We were lucky to catch up with Zarana Gandhi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Zarana, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?
One of the driving forces in my life is my dog. She is a 70 pound black lab/german shepherd who taught me to overcome fear. I was terrified of dogs since childhood until I met her. I use to run away from dogs terrified they will chase and bite me. That fear came from when I was a child where a loose dog chased me in our apartment complex. I was never able to overcome the fear till I met Macey. Macey is affectionate, interesting, intelligent, and mischievous. She loves to play and going on walks. She taught me to overcome fear and be empathetic. She was a stray who needed a home and I needed a dog to fill the void of losing a mother to cancer. We both found each other in our time of need. Over the years, I have gone through some hard times but she always stayed by my side. She looks for every opportunity to interact and show love. She even runs up to you if you sneeze or cough, showing concern. Overcoming my fear of dogs changed my life forever.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a lifestyle content creator for metro Detroit. From traveling up north in Michigan to visiting local new cafes and restaurants, I show there is more to Detroit than meets the eye. In the recent years, Detroit has changed for the better. It is more creative and there is more to celebrate and explore. I also do meetups around Detroit to connect with the local community as part of my instagram. I show my audience from around the world life here in Michigan.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Persistence, creativity and intelligence are my main qualities. I have learned to meet life with courage and strength. Life comes with disappointments and celebrations. I learned there is always something you are good at and you can achieve. My drive to chase my goals and know some doors are open are the ones that are on my path to leaving a mark. Having the daily courage to be on that path makes me happy.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am looking to partner with events, establishments and local content creators across instagram focusing on lifestyle here in Detroit. Expanding my reach to create more fun and engaging content around state of Michigan like travel, food, sports events,
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