Patiala, often referred to as the “Royal City”, lies in the heart of Punjab. The city is a lovely mix of modern and historical, with palaces, forts and lush gardens.
Kunwar Singh is proud to be from Patiala, a royal city. He spent most of his life there before moving to cities like Chandigarh and Bengaluru for work.
Family is essential to Punjabi households, and Kunwar describes his childhood as very happy and secure. His parents worked hard to provide him and his sister a good lifestyle.
Another aspect of his childhood he fondly remembers was the very carefree and fun-loving attitude with which he approached most situations. His zest for fun sometimes got him in trouble with his teachers.
This changed when he entered college and working years, and he mentions that his new attitude is often the topic of fascination for his older classmates.
“When I meet my classmates now, they don’t believe that I am the same kid that used to be then.”
Watching Kunwar’s parents work hard to provide for him and his sister was inspiring.
“It made me want to go further and bring something more to their life and mine.”
One of his childhood interests was machines and engineering, which led him to Thapar College to obtain a degree in engineering. His first job was also in IT.
However, after a couple of years of working in a tech job, he felt like his interests lay elsewhere. During his free time then and now, he often engaged in creative pursuits such as painting, playing the guitar, etc., and he thought a profession that would engage with his innovative and technical skills would be ideal.
Kunwar moved to the city of Bengaluru to work at his new marketing job. However, the move was not as smooth as he thought.
“The first 6 months were quite challenging. I felt quite lonely during my time there.”
Kunwar mentions that he was in a long-distance relationship with his partner. Being away from his partner, his family, and everything familiar to him significantly affected him.
Another thing he found hard to adjust to was the social settings or friend circles he had made in Bengaluru.
“I wanted to socialise and attended certain parties and events, but it only left me feeling emotionally and physically drained as I felt out of place at times”.
After six months of living here, he reached his tipping point. Everything in his life seemed out of control, and he recalls thinking the job was the only thing going right for him then.
Since his organisation, Iquanti has had a subscription with YourDOST; he seeks direction through counseling. This is his first time trying therapy, but he is confident in the process, as he has seen examples of how therapy has worked well for others.
“After talking to my counselor, I always felt light and like a burden had been lifted.”
Kunwar’s counselor helped him inculcate a few practices into his daily life, which would help him navigate situations when they got tough. The first was journaling, where he simply wrote down what happened in the day and how he felt about it.
The second was the practice of shifting his perspective, where she asked him to turn his attention to his blessings, things he was grateful for every time he felt any negative emotions or situations.
Even the simple act of speaking to his counselor validated his emotions like nothing else. He also says that therapy taught him more about himself.
“I realised that almost everyone is going through some problem. And my problems are just as common as any other problem.”
Kunwar has now moved back to Chandigarh, where he tries to visit his parents weekly. At 28, he feels like he has started a new chapter and hopes to continue improving.
He now rates himself a 4.5 out of 5 in terms of feeling better.
Kunwar’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Addressing emotional issues through therapy can give you the strength to solve them better.”
2.“Help is always there for you; you just need the courage to ask for it.”
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