8 powerful life & business lessons that I learned from Vikraman, the owner of Vivin Suites

The late V S Vikraman, a renowned businessman from Punalur, Kerala, is known for beating all the odds in his life and realising his dreams while fully knowing his limitations. Known as the ‘Stephen Hawking of Kerala’, Vikraman suffered from Motor Neuron Disease(MND), a rare condition that affects the brain and nerves( the same disease as Hawkins’). Looking at his life, there are some amazing lessons that I learned about accepting life as it is and being creative in finding solutions. Here are eight powerful lessons that I collated for you:

1. Following the light at the end of the tunnel
   VIVIN Luxury Suites Pvt Ltd. wasn’t an overnight success, but rather a well-thought-out project. More so, it was the light at the end of the tunnel for Vikraman. When the illness hit him hard, the only means to bounce back to life was to follow his goals even if it meant relying on computers and machines to translate his thoughts and actions.
2. Finding the right people to work beside
   It was through one of his nurses that he heard about the Tobii-eye-tracking device, using which he was able to improve the quality of his life. He launched his dream project ‘Vivin Suites’ after he was bedridden and, certainly some of the credit goes to his family consisting of his wife Vinaja Vikraman, daughters Vijayasree Vikraman, Jayasree Vikraman and son Sreekanth Vikraman.
3. Accepting the circumstances
   Vikraman, after being diagnosed with MND, wasn’t late to learn about the disease. Being the tech-savvy he is, he immediately plunged to search for ways to improve his quality of life.
4. Creating the best of what you can
   It is not every day that you see someone achieving their dreams for real. Vikraman, despite his limits, was able to launch his dream project with a little bit of proactivity and a lot of creativity.
5. Living life to the fullest
   For Vikraman, with his disease growing on him, it wouldn’t have made sense to live life to the ‘fullest’, more so because he needed help from others to tend to himself. But he still strived to be a better version of himself and made attempts big and small to achieve his dreams.
6. Seeking inspiration
   To live life to the fullest also means chasing your dream. The lavish hotel, Vivin Luxury Suites, was a venture that has its foundation laid on years and years of preparation and lots of inspiration. After all, you cannot execute an idea out of thin air. An inspiration or an idea may be intangible, but when you work towards realising it, it becomes as tangible as anything else around you.
7. Losing the victim mentality
   Vikraman is a true warrior who faced life as it is with a smile on his face. He never gave up because he believed in himself. Moreover, his attitude towards life was that he didn’t look at himself as a victim of life. It must have been harder than it looked, but he never lost hope.
8. Knowing your strengths
   Believing in the self is the biggest takeaway from Vikraman’s life. He believed in his purpose regardless of his physical limitations. Knowing his strengths and weaknesses made him one of the best Indian businessmen of his era.