FACE

Good afternoon, everyone. It’s wonderful to see all your faces in person. Are you all

looking at me? Great. Then, let’s begin.

Raise your hands if you love your mothers. Thank you.

Now, take a moment to look

around the room and observe who else has their hand raised. It’s heartwarming, isn’t it? Nearly

everyone has their hand up because, mothers love their children, and children love

their mothers. Now , We are living in the age of generative AI and prompt engineering, which enables

us to refine and adjust questions to get the exact answers we seek. So, let me re-frame my question.

How many of you enjoy listening to your mothers? Mhmm. Take another look around the room.

Notice how fewer hands are raised this time. Now let me pose a more specific question: How

many of you enjoy listening to your mother’s advice and acting on it immediately? Ah, this

response is more aligned with what I anticipated.

Notice how drastically the number of hands has dwindled. Have you ever wondered

why we love our mothers so deeply, yet often resist listening to their advice?

Each of us has our own reasons. For me, it’s a bit unique.

When I was young and my mother was in her prime, she would weave enchanting tales for me

—stories of fairies, elves, kings, and other magical worlds.

Those stories were delightful to hear, but as we grew older , the life’s responsibilities took

over; the time for such tales faded. Imagining those fairies or reliving the stories became a

distant memory. Instead, she started giving me an endless list of dos and don’ts.

“Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Do it this way. How dare you do it that way?” Her constant

instructions frustrated me endlessly.

I am her only daughter. Many assume that being an only child is a blessing. But in reality,

it comes with its challenges. There are no siblings to share those moments or scoldings with.

All the parental focus rests on me. It can be exhausting to endure constant instructions and

reprimands, sometimes making life feel overly demanding and, frankly, a little overwhelming.

Whenever I felt defeated, she would always say, “Face it. Face it. Face it.”

I would wonder to myself, “What does that even mean? How can I face it when she doesn’t truly

understand what I’m going through?” Those days passed with the echo of her words, “Face it.” Though

I was equipped with a library of life’s formulas—countless dos and don’ts—I often felt uncertain about

where or how to apply them. Knowledge was there, but understanding its application came much later.

Years rolled by, until one day in February 2015, I had an epiphany  during a coffee break,

They say a lot can happen over coffee. And for me, it truly did.

I don’t drink coffee, but during that break, my friend, my mentor, Lakshmi, shared a

story from her honeymoon.  Kindly allow me to transport you to that moment.

Picture a honeymoon—a time filled with love, laughter, and two key characters: the hero and the

heroine. This couple embarked on a trip to Anamudi, the point that marks the border between

Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Exhausted from their journey, they hired a cab to return home. It was a new vehicle, and

they knew little about the driver. To make matters worse, the driver kept blinking suspiciously.

This set off alarm bells in their minds. Now, imagine the heroine—newly married and radiantly

beautiful, adorned with bangles and jewelry, exuding elegance. Yet beneath her composed exterior, fear

brewed.  Thoughts raced through her mind: Why is the driver blinking? Will he attack us? Will he

demand my jewelry or behave improperly? Suddenly, things got even more unnerving as a

scooter and bike began following them in the dark (Tobo — Tobo —Tobo)

Panicked, she looked to her husband, her Hero. What was he doing? He was blissfully

napping in the midst of this chaos!

Unable to comprehend his calm, she woke him up, urging him to grasp the reality of the

situation.

Let me pause here. Imagine yourself in the hero’s position. After hearing the heroine’s

concerns, how would you respond?

Now, let me share what the hero actually said.

“Honey, I’m not a hero,” he admitted.
“I can’t fight anyone.
If something happens, we’ll bow down and seek mercy. That’s the practical thing to do. Let’s not let our imaginations run wild.
We don’t know their intentions, so let’s not jump to conclusions.”

He advised her to quiet her thoughts and remain practical. Then, as if nothing had

happened, he resumed his nap.

This story left a lasting impression on me. It made me realise the power of staying

grounded, shutting down unnecessary fears, and approaching challenges with clarity.

From that moment, I formulated my own secret SAS ((pronounce as Sauce) to life. Its SAS. not the

tomato sauce we lick:

S – stands for

Shut down wild imaginations—Our minds can wander endlessly, crafting both beautiful and

daunting scenarios. Stay grounded in reality.

A – stands for

Analyze the situation—Even in the face of adversity, assess what resources you have and

how to use them effectively.

S stands for

Strategize—With a clear goal in mind, plan your actions thoughtfully.

While the hero in this story didn’t exude traditional heroic qualities, he was deeply

practical. And sometimes, practicality is the most heroic trait of all.

Stories have the power to leave lasting impressions, teaching us lessons we might not

grasp otherwise. Whether they are fairy tales or real-life accounts, they provide wisdom in

unexpected ways.

So, let’s embrace stories, analyse the challenges they depict, and strategize to overcome them.

After all, every dragon can be slain, and every tough situation can have a happy ending—if we

approach it wisely.

By the way what happened to the hero and heroine in this story? To find out, you’ll have to tune into

my  next speech. Thank you!