Sanam Ashraf- An epitome of diversity

How did you get here?

With a great deal of belief, honesty and learning through all of my failures. And believe me I have had many more failures than I can recall. To me Failure = First Attempt at Learning, and I have always been very optimistic about almost everything. I keep on trying out new things, and make many mistakes only to learn from them because it is almost impossible to be able to learn something beneficial unless you have been through the right learning experience. Our experiences are the most precious and important part of our otherwise insignificant lives, unless someone wipes out our memory. I cherish my failures more than my wins as my failures are what have brought me where I am today.

What are your achievements?

Most of all my achievements is the respect and recognition I get from people, that matters to me the most and I count it as a blessing. Coming towards academics I am an MBA in Marketing, a Photographer by passion and profession. Besides this I hold Training certification in public speaking from School of Leadership, Professional Article and feature writing from Institute of Journalism, Mind sciences certification from TIMS (The institute of Mind Sciences). I like new experiences and I believe that we only live once why not explore.

How difficult was it?

It seemed almost near to IMPOSSIBLE until I learned to read it as I’m Possible. I faced a lot of hurdles in the start of my journey, to be specific being a female in a male dominated society and survive with my career objectives was heck of a deal, but I soon enough realized things were not as bad as they said they were, that with good came bad and I was helped by more men than those who turned me down. Moreover, making people accept my different opinion about life and my motives in relative terms seemed to be very tough. The most dreaded obstacle I faced so far was bitterness and my distant family telling me how it was not acceptable for a girl to be out at nights covering wedding events. Talking in absolute terms, traveling to faraway places in the volatile situation of Karachi and all those late nights and managing it all without a car is a nightmare seriously but as I said I don’t give up easily so I am on my journey all steadily up till now.

How proud are you?

All Praises to Allah Almighty to Whom we belong and to Whom we shall return. I am very proud only because my parents are and they can depend on me and I can depend on myself, what else can I possibly need out of life.
Five years from now will any of the hardships make you wince or your achievements be the only thing you remember out of this phase?
I will remember three things the people who said NO to me in my difficult times, the people who put me into difficult times and the few Friends who always stuck by my side in every crest and trough of life. And I don't think it will matter in anyway but for the better for me and my growth.