#10YearChallenge: Be kind, rational, assertive

We'd asked you, dear readers to take the #10YearChallenge.

THANK YOU for your responses! Please keep them coming.

Sudipto Basu, 37, Kolkata talks about how his relationships evolved in the last ten years:

Life has been a roller coaster ride. These precious ten years changed me from the quintessential wannabe to a self-assured individual, who knows what he wants and what he doesn’t.

Back in January 2009, I was still dabbling with the many choices in life, one of which was choosing a life partner.

Multiple rendezvous later, all of them not exactly the romantic type, I finally settled for the most sensible, sweet and smart human option, who is my doting wife today.

My matrimonial sojourn dropped priceless pearls of wisdom in my kitty all of which have been instrumental in telling me the truth of life -- be kind, be rational, be assertive without being judgmental.

I lost my mother who passed on the legacy of self-dependence on us, which I have tried to inculcate in my wife, happily taking forward the tradition of living life on our own terms.

I met many comrades on the way, each one revealing a slice of life, showing, teaching, seasoning and sharpening my outlook in their own way.

I changed jobs, started filming a self-written story, visited a couple of unseen locales, took part in challenging competitions and ultimately went from strength to strength to stand atop 2019.

I am nearing middle age and waiting for the year to unfurl some more colours as I descend down the hill. 

Hari Krishnan Nair, 42 from Nairobi, Kenya tells us how he became an entrepreneur:

I was born in a middle class family and went through a financial crisis. I started working in very early to support my family and always dreamt about becoming an entrepreneur.

You’ve got to start somewhere. Ideas and opportunities don’t just materialise out of thin air. I have 18 years of experience in sales and marketing and that is my strongest skill set which I had.

The only way I know to get started is by learning a marketable skill and getting to work. In my experience, that’s where the ideas, opportunities, partners, and finances always seem to come from.

Sure, it also takes an enormous amount of hard work. It was all about taking risk which worried me more.

On February 2, 2018, without leaving my job and a small investment I registered my own company 'Jummanji Enterprises' in India and developed an online e-commerce platform in the name of www.jummanji.in.

'It's not easy running a company all alone, but not impossible. I have put all my efforts and am positively moving towards the desired target.

I believe that entrepreneurs have an internal compass that allow them to not only be able to visualise the opportunity and potential but also the tenacity to bring a vision to fruition.

It requires discipline and a willingness to sacrifice in the short term. Entrepreneurship can be learned but I believe that true entrepreneurs are born and traits show up early.

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to simply embrace the fact that if you want to achieve your goals just chase it with out the fear of risk.

You too can participate in the #10YearChallenge!

Send us a picture of you from 10 years ago along with a recent picture and tell us what has changed for you.

Have you achieved a goal you set for yourself?

Have you lost weight?

Did you find your dream job?

Did you turn entrepreneur and start your own company?

Maybe you found love, got married or simply ended a bad relationship.

Or you just discovered a new skill or passion and quit everything to start a new journey.

Tell us what are some of the best lessons you've learned and how it has changed you as a person.

Share your interesting experiences and learnings with us!

Simply e-mail us on getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: #10YearChallenge) along with your NAME, AGE and LOCATION, if possible. We'll feature the best responses on Rediff.com.