Pradeep K. Berry
Why this Story
People fall in ‘love’ all the time. But true love is rare. That’s what makes this story incredibly valuable. Pradeep Berry, a young immigrant from India, met a lovely lady in the streets of Chicago and instantly fell in love. Over the next four decades, the couple stood for each other and lived a special life guided by true love. In Pradeep’s seven books, the author shares his lessons from this magical union and explores his journey from a timid immigrant to a seasoned professional in the banking industry.
Key Takeaways from Berry and Connie’s Story
In Pradeep Berry’s love story with Connie, we learn a few key life lessons.
- You Are Your Decisions – the decisions you make shape your life. Pradeep Berry was a chartered accountant who was sought after by many leading organizations in India. But when the opportunity came to relocate to the US, he made a leap of faith. Sometimes, the best things in life come in disguise. Pradeep had wanted to move back to India even before the journey to the US was complete. But he faced his fear and soldered one. This single decision unlocked a world of opportunities, and made it possible for him to meet his beloved Connie.
- Reading for Mental Nourishment – Pradeep Berry learned from his beloved Connie the value of reading. Connie would spend four to six hours reading each day. This culture of reading helped the author and his beloved Connie scale the heights of their careers and develop their talents and skills. By taking the time to learn more in our areas of interest, we not only stimulate our intelligence but also unlock numerous growth activities. Thanks to this key lesson that Pradeep learned from his spouse, he was eventually able to author professional papers on commercial lending, acquisition, and mergers, positioning himself as an expert in the field.
- Make Good Use of Your Time – Connie and Pradeep’s truly magnificent story also teachers us to make good use of our time. During the late seventies and early eighties, the couple worked extremely hard to build their careers. Connie managed to complete an MBA and Ph.D from University of Michigan and Carlton College in Minnesota. She also studied at Harvard and became a professor in Spanish, German, and France. On his part, Pradeep took an MBA to polish up his already shining credentials as a chartered accountant. He worked extra hard – including on weekends – to increase his mastery in his line of work. This good use of time would soon pay when he graduated to a senior position. NB: making good use of time doesn’t mean that we should be all work and no play. We learn from Pradeep’s books and screen appearances that he and Connie always set aside time to do a lot of fun things, including traveling.
- Making a Marriage – this is perhaps the most pronounced lesson we can all learn from the couple’s utter dedication and love. Pradeep and Connie loved and treasured each other throughout. From the start, they got married without the presence of any family members. They stuck together and became each other’s best friends. Connie was a constant source of encouragement for Pradeep, and even stood up for him when he was still new in the United States and some boss wanted to take advantage of him. The couple traveled and shared leisure time together. They marveled at each other’s work and kept the faith over a very long time. This commitment and attitude is what made their marriage stick together like glue for more than 40 years. Every couple, young or old, can learn a lot on how to make a marriage work from Connie’s and Berry’s marriage.
- Courage in the Face of Loss – this is another key lesson that sticks out whenever you see the author speak, or read about Pradeep Berry and Connie. When Pradeep lost Connie, he was more than devastated. He couldn’t sleep or eat. It took a lot of courage for him to get back up again. He took to writing books in order to cherish the memory of his beloved Connie. He talked about their story as much as he could and treasured her memory wherever he went. Indeed, Mr. Berry showed tremendous courage and loyalty in the face of such tragic loss. The author – in his own words – says that true love can be a double-edged sword in the face of loss. But with courage and by cherishing all the memorable experiences, we can gradually rise from the darkness of loss.
Below you can find a gallery of photos that the author wanted to share with everyone: