Words Of Wise Women

The month of March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. This month is for celebrating women’s contribution to history and building of the modern society. We wanted to honor the mothers, mentors, and other special womxn and share their wisdom with you.

The World remembers powerful women who changed the course of history. We all honor the revolutionaries and suffragettes who fought hard for freedom and rights. We light candles for lives lost. It is their wisdom, courage, and mettle that weaved the fabric of heritage. However, we forget their role as mothers, mentors, wise counsel, and pillars of strength who help others grow and fly. Here, we share snippets of wisdom learned from such wise women.

On Problem Solving

Dr. Sandhya Kiran is the Principal Biostatistician at Mapmygenome. She is the brains behind many of our algorithms. She shares:

Face your problems head-on. Do not look for an escape route or let anxiety cripple you. Think systematically and devise a solution.

Dr. Sandhya with her mother Smt. Vijayalakshmi

On Innovative Recipes

Jayashree T Rao is a food blogger, recipe developer and content writer. She also writes poetry. Her blog is www.evergreendishes.com. She has authored e-books that are available on Amazon. She shares:

My mother Malti is a dedicated and capable woman. She is a wonderful cook. I learned the basics of culinary science from her. She inculcated the love for cooking and creating innovative recipes in me. That strong foundation has made me what I am today.

Jayashree with her mother Smt. Malti

On Humility

Chitra Lele is a young software engineer, poet, and academic author. She shares:

My mother, Asha Lele, is a perfect blend of logic and creativity, and she has taught me one Golden rule:

We all exalt the Higher One, but the Higher One exalts only the humble one. 

Therefore, I strive to appreciate everyone and everything, even things and people which are not my doing. This helps to better myself as a humble being.

Chitra Lele

On Leadership

Tina Mansukhani Garg is the Founder & CEO of Pink Lemonade Communications, an integrated marketing agency, specializing in marketing communication, branding and brand strategy, content marketing, digital media, advertising, and interaction design. Tina founded the company in 2009, and today, it is known for its award-winning work in creative & business communications, and digital services. She comes with extensive experience in the creative industry, and is passionate about empowering women entrepreneurs.  She shares:

As women, we are constantly looking to please others around us to prove our worth and merit. As an aspiring woman leader, I constantly tried to prove my calibre to those around me. My mother once told me that a clear idea of who I am will help me get rid of the obsession with others’ approval. As I come to the understanding of who I am at my core and what is important to me, I will no longer have the need to prove my value to anybody. Leadership since then has become about being confident and true to myself, rather than being about realizing my significance through others’ perceptions of me.

Tina Mansukhani Garg and her sister with their mother Harsha Mansukhani

On Taking Action

Leena Soneja is the founder of Empowering Human Lives, a Certified Handwriting Analyst, and NLP trainer. A keen educationist and mentor, she enables entrepreneurs, corporate employees, students, and individuals to transform their lives and to live up to their full potential. Her mother’s teachings and support have a big role to play in her journey:

Be a Warrior, Never Give Up and

Remember one thing always — Take

Action everyday, no matter small or big

and before you go to sleep, Forgive Others

and have Attitude of Gratitude.

Leena Soneja with her mother, her inspiration

On Being Happy

Malavika Jaggi is Associate Director – Client Partner Value at GlobalLinker. She shares:

My mom says, happiness never goes out of style! The best time to be happy is NOW! 

No matter what the situation is, she has always shown me the positive side of it and believes that one should never give anyone else the power to steal your smile.

Malavika Jaggi with her mother Punam Jaggi

On Values

Kavita Devgan is a popular nutritionist and weight loss consultant in New Delhi. She writes for Mint, DailyO, and Quint. She has authored best sellers such as Don’t Diet! and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks. She shares:

My mother has been and still is my mentor. I have learned huge life lessons simply by observing her – patience, resilience, humility, out-of-the-box thinking and everyday creativity, and am still learning, every day. Some of her biggest advice/gifts to me:

• Always think big, aim high, as high as your imagination lets you, but while executing stay in touch with reality and keep your feet completely grounded. Never lose this balance.
• Hone your patience and optimism consciously; these skills are non-negotiable for achieving excellence.
• Take everyone along. Be kind, and support your loved ones (and everyone else you can) unconditionally. Giving more and never losing your empathy is the only foolproof (and correct) way to succeed. 
• Finally, she taught me to believe in my ability, and never ever shortchange – as she believed 100% in my ability. 

On Conquering Fear

Nazia Sultana is Manager – Logistics & Admin at Mapmygenome. She shares her mother’s thoughts on conquering fear:

Look fear in the eye and fight with it.  Never mistake yourself to be weak. A woman fighting her fears is more braver than an unarmed soldier in the battlefield. You don’t live with your enemy every day!

Nazia Sultana with her mother, Atiya Sultana

On Creativity

Nivedita is a publisher and a poet. She has written a book of poems titled Writing by the window. She founded a publishing house Nivasini that published many collections of poems. She is the founder of Lampshade Writers, a platform to encourage writers.  She shares:

My mother is an artist and has always refrained from earning a name out of it. She says, she can only be the source of an art piece but not the owner. This has helped me in learning something or the other from each person I meet as I believe I am a mere source and the work we do is of utmost importance. And, when I work with a variety of people from different age groups, this approach has only enriched me with the presence of others. It feels surreal at times to see the devotion towards any work my mother takes up.

Nivedita with her mother Shubha

On Strength and Beliefs

Pooja Ramchandran a pioneer in the field of genetic counseling in India and VP Genetic Counseling at Mapmygenome. She has been practicing clinical genetic counseling in India since graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 2008. She is a much sought-after expert in a niche profession and, being the first genetic counselor in the country with a formal degree in genetic counseling, she is committed to establishing the genetic counseling profession in India. She shares:

My mom’s a woman who is confident yet grounded, understanding yet assertive, sensitive yet strong. Growing up, I’ve watched her challenge gender-based roles, stand-up for the things she believed in, and never give up in the face of adversity. Its a quiet and powerful inner strength that she lives with every single day of her life. She exercises everyday, loves croissants, and will most definitely beat you at a game of poker. My mom is also where I get my love for bindis from, and the person I’ve stolen several sarees from! My mom is a total gender stereotype-busting badass from whom I learnt the value of human relationships, the importance of taking care of oneself, and the self-assuredness it takes to be a leader.

Pooja Ramchandran with her mother Hema

This article shares wisdom from some fabulous women. Truly each snippet is precious. As some say, the mother is a child’s first and best teacher.