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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.)

'Destroy Pakistan completely'

  • PTI
  • May 7, 2025
  • 3 min read

Ahmedabad: A woman from Bhavnagar in Gujarat, who lost her husband and a son in the Pahalgam terror attack, on Wednesday hailed the Indian armed forces for 'Operation Sindoor', and urged the government to continue action against Pakistan till it is wiped out.


Another woman, a resident of Surat, whose husband was also killed in the attack, expressed happiness over the action and said she had complete faith in the government.


Kajalben Parmar said, "I am very proud of the air strike carried out on Pakistan. I salute the armed forces and hail Bharat Mata. I am grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and very happy for the strike. Keep carrying out such attacks and wipe out Pakistan, this is my prayer to Modi saheb."


Her husband Yatish Parmar and their son Smit were among the 26 persons killed in the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam. The father-son duo was among three persons from Gujarat who lost their lives in the April 22 attack.


"My son was in Class 12. He used to tell me frequently that he wanted to join the Indian Army and fight for the country. But before that, we went to Kashmir to attend Morari Bapu's 'Ram Katha' and visit Pahalgam, where they (terrorists) killed my son and husband. I want to see Pakistan annihilated," she added.


Kajalben's elder son, Abhishek Parmar said he was happy for the action against Pakistan which came on the 15th day of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.


"PM Modi took action against Pakistan on the 15th day. I lost my father and my brother, who wanted to join the army. Now that Modi has given them a reply, I am happy about that," he said.


Shitalben Kalathiya, wife of late Shailesh Kalathiya, told the media that she was "very satisfied" with India's action against Pakistan.


"I am very happy with whatever the Modi government has done to bring to justice the people who came forward and shot my husband and others in the name of Hindus and Muslims. We have full faith in the government, and whatever it has done till now is proper. We have full faith that it will do whatever is right in the future as well," she said in Surat.


The terrorists took away the only earning member of the family, she said, adding that their daughter was yet to come to terms with what happened to her father in front of her eyes.


"We were devastated. We appeal to the Gujarat government to do whatever it can for the future and education of our children. I am very happy for the action against Pakistan," she said.


Strikes have avenged son's killing: Ponywalla’s father

Anantnag (J-K): Father of Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the ponywalla who sacrificed his life while protecting the tourists during the Pahlalgam terror attack, said on Wednesday that the military strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have avenged his son's killing.


Shah's family expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the armed forces for the retaliatory action.


"I am very happy today that the forces and (PM Narendra) Modi have avenged the killing of 26 persons. It makes me happy that those (victims) will rest in peace today," Shah's father, Syed Haider Shah, told PTI videos here.


Shah's brother, Syed Nawshad, said the prime minister has delivered his family and the families of the other 25 victims justice.


"Now, my brother, and 25 other innocents will rest in peace. When I came to know this morning that Modi has avenged the killings, it made me happy. We have got justice now, and we are very happy," Nawshad said.

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