Gurbaksh Chahal | Never forget where you came from. Never forget where you want to go.
Never forget where you came from. Never forget where you want to go. These are words I learned from my father at a very young age. It sums up for me what life is all about. It tells us that while we always have to keep a sharp eye on our ultimate goal we should never lose sight of our heritage and what got us started in life.
We should always aim high—and then aim even higher. We should have big dreams—and then set bigger dreams. We should set no limits on what we can dare to achieve in our time on this Earth.
We should never forget where we want to go.
At the same time we should never forget where we came from.
I had a humble start in life. I was born in the Punjab region of India. I was not born into a family of financial wealth. But I was born into a family that was rich in many other ways.
I would not be here if my parents and grandmother had not uprooted themselves and journeyed to America, the land of opportunity. I would not be here if it had not been for their inspiration, their hard work, their grit and determination to make a better life for me and my three older siblings.
I would not have been blessed with the immense success that I have enjoyed if I had not had their example to follow. Hardly a day goes by that I do not say a prayer of gratitude for the honest, hardworking, and moral upbringing that I was fortunate to have.
Somehow I knew that I was destined to be successful. I knew that with enough sweat and labor and sacrifices I could make it to the top. My inner core knew that there was a cosmic energy at work that propelled me to pursue my journey. But every journey needs a destination. You need to know where you’re going.
To get there you need a road map. You need to plot the shortest, fastest route with the knowledge that there might be some road work that gets in the way and detours that might be necessary. But when those happen you steer around them, navigate back on course, and put your foot on the pedal.
With my fourth major internet venture–RedLotus– I can look back at my humble beginnings and recognize the events in my life and the teachings from my dad, my mom and my grandmother, that gave me the character and confidence to be the person that I have become.
I can see and evaluate the challenges that I have faced and the obstacles I have overcome. I can appreciate the lessons that I have learned and understand the value of making changes in the way I conduct myself and the business decisions I make.
I have learned from mistakes. That’s the hallmark of a true entrepreneur. I have also learned that you might not always put your trust and faith in the right people. But Karma has a way of putting things right. And then the right people enter your life to help you soar to greater heights of personal fulfillment and accomplishment.
No matter how high you climb, never forget where you came from. It’s what has helped make you who you are today. Always stay humble and appreciative of those who elect to make the journey with you. Keep your focus on where you want to go and never let fear get in the way.
As one greater writer put it, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”
Make yours expand as wide as possible.
Chairman & CEO, ProcureNet | Founder, Chahal Foundation | 3 Exits $400MM+ | 4X Entrepreneur | Author | Guest Lecturer |Hong Kong | Bay Area
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