1. When and where were you born?
i. I was born on 5 September 1979, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. India.

2. As a child, what inspired you to get into cricket and that too at such a young age? Did you face any obstacles in your cricketing journey?
i. Cricket seems to be in my blood; somehow I was just deeply passionate about it from the beginning. When the 1983 World Cup final happened between India and West Indies, I was one of the few people in India who was desperately supporting the West Indies, that too at the age of four. When they began to lose, I became so stressed out that I started having fever, and my father had to take me out to the beach to distract and calm me down! I was an ardent fan of Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, and the attitude with which he played continues to be an inspiration to me till date.

3. You have also travelled a lot. How has that shaped you as a person? Any best travelling experience that you would like to share.
i. Yes, we moved almost every year because my father had a transferable job. I went to 9 different schools in three different continents, but at that time, it was extremely difficult to deal with the constant upheaval. It’s extremely difficult to always be “the new girl” and each time I would settle into a milieu and start making friends; it would be time to go. At the time, the constant adjustment was painful, but now I realize the tremendous value it provided me in terms of exposure to various cultures, traditions and types of people. Perhaps, it is also given me a deep intuition about people and how to make them feel comfortable and confident about themselves.
ii. When I was very young, if someone would ask me where I would like to settle down in life, I would say Amsterdam. Somehow, I had this idyllic and fairy-tale like image of the place, even though I had never been there. However, when I actually landed there, the place was nothing like the one I had imagined. It was a real eye opener on how illusory our ideas and imagination can be, how far removed from the truth.
iii. I very much enjoyed the ancient areas of Europe like Vienna, Rome, Berlin; there was also a great deal to learn from the history of countries like Germany – the remnants of Nazi concentration camps like Dachau leave an indelible impression on a young mind.

4. What were the other activities and hobbies that you enjoyed? Anything you feel you missed out on in your growing up years?
i. Apart from competitive cricket, swimming and studies, there was very little time for much else. However, music has been an integral part of my life, and I need it in the background always. All artistic activities have attracted me – I used to write poetry whenever I felt the need to express deep emotions. Reading novels, travelling, watching movies are activities I really enjoy. I love food, and have a deep interest in cooking, although I guess it is not meant to be something for me to pursue in this lifetime.
ii. I’m a born connoisseur of beauty – whether it is in nature, people, literature or art of any kind. I learned Ceramics in school, and thoroughly enjoyed working with clay. Photography was something I would have loved to pursue, but these days the very fact that I can see seems a blessing.
iii. If I must say that I missed out on anything, it would have to be “being normal”! Before the accident, I never had time to just hang out with people of my age and while away the time. After the accident, well, there’s never any question of being normal, when you are the odd one out in the wheelchair.
iv. As an only child, especially one who kept moving from place to place, I’ve always longed for a place to belong. I guess I only ever found that sense of belonging as part of a cricket team, and that’s why cricket has such a special place in my life.

5. How had been your social involvement with friends and family?
i. I’m naturally open, genuine and forthright and it has always been easy for me to like people and be liked by them. I’m actually a very private person, but I’m not an introvert. I enjoy having deep and meaningful conversations with people I respect and can learn from, and have always had an inquisitive mind.
ii. One of the qualities I find most meaningful in myself, is that I’ve always been a “Secret Keeper”. Somehow, people feel comfortable with me and tell me things they don’t tell most people – I guess they intrinsically know they can trust me, that there is no judgment in me. When someone says, “I’m so surprised that I told you all these things, I never imagined I could share them with anyone,” I tell them that this has always been the case with me, but I value their trust, and think of it as one of my primary responsibilities to ensure their privacy is always upheld.
iii. My parents have been my best friends, and their unconditional love for me has been the foundation of my confidence, strength and wholesome sense of self-esteem. They have been my best role-models and sources of inspiration. My only ambition in life has been to become the sort of person they can be proud of, and it continues to be at the core of all my endeavors.
iv. I’ve also had an exceptionally close and enriching relationship with my grandparents, who always lived with us, especially when I was growing up. They supported me in everything, and the knowledge and information I received from them regarding our culture, history, traditions, scriptures, spirituality, right living, et cetera is truly invaluable.

