Who the Hell Am I?
If you are wondering who I am and why you should read a book by some newbie, well, you are not alone.
At this stage, it almost starts to feel mundane without Siri, my shadow, constantly making me question myself. She lives in my head rent-free and well, if we have to give a positive spin to it, she keeps me on my toes. While writing this book, she has been particularly feisty, always crawling in my ears to say, “Who the hell are you? Are your experiences worth recounting?” And I... let her get to me. Sigh. So, I am right there with you when you wonder if you should pick up this book.
And while I can’t give you answers I am still seeking; I can definitely give you a brief of what’s to come. This is my story and it is utterly raw because somewhere in the process of writing I realized I don’t need to have it all figured out.
WHERE IT BEGAN
I started blogging in 2015 but was too scared to publish my articles. Always having undervalued my potential, I wasn’t ready to be seen like that, and I definitely couldn’t handle public opinion (read criticism) of my work.
Until one day (July 9, 2020) I saw a documentary on Netflix called Project Papa in which the protagonist says, “We always dream but don’t do as it’s not the right time, but it never is.” That’s when, in a rush of sudden inspiration, I took a leap of faith. Two days later, I posted my first article on LinkedIn, “It’s okay to say no.” Ten such articles and a lot of positive feedback later, I wasn’t sure what my next step should be.
Coincidentally, a few months later on March 17, 2021, something happened that put me directly on the path to writing this book. I received an email from Rashmi Bansal.
Bansal, a celebrated author of business books and my role model, was conducting a virtual “Deep Dive” non-fiction workshop and I had just secured the last goodwill spot in it. Her bestsellers Stay Hungry Stay Foolish and Connect the Dots have greatly inspired me to dream big and think like an entrepreneur. Who knew that the workshop would eventually lead to her becoming my mentor, guiding me as I make mistakes, and helping me craft my memoir?
Whenever Siri got stronger and I felt like giving up, I thought about the bigger purpose of Leap of Faith—donating 50% of the profits to libraries in the remote villages of Kopparru (papa’s hometown) and Govada (ma’s hometown) in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Throughout childhood, books have been my primary source of knowledge, awareness, and confidence. I would love to do my bit to make them an essential part of the lives of children who aren’t as lucky and don’t have easy access to them.
WHERE IT’S NOW
Satya Nadella in his book Hit Refresh said, “I didn’t want to wait till I became a successful CEO to write the book.” I believe everyone is a writer at heart and everyone has a story worth telling. I want to tell mine.
This book chronicles all the major moments of my life that have shaped me as an individual—what pushed me toward the social impact sector, how my multicultural experiences provided me with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and the highs and lows of my journey which is indicated at the top of each chapter, respectively.
There are parts of me that aren’t ready to be processed yet so I have poured them as is. I hope that you and I can together make sense of it by the end of it all.
