Daily Dose of Motivation

When you have an elder brother who achieves something significant, it naturally inspires the younger ones. His success doesn’t just bring joy but it gives hope and confidence that we, too, can achieve great things. I’ve experienced this feeling many times in my life, and today was one of those moments.

Thiru Johny Tom Varghese IAS, is well-known among MCCians. For those who don’t know, he once served as the Collector of Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu. He secured the 8th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2013 at the age of 27, and later became the Director of Children Welfare and Special Services.

During the third hour today, my professor Dr. Samuel Rufus asked us to attend a speech by Mr. Johny Tom Varghese. At first, I was confused that why was he visiting our college? What was the topic of his talk? My friend Amy then read it out: “How I Was Shaped as a Leader in Madras Christian College.”

Being someone who enjoys listening to leaders speak, I was eager to attend. The MC welcomed him warmly, and he began his speech by thanking the principal, our beloved Tamil professor Dr. N. Elango, and the college. His calm and respectful way of speaking immediately drew my attention.

He reminisced about his college days such as memories from the gutter, the hall, the canteen and spoke fondly of them which showing how deeply connected he still feels to MCC. He talked about a time when only button phones were around and how having one felt like a privilege compared to today’s smartphones.

Moving into the core of his speech, he shared how he once contested for General Secretary of Heber Hall, running against two others and one being his close friend, Karma. Though things seemed to be going well, he was eventually pressured to step down from the election. This deeply affected him and me too since I know many friends who have faced similar challenges in college elections.

Another story he shared was about being asked to create an artwork in Anderson Hall. He designed a man with wings chained to two pillars representing tradition. But the viewers interpreted it differently. They saw it as an MCC student breaking free from all constraints. This surprised him, but his friend gracefully embraced the audience’s perspective. From this, he learned an important lesson: how to navigate people’s perceptions and handle unexpected situations with maturity. That story really resonated with me, because I’ve also done things that were misinterpreted though not in any official setting.

Halfway through his talk, he admitted that he came to MCC with a fixed plan, only to realise it wasn’t truly what he wanted. He then began unlearning and starting fresh. That part struck me the most. It taught me that it’s perfectly okay to let go of something you’ve been committed to for a long time if it no longer serves your true purpose.

His speech gave me a huge confidence boost. He compared life to our canteen’s samosas and cutlets that we must seek out opportunities just like we seek good snacks. And when an opportunity presents itself, we shouldn’t hesitate or overthink. Just step in, the process itself will teach you everything you need to know.

Don’t worry. Jump in. Learn as you go.