Exactly twelve years ago, on 8th November 2013, I experienced what I call my own *demonetisation* long before the nation did on 8th November 2016.
While demonetisation in 2016 brought financial disruption for many, my 2013 brought the demonetisation of my dreams, my confidence, and my belief in myself.
I still remember the day my results came. It was the first major failure of my life. I failed my CA exams, while my friends cleared. As they say, it hurts to fail, but it hurts even more when your friends succeed and you don’t. I was the only one in my group who couldn’t pass. It felt like everything had ended. I genuinely did not know what to do or where to go from there.
In that phase of confusion, I decided to volunteer with a political movement. I reached out to the Aam Aadmi Party and got selected. Working closely with different people on the ground helped me gain perspective, but somewhere deep inside, I still wondered:
*Can I still pursue my dreams?*
*Can I rebuild myself?*
I decided to try again.
I opened a demat account and began trading. Like most beginners, my profits were small and my losses were much bigger. Starting without knowledge always has a cost. So I looked for guidance, mentorship, and began learning seriously. Being from a commerce background helped me in understanding fundamentals, but the journey was still far from easy.
It took academic setbacks, emotional challenges, heartbreaks, and even nine surgeries before I could stand strong again. But once I stood back up, I knew there was no turning back.
In 2017, I became SEBI registered.
I launched my own venture.
I began sharing whatever I had learned to help retail investors.
Over the years, I have conducted 135 batches and built a community of lakhs of individuals with a similar mindset and shared goals.
This journey taught me patience. Not just patience with markets, but patience with life itself. And even today, learning continues.
Sometimes when I look back, I still get emotional. I give myself a quiet nod and say, *Yes, I can. And I will.*
If I can do it, so can you. I am not extraordinary. I am just an ordinary person who refused to give up.
Always chase your dreams. They take time, but the outcome is truly worth it.
Don’t focus on the stones in your path. Focus on the milestones ahead.
One of my favorite lines from this journey:
*Abhi toh chalna seekha hai, udna baaki hai.*
*Abhi toh zameen par aaye hain, abhi poora aasman baaki hai.*
It took me eight long years to hear these words from my father:
**“I am proud of you.”**
I hope each one of you gets to hear the same, in your own time, in your own way.
❤️