When Thoughts Become Things

Sometimes I think about how a single thought, if it refuses to leave you, begins to carve its way into reality.

Journalism was one such thought. At first, it was only an image in my head: the hum of a newsroom, reporters chasing stories, the clatter of keyboards. On paper, it wasn’t meant for me. I cleared the entrance exam of IIMC twice but failed to get through the interview both times.

But I couldn’t let it go. I kept circling back, reading late into the night, taking small assignments, telling anyone who asked that this was what I wanted. That persistence mattered. The thought survived because I kept speaking it, acting on it, however small the steps. And eventually, the door opened. I finally got into the Times School of Journalism, thanks to a push from my childhood friend who saw the ad and urged me to apply.

Not because I was extraordinary, but because the thought refused to be silenced.

The same pattern repeated with organizations like UNICEF and Humane Society International. They felt far away, almost unreachable. Yet I stayed close to their work: following campaigns, building skills around social issues, and talking often about how I wanted to contribute. It wasn’t wishful thinking; it was thought turned into practice, sharpened through learning and preparation.

Over time, those aligned steps created the possibility to step inside.

UrbanVoices, too, began as nothing more than a thought. First, just a Twitter handle. Then other social media channels. And eventually, a website of its own where articles began to pour in, not only from me but also from others who believed in the idea. What started as casual conversations about the city slowly grew into a platform that gave citizens a voice. The thought stayed alive long enough to attract others, and together it became something real.

Looking back, the how feels simple: thoughts become things when they are kept alive through words and small actions. The why is harder, but perhaps it is this, once a thought is spoken often enough and practiced in little ways, the world begins to organize itself around it. Not perfectly, not instantly, but slowly and surely, until it becomes part of your reality.

That’s why I say Thoughts Become Things.