Don’t Take “No” for an Answer

“It seems to be nothing but calamity and defeat and it is only afterwards that the light of reason looking backwards is able by the illumination of subsequent events to understand His doings. Therefore we must have an invincible faith or else the calamities will be too great for our courage and endurance.”

— Sri Aurobindo

At 24, Deepthi Aathreya, a mother of two, went bankrupt. Cheated by her business partner, she and her husband lost their house and car. They even had to pull their son out of school because they couldn’t afford the fees.

To make ends meet, she would sell balloons at Besant Nagar beach in the evenings. So that people wouldn’t judge her family, she gave her work a unique spin: she told children stories and sold them balloons at the end. Over time, a huge fan club of children built up; they would visit the beach to hear ‘Deepa auntie’s stories.’

The media began covering her work, which landed her a storytelling session at a school. That led to the launch of School for Success, which today has conducted programs for lakhs of teachers, students, and parents, across 2,500+ schools.

Which event in your life seems like a calamity today? Girlfriend dumped you. Husband ran off with a politician. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor. The looming threat of layoffs.

No situation should mean the end of the world. You can (and should) use it as fuel for amazing adventures if you accept rejection. Not getting what you want at first can lead to even bigger things if you don’t take no for an answer.

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