended and then they restarted/reignited/reinvented/rebranded themselves as market leaders into “better than best” days. Some of them did it multiple times over and over.
What does these comebacks tell us? I tried searching Google for people who never made a comeback and I had a tough time finding it. Not because such people don’t exist, actually because nobody cares to talk about them anymore. Then I searched for people who made big comebacks and I found hundreds of entries.
Both Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan even reached points of bankruptcy or “worst days” as world started writing them off. Then something happend, Amitabh Bachchan’s Passion, never give up attitude, sincerity and Dream and even his needs drove him to reinvent himself and he again became No 1 in his own way. You can Google their stories for details, I am here just to make a point.
The same is true of you. Whatever stage of life you are in, you can always make it Bigger, Louder and Stronger. All you need is your Dream and belief and willingness to pay the price. There are enough examples of start and re-start at all points in time. Harland Sanders started KFC at the age of 62 and we all know what it is today.
What’s next for Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and the likes? I feel it would be a pity if they just take a comfortable job at BCCI and not make bigger difference in the world. If they have even bigger dreams, they will become the next big thing, else they will go into history books as masters of those two decades. They have a choice, everyone has. I hope to see them revolutionize the world again – somehow.
So, if you are still not thinking of making a mark on this planet, the only reason could be – either you have become comfortable with where you are or you have written yourself off or you are not dreaming big enough. Wake up, there’s still time, there always is…
It’s not over until you win. Your shelf life is much more than you think. Remember this and all the best..!!
Atul's blog 