We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gaurav Shekhar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Gaurav, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Opportunities make people hopeful. There is a lot of strength in hope. If you think about it, we are all somehow in control of what we want to do. There are definitely things we cannot do anything about, but there are some that we surely can influence. Resilience requires us to focus on the part where we can do something. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is; it is something that we are responsible for. Humans are wired to contribute and once we help ourselves realize how we can contribute, all difficulties dissipate. I get my sense of optimism from the possibility of creating something new that will benefit lots of people. That happiness keeps me going.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I hail from the beautiful city of New Delhi. This is perched in the middle of the great Himalayas, 200 miles north of it, and the Taj Mahal, 100 miles on the other side. One lesson that I learned early on was that it is all about people. The most enormous mountain and the tiniest grain can be managed if you work with the right people. Learning is an endless exercise, and serving people is a great privilege. if you can make a difference in someone’s life, take it with both hands.
Right now, I have given my life to teaching college students to be better professionals and people. Education is the best resource one can have. It can change generations.
My goal is to teach anyone I can and make them stand firm on their feet. As a proud resident of Texas, I am on a mission to reduce unemployment in the state to Zero! I seek anyone’s support who believes in this dream.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My parents introduced me to Public Speaking early on. I have never stopped loving the stage because that was the platform I always felt very comfortable on. Public Speaking gives you confidence, which was a great asset growing up. I faced adversities as a child too, but I think my strength came from the upbringing my parents gave me at the cost of their careers.
My parents taught me to be humble and a person of resource wherever possible. I have tried to be that person all my life, and it is always gratifying to see others succeed. It is magical!
I would tell the readers not to be afraid of trying anything new. There is nothing called failure. It is just experience. It is better to know firsthand what works and what doesn’t work.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
They invested their time in me and let me grow. At each milestone of my life, I had a tough decision, which was made easy because of my parent’s support. My father used to take me to far-off places for competitions which fueled my growth in my early childhood. His persistence taught me never to give up. On the other hand, my mother never accepted a ‘no’ in any situation. I still remember how she taught herself the language “French”, so that she could tutor me. I cannot do enough to repay the debt!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gauravshekhar.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaurav_shekhar2003/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravshekhar/
