Turns Out That October Truly Is An “Auspicious” Month

According to the dictionary, auspicious means
“conducive to success; favorable” or “attended by good fortune;
prosperous.”  And ever since I moved to
India, I’ve been hearing this word “auspicious” being used quite often. For
example, someone may say, “that time of the year is an auspicious time to get
married” or “it is considered auspicious to give 1 rupee more when giving cash
gifts to someone for an auspicious occasion.” 
I used to feel that this was all superstition
and primarily based on a series of anecdotes passed on from generation to
generation however lately my belief system around the concept of something
being “auspicious” has started to evolve…all thanks to Facebook.


It’s not that I saw an inspirational video on
auspicious-ness or read a life-changing blog post, no, it is thanks to Facebook’s
memories notification which I happened to click on a few days ago.  Post clicking, I was taken through a series
of images from the past nine years and realized that many of the most extraordinary
experiences for me both personally and professionally have taken place during
the month of October. I had already felt quite connected to this month as
October is the birth month of some of the most important people in my life
including my Wife (October 3rd) and my Mother (October 10th). It is also the month
when many key Indian holidays take place, holidays that are intended to
celebrate significant human and celestial beings and events including: Mahatma
Gandhi Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Dussehra and Diwali (depending on
the year).
So while scrolling down memory lane, I took
stock of my past nine Octobers and realized that every year during this month
something or somethings have occurred which forwarded my journey while living
this beautiful country.
Here they are in chronological order:
October 2009
After comfortably living in the United States
for 29 years, I leave everything I know and hop onto an Emirates Airlines
flight headed for Delhi with 2 large suitcases and even larger dreams of
contributing to the growth of the Indian football industry while experiencing
deep personal growth. I have no timeline in mind on how long I plan to live in
the country. 

October 2010
My team at Dentsu Sports and our clients,
Conscient Group, launch Conscient Football, a Delhi NCR based football program which
has many of my experiences while playing and developing soccer in the US
integrated into its format and execution.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games is hosted in Delhi
and I have the opportunity to attend many events during this sport-filled month and begin to develop a deeper understanding of the good, the bad and the ugly side of organizing mega-events in
India.



I experience my first religious pilgrimage as
my friend Anwesh allows me to tagalong during a mini-truck journey to escort
Goddess Durga to the Yamuna River for immersion. It’s then that I get a taste of the devotion
that people have for their favorite Gods and Goddesses in this country and also
develop an understanding of the powerful role that community can play in one’s life.   
October 2011
I drive the launch of FC Barcelona’s foray into
India – the first time an international club has established a permanent base
in the country.
 


October 2012
I run the Delhi Half marathon in record time
and long distance running becomes an integral part of my life.

I take a trip to as small Madhya Pradesh town
called Betul for a football project and am clear that I am perfectly positioned to serve
as a catalyst for the professional development of game in even the remotest
parts of the country.  



October 2013
I drive the launch of Liverpool FC’s foray into
India through our client DSK Group – it is Asia’s first Premier League club established residential Academy.
 


At an AFC – AFDP ONE GOAL conference, I have the opportunity to spend quality time with some of the individuals who are transforming lives through football via their respective NGOs and grassroots programs. 
October 2014
I deliver my first speech as a “Chief Guest” as
I have the opportunity to speak to students during Sports Day at one of India’s
finest international schools.
 

October 2015
I am part of the team that brings Pele to India for the Subroto Cup, India’s oldest youth tournament; Pele spends
some time with my family and future Wife & sister-in-law before flying back to Brazil, something which I will
never forget.


My Roka (engagement) ceremony takes place and my parents fly to India to meet
my Wife and her family for the first time.  

October 2016
I win my first tournament as CEO of a
professional football club.

October 2017
I attend the opening ceremony as well as a
number of matches during the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup which is hosted in India.
This tournament sets the stage for India to host the senior FIFA World Cup in
the future.
 

I join India On Track and my first few days with
my new team are spent with the Premier League’s senior management team planting seeds for the biggest project that I have worked on till date, a project that will completely
transform Sports Management education in India. 
 
 

October 2018
We launch the LaLiga Football Schools across the state of Kerala with our client CREORTS – the first state-wide professional league driven youth training program set up in India and a project which I have been a part of since its inception.  

We officially kick off the Global Institute of
Sports Business – India’s first internationally certified and industry designed
Sports Management Institute. This project is dear to my heart as it combines much of the insights, knowledge and network I’ve developed over the past 20 years of my life. 


My mentor, role model and the individual who
set the stage for my maiden knowledge gathering trip to India in 2007, Sunil
Gulati, visits the Global Institute of Sports Business campus and offers his guidance and words of encouragement for this landmark project in my professional career. 

 
I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to
experience so many extraordinary Octobers over the years. It truly is an
auspicious month. I have a good feeling that a few miracles are in-store in October 2019….

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