Inspire Someone Today
Inspire Someone Today
E155 | A Journey of Possibility, Purpose, and Portfolio Careers | Maj. Pallavi Shivanna
What does it take to break barriers as one of the first 300 women officers in the Indian Army? Major Pallavi Shivanna shares her remarkable journey from a small-town girl in Mysore to becoming an Army officer, leadership coach, and mental health advocate.
Growing up in a lower-middle-class family as the first graduate among her siblings, Pallavi's path was shaped by a TV serial that sparked her desire to wear a uniform. With characteristic determination, she navigated her way to the Services Selection Board interview in Allahabad—a two-day journey she undertook alone despite never having traveled so far before. Her authenticity during the interview secured her position, marking the beginning of a career that would challenge and transform her.
The challenges weren't primarily physical but mental and emotional. As one of the few women officers, she faced resistance from soldiers unaccustomed to taking orders from women. Rather than accepting this treatment, she directly confronted situations, learning that "unless you take charge of things in your life, how you want to be treated, the world will treat you."
Through career transitions, motherhood, and periods of self-doubt, Major Pallavi discovered the courage to seek professional help—a step she now advocates for others to take. "Seeking help is the most difficult thing, but it's the most courageous," she explains, working to remove the stigma around therapy. Her approach to mental clarity involves pausing to reflect, stepping back to analyze, and seeking guidance from mentors when needed.
Major Pallavi challenges us to reevaluate our perceptions of women in leadership. "We need to treat everybody as a human being first. I'm an individual first, my gender comes next," she asserts, advocating for financial empowerment and independence for women while also educating boys to respect strong, independent women.
As she prepares to launch her own organization focused on wellness, her message resonates with powerful simplicity: "Love yourself, accept yourself as you are, and never compare yourself to others. That's one of the wastiest things in the world because you're unique."
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My dad was disappointed initially because he always wanted to see me as an IPS officer, not the OG. I said uniform is uniform, maapa, so live it, it's okay. So in fact I forgot to tell you the background backstory. To me, wearing the uniform, uniform always been a love and continue to be the love of my life. When I was in my class 8, I saw the serial Udaan. That was my turning point of my life. So till then I always wanted to become a doctor, go and serve in the community, go stay in a village and do something. But when I saw the Udaan like I really felt there is a need. I mean, when you have power in your hand, how you can actually leverage it for the betterment of the community.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Inspire Someone Today podcast, a show where we dive into the stories and insights that has the power to create ripples of inspiration in your life. I'm your host, shrikant, and I'm thrilled to be with you on this journey of inspiration.
Speaker 3:Today on IST, we have a guest who embodies grit, courage and the power of reinvention. Major Pallavi's journey from the olive green is just thought about a choice, but a choice meant of breaking barriers, embracing discipline and standing tall in the face of challenges. She is just not an army veteran. She is a leader, trailblazer and, above all, a storyteller of resilience and possibility. It's my absolute joy and honor to welcome Major Pallavi Shivana on this episode of Inspire Someone today. Welcome to the show, bhaiya, thank you. So as we get started, the episode is tightened as the journey of possibility, purpose and portfolio career. So, major, the journey for you started from Mysore, went to Allahabad and came down to Chennai. So how did this whole possibility mindset start for you? Came down to Chennai, so how?
Speaker 4:did this whole possibility mindset start for you? Yeah, and first of all, thank you so much for this opportunity to, for this platform for me.
Speaker 1:So, as I said, like, yeah, I belong to a very simple, lower middle class family that I grew up in a small, wonderful, beautiful city called Mysore and I'm the first graduate in my family. Yeah, that was the biggest milestone for me and my family. Yeah, that was the. That was the biggest uh milestone for me and my family member and the youngest of my four siblings. So and dad and mom. Dad, dad was 10th fast in the late 1960s and my mom was class two. She had to drop out because she lost her mom and she had to take care of the younger siblings who were still at home. So that was how their journey and they moved from village you know, mandya, a small village from there, to Mysore and my dad picked up a job in KSRTC. He was a conductor and that's how the journey for them started.
Speaker 1:So, very humble background and my parents wanted at least, if not us, we should give education to our children. So, yes, when life takes you to lift and turns and you know different, different pathways, y3, other siblings could not continue their education because of various financial reasons and they said we could not do it. You have it in you. You have that fire so we would really want you to do it. You have it in you. You have that fire so he would really want you to do it. So, whatever I am today, it's because of the moral support, the emotional support and just the freedom to do what I wanted to do. So that's absolutely that's the first thing. Wherever I go, I really acknowledge my parents and my siblings supports to be what I am today. So, yeah, way back in 96, when I finished my graduation, as you said, like it did not happen, like OG, I straight away planned to wear OG. So I always been studying to become an IPS officer and over the years now I look at it destiny has its own plans, you know. So I almost took chronology and psychology that was my background and also big martial arts, so that you know I was ready to just to wear the uniform and write the exam and wear the uniform of a khaki.
Speaker 1:And it so happened way back in 97, 96, 97, the women officers in the Indian Army was a very, very new thing that point in time. So one of my classmates actually got an employment newspaper and he said there are some ladies are being actually you know, uh, I said like this is something you vibe and in a city like mysore we don't have so much of exposure or communication. I used to go to central library to read books and you know newspapers and all. Why is it? Okay, let me try. I just applied and I finished my exam and it actually the application got rejected because I had just finished the exam and I had still had a provisional certificate. So nevertheless, I continued civil services, I was as a rank holder and everybody in the community in my college, everybody thought she just need to write the IPC girl, which she will be. And second time again, my friend claimed so you never sell to people in different forms and in different ways. He again, second time came and said why don't you apply Again? They have asked for it. Like I said, okay, let me apply. I did. Okay, just want to record.
Speaker 1:I did not ask permission from my parents for any of these things. I just used to do it. I used to go back and tell them. So that is something not every parent. I was so blessed to have such a family. They never used to question. They used to initially feel short, but they said, yes, she will do something. Okay, we need to trust her and give her freedom. She will do something. So that is how it actually started.
Speaker 1:Second time when I applied, I got an SSB interview in Allahabad. From a city like Mysore, going to Allahabad was a big thing, yet it was not travelling was not an unusual thing because I was an NCC cadet and I always travelled to NCC camps. So way back in those days, since I lumped travelling, my only way of travelling was going to attending NCC camps. So anybody they used to say this camp is there, your camp is there, my hand used to go first because I could not afford so much of money to travel around, you know, to this was the only means. Again, no permissions I have at times. I have signed my dad's signature and I've come back and told it's not that I'm not told. I've come back and told come back and told look, I'm going for this camp and appa was not mostly there, it is me, mom and my elder sisters or siblings. I'm going for this camp. They didn't know anything, any CD of it. So they said, okay, okay, so as long as you're going, go safe and come back. So that is how I've traveled.
Speaker 1:So when this interview came I, my dad said nothing doing, you're not going alone. So I put my foot down. I said nothing doing, you're not going alone. So I put my foot down. I said nothing doing, you're not coming along with me. So that tussle was going on. Then I said okay, let me allow you to come to Bangalore. So I'm talking in 96, 97.
Speaker 1:So my dad said, okay, I'll come to Bangalore. So he came from Mysore. We came to Bangalore, we had our aunt's house in Bangalore and we freshen up and there is Karnataka Express which actually goes to Delhi via Itarsi. And then I had to change the train. I don't know ABCD of it. So I was just alone all my way, you know, trying to figure out things. So my dad came to the station. I still remember the scene. He was looking worried. I said don't worry, I'll manage, you don't have to worry about me. So it was a two-day journey. I got in the middle of the night or in the evening. There was a station called Itarsi. It's between the UP and Madhya Pradesh border. It's there. So I waited. I was wandering around the station for five, six hours. There was a break. So I was walking around talking to people and then in the middle of the night this train came and I got. I still remember it. So Pawan Express was the train. So I can never forget that journey.
