Interview with Aryan Wardak
Interview with Aryan Wardak

"At the end of the journey called life, you will be remembered for your nature, your attitude, your good deeds as a human being."

Aryan Wardak
Vice President
Mayar Wardak Group of Companies
United Arab Emirates

Masters in Supply Chain and Logistics Management Batch 2021

 Is the course you have enrolled for at Athena helping you to realize your career goals?

Yes, it certainly will. The success of my business is linked to the efficiency of my company’s supply chain. Businesses can help achieve the long-term goals of both the organization and country by providing them many benefits. Therefore, a supply chain management course can help my business to progress and fulfill my long-term career goals. My ambition is to get into politics to help rebuild my country by utilizing the benefits accruing from supply chain management.

What would you like to learn next? What are your next career steps?

I am keen to learn to play the Rubab (a musical instrument similar to a guitar, usually used in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan). In addition, speed reading, speaking a new language (Spanish), and acquiring  MBA and Ph.D. degrees before I embark on my political career.

Describe one thing that makes you feel a sense of accomplishment. Explain why.

There is a Chinese saying that goes: "If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody." For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others.

I feel that I have not achieved anything in life unless I am the reason for someone's joy and smile.

Yes, nothing can beat that!

It doesn't matter how much you earn/ have. It doesn't matter how highly educated you are.  Unless you give joy to a person who has forgotten to live his/her life, you have not achieved anything. If you are not a reason for happiness in somebody's life, you have not achieved anything, it doesn't have to be financial only.

Remember, at the end of the journey called life, you will be remembered for your nature, your attitude, your good deeds as a human being. Do good, it will keep coming back. A smile is the best gift you can ever give to someone.

The ultimate purpose of life is to GIVE!

What helps you to bounce back from setbacks?

My setbacks have been a blessing in disguise – they have always encouraged me to bounce back! And I did and I've stood on my feet and  I became wiser, stronger than before.

"Great losses are great lessons." 
― Amit Kalantri, author of “Wealth of Words”
 

What's the best book you've ever read? Why did you like it?

The best book I have read is “Don't Be Sad” by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni. The book helps you overcome your doubts in this life. Since man is a victim of a deadly disease and that disease is despair, depression, restlessness, sadness, there is no such thing as peace for a human being, even someone who laughs openly  He is also downhearted and restless. This book is for those who are unable to get out of their past and live in the present.

If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Why?

My dream for my country is not different from the dream of every fellow citizen of my country. I would love to be a reason for their smile and help them overcome the sorrows/poverty of the past 4 decades (1978- present).  

If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be my home country (Afghanistan) among my people. While more than 60% of people live below the national poverty line, 6.2% of newborn babies do not live to see their 5th birthday. There is an acute shortage of healthcare at every level. 

Instability, absence of opportunities, and lack of support for entrepreneurs are major hurdles to development in Afghanistan, causing billions of dollars in damage to an already fragile economy. Supporting my local community can bring a whole host of benefits to me and the people around me. Lending them a helping hand can help me to make new friends, learn new skills, advance my career, and, most importantly, give something back to society.

For example:
Support local businesses

Local businesses which form an important part of the livelihood of local communities are always under pressure from bigger national and multinational competitors. The best way to support local businesses is to invest money in them, but there are other ways to help them further overcome poverty.
 

Who is someone you consider a hero in your life? Why?

Everyone has someone they look up to and want to be like someday and everyone has different opinions on who embodies a true hero. My hero is A.P.J  Abdul Kalam, former Indian President and aerospace scientist who left an immortal legacy in a manner few public figures have in recent memory. Called “People’s President,” he didn’t live a luxurious life, owned very little but sacrificed a lot for his country.  Apart from his legacy, he left very little behind him: 6 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, 3 suits, 2500 books, countless awards, and dreams. 

For a man who spent more than five decades in the service of his country, which included a presidential term, he neither died in penury nor did he live a life of luxury. He survived on the royalty that he received from his books - he authored four of them - and his pension. He would never accept a gift, save a book, and whenever somebody brought him a packed gift and tried to pass it off as a book, he insisted on examining what was inside. He was very, very particular about this. Anything other than a book was politely returned.

When I think of a hero, I think of someone brave, strong, hardworking, trustworthy, and selfless. Someone who adores humanity and someone who has all of the above-mentioned qualities.

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