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1.Where there is a will, there is a way! Neha,
your body is not responding to the pregnancy very
well. You could end up losing your baby if you
do not take precautions I still remember those
words from the Gynaecologist very
clearly. Everything in my life has been so
perfect, I was doing very well in my job and was
stepping up the corporate ladder quickly. A top
performer and a lucky wife, I couldnt ask for
more. My life partner who also happened to be my
close friend always supported me through thick
and thins and I got married to him at the age of
30. We decided to get into parenthood after two
years and it all began. My pregnancy was
complicated My doctor advised me strict bed rest
and I had no option but to resign. I had to take
a break in my career. I was not mentally prepared
for it. All of a sudden it felt like the end of
my career. I was very much in despair with this
thought. My husband consoled me. He said it is a
short phase and will pass. But I was not ready to
accept. After resigning, I stayed at home just
sleeping on the bed. We hired a maid for doing
all household work. But sitting at home taking
rest doing nothing was a tough situation for me.
Just playing with the mobile, listening to
songs, watching T.V. and sleeping was my daily
routine. Soon my life became stagnant resulting
in my mood swings. My husband got worried. After
consulting with a counsellor he suggested me to
look for work from home options. I also agreed
with him. I wanted to come out of stagnancy. So
I started browsing for any work from home
opportunities to relieve the boredom of life. I
came across Pink Desk which is established only
for women with the mission of womens growth and
empowerment. They are helping women to share
their ideas, knowledge in the field of their
interest. I found it interesting and registered
there. Soon I started blogging about my interests
like beauty, fashion, and travel. In a few days,
I started getting a good response too. It was
like exploring and finding me within that was
missing for a long time . It has made my
pregnancy bearable and I am mostly too occupied
to think of the complications and problems that
might arise. I am even sharing my experience with
other women who might be going through similar
phase and soon plan to form a close knit
community to deal with pregnancy related
complications. Sometimes there comes an
unexpected turn in life and you dont have any
other option but to face it and find a path
through it. If you have a positive attitude of
looking at the problems as opportunities in
disguise, you can definitely find a solution. Now
I feel like I am doing much more than just
earning for myself and I am building an identity
beyond the walls of a corporate office. Afterall
Where there is a will, there is a way!
2.How I started to earn even before the
completion of my education!
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How I start I am pursuing a graduate degree and
belong to a lower middle class family. I feel
very proud and grateful to my parents that they
have always encouraged me to pursue higher
education despite of the fact that most of the
girls in our caste are married off as early as
16-18 years. However, I watch my parents
sacrificing their own wishes and desires to
support my education. I did not actually want to
put the burden of my education expenses on them.
I offered to do ad hoc jobs but my parents were
strictly against it. I was upset. I neither
could see them working so hard nor could I do
anything but study.Yes, I was good at studies
and was getting good marks for their
satisfaction. For that was the only thing I
could do to make them happy. Two months passed.
One day, I saw my friend doing something on the
internet. I asked her what she was doing. She
said that she was uploading the photos of her
moms handmade jewellery on a website. When I
asked her further queries, I came to know that
her mom has joined a platform named Pink Desk
that is only for women where she could sell her
jewellery. She could reach the customers from
nearby areas through that website. I asked her if
we have to pay any charges for joining the
platform. When she replied that it is all free
bells started ringing in my mind. I immediately
learned and registered on the website. Then I
met my friends mom and asked her if she could
give me a chance to sell her jewellery on a
commission basis in my area which was far away
from her place. Seeing the opportunity of
getting customers base she agreed with me. And
then my journey began. I created my store for my
location on Mandi, a local marketplace on Pink
Desk and started uploading photos of the
jewellery. I am getting good response and many
customers have started visiting me already. I
often organize exhibition on Sundays where I can
meet all the customers at once. I can now manage
to take care of my personal expenses and have
also started saving for my exam fees! While most
of the girls of my age spend their time chatting
with random boys on Facebook, I spend my time on
my store on PinkDesk and replying to customer
queries. My parents are happy too as I dont have
to stay away from home for longer hours and they
dont have to worry about my safety. We are all
thankful to my friends mom who gave me
this opportunity. I feel I have been lucky that
I have set on a path of Entrepreneurship early in
my life and while most of my friends and
classmates are still not sure what they want from
life, atleast I know where am I heading. So, if
you want to be a self-sufficient person, you
dont have to really wait till completion of
your education. There are ways where you can earn
without affecting your studies. Find a way and
go for it!
