Choose the glasses through which you see your life!
Losing my father at a very young age not only propelled me to be independent and self-reliant but also prepared me to brave the hardships in life. I began my professional career while still in college as an intern in an advertising agency and then moved onto the corporate sector, gaining diverse experience across industries. I have held varied functional roles in different sectors spanning Hospitality, Wellness & Lifestyle, FMCG, Consumer Durable and Education & Technology. As a lifelong learner with a constant desire to experience new things, my interest in many
different areas helped me in my transition to a new industry every time I switched to a new role. I always look back at my failures and struggles as learning opportunities.
I remember the time when I was tasked with handling a ‘Reality TV show’ spread across 10 different cities over a period of 3 months – though at first I was extremely nervous but I decided to take that as a challenge to deliver while still learning ‘on the job’. Or the time when I had organised my first big international event with 500 distributors from the country and everything which was supposed to go wrong had gone wrong during that time – international flights were cancelled , rains wreaked havoc on the outdoor event venue, products were seized by the excise department and finally the brand ambassador changed her schedule at the last minute – it took all my wits to pull the event together successfully – a nearly unimaginable feat which was acknowledged by the global team as well.
On the personal front, I’ve always adapted my work to my life instead of the other way around and tried to maintain a positive balance between the two. This wouldn’t have been possible without a strong familial support system -my husband and mom who have been a pillar of strength through various stages of my life. Whether it was travelling
abroad for work 6 months after the birth of my son, receiving the Best Employee Award In Indonesia while my father got admitted in ICU, fighting a legal case against a corporate for non-payment of dues (and winning the case) or the time when I nearly decided to give-up after a severance notice – my family stood by me through thick and thin.
I have experienced many instances of discrimination, biases, harassment at work but one thing which actually helped me to stay afloat was my preservance and the confidence in myself. Giving up was never an option for me. From doing odd jobs since I was 17 to buying a car at 19 and owing a house by the beach a decade later – my life has been a sum total of the choices I have made over the years. Sometimes I feel we women give up on our dreams too easily, we just need to ask more from ourselves and hang-in there a bit longer. I know it is easier said than done, but trust me when you will look back on your achievements, all your sacrifices will be worth it. See your struggles as opportunities to become stronger, better, wiser and more resilient.
Lastly, don’t make your life all about your work. Develop a hobby / passion and reserve your weekends & evenings to
fulfil them. Most importantly, choose the glasses through which you see life. You can choose to take it all seriously, or you can choose to see the lighter side of it And as often as you can remind yourself that life itself has a sense of humour.