6. How old were you when you met with the unfortunate accident in Pondicherry? How did this incident take place?
i. The accident happened on July 11, 1998. I was 18 at the time. Just before I began my second year of the consolidated five year MBA course that I had joined, my college had decided to take us all on an excursion to Pondicherry.
ii. We had a wonderful day, playing Antakshari on the bus amongst other games, and visiting the Aurobindo ashram and other places in Pondicherry. A little after lunch, on the way back to Chennai, we stopped to play behind a row of beach houses one of which was owned by a classmate’s father.
iii. It was a pristine-looking stretch of a private beach, and we played a bit of tennis ball cricket and had good fun. A little later, the boys began getting into the water and some of them were quite deep inside, swimming and playing. I was with the girls, just jumping with the waves in about 2 feet of water (thigh deep).
iv. A receding wave churned up the sand from under my feet, tripping me up, and causing me to stumble. I stumbled a bit and fell flat on my stomach, into the water. Having been a swimmer since the age of three, you would think I would have an instinctive knowledge of how to fall into water. However, as fate would have it, the moment my face went under water I felt a shock-like sensation travel through my body. That’s it – no impact (I did not hit any rock or the ocean floor, or anything hard at all), not a drop of blood, just a split-second of misfortune. I didn’t feel pain or lose consciousness, and there was absolutely nothing dramatic. As soon as I felt the shock travel through my body, I couldn’t move. I tried to get back out of the water, and nothing happened, so I held my breath until my friends pulled me out.
v. In less than a minute, life as I knew it was over. The teachers ran helter-skelter because they were afraid. I was the one who organized my own first aid. I asked for a doctor immediately, but only an ambulance could be arranged on short notice. I had a few of my friends lift me carefully and carry me across the sand onto the road where the ambulance waited. About halfway through, everything started to go dark and I felt faint, so I asked them to put me back on the ground slowly. After a few deep breaths, everything normalized again, and my friends carried me into the ambulance.
vi. I was taken to JIPMER hospital in Pondicherry, but they just put a spondylitis collar around my neck, and told them to take me to Chennai as it was an “accident” case. Therefore, I was robbed of immediate medical care for nearly 4 hours after the accident. Would this have made a life-altering difference? I do not know, but I still feel that such actions are unethical and unacceptable.

7. Physically, mentally and emotionally there had been a major transformation post the accident. Could you elaborate on this?
i. For the first 18 years of my life I had effortlessly excelled in every area of my life, and the future seemed to be brimming with infinite potential. Then, in a split-second, it was all over and I found myself having to come to terms with life in a wheelchair.
ii. At 18, one identifies oneself completely with the material plane – appearance, achievements, social status, status amongst peers et cetera. I thought I deserved all the success I got purely because I work hard with integrity and sincerity. Then, I reached a stage where I could not even move my little finger no matter how hard I tried. What could I have done to deserve such a fate? I was shattered. My identity was completely lost and I felt invisible to the world. Who was I? I didn’t know, I didn’t want to know – I wanted to die.
iii. People had always looked at me with approval and liking. Then, people began to look at me with pity in their eyes or they would studiously avoid looking at me altogether. I felt like I had disappeared altogether. I couldn’t deal with it at all. For two years after the accident, I stayed indoors. I never left the apartment except for doctor’s appointments. I did my best to ignore my reality. I would do anything and everything in my capacity to distract myself. I listened to audio books constantly, watched TV, movies, and listened to music – anything and everything to not have to think, not have to face reality. If I was forced to go out and meet people, I would get panic attacks and not be able to breathe.
iv. Then, we moved to Tiruvannamalai and the Grace of our guru, Yogi Ramsuratkumar started to work its magic. I started doing a circumambulation of The Holy Hill Arunachala (a 16 km journey) with lakhs of people around me and could withstand it. Over the period of a decade, I came full circle. I lost myself, and found that which cannot be lost. I found peace, harmony and equipoise. I’ve found a happiness that is unconditional – it is present irrespective of all external circumstances. The body may have pain, but I’m happy.
v. Now, I have no personal ambitions or desires. My only wish is to spread light, love and laughter in the world. I serve as an instrument of the divine, and am content.

