Sisu's Dream

By Shaila Thakur

It was Sisu's dream to be a person who could be reached out to by everyone and support them in whatever way she could.

She was a very kind person. She understood that communication is the key to everyone's heart. All the people around her adored her very much. She was today very successful. A businesswoman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and a good friend. She was always there to the lend a ear and a shoulder whenever need be.

But she was not always like this. She used to be a very subservient, obedient and shy person. Although she was smart at school, she was raised in a conservative family. Hence, she was not allowed to go in for higher studies. She had aspired to be a writer and be a professor at the University. Since she was not allowed to go for higher studies and married off at a young age all she was doing was being at home, looking after the house, all the family members and being at the beck and call of all of her new family members. This was killing her inside and also her physical health started suffering. Because this was not who she had wanted to be. And to add to the misery, she was treated very poorly at the hands of her in-laws. The only ray of hope was her husband. He was a big moral support.

Now it so happened that their family fell on difficult times. It was all the more challenging for Sisu. To manage the household looking after the family members and also taking care of the finances. She started to feel very pressured and burdened. Being a self-respecting woman, she did not want to take help from her parents. She was now at a crossroads as to what to do. She then decided to start coaching from home. She knew that she would not be allowed to go out of the house to work. So she chose to help people like her, who had wanted to do something in life. This step was not taken very kindly to by her family she faced a lot of opposition and anger. Taking this first step towards financial freedom cost her whatever little metal peace she had. She was also accused of neglecting her family duties. However, she had set her mind not to stop with this work that she had started. She reminded herself of the person she was when she was younger.

Sisu – is what she was. She remembered what her name meant. Sisu means grit, resilience, bravery, strength and stoicism all combined together. She remembered how she had always been a top-performer at school & college. How she was loved and showered with affection for all her hard work and never-say-die attitude, whether she won or lost. She now made up her mind to being her old self. The girl with the indomitable spirit.

Initially it was very difficult for her to get coachees. A few of them joined and were forced to leave the sessions mid-way by Sisu’s family. But she persisted. And one of the women she was coaching stayed firm and continued with the coaching sessions. Sisu coached her for being self-confident and

becoming a public speaker. This was her first success. The news of the success of this woman success who Sisu coached reached the neighborhood. And slowly Sisu started getting noticed in her neighbourhood and other nearby localities. Her name started spreading in her city and she started getting a big number coaching clients.

Sisu realized when she heard the success stories of the coachees and she listened to their problems, she understood the kind of difference that she was making in all these lives. And she could somehow relate it to her aspiration of being a writer and of being a professor at the University although she could not fulfil her dream has she had envisioned it earlier. She understood that it was the same dream getting manifested although in a different form. The most important part of coaching the clients was listening carefully to them. This listening served two purposes.

One the coaches felt better when they shared their challenges their fears, their dreams, their goals with her. She could draw a coaching plan for them and guide them help them reach their goals which was very satisfactory and gave both of them a sense of accomplishment.

The second one was when she listened to them, she understood that many of her fears, her inhibitions were baseless. She understood that she had been overthinking and procrastinating. While helping the coachees achieve their goals, this process was helping her to achieve her own goal, her own dream.

She wanted to emphasize on the aspect of communication because now she understood that to reach the dream. That has to be a clear communication. She made her family sit down, heard them out and shared her dream and aspirations with them. When her family realised the potential Sisu had and how she was transforming not only their lives but also those of countless others, they started supporting her. She started with 1 coachee and her coaching business slowly spread across the length and breadth of the country. Sisu also started collaborating with various educational & vocational institutions to spread her message and skill students. She was determined to transform the lives of as many people as she could.

Sisu wants you to know that you too can achieve your dreams. Provided you turn them into goals. And go after them with absolute determination. Upgrade yourself. Support others achieve their goals. And most importantly have a dream and the courage to go after it.

By Shaila Thakur