Speaker 1:So the journey I undertook to go out of my home town and then do something different. And then next after that, I went to the SSB. What actually was important in that SSB interview was I don't have a knowledge about anything, I was just myself. This is something I want to you know. Tie it as a message when you're just yourself and when you believe in yourself, what you're doing, just be natural self. Don't try to pretend something. So I was initially getting very tensed. I saw a lot of people sitting and reading this Manorama book and there are a lot of fudgy background kids. They were coming from all. They had done some coaching and all I said what do I do? I was actually tensed, but I just somehow. I said let me give it my full. So I just went and in that particular batch I I was the number two in the merit list. So rest was history. Then I got selected. I came home.
Speaker 1:My dad was disappointed initially because he always wanted to see me as an IPS officer, not the OG. I said uniform is uniform, ma pa, so live it, it's okay. So in fact I forgot to tell you the background backstory. To me, wearing the uniform Uniform always been a love and continue to be the love of my life. When I was in my class 8, I saw the serial Udaan. That was my turning point of my life. So till then I always wanted to become a doctor, go and serve in the community, go stay in a village and do something. But when I saw the Udaan, like I really felt there is a need. I mean, when you have power in your hand, how you can actually leverage it for the betterment of the community. That's something actually triggered a lot and I still remember the few scenes, the movie, the way she actually donned the khaki. Of course it was inspired by Kiran Bedi's life also and that was one of the turning point of my life, yeah. So after that, yes, did my training?
Speaker 3:no wonder that is not a surprise that you made it to the army with so much of grit and valor. I I'm sure the questions that is there on everybody's mind is while an army journey, army career, is so much of physical endurance, it's also what mental grit, resilience. So how did you go about?
Speaker 1:developing those elements of it so endurance.
Speaker 3:It's also what mental great resilience. So how did you go about developing those elements of it?
Speaker 1:So I think it's more than the physical resilience, the mental and emotional resilience, because I'm one of the first few batches like 11th batch, even though the batch was 11, but my number was less than 300. We were less than 300 lady officers in the Indian Army at that point. So it was a very unusual sight for especially more than the officers, for the men, the soldiers who were there to accept us. Oh, there's a lady officer here, so how do we treat her? So how do we do it? So that was quite a thing.
Speaker 1:So one incident I remember one of my commanding officers' driver. I think he was a Nike, okay. So he, for one month I was a newly commissioned officer. As an officer, the moment you see anybody senior to you, whether I see my senior, I'm supposed to greet them with a salute. So for one month he used to see me from far and used to turn the other side so that he can avoid saluting me or wishing me the other side. So that he can avoid saluting me or wishing me, because they've not seen a lady like and he, I think he was from Bengala, I don't they've seen the woman with a veil and cooking in the kitchen. So obviously it's something not comfortable for them. So for a month it happened.
Speaker 1:I kept wondering, like how do I break this? Like how do I do this? So it was inside something was happening, because me, being a rebellious child like I, really was controlling. And one day, what I did? I just straight away I was coming from, I think, canteen instruction, something. I was coming. I straight away walked up to him. I said I remember that he was so embarrassed he didn't know what to do. After that it it became very. I don't know whether he went and told people or what. What I realized is, unless you take charge of things in your life, how you want to be treated, the world will treat you. So this is something I learned. It Again, it's like an on-the-job training.
Speaker 3:While kind of looking at this particular topic, I thought there could be no better person to depict portfolio career. You started off with something, you went to the army, then you have kind of done many roles. The question I'm going to ask is through all of this journey, I'm sure there would have been some kind of setbacks. What was that for you in terms of setback, and how did you overcome that?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I've had my own share of self-doubts and setbacks. So I especially share these stories because we are so used to hearing story of success. There is so much of failure. There is so much of humiliation, self-doubt, what we actually go through to see the successful picture or something about a person. So I, being a gold medalist, top of the university, everything like I, could have asked for a master degree in whichever the stream I wanted. I could have got it in Mysore University.
