Never Give Up

 By Mehul Baxi

I was never the brightest child in the class. In fact, I failed my 10th standard board exams in the first attempt. Words like “failure” and “disappointment” felt like permanent labels on me. But someone once told me, “Exams are not the end of the road.” Those few words sparked something inside me - a ray of hope, a shift in perspective.

I slowly picked myself up. I cleared my 10th in the second attempt and went on to complete 11th and 12th. I graduated in commerce, not with flying colors, but as a determined student. Life moved forward - but a new turn was waiting.

After 12th, a relative suggested I join the Company Secretary (CS) course, calling it a prestigious course like CA or MBA. Encouraged by its recognition and respect, I enrolled in CS Foundation along with some of my college friends. That was the beginning of a deeper struggle - the fear of failure, burden of expectations, and self-doubt.

Despite multiple attempts, I couldn’t clear CS Foundation. My confidence shattered. I began questioning myself - Am I even capable?

Then came a turning point. My sister gave me a book called “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. Its pages reignited my belief in myself. Though CS seemed out of reach, I completed my graduation in 2007 with a strengthened mindset.

Destiny has a way of bringing you back to your true path.

In 2007-08, I began working at a real estate firm. Coincidentally, the company had a legal and CS-related department - the very field I had once left behind. It reignited my curiosity. With renewed resolve, I rejoined CS Executive. The journey was anything but smooth:

First Attempt: Failed

Second Attempt: Cleared

Third Attempt: Failed

Fourth Attempt: Cleared

Every step felt like a battle - against fear, against doubt, against the voices that said, “You can’t do it.”

Through training, friendships, studies, internships, and sacrifices, I kept moving forward. In 2010, I faced my CS Professional exam. I decided to attempt all four papers at once, but mentally I was shaken. My heart said go ahead, my mind said wait. But I didn’t give up.

Gradually, I began climbing the mountain: - 2012 – Passed - 2014 – Passed - 2017 – Passed - 2019 – Passed - And finally… February 2024 – I achieved my dream. I earned the title I longed for: “CS”

Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart was full. My parents were proud. My wife Khushboo Baxi and my daughters Dhyani and Dhimahi stood with me through every failure, every late night, every sacrifice. I became a self-made success - not built on talent alone, but on belief.

But life did not stop testing me. Financial struggles with friends, emotional strain in close relationships, and shifting from Mumbai to Surat brought new layers of challenges. But as I had learned – obstacles aren’t barriers, they are resistance training.

In Surat, things didn’t fall into place immediately. But on 21st May 2025, during my first EDP session with the CS Executive batch, something shifted again. I felt a power within - confidence, clarity, and purpose. I realised I was no longer the student seeking guidance. I had become the faculty, the mentor, the motivator.

Today, I conduct CS Career Awareness Programs in schools, sharing my story with students facing the fears I once did. I have become what I once needed.

Books like “The Secret” (suggested  by a friend  cum senior in office in 2017) and “The Bhagavad Gita” (which transformed my thoughts in 2024) became my spiritual anchors. They taught me that success isn’t only about effort – it’s about energy, intention, and inner peace.

Two verses from the Bhagavad Gita that transformed me: 1. “Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana” – You have the right to perform your actions, but not the fruits thereof. 2. “Sukhe Dukhe Same Kritva Labhalabhau Jayajayau” – Treat happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat alike.

I also began running marathons – an activity that reminded me that the road may be tough, but once you start, you must finish. Motivational books, movies, and songs became my fuel. And my wife Khushboo gave me the courage to believe in myself. My daughters Dhyani and Dhimahi changed my mindset – that one small step leads to a leap.

Whatever I have done and continue to do, I do for my family. Becoming a CS was a milestone, but the journey is still long – and I will keep going.

To every student and young individual out there: Never give up.

If you fall seven times, stand up eight. You don’t have to be the best – you just have to believe you can be better. Your story isn’t over yet. Keep writing it.