Talking Fear with Pervaiz Taraporewala

Published on August 15, 2017

by Kazi Najib Ashraf

Business Development Specialist MEA | Story Teller | Author

The likes of Jungle Book and Dr. Dolittle always created a euphoria of emotions in the little boy that I once used to be, emotions of adventure and fearlessness of the environment with wild animals prowling all around.

Playing with the wolves and lions, hide and seek with the serpents and riding the grand bears. I even imagined hopping from trees in the company of the great apes and then the reality hit. With our fears ingrained during childhood, we learn to keep off the paths of adventures. Recently I had the great fortune of meeting someone who had literally played with the wolves and rolled around with venomous snakes. Pervaiz Tarapurewala is a fantastic company, he will keep you on your toes with his anecdotes and stories but he keeps the best for the last.

Pervaiz's message to the world is to slow down and get off the rat race.

My primary message is that if you want to succeed in life then you must be prepared to eliminate the concept of fear from your mind. We have to transcend beyond the boundaries of what terrifies us.

A great analogy provided by Pervaiz regarding our fears has to do with snakes. We see a snake approaching, the poor creature is neither interested in our flesh nor blood. We have a natural reaction to destroy the snake and if in the process you are bitten then you tend to blame the serpent. If you had stayed quiet and calm then the aura around it would send the vibes of kindness and it would have never attacked you. The same is true in life as well, whenever we approach people of power, may it be in a private setting or an interview, people absorb your vibes and you will be exposed. Dressed to always impress with the right accessories and a taste for beautiful watches, Pervaiz stresses the importance of making a killer impression on the onset. You tend to win half the battle by the way you make your entrance.

ON CANCER: Cancer isn't an illness but a business for large multinational pharmaceutical firms. It's not the disease that kills you but the recurring thoughts and the nightmarish scenarios of chemotherapy that dig in like a 6-inch dagger deep into your chest. There have been proven techniques and methods to cure cancer and we definitely do not need chemotherapy at all. Chemotherapy damages much more than cures and this is a proven fact, but then the industry of fear runs on it making billions for the greedy corporates and political mafias controlling them. Pervaiz sighs mentioning that his own brother has been battling cancer for some time and he wished he would have been on herbal medication rather than the poison of chemotherapy. We are first scared off herbal therapies and that of the dreaded disease and then put into the painful torment of body churning potions meant to cure us; the end is repulsive and prolonged death.

THE ACCIDENT: I never used to fear anything and wanted to achieve a lot in the shortest span of time, this was to an extent where he would challenge the divine for longer days and nights. I got my answer in the form of a special gift I would never want anyone to experience. In order for me to slow down, I was literally dragged under a pickup truck and had every bone in my body crushed. I got ran over by a careless driver one night while visiting a friend and was hospitalized for several months. The most traumatic part was not the accident or the repercussions but rather the experiences I faced while getting "Morphine" administered to ease my agony. The hallucinations and the out-of-body experiences I went through are the subjects of my book and I would urge my readers to be careful and enjoy every breath they take as it is precious. I am a firm believer after my trauma that there is a higher meaning in life and our presence should always be of benefit to the ones around us.

I have dreams but tomorrow is an illusion as I don't know whether I would be able to live this very day.

SLOWING DOWN: Pervaiz says that slowing down was a necessity in his life; the game of squash is played by points, however, he used to play by time. He would get on the court with his partner and whoever falls would be the loser, this used to be intense. Another incident was his office routine as he would come from the office around 4 am, watch a movie, take a little nap, and be back at his desk at 8 am fresh as the sun. This born desire for speed was creating a wreck within him and it was hard for people to keep up. The accident finally slowed him down and he could see the reality and beauty of stillness in the worst of the human state. The unflinching desire of being constantly challenged not only created a chasm between him and his loved ones but even he wasn't aware of his presence anymore.

The effects of morphine and the induced hallucinations had been a torment. Pervaiz asked to reduce the dosage and was agreeable to fighting the pain as it was better to endure this agony rather than fighting the unknown enemy.

ON CORPORATE CULTURE: Organizations work with the unending force of creating the fear of job losses. He says that 90% of CEOs consider themselves demigods and this illusion compels them to treat and control their team members like personal servants. These illusions get shattered as soon as the jobs are lost and the impact on these people is nothing less than devastating. Pervaiz iterates that the worth of a man is known when the uniform gets off.

Message from Pervaiz: "This book would not have seen the light of day, had it not been for the indefatigable efforts of my publishing consultant, Jade Bailey. The extraordinary support of my wife Mah-Zarin. The untiring efforts of my daughter Nasha. The remarkable writing skills of my son Ardavan. Who not only edited my book but also taught me how to write. The abundant blessings of our Granny Mehru and the ardent prayers of my parents, Ruby & Rustom Taraporewala."

Reference: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/talking-fear-pervaiz-taraporewala-kazi-najib-ashraf/

Fight for life

I am a fighter, unafraid of defeat, says Parvaiz Taraporewala

Published on May 11, 2009, 16:41

by Talea Safvi, a Dubai-based freelancer

Parvaiz Taraporewala, a Dubai-based banker and author of Trauma Redefined.