8. How were you feeling about the sudden changes that had taken place in your life? How did you feel about the things that you would not be able to do again?
i. Life threw me a curve ball I could never have imagined even in my worst nightmare. Not being able control even the most basic functions of my body, being totally dependent on others for my most private needs, the complete and total decimation of all my hopes and dreams for the future are things no one can get over easily. It took me a long time, and I still have hope that a miracle is possible in any moment.
ii. That’s the challenge, being fully alive in the present moment, in acceptance of what is here and now completely, and yet being open to positive change at any juncture, that’s the balance I tried to maintain at all times.
iii. That are so many things everybody takes for granted – feeling touch, feeling the warmth of water flowing through your body, sensations, control over bodily functions, et cetera – that are impossible for me. These are things you never get used to not being able to do, no matter what. If someone says they are okay with not being able to do any of these things, they would be lying. I do wish I could be healthy again, I do wish I don’t have to be dependent on any one ever again, and if it happens, it would make me blissfully happy. At the same time, there is an existence beyond the physical plane, and somehow, my limitation has opened that realm up to me. It is magnificent in its own way, but impossible to explain or express in words.
iv. I believe that a human life is most meaningful when it brings about growth and evolution in the body mind organism. In that way, I’m exceptionally blessed because I have evolved more in these 16 years than I could have in 16 “normal” lifetimes – innumerable struggles and two near death experiences have given me that much.

9. How did your family, relatives and friends support you during this time?
i. The greatest blessings in my life are my parents who’ve always showered me with unconditional love and support. After the accident their generosity of spirit and greatness was even more evident as they quietly sacrificed their lives so that I could live with dignity. Never once did they blame me for destroying not only my own life, but theirs as well and all their hopes and dreams for my future. I’m alive today because they stood by me and cared for me every moment of every day. My mother is my Goddess.
ii. There was a mixed reception from relatives and friends. Many gave us staunch support and went out of their way to express their love and care. There were others who treated us like untouchables, assess by associating with us our misfortune would rub off on them.
iii. Ultimately, we were not in any frame of mind to either accept help gratefully or be hurt by rejection. We were so overwhelmed with grief and shock that we cut ourselves off from everyone we knew before the accident, and created an idyllic bubble in which we could live in peace at Tiruvannamalai.
iv. One of the primary reasons I started Soulfree is that I do not want anybody in my condition or their parents to have to face the horror of it alone. Soulfree aims to provide a support system providing knowledge, counselling, care, support of every kind from the moment we hear of an accident, so that nobody is left to deal with such a life-altering event by them.

10. Today, how much time has it been since the incident? How does your normal day routine look like?
i. My accident was on July 11, 1998, more than 15 years ago.
ii. On an average day, I get up around 9 AM, in stark contrast to the years I had to wake up around 5 AM to go for Cricket or swimming practice. By 10 AM I’m transferred into the wheelchair, and start working from 11 AM to 5 PM. Three days a week there are physiotherapy sessions from 6:30 p.m. to 8 PM. Then, it’s dinner, watching a bit of TV and chatting with friends over the phone. On weekends, all my time is devoted to Soulfree activities, answering e-mails, writing down thoughts and ideas, doing foundational work. I have bath only once a week, due to several restrictions.
iii. I enjoy going out to the ashram whenever possible. One of my favorite activities is to go on a 16 km circum-ambulation of the holy hill, Arunachala. Whenever my friends volunteer to take me out on pradakshina, it gives me so much energy and joy, I become blissful. It always reminds me of my father, who has single-handedly taken me on more than 50 pradakshinas around the hill.

