“Optimism isn’t just to hope for a good ending but also to face it when the ending isn’t what you had in mind”, says Agrima, a 25-year-old practising lawyer at the Raipur trial courts and Bilaspur High Court. She pursued her BA-LLB from Hidayatullah National Law University, Chhattisgarh.
She is a single child to her parents and was born in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. She grew up in a positive environment where her parents showered her with love and stood by every wish and dream of hers.
Agrima recollects being an extroverted, active kid who was good at academics but also participated in extracurricular activities like dancing, singing, and drawing. She was hardworking and always got the top ranks throughout her school life.
Contrary to her childhood, Agrima says she grew up to be introverted after school, with only four to five people in her close circle.
“I used to easily make friends, talk a lot, and love all the attention, but now, I don’t open up quickly and avoid the spotlight. My best friend is someone I met during school and am still close to.”
As Agrima moved to college, she focused solely on her studies and pushed through with her academic years. Towards her fourth year, She recalls eagerly awaiting placements and internship opportunities.
However, she felt demotivated and sad when the internships she had in mind did not follow through. She started feeling more anxious as most people in her batch had already gotten in somewhere.
“If not the internship, I thought I would at least focus on the job interviews, but at the crucial point of my life, seeing my friends having things lined up when I didn’t, made me lose my self-confidence.”
Agrima’s college partnered with YourDOST platform during the pandemic, and she was aware of it through the emails and broadcasts on their WhatsApp groups. She decided to work on her issue by talking to an expert and started taking the sessions on the platform.
At first, Agrima tried a voice call session, which wasn’t satisfying, so she took video sessions from the next session. She recalls thinking the counselor was sweet, non-judgemental and a good listener.
“I loved the flow of our discussions, where she would ask me how I feel, then instead of giving me her opinion, she would show me the alternative responses to situations with her questions, and then we end with what I can do before the next session.”
Once Agrima shared the issue about her career, the counselor guided her to work on the future rather than dwelling on the past regarding her internship. She gave her a nudge towards how she can prepare for her interviews and give her best. The counselor validated Agrima’s emotions and helped her be gentle with herself. They also gave her ways to counter the negative feelings by working on herself.
As she struggled with managing academics, placements, and personal life, the counselor helped her divide her time and distribute it precisely. This helped her stay positive and look forward to her opportunities.
“My counselor gave me a different outlook. When my friends told me similar things, I didn’t heed them, but her approach helped me understand things better. Her solutions and the technique were extremely apt for me.”
Agrima explains that the sessions made her hopeful when she was at a low point in her life. She got a hold of the situation and could feel confident again. She was ready to face the world even if things didn’t go as planned.
She credits her counselor with making her feel optimistic about life again and for being an important part of her journey. Agrima rates herself a 3 out of 5. She eventually landed a job and moved on to becoming the lawyer she dreamed of being.
We are proud of her journey, and we wish her all the best for all of her future endeavours.
Agrima’s Warrior Tips:
1.“Take it seriously when your mind starts getting pessimistic thoughts, and address them as you address a physical illness.”
2.“Life indeed has ups and downs, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek help when you are at a low point.”
3.“When you consistently have negative emotions, talk to a professional rather than your friends.”
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