Our society has restricted thoughts about how we expect women to behave. And the women, who don’t remain within the social norms, they are labeled as REBELS!
As per society, these so-called REBEL women are doomed and have no future. But in reality, well-behaved girls seldom make history!
Here’s one such story of a girl, who struggled to fit in. And, it took her years to accept that she was meant to STAND OUT rather than FIT IN.
Sharing her story with HOB, she shared:
“Growing up, not fitting in was my biggest weakness.
I moved from a government to a public school–I wasn’t great at studies. Being the teacher’s daughter in school didn’t help–I was left out more. My father didn’t see too many career options for me–even I had no hope.
I moved from Delhi to Calcutta but things got worse–I was molested by a relative there. After which, I lost whatever self worth I had. If all this was happening to me, the problem had to be me, right?
I decided to just get through life, move into a P.G in Calcutta, finish my college and head home–I had no ambition, no will. I was depressed, and yet no one knew what I was going through.
Beaten and feeling like nothing, I took the first job I could find and started working as a waitress.
My first salary was Rs 3750. The next 4 years went on like that, until I decided that this can’t be my life. I was existing without any purpose, constantly trying to put on a brave face while I was suffering internally. So, I packed my bags and moved to Bombay to give myself a fresh start.
I was scared, nervous and broke.
To pay the bills, I joined a training company for hotels. And just like that, it clicked. I discovered I was good with people. My skills were appreciated and I was promoted quickly–this gave me the boost I needed and bit by bit, I started loving myself.
I felt beautiful, especially when I wore sarees–I never thought I could see myself like that. So a few years into the job, I felt confident enough to start my own company with a friend, Outreach. He was the trainer and I handled marketing. But just a few days before we started, he backed out.
I wasn’t going to let a small hurdle stop the new me.
So I picked up the phone and started calling one hotel after the other in spite of a million rejections. I decided I’ll do the training and marketing, both! After I got my first client, I was paid Rs.500 and I ate my heart out. I was starving and hadn’t had a proper meal in days!
Word of my one-woman training phenomenon spread and my business took off.
You go through life thinking that everything’s going downhill, but one day it just shifts and the second I stopped criticizing myself–it happened. After I began to love myself, I met the love of my life and today, I own 4 spas and a gym. And I continue to grow and love life. At the age of 37, I discovered my passion for bikes.
Last year, my husband bought me a KTM and when I ride, in a beautiful saree, with the wind in my hair, I finally know…I was never meant to ‘fit in’, I was born to be this badass!”
Hope, her inspiring story gives strength to many more women out there, who are struggling to fit in.
At I FOR HER, we celebrate every woman who is shattering the norms. If you have a story of a free-spirited woman, who refuses to live life on someone else’s terms, then share her story with us.