11. What are the various things that you are involved in (as in work) to support yourself and your family? Do you enjoy doing these? Any hobbies or past times that you like to indulge in?
i. Thankfully, my parents have always taken good care of me, and it has never been a compulsion for me to work in order to feed my family. However, I take great pride in being productive and supporting my family as best as I can.
ii. For the first years after my accident, I was totally broken – in body, mind and spirit – and couldn’t even think about continuing my education or working. Later on, in 2001 my father approached various universities to join bachelors in psychology. However, the rule book was thrown at us saying that I would have to come and spend 15 days at the University for compulsory contact classes, and that the buildings at the University are not wheelchair accessible at all.
iii. At one point my father got vexed and said that there was no need for some paper certifying that I’m intelligent or knowledgeable. He brought me books I could read and expand my horizons with, and so I continued the learning process, even though I couldn’t have a degree.
iv. I also started working doing synopsis, editing and reviews for some friends, as well as spiritual magazines like Tattvaloka, which allowed me to gain a great deal of knowledge about spiritual texts. After doing web-content writing work for a few years, I’m presently working for a movie-based website called www.moviebuff.in as a synopsis writer.
v. A few years after the accident, I also started doing mouth paintings and designing of posters, business starter kits et cetera. When I embarked upon my journey with Soulfree, this experience came very handy, because I was able to design the logo for Soulfree myself – which came me a lot of joy and satisfaction.
vi. I have always had a keen interest on the workings of the human mind – our emotions, feelings, and factors that influence patterns of behavior and personality. The interconnections and multidimensional complexity of human relationships are of endless fascination to me. This is the reason I wanted to study psychology, but when it was not available, my friends insisted that I join some other course which did not have any compulsory classes to attend. Therefore I joined BSC medical sociology and have completed it in 2013. I’m in the process of enrolling for a Masters degree now.
vii. Since I’m only able to use my voice productively, it is my wish to provide counseling for people and help them find confidence and healthy self-esteem. Through my words and example, I feel that I can be a source of inspiration for many, and motivate them to look beyond just the material realm, into something more meaningful and worthwhile. I honestly believe that I’ve been chosen as an instrument by the cosmic flow to spread light, love and laughter in the world, and the greater positive impact I can have in this world, the more fulfilled I feel.

12. What kind of changes do you think need to be implemented at the societal/governmental and the individual level to make India a better place for people with disabilities? Any positive measures abroad which you think should be implemented in India.
i. We need some very fundamental and core changes to be implemented before India can become a more inclusive and wheelchair-friendly society.
ii. A great deal needs to be done on many levels, and we need help from the citizens of India, the media, corporate houses, NGOs and government agencies to assist us in many ways.

IDENTIFICATION AND EXPOSURE PROGRAMS

We do not see many people in wheelchairs in India at all. This is not because they are not around; this is because they are all hidden. They are locked up within their own homes due to shame. We become invisible in our society, unneeded, unwanted, the expendables. The government must start collecting statistics on the number of people with severe disabilities, and take steps to bring them out into society.

AWARENESS PROGRAMS

There are so many people, especially in rural areas, who have no idea what a spinal cord injury is, and how it can be prevented. This condition can happen to anyone any time, all it requires is a movement of misfortune, and there are lacs of people who are forced to live with it for the rest of their lives. Since it does not have any cure, if it is not prevented, it translates to a lifetime in a wheelchair. Children in schools and colleges need to know that they are not invincible, that bad things do happen to good people sometimes, if they are not cautious. Basic precautions in terms of road safety and personal safety need to be taken.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE

When a person has an accident, it is vital that they receive expert medical care immediately. Stabilization of the spine is essential to ensure that spinal-cord injuries don’t occur, not to mention how many lives would be saved. In India, the emergency medical care system needs to be revamped because many spinal-cord injuries are happening after the accident itself – during the transport from the point of injury to the hospital, or due to negligence and lack of expertise of medical personnel in hospitals themselves. Also, like training for CPR, training can be provided to good Samaritans on how to stabilize the spine and prevent spinal-cord injuries during accidents.

EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION

When a person loses their mobility due to spinal-cord injury or other debilitating conditions, we need the support and encouragement of society. We need to be made to feel that our lives have value, and be given opportunities to further our education. It is vital that will be trained in ways that we can be productive, and opportunities provided for us to have gainful employment.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND MEDICAL INSURANCE

Those with severe disabilities need help both financially and otherwise for rehabilitation, medical care and day to day living. If the family is unable to care, there should be some other system in place that can allow them a life of dignity and basic quality of life. No such system exists in India, especially for women with severe disabilities. If there is a woman in my condition whose family is unable to care for her, there is literally no where to go – in a country as big as India, there is not even one long-term care Centre or live-in Centre that will provide sanctuary for people like me.

Soulfree’s ultimate goal is to start such centres in every state, so that women with severe disabilities, especially spinal-cord injuries, can have hope and the opportunity to lead a productive life beyond their families. Nobody should be forced to commit suicide because of stigma from their families and society.

STATE OF THE ART REHABILITATION CENTRES AND TRAINING CENTRES

Those with severe disabilities can still be productive members of society, if we are given the opportunities, training, trained caregivers and mobility assistance, and assistive aids (electronic wheelchairs, speech activated software, training in special skills using voice for employment like in voice dubbing, advertising, recording of audio, books, counseling, et cetera)

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY

One stresses the importance of wheelchair accessibility enough. Wheelchair accessibility in public buildings, educational institutions, office buildings and even residential areas can drastically improve the quality of life for the wheelchair-bound. This can also help those with temporary conditions like broken legs et cetera, or the elderly, not just those who are permanently in wheelchairs. Those with physical disabilities should be encouraged to get out of their homes and start leading happy and productive lives, and given suitable opportunities for education and employment. This cannot happen if they cannot go anywhere because no place is wheelchair accessible.

13. What and when were you motivated to start an NGO? What is the objective of the NGO and how are you reaching out to people in need?
i. After my father’s death, my mom also became very sick and needed to have a quintuple bypass surgery in 2011. Even before that, she had angina and would get chest pain whenever she had to strain too much. I guess she also had the stress and worry of what would happen to me if she was not around to care for me.
ii. So, in her usual generous way, she felt this was a concern all parents of the disabled would have, and because there was no solution in India, she would encourage me to start an NGO and begin working towards providing sanctuary for many more like me.
iii. I would dissuade her and tell her that I can’t even care for myself, how I am going to run an organization that will help thousands in my condition. Then, as I became more exposed to the plight of the disabled, especially women in India, I was really disturbed.
iv. I began hearing of cases in which women were encouraged by their own families to commit suicide. When I found out that so many are being treated as a burden by their own families, not given rehabilitation or even basic quality of life, and so severely stigmatized that they feel there is shame and not worthy of being alive, I could not sit quietly anymore. If those of us, who are reasonably secure, decide to ignore the cries of those in need, then our society will never evolve.
v. People like Helen Keller became an inspiration for me, and I thought, if they had a place to go, if they were given hope and a reason to live; if they could live with dignity, basic quality of life and become productive members of society, they wouldn’t be forced to commit suicide. This has to happen, and if it must happen through me, then so be it. This is how Soulfree was born.

