A Frosty London morning

My Story:

It was a chilly Tuesday morning of 09th January 2007, when I was en route to start my first day at Costa Coffee, Raynes Park, UK, and put my photography skills to test. I had gotten this job after 3 months of grueling search and was hired as a Duty Manager. As part of my job, I had to open the store in the early hours of the morning. This provided me with the chance of being one of those lucky travelers who used to catch the first train of the day at 5 am (Jubilee Line) and then the second overground from London Waterloo to Raynes Park. Despite the frosty, cold mornings of London, this was my favorite part of the day. Not because of the less influx of people, but because it provided me with the serenity I so much longed for. This became my time of reflection and self-motivation simultaneously. In the quiet hours of the morning, walking to the coffee shop always made me wonder what the universe had in store for me. Will I always be a barista? Is this what life has in store for me? Where do I go on from here? Those quaint morning walks soon became the path to my dreams. Fast forward to today, 28 September 2020, I am the CEO of my own company, heading a startup in Pakistan and a Senior Partner at a Dubai-based Consultancy firm.

The purpose of sharing this is to make you realize never to undermine and neglect your own journey. Sure there is always going to be someone more accomplished than you, but at the end of the day, you have walked this journey alone. And you alone know the significance of all the hurdles and obstacles you conquered. Cherish that journey. Love it. Own it.