We have often heard the phrase, "Happiness is a choice" and large parts of the population don't realize that. We wait for the joy to pop up as a result of some kind of success, be it professional or personal, but It doesn't happen that way. The joy we get from our achievements is very short lived.
To be truly happy, we have to design our life the way we want to live and make very conscious decisions every single day, because happiness is a choice not a result. Divya is one such example of making those conscious choices. Happiness for her is being able to stay close to her family and spend as much time as possible with her kids.
Divya also believes in the philopsophy that its never too late to follow your dreams. Even after getting married and having a kid, she resolved to enter public education and become a college professor. Despite all the responsibilities at home, she worked hard and pursued that objective with extra ordinary focus and achieved it with flying colors. Now she enjoys her job in the academia, helping her students grow and be more socially responsible.
Divya has a very positive and balanced approach towards life and career and she shares more from her journey so far......Read more
How would describe yourself
I would describe myself as a “Go with the flow” person. Controlling anything on my own is not my trait. I can accept anything that comes my way and enjoy it.
What do you like about yourself the most?
Remaining tough in hard times and my “Go with the flow” attitude.
What makes you happy?
I feel really happy spending time with my family and friends.
Playing, talking and laughing with my kids.
Going on a vacation with my family.
I love dressing up for occasions and this also brings a radiance of happiness.
Happiness comes to me while practicing my hobbies of mehandi art and embroidery.
What is success to you?
To me SUCCESS doesn’t mean just accomplishing your goals. Success is having the contentment of achieving and carrying on the journey beyond achieving.
When did you realize that you really need to do something in life?
When my daughter was 3 years old, in 2013, I was completely involved in her parenting. Then there came a time when she started going to school and I realized now I should do something. It was hard to make a routine for my studies but working slowly and steadily helped me to crack UGC NET after six months and joined my PHD.
What are the best and worst career decisions you've made?
Any decision becomes best or worst as we see the results of it after a period of time has passed. I would like to share both my best and worst decisions.
BEST DECISION: My present career of being a college faculty. I feel rejuvenated each time I interact with my students. And being a family person I get ample time for family too.
WORST DECISION: Joining AFMC, Pune for Nursing course in 2004. This was more of a societal pressure to join a professional course than my personal decision. But I rectified it by taking my withdrawal from the course within 4 months.
What's the best advice you have ever received?
The best piece of advice given to me was you can’t grow instantly. As it takes time and care for a plant to bear flowers, it takes time, hard work and consistency to achieve something.
Describe a time when you really struggled personally?
The time when I really struggled personally was when I lost my mother in July, 2008.I lost her a day after my MS result was declared in which I bagged the University Gold Medal. It was the time that I felt completely directionless. I was confused about one question: what next?? Professionally my aim was to be a college teaching faculty. So, achieving a Gold Medal in MS made my way easy to focus back on my professional goal.
What sacrifices have you made along the way?
In my personal life, I didn't have to make any sacrifices. But to keep my personal life as I wanted, I have made few sacrifices in my career, like restricting my job options to tricity only. But that is how everything gets balanced. Some sacrifices are worth it.
What’s the biggest risk you have taken in your life?
If I have to tell you, my biggest risk in my life would be withdrawing myself from AFMC, as it was then thought to be a career which would have given me a "well settled" life. But when I came back and excelled in academics, now feels that it was worth taking the risk.
How do you handle the feeling of self-doubt?
Self-doubt is an emotion as normal as joy or guilt. But self doubt always pushes me to work on my weaknesses and polish my strengths.
Who’s been the inspiring female figure in your life? Name a woman who’s inspired you the most.
I would say both my mothers have been the inspiring female figures in my life. My mother, Mrs. Bimla Sharma was a Post Graduate and never joined a job just to give us a better life as my father was in a job where he had to change the city every 3 years. She took care of all three of us and guided us for a better life. When my mother left to the heavenly abode, my mother-in-law had almost taken that place in my life. My mother-in law, Mrs. Prem Sharma has been my strong support and inspiration for being in my present career and the way I am. She wants me to achieve everything in my reach without being hesitant by thinking of my kids or family as a limitation.
Did you ever feel left behind because of your gender?
I would say I never had a chance to compete with the other gender in academics or even in my career. Gender has never been a problem in my personal life also as my parents never taught us this biasness. They always set us free to do anything which a human can do regardless of being a man or a woman.
Would you have done anything differently in terms of your career or personal life if you knew what you know now?
I think God has been very kind to me by blessing me with everything I wanted and at the right time when it was required. I think everyone gets what is destined and destiny always relies on hard work. So, I have been blessed with everything for which I worked hard.
What motivates you the most?
My daily dose of motivation comes from my students. I treat them as my daily challenge, whom I have to teach, guide and motivate to be socially responsible citizens of the future. I take a few moments every week to talk to them about real issues of life except teaching the subject.
Which personality trait of yours gets in your way the most?
My short temperedness over nagging people.
What drives you crazy?
Whenever somebody is angry on me and ignores me. I can’t handle the anger of people around me. I feel every misunderstanding or anger dilutes when you talk. Keeping mum just exaggerates and prolongs the bitterness.
What advice do you have for other women or young girls?
Career and family both are invincible parts of life of today’s women. I would tell everyone that anything you do, please do it “guilt free”. If you are enjoying with your family, don't think about work deadlines and if you are in the office don't feel guilty of leaving your kids.
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