Over the summer, I was all alone in Central Canada. There was no one to hold me accountable for anything, no motivators, and no expectations. It was a life-defining experience.
Most days started just past 5:30 a.m. CST in Regina, Saskatchewan, for coffee chats starting at 8 a.m. EST. Not because I’m a morning person (I’m not), but because I was afraid. Afraid that when life’s alarm clock went off, I wouldn’t be able to get up; so, I forced myself to learn, “How bad do you want it?” “Are you going to quit?”
I relocated to Regina for an opportunity to learn more about the Canadian agricultural industry and to work with a Crown Corporation. During my spare time, however, life was at my whim; I could make an eight-hour trip to the Rockies any weekend (which I did) or lock myself in the office across Hamilton Street to study.
Most weekends, I chose to invest in myself. I had to differentiate myself, hone my craft, and build my narrative. I needed to learn as much as I could, and that’s what kept me going. Every single weekday, for a period of time, I had between two and seven chats lined up. Some chats were thought-provoking, some were challenging, some felt like ticking a box, and a few lifted my spirits during difficult times and empowered me to continue moving forward.
By stepping outside of my comfort zone and creating opportunities, I found myself climbing to heights I thought I may never see. I was exactly where I needed to be, and I didn’t give up. It’s the things we do when no one is looking that define us. While the school year is filled with hiccups, troughs, and plateaus, in hindsight, the beauty will always be in the struggle.
For anyone who might take inspiration from this: “It’s not over ’til it’s over.” The only things you can control are your thoughts and actions, so fall forward—don’t count yourself out. Law school is a short window; create every opportunity you can and don’t forget to pay it
forward. One day, you might be the one playing a small role in someone else’s success story.
Picking back up on the folks who played a role in mine: Some were partners who invited me to bring our group at the Osgoode Sikh Students Association into their firms for lunch. I took the offer a bit too seriously and invited more students and law schools than the partners may have expected. One thing led to another, and we hosted the first firm hop organized by Sikh law students (with participation from every major law school in Ontario): setting a precedent, breaking down barriers, and hopefully guiding these 1L students down a similar path. In the end, it all comes back full circle. That, however, is an article for another time.