Speaker 1:Since I was growing up stage as a child, I've seen so much of discrimination about women, how they're being treated, and my birth also was just an accident. My mother, you know, always she used to tell me the story you were actually. We never wanted it. We tried our best to abort you thrice. It was thrice. She did her best to abort okay, she used to tell me later. But I grew up with so much of self-doubt but when I now I've healed, so I'm just telling the story with how it actually affects a person's persona and you know the choices in life. Then she said but doctor told me, in Kannada they say just keep it, so maybe it'll go into a boy. So imagine like my mom kept it half fourth one will be a boy child. But unfortunately she had to, you know, see a girl child. So, but she, when she speaks the story to me, she says with a lot of pride and happiness and love to me Okay, so those things have defined lots of my decisions in life.
Speaker 1:One of the major setbacks when I left the army and I wanted to jump into the corporate, I kept wondering, like nine years, am I actually doing the right thing there? There was so much do I really need to do this? But let me, what are you actually doing? I kept, and that time this therapy, help and support nothing was accessible to me. I'm talking in uh 2006-7, it was not so much a prevalent thing. You know, I really had my own self-doubt. I used to beat myself up like what the heck are you doing? Like you are not good enough, like why I do? Just stick to something which is comfortable, which is you are there in that comfort zone. So I again navigated way back in 2014, when I know 2009, when I, my twins were born, when I, when I joined back after my maternity leave, I had a huge self-esteem issue, self-doubt and, like typical Indian women, especially after marriage and after childbirth. They go through so much of thing. Why am I actually doing the right thing? Oh my, is it so that I'm leaving my child at home and going back to work? So maybe I'm a bad mother? So there were a lot of people you will have a lot of people around you who will give you free advices. So I think you should stick to teaching job, because that is something you can come back home. So I have had my share of people give me free advices.
Speaker 1:What helped me was at the right time. I took help, and that's the most difficult thing to do. Seeking help is the most difficult thing, but it's the most courageous thing is what I say. And I took help. I was going through a huge depression at that point in time and I navigated through it, so no surprise, huge depression at that point in time and I navigated through it.
Speaker 3:Superb, no surprise. Now you're kind of been on a journey of being a mental health being advocate and coach. I think that's a message in Excel for all of the listeners out. There is, success is not overnight. Everybody has their own share of challenges for them to achieve, for them to be at the spot where they are. Major Pallavi is a great example on that. I can go on. I know this is a live podcast conversation, so we'll open up for some questions from the audience before I come back to my next set of questions, so we can take one or two questions from the audience.
Speaker 4:Hi, good afternoon, Major. I think truly inspiring to know about your journey. My question is more from a perspective of, while pivoting careers or moving into a different kind of career, for that matter, we would have associated our identity, our definition, with the career or the role that we would have played for a long time. It becomes a second nature to us, career or the role that we would have played for a long time. It becomes a second nature to us, maybe even more than some of the things like a son or a daughter or a wife. You know these stats that we hold with us. So when they make that career pivot, how did you navigate that identity change? Because for a long time you would have been associated with armed forces and, given the journey that you would have traversed again, that association would have also been strong because of the journey that you played. So how did you navigate? Or what was the mindset shift that you dropped in when you became a leadership coach and pivoted?
Speaker 1:So it did not happen like just to borrow what Hari was mentioning in the previous podcast. He said, like identify your strengths. So what I did was in the journey of the last 25-26 years, especially in the last one decade when I took therapy. That is when I started realizing where and all the dark spots are there. Clear the dark spots and clear it and identify and see the real you, rather than attaching some taglines to yourself, some designations. Designations are all just temporary. So who are you at the core as a person?
