My Look Up Story

While the search for a house to rent or buy has almost always been a cause of much stress to most of us, it is heart-warming to see real estate portal housing.com adding a touch of humaneness to the process. Their Look Up stories talk of optimism in not just the 'housing' domain, but also focus on the importance of positivity and optimism in making the world a better place to live in.

While browsing through their website, I couldn't help going back in time and reminiscing about the days when I needed a huge shot of optimism to wade through the waves of pessimism I was stuck in. There are times when we are so down and out and depressed about life in general that even the best of good news fails to cheer us up. We fail to see positivity around us and keep harping about the negatives. It's like we have some invisible blinders on that keeps us oblivious to all the good stuff, the blessings and keeps in focus only the stuff that cause stress and turmoil. Not too long ago, I was caught up in a similar fix - fretting about every little thing that did not go my way, in fact even the slightest of deviation from set plans would make me go into spells of self-despair and bitterness. For days, I would sulk about this and that, and wonder why everything could not turn out the way I wanted them to turn out. In short, I always wanted the remote control in my hands. Until I met Aarti Goel, an independent working woman, travelling to Lansdowne with her family.

We had stopped over for a tea break at the same dhaba and since my friend and I were the only other people eating there, her family invited us to join them for tea. And there it was, sitting with them that I discovered that the husband whom I had started addressing as Sushil bhaiya only had one hand. There was an awkward silence after this discovery, and it was Aarti who dispelled the quietness that had suddenly taken over our group. Calmly she narrated to us how many years ago her husband had met with an accident, resulting in the loss of an arm. Initially she found it difficult to get over the cruel incident and faced difficulty coping with the unfortunate developments. But she soon realised that the onus to reclaim her family's happiness was on her. She had to get a grip on not just her life.

Aarti had to start from scratch. While earlier she was dependent on her husband for all things big and small, she realised now it was time to take the steering wheels in her - quite literally too. She learnt driving and was soon assisting her husband in his office work. From a happy-go-lucky middle class wife, she slowly and steadily transformed into a woman of the world, someone who did not give in or blamed fate for her sorry state of affairs. Rather, she rose to the occasion and like the turned around tables in her favour.

I believe Aarti Goel's story is a story of optimism not just for me but for all who have a tendency to wallow in self-pity over slightest of difficulties. Hope this story inspires you too to stay positive and take life's unexpected turns in your stride.

Photo courtesy: Inspireleads