I faced a lot of challenges when I moved away from the corporate world to being the founder of Let’s Open a Book.
To begin with, my work environment changed drastically. I no longer worked in a plush, air-conditioned office. Travel was no longer luxurious, because I could only afford buses and shuttles. Geography posed a huge challenge, because even breathing at an altitude of 12,500 ft was about twice as much effort. Finally, free children’s library space is a fairly niche segment, so it took me a while to acquire an in-depth understanding of the work that I wanted to do.
So then what kept me going?
What kept me going was the change that was happening inside of me. I was feeling a sense of purpose so deep that it overwhelmed me at times. It kept me awake at night; in the mornings it energized me to keep going. It made every challenge worth dealing with. All my work and life choices started revolving around a single question – how will my choice contribute to my purpose? A few people told me what I had found was rare and that I should protect it at all costs. Others thought that I was being an idealist and that I would be disillusioned quickly.
It’s been five years and I continue to ask myself the same question, every single day. And I hope it continues to be my guiding light for a long, long time!
P.S. This photo was taken at the home of one of our library members in 2021, during an outreach visit.