Coralesque

If you ever studied in an Indian school, you’d remember that one of the worst insults used during gossip time was: “She thinks so highly of herself.”

Science now has proved that thinking highly of yourself – or high self-worth – often leads to success and happiness, and thinking badly of yourself inhibits you from living to your fullest potential. This is called the Imposter Syndrome, when you do not believe yourself to be worthy.

Until the age of 30, I believed I did not deserve any more than I had got, and that I should compromise and accept whatever had been served on my plate. Two acts of divine grace changed the course of my life:

The first was encountering Buddhism. It taught me two fundamental truths: (a) That I am indeed SOMEONE. I am a unit of divine energy, and no matter how small I am, there is a purpose for my life. (b) Unhappiness is not normal. It is my right and responsibility to be happy. Being happy is my expression of gratitude for the gift of being alive, and it is my way of paying forward and making the world a happier place, one person at a time. This was my first opening of the eyes.

The second was encountering Ullekh, my husband. He thinks so highly of himself that he could not imagine why I didn’t think the same way. (When I showed him the latest episode of eShe TV about the Imposter Syndrome, he found the concept bizarre.) He was the first person to have no doubts whatsoever in my abilities and talent. “Why not?” he would ask every time I expressed an ambition or dream. Seeing myself through his gaze led to the second opening of my eyes.

More than 15 years of faith, practice, study and introspection later, I still briefly fall prey to thoughts of unworthiness but they are instantly wiped over by the knowledge that we are all limitless beings, we can achieve anything we really want, and the only boundaries between us and happiness are the ones in our own mind.

Lead image: Helena Jankovičová Kováčová / Pexels