Speaker 1:When I identified myself because I love connecting with people, not with any intention, because when you're connecting with people, then you know there is a learning happening on both sides. So the most important thing happened for me is I connected here? So there is a saying when you're connected here, is I connected here? So there is a saying when you're connected here, the connection happens here. So that actually changed a lot of shift for me, and I also did a transaction analysis almost for like 7-8 years. So I'm also a certified therapist now. So that is where the creating awareness about mental health comes for me. So have the connect here, connect yourself, then automatically things fall in place.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Repeating what Sai first mentioned earlier, it's the congruence If you're happy inside, you can be happy outside. I said it's so very true.
Speaker 5:Major Pallavi. I mean very inspiring, and I am very close to Mandya as well, staying in Kengeri, so I know patriarchy is a little higher there. I'm sure we can all agree and salute to you for you know, coming out as a woman leader from that rating first of all, and very inspiring story as well. So as a woman leader, I've seen, obviously the last decade there's been significant rise in women leaders as well, and rightly so. But there are still some doubters whether women can excel while also having their motherly duties and the other roles in their personal lives as well. I strongly support women leaders and I've been a staunch supporter of that ever since I started my professional career. What do you think is changing in the mindset today and what do you think should change for that ratio to increase? And you know some snippets from your leadership paid courses, of course, but since we're all here, some free snippets there would help us.
Speaker 1:Shreyas, you know we attach too much of labels to women. Pardon me, it's not that I'm trying to say something as a feminist, I'm just talking. We need to treat everybody as a human being first. I'm an individual first, my gender comes next. This is how something I learned, also in the army and when you're treating yourself as a human being, as an individual first, then automatically things will fall in place. You will not douse down your dreams. Yes, if as a human being, as an individual first, then automatically things will fall in place. You will not douse down your dreams.
Speaker 1:So when I was married, I actually took a step back because I didn't want to become too big, for my partner to feel that Pallavi is becoming too big or my partner is becoming too big. So this is a societal conditioning. You know what happens in the society that women are the moment she gets married, she's so, and so the moment she gets have children, she's so and so who is she in the core like? She's a young girl or a woman or an individual. Who is she? So women can actually do magic. Just don't restrict them, putting too much of expectations to them. And and magic can be done by anybody. So, leadership, achieving dreams. You know, achieving your dreams, dreaming big, having high aspirations, it's nothing wrong. So this is what I always say and, most important thing, what needs to change is the financial empowerment. Financial empowerment in my own life has given me a lot to be where I am today and I see that back home with my sisters and my mom and all like how?
Speaker 1:Again, not to sound feminist, but I'm just saying the mind shift has to happen. I'll allow my wife to work. I will allow. What is it to allow If you're not allowing men to work? So then why do we need to allow your daughters to work? I will allow my daughter-in-law to work. I'm sorry, this is the sad state of our face Even today. We may have been saying we have progressed a lot, but that still remains the same. I know a lot of young girls who come, they get married, they leave the job because my husband is working somewhere else. I had to relocate, but the same thing doesn't happen. It's okay to move here. What stops? You asked me what need to change. This is the mindset change.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Taking on the mindset change. The notion that I always talk to the teams that I interact with is there's no concept called as women leaders. We don't address men by male leaders, do we? We don't right? So I think, as I do, we can embrace that concept, saying that leader is a leader. Males are not even just happens to be the case but there's just leaders. So what should change is that mindset change. It's called everybody is a leader. We feel she's a leader. That's about it. So one more question more question.
Speaker 1:A very inspiring story, major Falavi. My question is you said you took some help right after the sick instinct of your career. Maybe can you talk a little more about it, because we all go through that, and what kind of help really helps. What is that you need to do when we are looking at this? So I took professional help of a therapist. So I say it openly and it is okay to seek help because I'm not a subject matter expert to deal with my own emotions what is happening. So when I'm going through a lot here, I can't see clearly, I can't think clearly. So I need some help to see the clarity. That's what even the leadership coach. What does a coach do in a leadership coach? So they show the mirror to the coach here the client. So what the client is not able to see. So I actually took the help of a therapist.
