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I Lacked Vision
I started my career as an entrepreneur. If you think that is lucky, then hear me out for the remainder of this story. Enticed with the endless possibilities of the dot com world, I ventured bravely into the unknown with my start up Web Development Company. Just out of college, I had a vision that the Internet would fulfill all my bigger than life ambitions, and desires.
And it did for the next 4 years, I grew from a 3 member team to a team of 70, the office had shifted from a room at my residence into a sprawling 4000 sq foot swanky office, my name was hailed across the national press as the youngest entrepreneur to get venture capital funding, there were clients lining up at the door, and it seemed life could not get any better.
One morning I awoke feeling something was missing from my life. Yeah, I was on way to achieving my biggest vision, so what was bothering me. Why did I still feel like the little boy who was the smallest boy in class? The vision that had taken over my life seemed, not so important anymore. The vision that gave me my identity was slowly fading away. Is it possible that this is not what I want from life anymore?
While I found no answers to my burning questions, life decided to take matters in its own hand. It gave me a gift that turned my life upside down. The big crash of the dot com bubble. Wait a minute you say, the dot com crash was a disaster, and thousands of ideas and companies were shelved. Was I saved?
No, over the next few months, as business took a downturn, and the steady stream of clients dwindled into internet oblivion, I was left with the most difficult task of letting go of people (friends) who had enrolled into my vision and worked by my side through thick and thin. The once great ideas of changing the world faded into the mist. I made a promise to never look back at the business world again.
Life has a funny way of taking thing away from you, and giving something least expected, in return. While in the process of closing down the business, I was also discovering something new blossoming in the horizon for me. It was a creative force that came and took me over, that’s all I can say.
The next year and a half, I lived the life of a poet. My days were spent writing impulsively, reading books on spirituality and life, and looking after two abandoned kittens, which I had found on the street. I was not writing the poems, but the poems were writing my life, giving me answers and connecting me to the beauty, significance and sacredness of all things around us. I was the first and the last poet, I was living my vision, and life it seemed like could not get any better.
One morning I awoke feeling restless after a long time. The peace that surrounded me in knowing the next poem, my next answer was fading away as my waking minutes passed. I knew the gift that was given to me, is being taken away against my wishes. The poet had written his last poem it seemed.
Now one and half years away from work and career is a long time, and I discovered just that. I had the qualifications of running a business, and little knowledge of working in an office for a living. A few small jobs later, I decided since I was given the gift of writing, I will write for a living. I took up a course in Journalism with much enthusiasm, and the next 3 years I spent working as editor of a party and nightlife magazine, assistant editor of a weekly entertainment tabloid and features editor at a daily newspaper abroad. I had found my space, where I could be creative, meet interesting people, and having my byline in Print was not bad either. Life was more stable financially after a long time, and I was confident of my skills as a writer to ensure success. I had found balance between both the worlds. I was living my vision, and it seemed life could not get any better.
I know what you are thinking. Here we go again. And I did. I slowly lost interest in writing and wanted to do something bigger with my life. I was missing something – a vision perhaps.
Life is a full circle and don’t we know it. A few years ago, I found myself sitting on the first day of my job as a Project Manager for a dot com company. I was handling online brand campaigns for various reputed multinationals. It had been a while since the Internet excited me so much, and I was enjoying every minute of the learning experience.
It was a good job honestly, but I saw no point in my entire journey (I am sure you will not blame me for reaching this conclusion) to come back to the same point, only this time working as a Project Manager instead of a CEO in the Internet world. When you don’t do something you love, you have to work harder at it and things always seem to go wrong, don’t they?
A year later, I found myself wondering what I wanted to do in life, what I wanted to do with my life. Hi Friends, if you have read my story till now, you must be wondering what I am doing right now? And did I find what I was looking for – My vision?
Today, I run a successful SEO/SEM consultancy (sole proprietorship) with clients across the Globe, mentor and share my experiences with Internet marketing strategies by writing in my Zen of SEO Blog, and assist individuals and companies run successful online businesses.
My website (http://www.seo-optimization-experts.com ) ranks # 1 in Google for the keyword 'seo expert Mumbai', # 5 for 'seo expert india' and # 8 for 'google seo expert', and #4 for 'expert in seo'.
I am the author of the blog Zen of Seo (www.zenofseo.org). You can check on my profile by typing 'Nevil Darukhanawala' in Google.
Last year, I launched www.dealing-with-life.com with my wife. It’s a black book of human experiences in dealing with the many curve balls life throws at us - dealing with anger, depression, heart break, financial losses, fears, death, phobias, career challenges, difficult people, abusive relationships, self doubt ….
Am I happy?
Yes I am. I am living the life I want to, doing something I love to do, and have the time to enjoy life’s other gifts.
