Hold On And Move On…

Perseverance is one of the keys to success…

- Padma Mhatre

When I came to Mumbai in 1964 Wafter completion of my S.S.L.C. examination, I knew only Tamil, my mother tongue. I had studied in Tamil medium and my English was poor. But I had a lot of confidence that I would find a good job. I gave my job interviews in my broken English and broken Hindi confidently. In one of the interviews, the interviewer insulted me, saying that I was good for nothing and only capable of rag-picking, which angered me. When I narrated the incident to my father he said, “Always find positiveness even in the negative comments. Why don't you improve your English and make yourself capable?”

My father's statement opened my eyes. I realized that what we need in life is confidence, not overconfidence. Overconfidence is an obstacle in our growth, and I was far too overconfident. From that moment, I started reading English newspapers, novels, and magazines. It helped me a lot, though I still wasn't very fluent in the language.