A path of my own
April 2016
By Suma Varughese
Jumping into the unknown
20 years ago was a choice that transformed her life, says Suma Varughese
Twenty years ago, I was at the crossroads of my life. The spiritual magazine I was planning for the Magna group after quitting as editor of Society, was deemed unsustainable by the advertising department, and the project was called off. I considered my options within and without the organisation, and found nothing. I had made up my mind I was not going to work with any publication that encouraged consumerism, which left me with zero options. But my inner voice coaxed me to consider freelancing, a rocky profession at best, and taking all my courage in my hands, I leapt out of the safety and security of being part of one of the leading publishing houses in the country. The main reason why I took this risk is because I knew at the soul level I had no option. For the last couple of years it had been my ardent prayer to be shown the full truth about our present times. One day it hit me that the direction we were moving in as a society was going to bring us in collision with the environment. I realised that you could not promote infinite growth in a finite planet. In 1996, these truths were not common currency, and I had to dredge them out from within myself. But having done that, I had to abide by the decisions they led me to take. How much I wished then that I had languished in blissful ignorance. But there was no turning back. Turning back meant that I was striking a dagger into my own soul; that I was condemning it to stagnation. I knew that I would rather die. So I took the plunge. Today, 20 years later, I marvel at how my life has turned out. How that very evening Life Positive came into my life and I was offered a job as Mumbai bureau chief. This one choice has opened up a whole new path, a path in alignment with my soul’s needs and values, and that has filled my life with joy and meaning. My work at Life Positive has been one hundred per cent attuned to my own mission and vision and has helped me to contribute to the world even as it helped me to heal and grow at various levels. Today. 20 years later, my life seems so satisfying, so rich and full. How transformed I am as a person. What a wealth of work I have been able to create. If I were to die tomorrow I know that I have justified my time on Planet Earth through the articles I have personally written, and the magazine I have edited, both of which have been a source of hope, inspiration and comfort to thousands of people. What a wonderful group of friends and kindred spirits I have attracted through Life Positive, and how much they have enriched my life. And if I were ever to leave Life Positive, what an invaluable opportunity to continue to contribute to the world and earn a living through my writing workshops, books and other options that may come to me. All these have happened seamlessly without too much effort. The Universe has simply led me every inch of the way. Twenty years ago, I made a choice, and that choice has made me. So if today, you are standing on the threshold of a change and you can hardly breathe for fear of what lies ahead, or if you are tempted to retreat to the safety of the familiar, I will tell you to jump. If you have made the right decision for the right reason at the right time, life will support you. And you too will enjoy making your own path through life – a virgin path that no one before has ever walked. A path all your own. About the author : Suma Varughese is a thinker, writer, and Editor-in-Chief of Life Positive. She also holds writer’s workshops. Write to her at suma@lifepositive.net