The one INTERVIEW question that changed my life

The year was 2010.

I was in New York, and interviewing for a role with a consulting firm.

I was just about to graduate from Business School, and thought it was best to follow the herd and do what most business school graduates do – opt for a job in either investment banking or consulting.

As I sat in front of the woman interviewing me, I felt visibly uneasy. Like I didn’t belong, and I didn’t quite know what I was even doing there.

At one point in the interview, the woman sitting across from me asked…

“So, tell me about a time you failed, and what you learned from it?”

I looked at her dumbfounded. You would think this was a standard interview question that I would have prepared for. But, I didn’t.

My mind went blank, and I couldn’t think of any good story that felt genuine enough to share. (Did failing my driving test count? I wondered).

I fumbled my way through the rest of the interview, and went home feeling completely dejected.

And then began what I call my existential crisis.

I reflected for days on end on why I couldn’t answer her question, and then it struck me.

I didn’t have a good failure story to share, because my entire life, I’d avoided failure at all costs. I was always playing it safe.

And then I asked myself,

What did playing it safe get me?

Was I truly living a life of my choosing?

Was I happy? Was I fulfilled?

The answer to every single question was a big fat NO.

And that is when I knew that unless I take the time to figure out how I can live a life of greater meaning and purpose, I would always regret it.

And, so I decided to leave my comfortable life in New York behind, and venture off to India in search of my truth.

I remember feeling terrified.

One day, I was speaking to a close friend, and I shared with him how moving to India felt like jumping off a cliff. I had no clear plan.

And that is when he said something to me so profound that it forever changed my life.

He said, “Yes Bhavna, you are jumping off a cliff, but you know what? The universe will be there with open arms to catch you as you fall, because the universe always rewards courage.”

I get goose bumps to this day as I recall that.

He was so right. Ever since that day, I have consciously sought to make every choice, every decision, every action of mine from a place of courage.

And you know what that got me?

A life that is fully aligned with my values, and what is important to me.

A career that allows me to positively impact the lives of scores of women (and men) on a daily basis.

And, most importantly, a deep sense of contentment from knowing I am on the right path.

All of this became possible because I consciously choose courage as a value I want to live and lead by.

My question to you – Tell me about a time when you failed, and what did you learn from that failure?

Warmly,
Bhavna Toor
Chief Mindfulness Officer
Shenomics