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3.Grab the Opportunity at the Right Time and
Right Place!
Grab the O What do you want in life? Sheetal
asked. A Lavish lifestyle and a lot of money? I
pondered. But, only if it brings me happiness!
Which money may or may not bring. It might end up
bringing more problems I muttered. Why do you
always complicate things! Sheetal argued I want
to feel complete! Yes, I guess I have been a good
wife, a good mother, a good friend and a good
employee too. But is that enough for living life?
Where is my own identity as a woman? I blurted
and immediately realized the source of my
irritable behavior. I was doing a job in the IT
industry and my folks were really proud of me
because of the associated glamor, foreign trips
and a fancy payscale. However, behind this
seemingly perfect job, I struggled with
uncertainty, workload and stringent deadlines.
After a decade in the corporate field, I had
reached the point of saturation and couldnt
maintain the perfect image (of leading a perfect
life) I was carrying. Finally, I left my job with
the intention of doing something
different. With my husbands support, I entered
into a small business of selling ladies garments
that were hand-stitched by the women from rural
areas of Rajasthan which also happens to be my
maternal hometown. I have always been an Art
lover and vouch for Indian traditional art
forms. I remembered being admired by my
colleagues for my attire and they always asked
where do I buy my stuff from? I decided to start
selling these garments which would also provide
me an opportunity to help women from rural areas
earn money through their art. As I am a shopping
lover, I thought I know the main nerve of the
ladies and I can make them buy the garments from
me. However, getting customers was not so easy.
Even my relatives and friends would prefer
buying from malls rather than buying from me. I
distributed flyers published ads in newspapers.
I also created the Facebook page, posted photos
on Instagram. But it was not giving me any
tangible results. The marketing efforts were
getting time consuming and expensive as well. I
was getting frustrated as I was unable to reach
the right customers. I was actually on the
verge of taking the decision to close my business
though I did not want to. But some good things
are destined to happen if you desire something
from the bottom of your heart. The same thing
happened to me as well! One of my friends doing
business of selling imitation jewellery told me
about PinkDesk which is a social platform
exclusively designed for women. She showed me
her store created on it and how she acquired her
customers from nearby localities. She suggested
me to register on it and create a store for my
business of ladies garments sale. After trying
all the other things, I thought of giving it a
try as it would not cost any money. So I
registered on Pink Desk and created a store for
my business in Mandi, the local marketplace. I
was just regularly uploading photos with
descriptions and didnt have high hopes. Soon
after some days, I did begin to receive inquiries
on my products and customers actually did visit
my store (which is nothing but a corner of our
garage). I have been honest about my intention
to help women and equally dedicated to my work
which brings me immense satisfaction. I think
this vibe did get across and thankfully my
business is doing well and expecting a good
growth. I am really hopeful of expanding my
business in other areas too. I am grateful to
Pink Desk for facilitating small businesses by
women. They have
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very intelligently crafted PD cash and PD score
system to facilitate transactions and I feel it
does help women like us get some
sales. Moreover, a feeling of satisfaction that
I am helping needy women from Rajasthan and
forming a bridge from rural to an urban area
cannot be explained in words! The journey for me
as an Entrepreneur is ongoing and considering
that most of the businesses die within the first
year, I think I have survived. So if you are
having that burning desire inside you to create
your own identity, just grab the right
opportunity at the right time and right place!
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5. The Must Read Book for Everyone as a Life
Coach Life is very unpredictable. You have to be
ready to face the unexpected twists that come in
your way. You need someone to be your mentor or
coach to guide you on the path of life. He
teaches you or motivates you to face the
obstacles fearlessly and confidently. Everyone
has a different life and hence a different way
of living. I also have my own battles to fight,
my own inferiorities to be conquered, my desires
to fulfil, and my dreams to accomplish. When I
look at my life, I realize that my journey was
full of ups and downs. There were many good and
bad moments. I had to struggle a lot to get what
I wanted. I met some people who cheated on me or
ditched me. But I also met the people who loved
me and became my close friends who supported me
to bring out the best in me. My family stood by
me in every obstacle. Apart from these people,
books also have been my stress buster. These
books are like my true friends who have given me
the courage and strength to face life. One of my
most favourite books is The Secret by Rhonda
Byrne. This book has actually been my life coach.
