Mumbai, the city of dreams and lights, symbolises hope and ambition for people worldwide. Among these dreamers is Gautami, an 18-year-old fashion student determined to make her mark on the fashion world. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at Atlas Skintech University.
In a world full of engineers, doctors, and lawyers, Gautami’s chosen field was fashion. It had been a dream of hers ever since she was a child.
While Gautami chooses to live her life on her terms, she is met with some opposition from her family throughout her childhood. She explained that her family was quite conservative, and that was one reason why they did not agree on some things.
Her family consists of her mother, father, and older sister. When she told her family that she wanted to pursue fashion design, they were not 100% convinced. After multiple attempts, she convinced her family and made it to Mumbai, all set to pursue her dream.
However, staying in college away from her parents wasn’t an easy experience, as she often found herself at odds with her mother about her choices. She recalls an incident on her 18th birthday when she had a difficult conversation with her mother about what she chose to wear that day.
In addition, she found her mom often distancing herself from her whenever she made a decision, such as colouring or cutting her hair. She remembers the incident that happened on her birthday vividly, as she feels that after that, all the emotions she had been suppressing for years bottled up to the surface.
She mentions that her family and even some of her relatives have not been very open-minded about how she should dress, behave, etc., ever since she was a child. And that continued even when she was away at college.
Along with these things she was experiencing from home, she found life at college challenging, too. These two were the primary reasons why she decided to seek help. Since her college subscribed to YourDOST, she signed up and booked a session with Ms. Ekta Egiwal.
She describes Ekta Egiwal as more of a friend than counselor because she could speak to her quickly. She mentions how she helped her navigate self-doubt by suggesting effective strategies.
“She suggested strategies such as going out to a cafe and doing my work, which helped me focus on my creativity and designs.”
This helped her understand that we often feel a spotlight on us and that everyone is watching what we are doing. However, when she went to a cafe and worked alone, she noticed that people were busy with their own lives and work, and she started to think about how that was the case in her college.
She also mentioned having issues with some of her classmates, and her counselor helped her gain some perspective on handling them.
“I can look at my problems now with more perspective. This helped me.”
She also expressed gratitude for how Ms Ekta helped her navigate situations with her family.
“I think I learnt to make peace with a few situations. Where I don’t have control over.”
Gautami rates herself a 3.5 out of 5 for feeling better. We at YourDOST are proud of her progress.
Gautami’s Warrior Tips:
1.“You are never alone in your struggles.”
2.“You need to enjoy the freedom of solving your problems because that will make you solve them quicker and gain more self-confidence.”
Are you someone who has gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, with some professional help? Share your story with us to encourage thousands of others who might be struggling. Click here to submit your story.
