"Love yourself… that's when the magic happens!" - Siddharth Jayakumar delivers inspirational talk on overcoming challenges to students at IIM Ahmedabad
IIMA, July 26, 2014 : Siddharth Jayakumar, Manager, IndusInd Bank, inspired students and faculty with his talk on "Overcoming Challenges and Attitude in Life" on Saturday evening at IIM Ahmedabad. Siddharth Jayakumar spoke from his personal experience of having overcome tremendous challenges in life to emerge triumphant – He has 70% cerebral palsy, a permanent, non-progressive movement disorder that causes physical disability. The disorder, developed at infancy, meant that he had to fight unfair prejudice at a personal and institutional level in order to get an education and pursue a career.
In his interactive session with the students, Mr. Jayakumar questioned what being "normal" meant to different people. To him, the symptoms of his disorder, such as uncontrollable muscular movements and the ability to control just two fingers, constituted his definition of normalcy. He told students that it was only by loving oneself and accepting both, one's ability and constraints, could a person truly overcome challenges life threw up.
Mr. Jayakumar's disorder caused him to approach life with his unique reference frame. This experience included dealing with different people from different walks of life – patience with those who judged him solely on physical appearance, resilience with those unwilling to look beyond his disability and innovative methods of communication with those who had to transcribe his maths and science examinations papers – so that he brings a unique perspective to the table. Minakhi Prasad Misra, a second-year student who participated in a role-playing exercise in the session, was impressed by Mr. Jayakumar's sheer force of will, "Mr. Jayakumar's excellent academic record belies the struggle he faced to write his examinations – often with the help of unqualified scribes. His patience, his resolve and his will to never give up, are really inspiring. They make you start thinking about these values in new light."
Siddharth Jayakumar spoke about how it was important for individuals and organizations to afford a chance to differently-abled people to shine. It was imperative to avoid judgment based on harsh prejudice so as get more out of them. He expressed eternal gratitude to all those who had given him a chance in life and to all those who had "listened". In this awe-inspiring address at IIM Ahmedabad, it was the ability of Siddharth Jayakumar that shone through spectacularly.
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IIMA, July 26, 2014 : Siddharth Jayakumar, Manager, IndusInd Bank, inspired students and faculty with his talk on "Overcoming Challenges and Attitude in Life" on Saturday evening at IIM Ahmedabad. Siddharth Jayakumar spoke from his personal experience of having overcome tremendous challenges in life to emerge triumphant – He has 70% cerebral palsy, a permanent, non-progressive movement disorder that causes physical disability. The disorder, developed at infancy, meant that he had to fight unfair prejudice at a personal and institutional level in order to get an education and pursue a career.
In his interactive session with the students, Mr. Jayakumar questioned what being "normal" meant to different people. To him, the symptoms of his disorder, such as uncontrollable muscular movements and the ability to control just two fingers, constituted his definition of normalcy. He told students that it was only by loving oneself and accepting both, one's ability and constraints, could a person truly overcome challenges life threw up.
Mr. Jayakumar's disorder caused him to approach life with his unique reference frame. This experience included dealing with different people from different walks of life – patience with those who judged him solely on physical appearance, resilience with those unwilling to look beyond his disability and innovative methods of communication with those who had to transcribe his maths and science examinations papers – so that he brings a unique perspective to the table. Minakhi Prasad Misra, a second-year student who participated in a role-playing exercise in the session, was impressed by Mr. Jayakumar's sheer force of will, "Mr. Jayakumar's excellent academic record belies the struggle he faced to write his examinations – often with the help of unqualified scribes. His patience, his resolve and his will to never give up, are really inspiring. They make you start thinking about these values in new light."
Siddharth Jayakumar spoke about how it was important for individuals and organizations to afford a chance to differently-abled people to shine. It was imperative to avoid judgment based on harsh prejudice so as get more out of them. He expressed eternal gratitude to all those who had given him a chance in life and to all those who had "listened". In this awe-inspiring address at IIM Ahmedabad, it was the ability of Siddharth Jayakumar that shone through spectacularly.
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