Speaker 3:Three rituals that you swear by for mental clarity.
Speaker 1:Pause, think, reflect and respond only if necessary. That's the first thing. The second thing is I reach out to if I'm still figuring it out. If nothing has happened when I'm taking, I just take a step back and I look at it. What is it actually doing? Do the pros and cons? The third thing is, and I'm still not able to figure it out after step one and two, I brainstorm with my coach and a mentor and I also, if it is really something emotionally disturbing me, I reach out to my therapist. These are my mental clouds, because I really don't want the things to hit such a ceiling level. And then I reach out. So I reach out.
Speaker 3:These are things non-negotiable for me Non-negotiable Good start to the power, power of 3.0. My next question is 10 years out, we are doing this podcast again here 2020, 2035 is the year. What is the piece of advice that you will give your future self?
Speaker 1:None, actually. I am sorry to disappoint you. I mean, I don't want to go back in the past or in the few years that's in the moment of future.
Speaker 3:Stay in the moment. That's the message.
Speaker 1:Just in the moment, I really don't know what's going to happen tomorrow morning yeah, that's fair enough.
Speaker 3:As a leader, parent and coach, what three values do you most hope today's generation can carry forward?
Speaker 1:humility, human connect. I know, with the current tech world I see I have three boys okay, so I see so much of like they are glued to the social media and then mobile and everything I said. Guys go out, connect with people. That is where the real learning happens. The human connect is the real connect. So that is something I tell everybody to carry forward, and also being true to yourself.
Speaker 3:Okay, that's good. So three people who have changed your life in your illustrious career, and why.
Speaker 1:There are multiple sets of people. I really cannot zero in only three people. My parents, of course. My parents, my siblings and my three boys. They are my biggest cheerleaders and my biggest critic. My elder brother and my boys are the biggest critic that tell things on my face, ma, what you are doing, this is not the way it is to be done. I just I take a step back and I pause, I said okay, and all my managers and my bosses and my commanding officers, everybody, the entire universe, in a way.
Speaker 3:Wonderful Three books or resources that has helped you in your journey.
Speaker 1:So, first and foremost book is in the few years back I had a reading boss Louise Hayes, you Can Heal your Life I was going through a lot of physical pains here and there. When I read the book then I realized where and all my emotional stuckness is happening. And whenever I actually get any issue shoulder pain or something I immediately go back. Where is it actually coming from? What is it I'm holding back? So that book, I definitely recommend people to read it. And the second thing is last year I saw this Chandu Champion. I can continue to go back and see that movie again and again, again and again. I love the resilience, the mental and emotional and physical resilience that man had portrayed. It's something when I actually saw Dr Kaustubh, that's the same thing I felt Never giving up on yourself. And the third book is recently I read it the Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It's like a nugget small, small nuggets. You just read it and you'll get picked up.
Speaker 3:That's wonderful Set of power of the responses will get the audience to ask one or two power of three. It has to be in the same format the power of three. So what do you have as a power of three? Question for the Dr Major Pallavi.
Speaker 4:It is a one question, those questions I've been asked to the father, with the son asking that's okay. Those questions which are asked to you as a mom mom, don't do this and that I have to ask you the same question.
Speaker 1:I don't know because I'm a single parent, so I wouldn't know. And maybe that is why universe actually gifted me with three boys. You know what I mean I three boys, you must. I mean I wonder at times like why three boys? Then, when I did my healing and therapy, then I realized I have a lot of purpose you know to do. Just to give one small statement we were in the last few decades we were so focused on making our daughter so independent, financially, educationally, emotionally so independent. Unfortunately, we forgot to, you know, teach, coach, educationally, emotionally so independent. Unfortunately, we forgot to, you know, teach, coach or educate our boys how to handle such independent thinking women. So that is a problem today. You really need to do that. So I'm doing my bit in whatever the way I can, to my boys.
