Gurbaksh Chahal
Gurbaksh is the Founder, Chairman & CEO at Gravity4, Inc.
Ever feel you are going to fail? Ever think about quitting? Ever think you’re just not good enough? Then don’t worry. Here’s a note you can read and recite to your future self.
Dear Disbelievers,
There’s a very good chance you don’t remember the day you made your biggest impact on me, however I do. Everyday, in fact, I think of what you said. It ignites a fire in me to come up with something no one has seen before.
Any time I hear a praise or a congratulations, I think of what you said. When people come to shake my hand acknowledging my accomplishments, what you said hits me harder. You’ve been there for me. Every time I’ve done something new, something bigger, something revolutionary, you’ve been there to ignite that fire.
Doubt
There have been many times I have explained a new product, a new idea, or a new game plan to implement. Those times you laughed and you explained there is no way I could make something like that possible. Rather than spending time trying to figure out how to achieve it, you made me see how it wouldn’t be possible.
Right there, you became the reason for me to implement that idea and thrive off it. Your shallow character showed me an example of who I don’t want to be. It told me that I need to be the absolute opposite, and thats who I am.
Judgement
It’s possible your doubt came from something you experienced earlier in the day, a rough morning. Maybe it was because of the way I looked, something you heard about me elsewhere, or the way I dressed. Despite everything, you did not know enough about me at the time, because you were able to doubt my future self.
Self Doubt
Your criticism, your negativity, and the humor you found in my ideas. They all made me question if what I was doing could really be revolutionary. It gave me alone time. I thought to myself, “Could they be right?” When I had started, you thought I was pursuing my idea to prove you wrong. I wasn’t. I pursued the idea to prove myself wrong for even thinking you may be right.
Confidence
Every praise, congratulation, and pat on the back gave me more belief I could do much more. It gave me more belief that I could prove you to be wrong. And, it gave me more belief that I could reach my dream. For this, I cannot thank you enough.
Understanding Others
Everyday I see there are people who laugh, taunt, and doubt what I will do next. You’ve taught me, from the beginning, these people will always be around. Always there to ignite that fire inside me. They only see ways for me to fail, not to prosper. I don’t hate them, I don’t understand the meaning of hate, so I just feel bad I can not understand.
Personality
You’ve always been there to show me an example of who not to become. I want to be someone to encourage the next idea. Not to scrap it down.
Right now, I am on my journey. I know, for a fact, I will do exactly what you laughed at. I may not be there this minute, but I’ve come much further than you had estimated I would.
Here’s one thing you may not understand from your perspective. You may have been the fuel and fire inside me, but I am the engine who’s gone further than you had ever imagined. Today, I am where I am because of the decisions I made. I have absolute control of my life, of my decisions, of my thought process, and of the person I wish to be.
Sincerely,
The Future You
Now, take a moment to think and pause. Think about who gives you this drive everyday. Who ignites the fire inside you to become the best. And more importantly, say thank you to your family and real friends who taught you what authenticity is really about. You find them not when you’re on top, but when the world throws you a free fall and you see them waiting to catch you.
