2021
A year like never before.
The year started with finding purpose in business consulting other SMEs, to getting diagnosed with PCOS and bleeding almost for half the month, month after month, discovering my own self with the varied hormones swings PCOS brings with it, to getting severe Covid-19 and the prolonged recovery.
Fighting within and out in the crossroads of my life. 2021 has been like a year never expected, and never before.
Defining & Redefining Purpose:
Ever since I decided to pivot from my businesses, the purpose has been all blurry. What do I do which I am good at, will make me money and still fill my heart and keep me happy?
This year helped me land just there, I started by consulting a project and seeing how it goes, and have not looked back since.
Mentoring & Speaking
Uplifting the startup ecosystem is a passion I hold very dear to my heart, but I never got the time to pursue this actively before. So this year I went where my heart took me to, and currently am a mentor with Stanford seed Spark & Delhi university CIC cell and Trainer with India SME forum.
Getting PCOS
For those of you who don’t know PCOS is a hormone disorder in women, messes with our period cycles, weight, hormones, and moods. Early this year, I got diagnosed with PCOS, with period cycles that could last up to 3 weeks – each month, anxiety peak high, day-long fatigue, sleepless nights, and moods that could kill!
I was never self-aware of it, but later realized that a lot of women have it, it’s a lifestyle disorder. I have always been a thin frame but PCOS adds weight, the doctor asked me to lose weight by diet and exercise and when I thought I will get to it, I got Covid.
Catching Covid
My Nani ma fell sick in the delta wave period, and while taking care of her I got Covid in April-May’21. It was the worst time not only for me but for everyone around me. I heard the news of people losing their loved ones day in and out, and my health got worse with severe weakness and breathing issues.
And there… lying in my bed, proning all day, prayers, husband,… and watching all seasons of Friends, and Designated Survivor got me through those days.
The results didn’t come negative for a month, the weakness followed for almost 6 months, and we survived.
…Back to PCOS
PCOS+Covid was a unique mix, I googled frantically how I can manage weight with Covid because I was strictly supposed to gain strength back, but with PCOS the fatigue, mood swings, Periods all were screwed.
Expanding to a new Factory
Covid did slow us down in health but not in Spirits. We fulfilled a long due dream of moving to a bigger factory, now equipped with double our capacity, a bigger warehouse, and a bigger team, all geared up for growth.
My learnings
- I realized that the current situation is making me very anxious and angry, be it changing career lanes or healthwise, but I have to remind myself that only, only if I step away from the situation and focus on gratitude this would all melt away. What I am capable of and ready for, is available right here with me.
- Jaan hai to Jahan hai. In this mad race, we often forget to align our health to our financial goals. My agenda now is to retire sexy, anything near to Milind Soman would work!
- PCOS isn’t unique. It is not that I am getting mad with anxiety, anger, sleepless nights. It’s PCOS. It’s normal. Happens with all of us women who have it. Only when I openly spoke about it, I realized there were a lot like me. And there are places and tools available to help us. I am on Homeopathic medicines and I diet and exercise with MyHealthBuddy. And these have a positive impact on my health now.
The power was in speaking up. We all have it. - What I realized in the mid of this chaotic year, was the true relevance of our social lives. And I am so thankful to God that this time went away, and I can still hold on to my loved ones. I made a point of meeting my long-lost friends in this damn year, poking the ones I couldn’t meet in person. These friendships are what make our lives special.
‘Ga lo muskura lo, mehfile laga lo. Jivan ki dor badi kamzor, na jaane kahan sath chooth jaye’.
5. The power of prayers. The last year has been like standing in the storm with folded hands, and all of us who have managed to be on this side of the year, have luckily passed the storm.
Nanak Naam Jahaz hai, Chade so Utare Paar.
Bye, Bye 2021.
Looking forward to 2022, hoping Covid finally comes to an end now.
And as Grammarly says, to err is human to edit divine 😉
Hoping we all become the editor of our Journeys.
Happy 2022!
