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By:

Asha Tripathi

14 April 2025 at 1:35:28 pm

Stop Comparing, Start Growing

Success does not grow in comparison; it grows in focus. Over the years, women have made significant strides in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from nurturing families to building successful careers, women have proved that strength and resilience are deeply rooted in their nature. Financial independence has become a significant milestone for many women today, bringing with it confidence, dignity, and the freedom to shape one’s own destiny. However, along...

Stop Comparing, Start Growing

Success does not grow in comparison; it grows in focus. Over the years, women have made significant strides in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from nurturing families to building successful careers, women have proved that strength and resilience are deeply rooted in their nature. Financial independence has become a significant milestone for many women today, bringing with it confidence, dignity, and the freedom to shape one’s own destiny. However, along with growth has come another silent challenge — the tendency to constantly observe, compare, and sometimes even compete with the journeys of others. But a crucial question arises: Is it necessary to track the growth of others in order to grow ourselves? From my personal experience of more than two decades as an entrepreneur, I have realised something very powerful — true growth begins the moment we stop looking sideways and start looking within. A Small Beginning I had a flourishing career of teaching abroad, but when I restarted my career after moving back to India, my beginning was extremely small. My very first assignment was a simple home tuition for a single student, and the amount I earned was meagre. There was nothing glamorous about it. No recognition, no large batches, no big earnings. Just one student and one opportunity. But instead of worrying about how others were doing, how many students they had, or how much they were earning, I made a conscious decision—my only focus would be on improving myself. I focused on teaching better, preparing better, and becoming more disciplined and consistent. And slowly, without even realising it, things began to grow. One student became two, two became a small group, and gradually, over the years, the work expanded beyond what I had initially imagined. Looking back today, I can confidently say that the growth did not happen because I competed with others. It happened because I competed with myself yesterday. Comparison Creates Noise When we keep watching others' journeys too closely, we unknowingly divert our own energy. Comparison creates unnecessary noise in our minds. It brings doubts, insecurities, and sometimes even negativity. Instead of walking our own path with clarity, we start questioning our speed, our direction, and our worth. True success grows through focus, not comparison. Every woman has her own story, her own pace, and her own struggles that others may never see. The path of one person can never be identical to another's. So comparing journeys is like comparing two different rivers flowing towards the same ocean — each with its own route, its own curves, and its own rhythm. As women, we already carry many responsibilities. We balance emotions, relationships, work, and society's expectations. In such a life, the last thing we need is the burden of comparison with one another. Instead, what we truly need is support for each other. When women encourage women, something extraordinary happens. Confidence grows. Opportunities multiply. Strength becomes collective rather than individual. There is enough space in the world for every woman to create her own identity. Each of us can build our own niche without stepping on someone else's path. Choose Encouragement Envy weakens us, but encouragement empowers us. Rather than questioning how someone else is progressing, we can ask a more meaningful question: "How can I grow a little better than I was yesterday?" Lift As You Rise Today, after twenty years of experience, the most valuable lesson I have learned is simple yet profound — focus on your own work with honesty and dedication, and success will quietly follow you. We, women, are capable, resilient, and creative. We do not need to pull each other down or compete in unhealthy ways. Instead, we can lift each other up while building our own dreams. Because when one woman rises, she does not rise alone. She inspires many others to believe that they can rise, too. And perhaps that is the most beautiful form of success. (The writer is a tutor based in Thane. Views personal.)

BJP gains strength in Parbhani

Mumbai: While the Shiv Sena (UBT) is trying to flex muscles by opposing the Waqf amendment bill in the parliament, the party has seen consistent ‘outgoing’ in Marathwada region and its arch rival BJP has gained strength in Parbhani, where leaders from both, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) joined the BJP on Tuesday.


Prominent among those who joined the BJP in Parbhani on Tuesday include Purna APMC secretary Balaji Khaire, former secretary of Pathari Panchayat Samiti Arun Kolhe and PDCC director Balaji Desai. These leaders were followed by 60 chairpersons of multipurpose primary agriculture cooperative societies and 40 Sarpanchs in the district. This shall strengthen the party at the grass root level, said the minister for state Meghana Bordikar in whose presence these members joined the party.


On the other hand, however, the local leaders are seen leaving the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Marathwada region.


While the Shiv Sena (UBT) had wooed some of the disgruntled leaders from other parties ahead of the assembly polls last year in some of the districts of Marathwada, in other districts it had lent support to loyal grass root leaders who chose to be with the party even while a large majority of them went with Eknath Shinde during the rebellion three years ago.


In the last few months, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has seen consistant outgoing in Sambhaji Nagar, Jalana and Parbhani district weakening the region which was once the stronghold of the party.


The Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde demonstrated a very good performance in Sambhaji Nagar district winning Six assembly seats and a parliamentary seat.


This led to most of the former corporators, former mayors and other office bearers to switch over to the party under Shinde. On the other hand, all the disgruntled BJP leaders whom the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership bestowed with candidature in assembly election, preferred to switch back to their original party post results. Suresh Bankar and Dineshsinh Pardeshi were quick to return to the party while Raju Shinde still appears to be in two minds about returning to the BJP though he has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be with the Shiv Sena (UBT) anymore.


While the ‘imported’ leaders deserted the UBT in Sambhaji Nagar, in Parbhani, Jalna and Dharashiv the old ‘loyalists’ who were given party tickets in assembly, chose to align with DCM Eknath Shinde over past quarter. Prominent among them are A J Borade from Partur in Jalna district and Vishal Kadam in Gangakhed constituency.


In short, though the UBT tested success in some places of Marathwada region, its losses are heavy and leaders continue to desert the party adding to their difficulties ahead of the local body elections later this year.

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