It’s been one year since I moved to Canada and one year since I started writing for Esquire Middle East. It was in the middle of the pandemic when I moved to a small town aiming to try and find perspective and to fill the emptiness that was a direct result of the various events that had happened over the previous year. When I moved here I was at my lowest, physically, mentally and creatively – at times I was even finding it difficult to recognise myself.
When I was asked to start writing for Esquire the aim was to inspire and help readers overcome their challenges by using my own past experiences as examples. The task was difficult to say the least, because at the time I was barely mustering enough courage to help myself and, to be frank, I myself could really do with some inspiration and guidance.
But somehow I managed to rise up to the challenge, looked deep in myself and eventually put pen to paper and in doing so I started to share my thoughts, ultimately helping me to alter my sense of perspective. I began to realise that although looking outwards for inspiration and guidance was my first natural thought, looking inwards actually helped me more. I realised that digging in deep and finding the strength to overcome challenges is all a matter of perspective and conscious intent.
I have learnt to never forget that I am my own champion and that I am capable of realizing the greatness that is within and I promise you that if I managed to find that inner fighter, so can you.
Perspective is a funny thing, you can either stare at a problem from the same point of view for hours hoping you’ll find a solution or make it go away, but if you step back and look at a problem from a different angle, you may just see the problem in another light and eventually see that it is something completely manageable. I’m not one to often talk about personal issues or struggles, but I can say confidently that no problem, no issue, no loss, no heartache, no challenge is as hard to fix or overcome as you might think. You are capable of achieving anything and everything
This time last year I stood at the foot of one of the tallest mountains in the region, aiming to reach the top where there is a HUGE rock that people climb up in order to get to the best views of the St Lawrence River and the surrounding valleys. When I started at the bottom of the mountain I promised myself that once I got to the very top, once I stand on that rock, I would leave everything that was weighing me down behind.
I promised myself that no fear, no challenge and no problem would ever let me go back to what I was feeling before and nothing would ever stop me from doing what I had to do. And with that mindset, this past year has become one of the most rewarding years of my entire life. I tackled all my challenges the same way I tackled the mountain climb and I looked at all the issues I was facing with the same perspective as if I was standing on that rock at the summit.
My challenges are far from over but the end is certainly clear. And with that I will quietly and confidently soldier on and reach the tops of new summits and overcome challenges that will come my way.
I have learnt to never forget that I am my own champion and that I am capable of realizing the greatness that is within and I promise you that if I managed to find that inner fighter, so can you.
Babak Golkar is the co-founder and designer of Emperor London
