Challenges Faced:
I faced many
challenges but they never held me back. I faced all sorts of challenges ranging
from my personal to professional life. In my early stages I always wanted to do
something different in life but such opportunities were rare. Doing something
different for girls was not just unseen, it was unheard of. I always hoped to
do something different from the beaten path. My life, as a young girl, was very
much the same as that of a girl from a moffusil town. But my dreams and hopes
were bigger. Yes, there were challenges that stood between me and my dreams but
I wasn't made to shy away from challenges, that is the reason that I gave up my
studies of MCA, which was considered as a prestigious course with a bright
future. Less than six months to completion of this course, I jumped at the
first opportunity to become a pilot with the IAF. Such a decision involved
taking risk, risking a high-profile job and jumping into an unknown territory
that I had no clue of. All I knew was that I wanted to be in uniform and I
wanted to fly. My why was so clear that in spite of many challenges that I
faced my way my what and how followed. It's lack of faith that makes people
afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.
Gender Inclusion In Your
Field Of Career:
Flying in the Siachen
is a dream of every Helicopter Pilot and I consider myself very lucky to get
this opportunity to serve my country while flying at the highest battlefield in
the world. Flying in the Siachen did not only give me my best flying skills but
it taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life and in leadership. But
this did not come to me easily. It was not just physically demanding but
mentally challenging as well. Unconscious bias has always existed in various
domains. But instead of waiting for external circumstances to change
I learnt how to tackle
the influence of unconscious bias and circumvent around it through my
awareness, by proving my professional competence (and this had to be proved at
every step), through a strong self-image, self-belief and my strong values.
Present Scenario Of
Aviation Industry:
Under present
circumstances the Aviation Industry has been hit hard no doubt but
we know how resilient this industry is and we hope in times to come it shall
bounce back/forward.
Words Of Wisdom:
Like Tony Robbins says
the only impossible thing in life is what you have never tried. Nothing is impossible
if you set your mind and heart to it. I have learned that failures in life are
the best teachers. Those who have known true failure and have bounced back in
life understand that failure in life is necessary for success. Yes failures
hurt, they cut deep like a razor, yet if you can still stand up straight after
falling flat on your face and take the risk, you become unstoppable. The third
lesson is that every challenge that comes your way has an opportunity hidden in
it and resilience is a very important skill in life. We all go through rough
patches when life throws us off track. During such a situations it is
resilience that decides whether we fight through and grow or we cave in and let
our challenges defeat us. So the choices we make in our life define who we are.