This is a story about a good friend of mine, Nisha.
This is also story about all great Homemakers and Mothers.
Nisha grew up as a flamboyant tomboy. She explored the world and lived a happy life. One place that she never ventured to explore — “Kitchen”.
She was little aware that all was about to change.
Growing up in an Indian family, a girl child not knowing how to cook is an exception. Nisha is an exception. She is an exception in many ways. She is bold with her worldly views. She is brilliant in academics. She is a master in putting up smile in others life.
Nisha got engaged to Ranga in the traditional Indian Wedding style. When Nisha’s Parents told Ranga that Nisha never entered the kitchen, Ranga, who has a holistic approach to life commented: “We don’t live to eat, we eat to live”. He was least expecting the scenario about to be unfolded.
Nisha moved to this beautiful country far away from her homeland with her handsome and amazing husband Ranga.
She had Challenges to face, topmost in the list is her self-imposed exile from entering the kitchen. She had to break that self-exile.
The enormity of the situation stuck her. She was illiterate when it comes to cooking. Kitchen was an alien colony for her.
Nisha was facing an uphill task in front of her. She has to adjust to the new place. She has to learn cooking from a book that was given to her. But before that she has to learn the language used in that book. The book was written in Tamil. Though it was her native language, Nisha grew up in Delhi, a North Indian State where Hindi remains the main language. Though she spoke in Tamil, she could not read Tamil.
She has to learn cooking in a new place with no one to help her around with a book written in a language she could not read. Remember, this was during the time when telecommunication was not as advanced as today. So, literally she cannot chat on facebook or whatsapp to get guidance.
This is similar to learning to handle Tax in USA or GST in India or learning coding or learning your new job. The difference is that this struggle happened within the four walls and with no mentors around to help her.
Martin Seligman renowned Psychologist and author of “Authentic Happiness” suggests that to live an authentic happy life one need to follow PERMA model.
Positive Emotions — It is the ability to have an optimistic view towards life.
Engagement -Engaging in an activity that needs our committed engagement.
Relationships — Having a good relationship with life and people in our life.
Meaning — Having a purpose and meaning for the life.
Accomplishments — Having a goal and ambition in life which can add value to the Purpose in our life.
Martin suggests that by following this PERMA model one can achieve authentic happiness.
But people like Nisha who dons multiple roles besides being CEO of their homes, give a different formula for us to have authentic happiness. In Sanskrit or Hindi it is called “PREMA” which stands for love of life.
When you pour PREMA as your basic principle in life, you become authentic in everything you do. Authentic Happiness becomes a by product. When you carry out your daily activities with love, you see meaning and purpose in everything you do.
Nisha, like every Home Makers and Mothers in the world, fills her life with lots of love. This PREMA principle provided her with the required grit and determination to master the art of cooking besides mastering the new language.
Nisha learned Tamil and cooking word by word. It is a strenuous and arduous process, but she was up for the Challenge. Today Nisha can dish out delicacies from across the world in no time. As the saying goes, “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”,
I am sure many of us face challenges in work or in personal life.
Some of you may have just started your career.
Some of you may have shifted to new job and finding it difficult to adjust.
Some of you may have a new management and the work environment has new challenges.
or the technology is disrupting your work environment and forcing you to learn new skills.
In my opinion, the situation Nisha faced was no different.
Nisha’s journey has seen many beautiful destinations. Her Smartness could be seen shining in her 3 smart kids. She played important and leading roles in the local Indian Ladies Association and Indian Fine Arts Society. A Cost and Management Accountant by qualification, today Nisha wears many hats.
When I got to know about Nisha, I could not stop my mind thinking about my mother and the struggle my mother has to go through in her life. My father lost a fortune and hence has to move to a new city to start life afresh. It was a hit refresh moment in their life. My Mother ensured that she saved quite a good amount in whatever my father could earn, made sure that both my brother and I got proper education and also helped my father establish a business.
Every woman has a story to tell. Every Happy family, successful family owes to the woman of the house. A caring Mother, a loving wife and a warrior woman willing to sacrifice everything but also determined to storm any weather to get the family to safe place.
Nisha, like every great homemakers and Mothers, stands as an example of how great attitude combined with effort will produce wonderful results. But more than that when you add that special ingredient “Prema” in everything you do, Life will be a celebration of colours.
Are you adding the Special Ingredient “PREMA” in everything you do
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