Have you lost your­self somewhere down the line, submerged by life’s severe blows? Do you see women your age, slimmer, more active, vibrant, alive and successful and feel immense wistfulness? Don’t allow life to pass you by. This content (story) shows you how to seize it, gain control and be happy.

My effervescent colleague, Praneeta Kapur once told me, “I never realized how gender blind my brother and I were. We would cling to what Dad said and ignore Mum because she was always there. Dad was the one who was dynamic, who had so much to speak of; his life and work as a senior army officer was so colorful. I had a job with an organization working with elected women representa­tives of the Panchayats. After dinner, we were sitting out in the lawn and, as usual, I was full of myself and my work. I was telling mother about the people at the grassroots and their lives and spirit. She heard me for a long while and said, ‘Oh Penny, I am so happy for you. You are so lucky to do what you do at such a young age. I feel I have done nothing. I have just wasted my life.’”

CAPITALISE ON YOUR STRENGTHS

That story stayed with me. Praneeta confessed that she had never heard her mother speak like that before. She had never imagined that her mother too had her own dreams and aspirations.

Her immediate reaction was to tell her mother what a great job she did of keeping a fan­tastic home, entertaining and always being so well-groomed. Says Praneeta, “I made a conscious decision that day that I would never take my mother for granted ever again.” Praneeta’s mother had never worked save for doing welfare for the families of troops. When her husband retired, she took a leap of faith. She roped in a friend who was as house-proud as she was and started a business which turned out to be a gold mine. At 50-plus, they were late bloomers. Gurgaon was being inundated with shopping malls and the two women took on the business of decorating them. Today, they run a company and have met with resounding success. Their mantra is as old as time. If you feel life is passing you by, then look at your strengths. Years of good housekeeping that their family took for granted became their entry into business that few people had given much thought to. Today, the whole family takes immense pride in her achievement.