Rhonda Byrne has really revealed the secret of
living a full life that you deserve. It is one of
its kind for uplifting your soul. Your
perspective towards life changes. You learn to
take responsibility for everything that happens
in your life. When I first came to know about
The Secret I was going through a tough
situation in my life. I was passed out as a
computer engineer and was hunting for a job that
time. Due to the slack period and being a
fresher, I was being rejected at many interviews.
I was very frustrated. But after reading the book
I was thrilled by the content. I started looking
at the positive side of every situation. I began
to implement every technique that is described in
the book. But after reading the book, I
developed a habit to thank everything in my life.
Every morning after waking up I just started
telling myself, Today is my day. I am called for
an interview and it is going to be fantastic. I
am selected. Thank you! Then I actually felt
like being selected with a smile on my face. Just
within one month after starting this practice I
got a call for an interview in a renowned
company. I was so excited! I prepared for the
interview by studying a lot and by getting the
tips to crack the interview. I continued saying
affirmative messages also. And to my surprise, I
was selected among all the candidates and I got
that job with a very good package! I was so much
overwhelmed that my eyes were filled with tears
of joy. I actually had experienced the secret! My
belief in The Secret increased forever. After
getting a job, my next dream was to buy a car. I
used the visualization technique to manifest my
car. I would just imagine driving a maroon
coloured car. It was great fun. Within a few
months, I booked a car of the same colour and
then joined a car driving class. Till the time I
finished the car driving class, my car arrived.
I struggled to drive the car on my own but then
within six months I was confident in driving the
car! Now the first thing I do in the morning
after waking up is saying Thank you and
expressing gratitude towards health, wealth,
relationships, and everything in my life. It
lifts my mood. I am all set to face anything
that happens during the day. In this way, I have
been manifesting all my smaller to bigger dreams
and desires. Maybe from a cup of coffee, a
parking place to even owning a home! I have
started believing in miracles.
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The Secret is really a life coach for you to
manifest your dreams, your health, wealth,
relationships and every area of your life the
way you want. Just Ask, Believe and Receive what
you want. As Rhonda says, You deserve to live a
full life!
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4. Age is just a number!
Age is just At the age of 65, what would a lady
be expected to do? Just enjoy retired life with
family and grand-children. Join some senior
citizens group and spend time doing holy
vacations, right? But what if the person has not
reached the state of that boredom yet and wants
to do something more? Well, I have found my
motto of life even after retirement. Here is my
story. I was a professor in a renowned college
teaching Japanese language. I was enjoying my
teaching profession. Staying amongst the younger
students kept me younger as well. Watching your
students grow and be successful in their life is
a great achievement for a teacher like me. My
students would always remember me and come to
meet me even after passing out from the college.
On my retirement program, I was very overwhelmed
by the love and respect shown to me by all the
students and colleagues. Many people advised me
to start tuition for students. But working as a
full time teacher for 40 years, I didnt want to
again make myself duty-bound with the time
restrictions. So I humbly denied that idea.
Although I did not plan about what I would do
after retirement, I was at least sure about what
I didnt want. So for a few months after my
retirement I was enjoying to spend time with
family, playing with grandchildren, going to
friends place, meeting relatives and going for
vacations. I joined a singing class too. I was
doing everything that I could not do during my
service tenure. However, how long would you enjoy
the free time when you are used to working for 40
years? Soon my instinct for teaching started
peeping in. One day I went to my college just to
meet my ex-colleagues there. They were happy to
see me after a long time. I also felt like
nostalgia when I remembered my days in college.
I returned home with a heavy heart. I wanted to
do something but was not sure of what and
how. Then I started seeking any option that would
not keep me engaged physically and still I can
fulfill my desire to share my knowledge with the
people. One of my students casually asked me
Madam, you have 40 years of experience and hold
so much knowledge not only in your subject but
also in many areas of life as you have always
guided us and we still miss you when we need to
make decisions in life. Why dont you share your
knowledge on PinkDesk? The idea is not bad but
I do not know how to go about it I said. Shreya
happily showed me how could I join the community
which was meant exclusively for women and Pink
Desk did look like a genuine platform to me.
Btw, isnt it a strangely warm feeling to be
taught by students you have taught! You can
write blogs, post videos or answer in forum under
Career and Education category Shreya informed.
