Priyanka Chopra: I will never let failure stop me

A lot has been said about Priyanka the actor. But Priyanka, the person is a mystery.

Priyanka Chopra: I don’t really think that I am a mystery—what you see is what you get. And now, thanks to social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook and the weekly column I write for a daily, my life is pretty much an open book. The only thing I don’t discuss is my private life. There are some things that I need to keep for myself. But, I am a very emotional person. And that, I think, comes from being a Cancerian [smiles].

Does that mean you are aware of the role emotions play in one’s health and fitness and vice versa?

Priyanka Chopra: Yes, most definitely! It’s all in the mind. You will never be able to achieve any of your fitness or health goals if you are not prepared for it mentally. Similarly, your mood—which is driven by your emotions—will decide whether you do something or not. Once you have control over these, it’s half the battle won.

Talking of fitness, do you work out a lot to keep in shape?

Priyanka Chopra: I have been blessed with a great metabolism. But I don’t use that as an excuse to not work out. At the same time, honestly, I don’t like working out so much.. The whole concept of being locked in a gym is really not my cup of tea.

I do understand and appreciate the value of being fit. So I try to mix things up. do different things with my workouts that are interesting and fun. Thankfully, I have a good trainer, who helps me do that.

Do you also diet or just eat what you like, when you like?

Priyanka Chopra: I don’t believe in diets. I am a complete foodie and love to eat all kinds of foods. However, I believe in moderation—you can eat everything you want but in the right quantity, from time to time.

What I do is try and eat healthy most of the time but when I feel the urge, I indulge in whatever my heart desires. In a sense, it’s getting the best of both worlds.

You’ve tasted both success and failures in your career. Tell us about some particular failure that affected you significantly.

Priyanka Chopra: Success and failures go hand in hand and at some point in your life, you will taste failure. The trick is not to let failure beat you. You have to pick yourself up and carry on. As an actor, I have faced failure every time my film has failed at the box office. It breaks my heart because of all the hard work and love I invest in my films. But, I can’t let a failure stop me.

I love what I do and so I pick myself up and move on to the next film and invest the same amount of love and hard work and hope that it will click with the audience. I will never let failure stop me. I will never give up on the chance to taste success.

Do you also believe in destiny?

Priyanka Chopra: Both go hand in hand. Destiny gives you the opportunity. it opens the doors. Hard work helps you make the most of that opportunity. Hard work is the wings to your dreams. the harder you flap them, the higher you will go. There is no substitute for hard work, no matter who you are or what you do.

But a lot of noise is made about your ‘small-town’ roots…

I don’t think it matters at all. When it comes to putting in your best or succeeding, what really matters is what you want and how hard you are willing to work to make it happen.

Is it also important to become better at what you do?

Honestly, to each his own. The hunger to learn and to better what I do every time is important to me as an individual. It may not be the same for other people.

I like to be the best in whatever I do… I compete with myself all the time. It is what drives me. Everyone needs to find the one or two things that drive them… whatever they may be.

So is it happiness or fulfillment that drives you?

Both… with happiness comes fulfillment and contentment. Simple!

What has been your happiest moment so far?

I don’t have a particular ‘happiest moment’. I’ve had the fortune to have many such moments in my life. The most recent moment was when I received the National Award for Fashion and the big family reunion we had in Delhi immediately after I received the award.

You have always attributed your success to your family…

My family is my strength and my backbone. My parents gave me the strength to pursue my dreams and have stood by me and behind me 100 per cent of the time. They are my biggest strength and also my biggest weakness. I can’t imagine my life without them.

How was it growing up in an army background?

I am very proud to have been reared in a family with an army background. Growing up as the child of two army doctors has taught me a lot.

Such as…

One of the most critical lessons I have learnt is discipline, which was instilled in me from a very young age. Punctuality, the right etiquette, respect for people and elders are also some of the values that have been imbibed in me. I think, overall, it has helped me to develop a well-rounded personality.

Your advice to Complete Wellbeing readers to do well in life?

To do well in life, you need to love what you do and do the things that you want to do. Life is short. Don’t put off things because it will lead to regret later. I have learnt from my own personal experience that if you put your mind to something and give it all you got… nothing is impossible.

This was first published in the July 2010 issue of Complete Wellbeing.