What I learnt?
In your dreams, you must believe
and in courage, to follow your heart
and in joy, to accept your miracle …
And it did for the next 4 years, I grew from a 3 member team to a team of 70, the office had shifted from a room at my residence into a sprawling 4000 sq foot swanky office, my name was hailed across the national press as the youngest entrepreneur to get venture capital funding, there were clients lining up at the door, and it seemed life could not get any better.
One morning I awoke feeling something was missing from my life. Yeah, I was on way to achieving my biggest vision, so what was bothering me. Why did I still feel like the little boy who was the smallest boy in class? The vision that had taken over my life seemed, not so important anymore. The vision that gave me my identity was slowly fading away. Is it possible that this is not what I want from life anymore?
While I found no answers to my burning questions, life decided to take matters in its own hand. It gave me a gift that turned my life upside down. The big crash of the dot com bubble. Wait a minute you say, the dot com crash was a disaster, and thousands of ideas and companies were shelved. Was I saved?
No, over the next few months, as business took a downturn, and the steady stream of clients dwindled into internet oblivion, I was left with the most difficult task of letting go of people (friends) who had enrolled into my vision and worked by my side through thick and thin. The once great ideas of changing the world faded into the mist. I made a promise to never look back at the business world again.
Life has a funny way of taking thing away from you, and giving something least expected, in return. While in the process of closing down the business, I was also discovering something new blossoming in the horizon for me. It was a creative force that came and took me over, that’s all I can say.
The next year and a half, I lived the life of a poet. My days were spent writing impulsively, reading books on spirituality and life, and looking after two abandoned kittens, which I had found on the street. I was not writing the poems, but the poems were writing my life, giving me answers and connecting me to the beauty, significance and sacredness of all things around us. I was the first and the last poet, I was living my vision, and life it seemed like could not get any better.
One morning I awoke feeling restless after a long time. The peace that surrounded me in knowing the next poem, my next answer was fading away as my waking minutes passed. I knew the gift that was given to me, is being taken away against my wishes. The poet had written his last poem it seemed.
Now one and half years away from work and career is a long time, and I discovered just that. I had the qualifications of running a business, and little knowledge of working in an office for a living. A few small jobs later, I decided since I was given the gift of writing, I will write for a living. I took up a course in Journalism with much enthusiasm, and the next 3 years I spent working as editor of a party and nightlife magazine, assistant editor of a weekly entertainment tabloid and features editor at a daily newspaper abroad. I had found my space, where I could be creative, meet interesting people, and having my byline in Print was not bad either. Life was more stable financially after a long time, and I was confident of my skills as a writer to ensure success. I had found balance between both the worlds. I was living my vision, and it seemed life could not get any better.
I know what you are thinking. Here we go again. And I did. I slowly lost interest in writing and wanted to do something bigger with my life. I was missing something – a vision perhaps.
Life is a full circle and don’t we know it. A few years ago, I found myself sitting on the first day of my job as a Project Manager for a dot com company. I was handling online brand campaigns for various reputed multinationals. It had been a while since the Internet excited me so much, and I was enjoying every minute of the learning experience.
It was a good job honestly, but I saw no point in my entire journey (I am sure you will not blame me for reaching this conclusion) to come back to the same point, only this time working as a Project Manager instead of a CEO in the Internet world. When you don’t do something you love, you have to work harder at it and things always seem to go wrong, don’t they?
A year later, I found myself wondering what I wanted to do in life, what I wanted to do with my life. Hi Friends, if you have read my story till now, you must be wondering what I am doing right now? And did I find what I was looking for – My vision?
Today, I run a successful SEO/SEM consultancy (sole proprietorship) with clients across the Globe, mentor and share my experiences with Internet marketing strategies by writing in my Zen of SEO Blog, and assist individuals and companies run successful online businesses.
My website (http://www.seo-optimization-experts.com ) ranks # 1 in Google for the keyword 'seo expert Mumbai', # 5 for 'seo expert india' and # 8 for 'google seo expert', and #4 for 'expert in seo'.
I am the author of the blog Zen of Seo (www.zenofseo.org). You can check on my profile by typing 'Nevil Darukhanawala' in Google.
Last year, I launched www.dealing-with-life.com with my wife. It’s a black book of human experiences in dealing with the many curve balls life throws at us - dealing with anger, depression, heart break, financial losses, fears, death, phobias, career challenges, difficult people, abusive relationships, self doubt ….
Am I happy?
Yes I am. I am living the life I want to, doing something I love to do, and have the time to enjoy life’s other gifts.
What I learnt?
In your dreams, you must believe
and in courage, to follow your heart
and in joy, to accept your miracle …
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