Life took me to the edge and almost pushed me over but I fought my way back. I am a fighter, unafraid of defeat. Thanks to this attitude and to God's blessings, I have faced death but am alive to tell my story.

The event that changed my perspective on life took place at 1.40 am on October 10, 2007, on the Sharjah highway.

I'd just had dinner at a friend's place and was on my way to my car when I inadvertently dropped my keys. I bent down to look for them when a car rammed into me, knocked me down, and continued without stopping. However, the road ended in a dead-end, so the desperate driver reversed and in the process ran over me again. The car then disappeared into the darkness.

Fortunately for me, some passers-by saw me on the road and informed the police and paramedics took me to Al Qasimia Hospital, Sharjah, where doctors analyzed the extent of my injuries in the resuscitation room.

It turned out that I had 28 broken bones! Both my shoulders, my pelvic bones, three vertebrae, and all my ribs were broken. I overheard one of the doctors tell his colleagues, "He has about 20 minutes to live!" At that moment I opened my eyes, grabbed his wrist tight, and said, "Use your 20 minutes well, doctor, I'll use mine!" I will never forget the look on his face. They began treating me immediately.

Some weeks later, I was referred to Dr. Mohammad Bakr Ali at Rashid Hospital. His treatment saved my life.

Getting better was a long and arduous process but I was determined to make a full recovery.

The [painkiller] that I was taking was playing havoc with my mind leaving me with harrowing hallucinations. Finally, after a month and a half when I regained my ability to speak, I asked the doctors to reduce the dosage. I felt it would be easier to deal with the pain than with the horrible hallucinations! Then, after just two months and two days, much earlier than the doctors had anticipated, I walked out of the hospital on my own two legs!

I am a total adrenaline junkie.

For me, the only way to live life is to live it fast. Before the accident, I enjoyed speed-related sports such as motor racing, jet-skiing, swimming, and squash. I did not like bungee-jumping (because you are tethered to something) but preferred free-falling. In the latter sport, you're taken up in a crane to a height of about 12 floors.

Then the crane's floor opens and you fall absolutely free all the way down and land in a net. Mountain climbing is another favorite. Once on a holiday to America, I climbed the 12,500-foot Smoky Mountain in Gatlinburg in Tennessee. The mountain is so-called because when you are halfway up, you are already above the clouds. The freezing air and the view from the top were amazing!

I am a walking enthusiast too. With my friend Glen Perry, the director of the Dubai Music School, I have walked from Dubai Clock tower to every other emirate in the UAE save for Abu Dhabi. The walk to Ras Al Khaimah took 15-1/2 hours! So, imagine my anguish when after the accident, I found that I was out of breath walking from my bedroom to the washroom. It was a nightmare. Apparently, during my hospital tenure, my trachea became damaged. So I was sent to Dr. Jack Borders at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain for trachea repair. Dr. Borders was a magician of sorts and once I was at his table, he had me breathing normally within 20 minutes.

Now, I have to live with the plastic trachea and steel blade in my left arm for the rest of my life. My movements have become a bit restricted and I've had to slow down a little. But this has meant that I spend more time with my family. My daughter Nasha, 20, is studying Finance at the American University of Sharjah and my son Ardavan, 16, is doing his A-levels at Dubai Gems School. He hopes to become a professional musician. My wife, Mahazarin, is my pillar of strength and a perfect foil for my impulsive outgoing nature. We often go for long walks in the evenings accompanied by our English terrier Tinker Bell.

My family remained remarkably brave and calm during the entire ordeal after my accident and that gave me the strength to recover. I am also eternally grateful to the Habib Bank (where I work) for the immense support they extended to me.

The bonds of love and the power of prayer are the central points in my book, Trauma Redefined, which is ready for release.

At the hospital, I went through what is called "triple organ failure" and my lungs, liver, and kidneys packed up simultaneously. One of the results of liver failure is that your vision becomes distorted. So I could not watch TV or read the newspaper. All I could do was lie in bed twiddling my thumbs.

That's when I decided to put my love for literature to constructive use. Even if I couldn't read, nothing could stop me from writing. My body was injured and weak but my mind was not. So, I decided to write a book about my experiences and began working out the plot in my mind.

After I was discharged from the hospital, I returned home and set to work on the book. The contents came to me easily as I had had so much time to think about them. But the physical task of writing was quite painful and it took me a while before I could complete my book.

What I have underscored in my book is my belief in the existence of God and the power of family bonding and support from friends.

The objective of my book is to convey that our mind and our body do not reign supreme.

Fear and pain are a part of life, but they are nothing more than states of mind. They can affect you only if you allow them to control you. What I have attempted to do in my book is to redefine the power of the mind and body.

Proceeds collected from the sale of the book will be donated to charity. It will cover the costs of people who are or have been in my condition because the cost of treatment and hospital care is very expensive.

Reference: https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/fight--for-life-1.1292