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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’s campaign raises eyebrows

Insiders points to the party’s strategy to strip opposition of possible scoring points by keeping it a low affair

Bihar BJP MLA Maithili Thakur campaigns in favour of Mahayuti candidate Rekha Yadav for the upcoming BMC election at Borivali on Sunday. | Pic: PTI
Bihar BJP MLA Maithili Thakur campaigns in favour of Mahayuti candidate Rekha Yadav for the upcoming BMC election at Borivali on Sunday. | Pic: PTI

Mumbai: In a departure from its high-octane, star-studded campaign templates of the past, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has adopted a notably austere and localised approach for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. As the city approaches the polling date of January 15, the ‘glamour quotient’ that once defined the saffron party’s Mumbai outreach is conspicuously absent.


For a party that has historically leveraged the charisma of its celebrity MPs like Hema Malini and Kangana Ranaut, their absence from the narrow lanes of Dadar, Parel, and Ghatkopar is striking. Similarly, former MPs and seasoned campaigners like Paresh Rawal, Kirron Kher, and Sunny Deol have been kept away from the limelight. Manoj Tiwari, Annamalai, Maithili Thakur and likes of them, with lower glamour quotient did campaign in some pockets of Mumbai. But, their roles were much limited.


The crowd pullers like UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are also missing from the BJP’s campaign.


This shift suggests a calculated pivot. The ‘Bollywood factor’ while effective for national narratives, often risks alienating the grassroots ‘Marathi Manoos’ who view BMC polls as a battle for the city’s soul rather than a cinematic spectacle. By keeping these figures at bay, the BJP is likely shielding itself from the ‘outsider’ tag that the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS frequently employ to whip up regional sentiment.


Marathi Wind

The primary reason for this strategic ‘glamour fast’ appears to be a precautionary measure to take the wind out of the Thackeray cousins’ sails. With this kind of campaign that consciously keeps away the glamour quotient, the BJP appears to be wanting to neutralise regionalism. Both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are banking heavily on Marathi identity. By deploying local booth-level workers and grassroots leaders instead of Hindi film stars, the BJP is attempting to present a ‘Bhoomiputra’ (son of the soil) face.


The second piller of the BJP›s campaign appears to be the direct engagement with voters. The party has pivoted to ‘Nukkad Sabhas’ and ‘Chawl meetings’ led by local corporators who speak the language and dialect of the residents, making it harder for the MVA to paint the BJP as a party controlled solely by Delhi.


However, the key of the BJP’s campaign still remains the Fadnavis Factor, the Mantle of the State. The strategy seems to have been designed to cement the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He has been the face of this campaign, positioning himself as the ‘architect of modern Mumbai’.


Sources within the party suggest that top national leaders were deliberately kept on the periphery to prove that the state unit is capable of winning the ‘Battle for Mumbai’ on its own merit. Fadnavis’ confidence – having predicted that the Mahayuti will win 27 out of 29 Municipal Corporations – is being tested here. This election is as much a referendum on his governance as it is on the party’s popularity.

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