Things that define me!

Many parents expose their children to a wide variety of extra curricular activities like admitting the child in arts, dance or music school. This is done because those parents do not want to limit the child’s potential and want the child to discover his or her passion. 

Well, I belonged to one such family and right from my childhood, I was interested in a wide variety of things. When I wrote the essay, “The aim of my life”, I clearly remember that I always wrote two ambitions: sometimes doctor and singer, sometimes writer and librarian (as I was so fond of reading since childhood). My teachers used to tell me that I am supposed to write about only one ambition in the essay. I used to shrug my shoulders nonchalantly. 

However, as bitter the reality is, it becomes difficult to hold on to a variety of interests and ambitions as we grow older. Often we are compelled to sacrifice our passion so that we can focus on a hectic job that gives nothing more than a good salary. For women, the situation is even sadder. Time and again, they are always told to choose between two things. Either they can be a good daughter or they can be a good actress. Either they can be a good wife or they can be a career-oriented woman. I find the process of confining a woman to only one label is ridiculous. 

Not only a woman but every human being is born with infinite potential. If a woman gets the chance to discover herself and unleash her hidden potential, she cannot be confined by even ten labels. I have also faced this nonsensical ultimatum where I was told to choose any one label that would define me. However, I always believed in spreading my wings and so no one’s efforts or questions could restrain me from living my life according to my own terms.

When I think about the things that define me the most, two words come to my mind at once: Books and Music. I am passionate about these two elements and everything associated with them.

When I got my second book "The Hidden Letters" in my hand

Author: The passion for books urged me to weave stories and tell them to the world. It feels surreal sometimes when I realize that I am a published author of two books and it is such a huge identity for me today.

Blogger: Though I was an occasional blogger till middle of the last year, but the longing to write more made me an avid blogger today. Blogging is my medium for self-expression and it is also such a big identity of my life today. 

Content Developer: As you all must know, the royalty that most published authors get are not at all enough to make a living. For this particular reason, I work as a content developer and I get to work with a variety of clients. It is quite an interesting work as it allows me to research about a wide variety of things. There is so much newness in my work that I never feel a single moment of dullness. Sometimes I also create content on seeing a video or a couple of photos. It provides food to my creativity and also keeps me upbeat. 

Book Reviewer: I love this identity of mine. A year doesn’t pass by until I have read about 50 books. Reading keeps me sane, happy and wise. It provides me with wit and wisdom. And when I get books from several authors and publishers with the promise of a review, it makes me perfectly happy.

Singer: I love to sing as I feel I have got married to music when I was only five years old. My mother was singing a classical song in her harmonium and I picked that song and started singing it. My mother was shocked to find out that a five year old kid is singing a song on the raag “Yaman”. She realized that I have a gifted voice. I sing whenever I get time. My upbringing has been very musical and singing heals my soul like nothing else. 

Poetess: I think I was friends with poetry forever. Even in moments of extreme despair when my hand shakes to type a paragraph, I can easily scribble few lines of poetry. I also try to breathe music in those lines in my leisure.

These are the multitude of things that define me deeply. 

So, Purba is an author and blogger and content developer and book reviewer and singer and poetess and a caring daughter and a cheerful friend. 

Me at Starmark, South City Mall standing beside my book "The Hidden Letters"

I want to add a few more labels to my name in the forthcoming years: Guitarist, Painter Script Writer and Social Worker. I am a beginner in all these things but I am sure I will be able to add them to my identity soon. 

I would love to add many more feathers in my hat with the passage of time. Because I strongly believe, a woman cannot be limited by one or just a few labels. A woman is unsurpassable.

I believe that you must follow your heart and #UseYourAnd. There should be no space for "Or" in life.

“This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.