14. How is this NGO being supported and funded? How are you spreading awareness about it?
i. Honestly, Soulfree was born out of sheer need, and a vision to create a fundamental and revolutionary change the way the wheelchair-bound are viewed in India. I feel I have been chosen to be the instrument of this change, and that my story will be the spark that will ignite awakening in the citizens of India as well as the governmental mechanism. There is such apathy and indifference in general, everything has become so mechanical and materialistic. We need to look beyond ourselves and our own material needs to serve others.

ii. I do not have any previous expertise in running a public charitable trust, and do not have any corporate backing to support my cause. I’m a quick learner and am learning about the technical aspects as I go on, but it is faith that motivates me.
iii. Grace has run my life and continues to guide me through everything. I have full faith that the citizens of India will respond to the sheer merit of the Soulfree cause. Already, many people are coming out in support and wish to volunteer their time, expertise and resources for Soulfree. I have no doubts that, as and when more and more people come to know, the movement will gain momentum and begin creating a positive impact in the lives of many.
iv. I do not wish to go around asking for donations.
v. My idea is to go to schools, colleges and corporate houses to give inspirational talks and use the funds collected from them to Soulfree’s activities. There is so much to do in terms of building databases of the disabled, volunteer databases, and setting up programs to increase awareness et cetera that we are going to need a lot of help from volunteers, and the media.
vi. The Internet and its resources will be the main way to spread awareness. Also, I’m sure the media will take up the Soulfree cause because of its genuineness and merit and support me in spreading the word. Word of mouth is all it takes – in today’s technology driven world, all one needs to do is be truthful, sincere, and have integrity of purpose to do well.
vii. Soulfree will be a movement for positive change, and everything that needs to happen to further its cause, will happen. I have no doubt. As people awaken and become aware, the government will also start supporting us, and when that happens, India will soon become a more inclusive society as laws that are already in place will be implemented.
viii. As of right now, we lag so far behind other progressive countries like the Scandinavian and European nations, but, if we put ourselves out there and ask for help, I’m sure they will come forward to help us with their expertise and resources. That is a lot to be done, and I have full faith that everything will happen for the best.
ix. My answers might not seem apt in the world of logic, but I have experienced so much beyond the realm of logic that I can only say, when the positive vibrations of the cosmic flow set something in motion, it can only be fruitful.

15. In spite of facing obstacles at a physical, mental and emotional level, you have started an NGO and are reaching out to even people in rural areas. With such less external support, how are you able to manage this?
i. I have faith that if one wishes to do something good wholeheartedly, help will come. I’ve had the support of volunteer organizations like the Rotary, and look forward to much more support from them and other organizations like them.
ii. Also, the youth of India are awakening to the need for change and are becoming socially accountable.
iii. They are starting many organizations and I’ve received help from a few of them like Vaergal and Nal Vidhaigal. These are based in Tamil Nadu, but I have full faith that I will get support from all over India very soon.
iv. Through the website, we are planning to start registrations for those who wish to be volunteers for Soulfree, and I believe that many more people than we could ever imagine are going to come forward.

16. What are your future plans for the NGO and how are you working these out? How can anyone contribute towards this NGO?
i. I will attach the objectives of Soulfree to the mail in which I send you the answers to this questionnaire.
ii. You can contribute your time (physical health, scribe, counseling, travelling), expertise (website building, maintenance, fundraising et cetera), contacts (getting invitations for talks, connecting us with corporates, connecting us with those who work with spinal-cord injuries and physical disabilities all over the world and may wish to support our cause), resources for the Soulfree cause.
iii. Spreading the word, distributing our knowledge packet about how to prevent spinal-cord injuries amongst schools and colleges would help. The bank account details for contributing funds, if you are within India, will be provided on the website very soon.

17. Your father has passed away, your mother is not keeping well herself having had massive surgeries recently. What kind of tensions do you have regarding your family, your NGO and yourself? Any safeguards that you have planned for the future and support that you expect or hope for from the government/corporate bodies?
i. After having two near death experiences, I really don’t have any fears about my future. Anything can happen to me at any time, any small infection can lead to complications and death.
ii. Death is something I would embrace happily, because for me, it means freedom from the limitations of the body. I’m not suicidal; I love life and live every moment to the fullest. However, my future is a question mark and I don’t have any qualms admitting it.
iii. I have no idea what will happen to me if my mother is not around, even thinking on those lines is painful to say the least. Whatever happens, I will accept it as God’s will for me.
iv. Even if people were to take everything from me and throw me onto the streets, I will accept that with total detachment. I have no expectations from the government or corporate bodies.
v. I have no expectations from anyone. I’m surrendered to the Divine, and no matter what happens, I will try to accept it with dignity and equipoise.