Now I was keen on sharing my knowledge by
answering the questions on the Forum under
Career and Education category. I wondered, how
far we have come with the help of technology. It
is amazing to be able to share knowledge sitting
anywhere and get a feedback as well. People
liked my answers and I was getting good
appreciation from the audience. I was really
enjoying it. Pink Desk kept me informed about how
well I was doing through PD score which got
generated on every answer of mine based on how
well it performed with the readers. I realized
that I can even pursue their featured expert
program under Career and Education category which
would indeed help me build an identity globally
as an Expert in my subject. It costs nothing and
doesnt require anything extra I thought. All
they would do is start tracking your PD score in
your specialized domain so I have decided to give
it a try. I am fulfilling my desire of sharing
knowledge with the world and earning money
through it too. More than the money, I feel
overwhelmed just knowing that I am doing my bit
in empowering women. I use my PD cash to buy
products and services from other women and life
seems to be coming full circle!
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Retirement was just a new beginning for me and
what would be the best way to retire than to
nurture the new saplings with all that you have
got. I didnt want my experience to die with
me. Everyday I still have a lot to look forward
to and that keeps me away from feeling old and
unwanted. So if you are thinking that life is
over after retirement, give it a second thought.
Life is not about how many years you live it is
about how much life you fill in your years!
6. How I created my identity from a Housewife to
a Blogger I grew up in a middle-class family
where a girl or woman was presumed to live on
adjustments, making sacrifices for the family. I
too had imbibed these thoughts in my mind. After
marriage, I was a housewife by choice and I was
very happy spending quality time with my family.
My family was my only world. I enjoyed doing all
the household chores for them thinking that as my
duty. But as time passed by, my children grew up
and got engaged in their stuff I began to feel
some kind of emptiness in my life and I was
unable to cope with the free time. Consequently,
I started feeling low and sad without any
reason. My husband got worried about why this was
happening to me all of a sudden. He advised me
to join some yoga class. I joined Yoga class
although I was not very enthusiastic. It occupied
me for one or two hours of my day. However, that
was not enough to remove my vacuum which was
created in my mind. I started joining my friends
on one-day picnics or for shopping or even
meditation programs. But I still yearned for
something more. I was feeling lonely in the
crowd. My husband asked me if I would like to do
a job. But I was not very confident of doing a
job as I thought I wont be able to balance the
work life and home. One day, out of the blue, I
thought of writing my feelings in a diary. I just
went on writing without thinking much and then I
felt relieved to a great extent. That was the
aha moment when it clicked me. I had forgotten
that my writing skills were appreciated by
everyone in my school and college days. That
time I used to write a lot of articles and
essays. My teachers and friends also said that I
would become a very good writer. But after
completing my education, it was somehow left
aside. When I shared this with my husband, he
suggested me to write blogs on the internet. I
was not very much techno-savvy but still, I
learned to browse on the internet and then I
realized how tremendously it has captured the
world! Soon I learned how to do blogging and
started my own blog. I shared it only with my
near and dear ones. My feeling of emptiness now
vanished completely. I had found a way to express
myself through writing. However, as I started to
receive appreciation from my family, I wanted to
spread it to more and more people. After all, the
readers appreciation is the most important
motivation for a writer, right? So I then started
to share my blog on Facebook and Whatsapp. But
there also it was mostly unnoticed. I had never
thought of earning any money through blogging
until I came across Pink Desk who claimed to be
a platform meant for empowering women. I found
that they had some kind of performance
measurement system for generating scores for your
blogs and according to your score, you can even
earn money. I was fascinated by this idea. So I
started blogging there. Soon I received good
applause that motivated me. Moreover, I also
earned the PD Score
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which in turn gave me PD Cash that I could use to
buy any products from the nearby stores that
were available on PinkDesk. I am now mostly
occupied with writing, socializing, learning new
things and so on and so welcome this change. At
this moment when I look back, I see a complete
transformation of myself from a depressed
housewife to a successful blogger. Looking back
at myself, I realize that there is so much more
to us, so much that often remains dormant and so
many women dont even get an opportunity to
realize their true potential. But, there is a
little voice inside which does call you out,
which lets you know when your true self is
craving for something more. Listen to it and
start exploring, who knows when and where you
find your calling!