In some of my writing you may find a lot of content about positivity, about being hopeful, about living in the moment etc. In one of my earlier posts, I had written a short post on the “tide will turn”. This is the second one. I will share other inspiring stories of how people used adversity to grow in life.

This is not the first time that the world has faced challenges. At different times there have been epidemics, recessions, wars and resulting recessions. But the human race has always been able to come out of these situations stronger

A lot of you, especially the people in America would have heard of John D. Rockefeller. At one time he was the richest man in the United States and founder of the largest oil company -Standard Oil – at that time. Today’s Exxon – Mobil owe their beginnings to this company.

But I am not here to talk about Exxon Mobil

What most people don’t know is that John D. Rockefeller was a book keeper before he got into business. And did you know when did he start his career…..in the year 1855 he took his first job at the age of 16.

1857 was an eventful year in 2 countries. In India, the uprising for freedom from the British empire took place at multiple locations across the country and was the beginning of the end of the British rule in India 90 years later in 1947. Similarly in the US, the financial panic of 1857 started out from Ohio and spread to Cleveland etc. What followed was a depression for quite a few years.

Rockefeller however, instead of getting scared, kept his cool and looked for opportunity to learn. He saved his money and kept observing how the market behaved. Eventually he used the vagaries of the market to build his wealth.

If you have read Snowball the biography of Warren Buffet you will see a lot of similarities. Both have gone to become the richest people of their time.

Both have gone on to donate so much of their wealth for good causes.

While there are questions about the way Rockefeller conducted his business, what is remembered most is the fact that he was the richest man of his times and that he donated so much of his wealth to noble causes.

I have been personally impressed by the industriousness and individual sacrifices that great American leaders – in business and politics – like Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, George Washington Abraham Lincoln made to take where America stands today. I would recommend any young person to read the biographies of the great American business men and political leaders.

While I still believe that there is nothing to beat the advances and knowledge Indians had so many thousands of years back, you also need to give it to initial Americans who founded this great country and wrote the constitution of democracy 250 years back.

That’s the reason, after showing my family the historical landmarks of India, when I took my family to the US, I ensured that we went to the Capitol Hill and took a tour inside where they explain the whole formation of the Senate and Congress etc.

In NewYork city I ensured that inspite of the Christmas crowd, we went to the Rockefeller building and saw the lighted Christmas tree.

Great nations and great people come out stronger after every crisis.

Take this time to become stronger, observe the bends in the road so that you can meaningfully navigate when this time passes – as it always does.

Till next time.

Carpe Diem