18. What is your message for quadriplegics and people with disabilities in general?
i. My message to those with disabilities is to get out there and open themselves up to being vulnerable. Don’t feel afraid to ask for what you need. Don’t hesitate to go after your dreams and ambitions. So what if everything is hundred times more difficult for us? If we work hundred and one times harder, it is still possible to be better than everyone else, still possible to prove our self-worth again and again.
ii. So what if people look at us with pity or disdain? Over time they will realize that we are precious human beings just like everyone else and have the same right to be here as everyone else. Let’s work hard and not make excuses. Let people respect our efforts and be moved to give us our due.
iii. For quadriplegics who can neither use their hands or legs, I must say that it’s never going to be easy. Having to be dependent for the most basic needs in life isn’t something one can get used to, but it is something we can transcend.
iv. Let’s go beyond what we can’t do, and focus on all the things we can do. It’s possible, not easy, but possible. Take my example, I’m doing all the work I’m doing using speech activated software, and inspiring many people to lead fuller, more fulfilling lives. If I can do it, so can you.
v. With the help of the entertainment industry and other corporate, Soulfree aims to create gainful employment for those who can only use their voices. This initiative, called “Throat Fort” aims to train quadriplegics in the use of their voice for various vocations like recording of audio books, radio jockeys, voice dubbing artists, telephone marketing etc. There is hope, and if we put ourselves out there and confidently ask for our rights to be fulfilled, society will definitely come forward to help us. Keep the faith, and never give up, no matter what.
vi. I don’t know how many people will be open to this message, but if we can use our limitations to expand our internal universe, there is nothing better. Not being part of the material world, we do not have the distractions and temptations of it. We can use the time we have to meditate, to introspect, to go beyond and transcend the limitations of the body-mind organism and expand our spiritual life. What is the purpose of our existence?
vii. If we have been placed on this Earth, there is a reason for it, and if we can find what that is, we will be self-fulfilled – happy and peaceful – beyond external circumstances. If one makes this one’s goal in life, we are on par or better of than those who are constantly running around, going after something or the other.
viii. Open yourself to your true self – that part of you that is beyond birth and death, and beyond disability. And IT IS possible to find the happiness that is intrinsic to us.
ix. But, for this, we have to go beyond this stage of suffering with the question “Why Me” and stop feeling sorry for ourselves. This does not mean that one is faking or acting like everything is all right, but it means that one is being fully aware of the miracle of being alive here and now, in the present moment.

19. You have been witness to and a part of several extreme uphill’s and downhills in life. How has this contrast in experience influenced you as person?
i. The first 18 years of my life were like a fairytale, and since then, I’ve experienced things that are beyond most people’s worst nightmare. Having lost everything there is to lose, including my own life, my sense of identity, my hopes and dreams for the future, I’ve had to really look at my self and ask the question, “Why am I being kept alive?” Something opened up inside me, and I just accepted that I was here to serve a purpose greater than my own personal needs, ambitions, dreams or desires. It took a long time, more than a decade, but somehow, I have reached a stage of acceptance and equipoise, a stable and clear state of mind.
ii. There is happiness in me that can’t be taken away by any external events or circumstances. I’m here to see this story play itself out, as a witness, nothing more. However it turns out, I’m alright. This knowing is peace. This journey has set me apart, and taken me on a plane that is totally different from what most people experience in life.
iii. I feel that for every tangible I have lost, I’ve gained a lot of intangibles, but society has no yardstick to judge these, because society does the known their value. I stand outside, watching my own life unfold, and it’s a magnificent journey, quite fascinating. I feel really blessed to not be caught up in the day to day grind that the majority endures, and to have had experiences that have taken me beyond the physical realm. It’s all good, and as you look, it’s going to get way better! Watch out! 🙂