That was not a long time ago but I have learned that certain learnings and memories feel far more distant than when they actually occurred. Looking back now, I realize how I have been craving for a road ahead to put all those learnings into action.

One day,  a few days after I had started at XYZ, my boss approached me. His name was Bob. An American guy with a huge body, a big belly , and as I later discovered a heart bigger than his belly. Standing in the tiny, very unfortunate looking kitchen, I was waiting for my turn to get some coffee. In my line of work, there are not that many females so the chances of having one of those chit chat type of waits is slim to none.

Standing with the cup in my hand, I knew it wasn’t a coincidence that Bob is at the kitchen the same time that I am. It was him wanting to talk to me out of my normal office environment that has brought him to the kitchen. His sharp eyes penetrated into mine: “ How is it going?

That’s how he always started his conversations and I liked that about him. He never approached anyone just for commanding or asking for something. It felt like he always cared for how I was doing. We skipped the chit chat part rather quickly. I had a hunch that he had something more important to tell me. And indeed he had. We talked for 5 minutes or rather I should say that he talked and I listened. After he left, I did not want that cup of coffee any more. I left the cup and decided to take a break from the building.

I went for a walk along the parking lot. Rows and rows of parked cars of people coming to work for Corporate America every single day including me. It was a huge parking lot surrounded by trees. They were tall trees. Their shade and the dance of wind amongst their leaves were perhaps the most fascinating aspect of that parking lot. Except for two huge trash cans there was no other attraction. I am excluding the hidden attraction of a mama possum and her kids that I knew was leading a life in clandestine somewhere in the vicinity of those trash cans. As odd as it might seem, the building was infested by all kinds of rodents including but no way limited to mice, cockroaches and as I recently had witnessed a possum family.

The early afternoon sun sparkled on the front glasses of the parked cars. I felt a crisp breeze is messing up with my hair even though my hair was in a pony tail.

Then I glanced up and saw the logo of XYZ on top of the building, blue and white soaring in the sky. It was placed on the top of the building much higher than the trees, over all the parked cars , overlooking all the mini humans working for that brand. And suddenly Bob’s voice whispered in my head: “Don’t let fear get into your head. We train you to be that fearless”. Bob, that fearless man that pushed me to see the world differently.

I sat on the short cement wall under the willow trees. I thought about why I was at XYZ  and what Bob had told me:” Know what you want and go for it. There is always risk. It’s important for you to learn how to take risks. Take calculated risks and go on.”

I looked up at the XYZ logo again, at the willow tree leaves dancing with the breeze and thought of my corporate journey. Thought about me. Thought about how I was chosen to be a fearless leader again after such an awfully long time.