AWAKEN THE LIGHT WITHIN, THIS DIWALI

Happy Diwali. This festival of lights I will not say light the world.

- NAMRATA KOHLI

Or burn like a candle and keep spreading goodness etc etc. Instead, I will just say awaken the light within. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Nourish and nurture yourself.

Self-care is not selfish; it's essential. By ensuring your own cup is full, you can better navigate responsibilities and offer your best to others. Societal expectations often place a high value on nurturing others. But I feel women must attend to their own well-being first, to effectively support their families, careers and communities.

Take charge to recharge yourselves---emotionally, mentally, and physically. I have seen so many housewives relegating and sulking in the shadows of self-doubt, low self-esteem, self-deprivation; often guilty to ask for either time or money for their own needs and desires, be it shopping, beauty care, or even meeting their kith and kin. We cannot hopelessly romanticize burnout and self-sacrifice, because that simply comes at the expense of one's own well-being.