On turning 30...

"Thirty was so strange for me. I've really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult." - C.S. Lewis

Hmmm... I see that I am a little late on the blog scene. But as they say, better late than never. And what prompted me to start my own blog? Well the latest turn of events in my life, have made me think that there might be people like me out there, who I can learn a lot from to help make sense of the current life-situation I am in (more of that as you read along). And what better way to get in touch with them and hear from them, than start my own blog?!

So what were these dramatic turn of events in my life? Well, I turned 30 a few months back. And that got me thinking. Do I want to spend the rest of my 30 years on Planet Earth (assuming I will live upto a grand 60) like I have the preceding 30? Well I have no complaints about life till now. I have a fantastic family, am married to a great guy, have the most adorable 15-month old, have my health (though I could do with a little less weight) and have had a good career. In 8 years I have risen from a mere account executive at a PR agency to heading PR for brands with a cumulative value of nearly 1500 crores.

But somehow it does not seem enough anymore. There is a itch that just can't be scratched, about wanting something more. About doing something more meaningful. About making a few scary choices, taking a few gambles, not playing it safe all the time and seeing where life takes me.

Around the time I was in this introspective mood, I bumped into a like-minded person, who while not 30 yet, was going through a similar what-should-i-do-with-my-life-to-make-it-memorable situation. And the result of that bumping was that after enjoying nearly 8 years of a cushy corporate life, I have decided to take the plunge into the exciting but scary world of entrepreunership. Yes, me a play-it-safe 30-year old mother of one, with middle class values that have always taught her to take minimal risks - quit her job. And how was the experience? Well it felt like I had jumped off a plane without a parachute and was freefalling. Well I have still not landed and it looks like it is going to be quite some time before I do.

Well once I put in my papers, my boss was really sweet in trying to convince me to hang and even offered me a revised job profile. I must say, the new profile was tempting, but I had made up mind. Now I am serving out my notice and getting ready for the unknown adventure that lies ahead.

So how does the future look? I honestly don't know. But I read this lovely article by Sudha Murthy on her memories of JRD Tata, and she writes about the time she quit TELCO (now TATA Motors) to move to Pune with her husband, the then unknown Narayan Murthy, to set up Infosys and told JRD about this news. When he asked her what would she do after she got succesful, she professed that she wasn't too sure that they would achieve success. And this is what he had to say: "Never start with diffidence. Always start with confidence."

So here's to confidence and exciting times ahead... Watch this space for more... Leaving you with an image from Dilbert, my most favourite cartoon strip after Calvin & Hobbes!