The Turning Point: How One Decision Changed My Life

Early Life: A Journey Without Direction

My life till age 14 can be summed up in just three lines:

“I was born. I turned 14. I kept trying to be someone else just to get attention.”

Nothing meaningful was achieved, and I had no real sense of who I was.

The Day That Changed Everything

I will never forget one particular day in my 10th standard. I was sitting in class, reading a book — I think it was a business magazine — with tears quietly rolling down my cheeks. Earlier that day, I had become a subject of mockery in front of the entire class because I tried to imitate my teachers. In that moment of embarrassment, I realised something powerful: Even in copying, I wasn’t the best. As I continued reading through my tears, one sentence hit me deeply:

“Do you wish to lead, or do you wish to follow?”  Something inside me stirred. A shift began.

The First Set of Decisions

That day, I made three life-changing decisions:
1. I will plan my studies.
2. I will express answers in my own unique way.
3. I will work toward becoming the best version of myself.
“You are always one decision away from change,” my teacher used to say. She was correct, too.
I got into one of the top universities in our region after passing my examinations with flying colors.

Going to College: A New Perspective
As I entered college, I made yet another series of significant choices:

1. My goal is to better myself, not to win over other people.
2. I am the co-author of my life, along with life itself.
3. Where I end up depends on my motivations.  These choices had a big impact on my life.

Looking Back: Understanding My Own Path

Looking back, I see how important it was to begin carving my own path rather than following others. I also admit that some of the attention-seeking behaviors I once engaged in are still there in me, but they now come from inspiration rather than imitation.
Both my motivation and the results of my activities have evolved. I continue to follow my teacher’s teachings:
• I still observe people around me — not to copy, but to learn.
• I spend time with high performers in order to develop, get better, and change.

Conclusion – Your Future Is Shaped by Your Emotions

Any action’s result can be totally changed by altered emotions. When our goals align with clarity and purpose, everything in life changes. Let’s change our feelings. Let’s be explicit about our desires. And let’s have a strong conviction that we can lead.