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- Hi, I am CA Lokesh Pokharna who belongs to a very small village Chittorgarh in Rajasthan.
- When I was 5 years old I got blind in my right eye and went through all sorts of Financial Struggles,
- But with the power of my Mind, I cleared CA & started my own CA Practice.
From having blindness to starting my own business
When I was 5 years old a sharp object went into my right eye while playing with my friends. I became completely blind in my right eye.
I was too young to feel depressed about it then. However, as I grew older I realized that my family used to consider me ‘Less abled’ and were always worried about my future.
That’s when the loss of an eye hit me.
However, it also encouraged me to work hard for a better future for me and my family, so no complaints.
At 13 years old I started a grocery store in an empty space outside my house. I used to run the shop all by myself and study as well. This went on till I cleared my 12th-grade exam.
Fortunately, my maternal uncle who always saw the potential in me and believed in my abilities decided to fill out the CPT exam (1st level CA exam) form for me.
That’s how CA happened.
Cleared CPT & IPCC: Without any coaching
I worked hard for CPT and cleared it on the 1st attempt.
Then came IPCC (2nd level of the CA exam consisting of Group 1 & Group 2). I cleared it in 3 attempts, without any coaching.
There were days when I wanted to give up as I had a lot of pressure to work. My family needed me to contribute financially to the household.
I kept reminding myself that FAILURE IS DELAY, NOT DEFEAT, and kept pushing.
However, mentally I had decided if I failed one more time I would give up. Luckily I cleared on the 3rd attempt!
I did my articleship from Chittorgarh. During all this time I managed my expenses with my savings which I had assembled while running my grocery shop.
CA Final journey & love at first sight
Then came the CA Final exams.
I decided to give only Group – 2 ( CA Final has 8 papers divided into 2 groups. One can give both groups together or any one of them first) this attempt. I enrolled for CA Final lectures in Indore.
However, I failed miserably while taking this exam attempt.
To be honest there was this girl who I met in class and fell in love with her. It was a one-sided kind of love!
I was never able to express my feelings to her. I was completely distracted at times and completely focused at times. It was funny !!!
Again my family insisted that I quit and start working. However, I knew I had to become a CA, or else all my efforts would be of no use.
For the next attempt, I decided to work really hard. I would wake up at 6 am and study till 9 am in the library and then study again at night, this continued for 4 months till my exam.
Discovery of MIND POWER
Also during this phase, I discovered the importance of my MIND.
One day while traveling by train, I met a man who was reading the ‘POWER OF YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND’ by Dr. Joseph Murphy. I was fascinated by the idea of how our subconscious mind can influence our lives.
I purchased that book immediately and started practicing it. The book says we become what we repeatedly tell ourselves internally, in our head. Along with studying hard, I kept telling myself that ‘I am a CA’ and that I would imagine myself clearing CA.
On the next attempt, I cleared my CA Finals and got the exact marks I had decided to achieve.
I learned a big lesson here – We BECOME WHAT WE REPEATEDLY KEEP TELLING OURSELVES. Positive self-talk can create magic. This book is a must-read.
After becoming a CA, I worked in a steel plant, then at HDFC Bank, and recently started my own CA practice in Ahmedabad.
So my advice is…
Success comes from Experience and Experience may Sometimes come from Bad Experience.
So Whatever you wish to Pursue Give it Your All.
- COMMIT TO YOURSELF.
- COMMIT TO OVERCOMING NEGATIVITY.
- COMMIT TO A BETTER LIFE.
And remember we become what we keep telling ourselves. So always keep telling yourself an amazing story about yourself.
