Mahima | Special Educator, Inclusive Education Advocate | Feminist | Cherish travel, nature, desserts and time with loved ones | New Delhi, India
1) THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
The past one year has brought me closer to myself, I have learnt to love, value and trust myself a lot more. I moved on from something I had been really attached to; began an Instagram blog for inclusive education; started prioritising my personal growth, and am learning to let go of unnecessary worries.
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2) THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
I went through a really heartbreaking, low phase where I had to finally let go of a close friendship, and modify my expectations of it. It seemed like the worst thing back then because it was sudden, and didn’t match with my hopes. However, it reminded me that while things may not always work out the way you want, you still get to choose your response to it and the narrative around it. Whether you complain and harbor negativity, or you stay grateful, love and let go - choice is yours!
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3) YOUR BIGGEST WISH FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
Short term: I really just want to go out on a date haha! Long term: to become a more conscious human being and to see a better world. As an educator, my biggest wish is that every child (with disability/learning differences) has access to quality inclusive education, where they feel loved, valued and successful.
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4) YOUR BIGGEST WORRY FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
That we humans will hurt and destroy more than what we can recover from, and make life even more difficult for generations to come.
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5) A CONTEMPORARY WOMAN YOU CURRENTLY ADMIRE?
I admire SO many amazing women in my personal life and around the world, for their strength, love, positivity and support. Mimi Ikonn is an influencer I really admire! She inspires me to be more myself, to dream, to be grateful, to be more environmentally conscious, to be happier and healthier, and to maintain strong nurturing relationships.
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6) A ONE-SENTENCE MESSAGE TO OTHER WOMEN?
You are beautiful, strong and complete just the way you are, never let anyone make you doubt that.
A few more questions about the current situation (covid-19, lockdown, black lives matter protests, politics, finances, mental health, health, and so much more):
7) THE WORLD HAS BEEN CHANGING DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT MONTHS, HOW ARE YOU COPING? WHICH CHANGE HAS AFFECTED YOU THE MOST / HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU PERSONALLY? AND WHAT ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE MOST?
There is no doubt that the months we were in lockdown were the hardest this year. When it began, it was all new, weird, confusing, and frustrating. Professionally, the move to online learning was challenging as we were still figuring things out alongside dealing with this sudden change in our lives. Personally, what affected me the most was the lack of a social life and an independent life away from home. Initially I was coping very well, spent a lot of time and energy into my work, started a blog, took up a side project, tried cooking new stuff and working out! But gradually with time, I started getting tired of the same routine at home every single day. There were days when I would have an emotional outburst for no apparent reason.
Now, after all these months, I (like many of us) have somewhat gotten used to it, and am getting back to some sense of normalcy. While I do miss my pre-covid life, I also feel grateful for all the positives that have come out of this phase for me, and for the support I’ve had from my family, friends and colleagues. Humans’ capability to adapt and innovate is amazing. I do feel worried and disheartened looking at the state of the world, but I also know that we are all agents of change. Personally, I am trying to build greater awareness, perspective-taking and empathy in myself and others around me. I’m also trying to be more environmentally conscious; my lifestyle habits are still far from sustainable/minimalistic, but small steps count right? :)