“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill

I loved it most, while finding out about, “what is courage”. My teacher for stained glass art, Mrs. Kamlesh Kapoor, a highly talented being, once told me, “You are very courageous Sharmila, what many talented people lack and due to that one action, they don’t get recognition”. I took it as a great compliment as it came after my first solo Ikebana exhibition where I showcased 31 ikebana arrangements-one being in 6 ft height and 12 ft in width.  Coming back to courage which is an action taken against all odds and which changes those odds into favour once pertained and reward achieved.

Recently I got the chance to watch one video where Mrs. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, while sharing her early entrepreneurial journey, spoke this handsome word, “foolish courage”. She was talking about her venture in her first business. How challenges came on the way, and how she dealt with them. I dearly fell in love with this adjective-foolish added to courage.

Don’t you entrepreneurs find yourself related to this foolish courage. Many times, we just step forward in spite of our fear stopping us and advising not to take risks by entering in so and so business.

I remember this cute anecdote, when I was writing my book on Ikebana in Hindi, published in 2018, which still is the only book on this subject written in Hindi. Once my manuscript was completely ready with text, pictures and diagrams, I took it to Tokyo to my dearest Ikebana friend Tamaki Morii to be reviewed by her. She reviewed and mentioned, “all is well but your book is not just a simple coffee-table book, with 14 years of your working on it you have made it an Ikebana textbook. It is like a thesis. In spite of all the hard work it still is an Ikebana expression through your point of view. you should add pictures from an authority who is non questionable”. I was completely lost! Truly stunned. I could not believe that after 14 years of hard work where I visited Tokyo a few times to take classes from a Japanese teacher for the sake of the book in the attempt to make it picture perfect and flaw free, I am back to square one. Now I was sitting in her study room sighing, ok girl! a long way to go.

Suddenly she asked me to write headquarters for the pictures testified by them. I was breathless and numb. I mentioned, “see it is not possible, how! such a big organization will provide its original pictures”. She embarked “But your book is in Hindi, the only book on the world map, they might oblige”. I could not debate with her. Quietly seeing no other option, no sign of help, still with a meek voice I said, “it is impossible Tamaki!” The words she spoke were- “Did you ask??”

AH! These three words changed the fate of the book. I wrote to the school and to our surprise I received permission to use pictures for my Hindi book on Ikebana. Today though I have written two more books on Ikebana being one in English and another in Telugu, that Hindi book is the master of all. Thanks to her courage! Thanks to my perseverance and endurance!