Speaker 3:I think that's beautifully put. That goes back to what is. The change of mindset that we need to have is exactly this it's not about go and change your daughters at home, but it's about go and create that mindset with the boys Boys, yeah.
Speaker 1:Three things you do to have fun. Oh, I am a fun, lots of fun loving person. I love to listen to music. I get into the car I just, if nothing is there, I just take my car and put on my music and I go on a drive and I watch if nobody is there. As a company, I just book a ticket on my own and I go and sit in the movie hall and I watch the movie. And I love to garden and I love to travel and I have to restock my writing back, so there are locks, which I do so I'll ask the last of the part of the round question.
Speaker 3:Last of the part of the round question which is three magical moments wearing the olive green.
Speaker 1:Magical moments. First is 1998 March, when my parents were in the OTA, that ground where the bugle actually it happens for a minute where they have to remove the cover on the, you know, on the stars that I'm wearing and peeping at me, peeping on me Like that was the biggest moment of my life, especially, I'm sure my parents, my father, wherever he is in the here and now, so he would be feeling that proud moment. That's the first. And the second thing was when this, all, this Kargil Opj, was happening. I will, even though I was not in the JNK sector, I was there in the Rajasthan border sector and I was the only lady officer roaming around in the one ton or a seven ton vehicle. That was the moment. Like I had four, five hundred men, I used to walk around, only lady officer. That was the I never felt as a lady officer. It was like an officer, you know, talking with your men and connecting with them. So that was the other magical moment. And the third moment was when I got posted to Amritsar.
Speaker 1:I had just finished my maternity leave when my elder son was born, so I moved along with him to Amritsar and the entire unit was in exercise. Exercise is where the unit is moved to the forward areas. So my commanding officer said leave your child with my wife and you just come. I said, like my child is just five months old, sir, I cannot come. So then he said, okay, then you bring him. Imagine a six-month-old baby coming with me and staying in the forward area in the tents. And he allowed me to stay there. And such type of leaders are the ones who are required, like stay there, and such such type of leaders are the one who's required. Like you know, you allow people to work. So Allah didn't say not the other negative Allah, I'm just saying allowing people to work. So this is. These three moments are the wonderful, magical.
Speaker 3:Thank you for sharing that. You help this to really viewer moments through your stories. Thank you so much for doing that. So what's next for Major Pallavi?
Speaker 1:What's next? So I'm just still figuring it out. So I'm going to start on my own, my own organization. So that is something I'm still mulling over it, like how to do it. I'm a certified coach. I'm also a certified therapist, so I really want to blend how actually I can give back to the community, especially the wellness part. There is still a stigma. People come and tell me no, no, therapy is for weak people. No, I don't have any mental problem. I said, excuse me, I also don't have a mental problem. Like, I still go and see a therapist. It's not wrong, it's okay to seek help. So that is what I'm just thinking how I can blend these things.
Speaker 3:Oh, lovely For a girl who dreamt of wearing the uniform to becoming an entrepreneur. That's a journey, that's a full circle moment for you, major Parabhi. This podcast is all about creating ripples of inspiration. Before we sign off, what's your Inspire Someone Today? Message to all of us, for all the listeners who will listen to this episode later on.
Speaker 1:Just love yourself, accept yourself as you are and never compare yourself to others. That's one of the wastest things in the world to compare yourself to others, because you're unique.
Speaker 3:If there's a phrase called wastage, this is the one which is comparing yourself to others. On that note, it's been a privilege to have this conversation with you. Thank you so much for being the first guest on the first ever live podcast of Inspire Someone Today.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining us on this episode of Inspire Someone Today. This is Srikanth, your host, signing off. Until next time, continue to carry the ripples of inspiration, stay inspired, keep spreading the light.
