A Guest Post by Pallavi Acharya on the eve of #Women’sDayWeek. She agreed to write a guest post for my blog as I wished to list the women who thought they came out unscathed breaking the barrier and outshone in spite of odds strewn on their path.
Pallavi – An educationist, A budding Gardener, A dreamer, A learner and of all a hands-on mother of a teenager dude has taught me better things in life. Teaching has given me the wisdom to deal with the little ones enhanced my creativity and blogging has added new colors to my personality.
Let’s hear her story in her own version. How she fought the inner demon and strengthen herself to achieve by walking on the unusual path…and finally she succeeded. That’s the power of Women.
Who is a woman of substance?
Is she the beautifully tall lady walking in the ramp?
Is she the one flashing around on social media?
Maybe she is the one who uses what she has to get what she wants depending on the circumstance.
Who is a woman of substance?
Before the stages of aprons and kitchen gloves,
We were girls to our parents,
We strive to be something,
Something better and necessary to survive,
This world before we join as homemaker,
We strive to be a women of substance.
To me, a woman of substance is a woman whose life means something, who’s gone through every adversity and even if she didn’t “win” comes out on the other end stronger, smarter; a woman who supports others — despite the cost. A woman who “uses” her life . . . she isn’t a spectator. She’s part of the solution, albeit only for her own small world of family and friends.
We women have empowering powers within us, though we might not be that strong in terms of physical strength but we are more than superfluous make up with inner strength.
We can give birth to new lives and nurture our own kind and others. We may not be big in size but we sure can be affectionate giving out love. We are just the right size to embrace both man and baby.
My journey being a woman was full of struggles but I chased my dreams and worked hard to attain my goals. I think being positive with determination is key to success. Embrace your individuality and be happy the way you are.
It has been two years now. I had come to live here in Korba, Chhattisgarh. Korba, the name itself is unfamiliar to almost everyone. That it is one of the largest power plants in the country and generating electricity for nearly a quarter of the country. Notwithstanding these trivia, Korba is deep in the remote part of Chhattisgarh, far away from any city centre and nearly a six hour bumpy ride away from the state capital and the nearest airport, Raipur… There are hardly any better opportunities for work, education or leisure. My husband got transferred to Korba from Delhi, I left behind a lucrative career to support my family. I was taken aback and was indecisive whether to move with him for the sake of my teenage son education or to weather it out solitarily in Delhi. After much discussion and mulling I let go off my reservations and decided to quit my teaching job and move lock, stock and barrel to Korba. That I was prepared for Korba is an understatement. In Delhi, while I was perpetually on my toes, here I was wondering what to do with the sunny afternoons, the large dilapidated bungalow overgrown with grass on its large lawns. I longed for professional satisfaction, to do something worthwhile and of course to earn my own identity.
I hold a degree of Mass communication and journalism & worked for public sector but had to switch career to teaching due to transferable job of my husband and to take care of my son. I had gathered teaching experience in Delhi. I had worked hard to develop my skills. And then suddenly from the hectic life of Delhi to the idyllic abyss of Korba!
Initially for a few months I flustered not knowing what to do and where to begin. Then I decided to begin at the beginning – my home. I worked relentlessly to convert the large overgrown lawn into a garden. I looked up for gardening websites and you tube videos. Employed gardeners who were scarcely available and got saplings, manures and fertilisers from far and wide to populate my lawn. Slowly but surely, my lawn converted into a beautiful garden with roses, petunias, dahlias and marigolds. So much so that, passers-by stop and take selfie of my garden now! In addition to gardening, I also started blogging. My journeys, stories near my heart, recipes and everything else. I poured my heart out in the blog. Gradually I got opportunity to write on several big online platforms. I was honing my writing skills and getting invaluable inputs from my online band of small but loyal readers. Articles were published in Hitavada newspaper, nai duniya and my favourite magazine, Woman’s Era. Gradually my articles started getting published in newspapers and magazines. I just could not believe my eyes when I saw my name in print! Then, someone else suggested regarding self-publishing. So, I collected all my blog posts and approached Notion Press. And they happily published my book, Heartfulness. I particularly liked the title and the cover design. It reflected my innermost feelings. The book has really given me wings. Meanwhile, my gang of mentors were working overtime. Unknown to me my work, writing and garden were being scrutinised with careful eyes. Suddenly some six months back I was offered the post of Principal in a school .While I had been a teacher for nearly a decade in a variety of schools, the post of Principal seemed a bit daunting. But I accepted it with a hope in my heart and a prayer on my lips. Being a welfare school, it has limited resources and bringing up its standard was a challenge that I am still struggling with. I instil my heart and soul into it and now it has seen membership rising. So much so that this academic year, several well to do people have approached me for the admissions. I am trying to give these kids and my teachers whatever I know, new technologies or teaching style etc. When I came to Korba I felt lonely, I felt deprived but I used the amount of time I had fruitfully. I challenged myself. Today, I can say without regret that I am busier than I ever was in Delhi with my garden, writings, book, blogging and school taking up my energy and time. In return I have got happiness. Yes, Korba is a challenge that I took with both my hands and today I can say I have come out with flying colours!
So, for every woman I would suggest that find your dream in life and pursue it.
Follow your heart…never give up…and you can do anything. We all have the ability to do whatever it is we want to do and fulfil any dream we want to fulfil; we just have to go and do it. When you find your passion in life, it creates a meaning in your life and gives you a purpose in the world: it generates happiness.
Live up to your morals and values- always remain aware of them.
I saw this and fell in Love with it.
So I just had to share it with you guys 🙂
Never Forget your Worth!
A Woman’s Worth
——————————-
A woman’s beauty is not only
In the glow of her skin
But the depth of her eyes
And the warmth of her heart
A woman’s strength is not only
In the bow of her back
But the magnitude of her tears
And the softness of her words
A woman’s wisdom is not only
In the value of her words
But the knowledge of when to hold them
And the journey she takes to learn them
A woman’s courage is not only
In her determination to fight
But her willingness to walk away
And confidence to say no
A woman’s grace is not only
In the way she dances through her day
But in the love notes she leaves
And the wonderful meals she prepares
A woman’s love is not only
In the kisses she gives
But in the sacrifices she makes
And the moments given to you alone
A woman’s worth is not only
In the things she does
But who she truly is
And who she helps you become
~ Mary Costanza -A Woman’s Heart and Soul
Guest Post Series Tagline –
A Tribute to the Woman, By the Woman & For the Woman.
