A training ground

A training ground

April 2016

By Shivi Verma

  am someone who cannot work unless I am inspired, and I was on the brink of giving up journalism because its current format depressed and demotivated me. I considered myself a misfit in the hyper-competitive world of mainstream journalism. I used to gawk at the smart-aleck, badass scribes scorching their way up by getting this breaking news or that elusive contact, lead or interview. Not that I did not do it, but I never felt comfortable doing it, and was always ill-at-ease. And I would have gone on berating myself for being a good-for-nothing had I not seen Life Positive at a bookstore. “Thank heavens there exists a journal which speaks of love, growth, and positivity instead of looking for loopholes, and yelling from the rooftop about discovering them,” I thought.

Joining the magazine was nothing less than serendipity. I befriended editor Suma Varughese on Facebook while living in the small town of Gorakhpur. At that time I only aspired to be a contributor. But God had other plans. In 2010 I got married to a man who lived in Mumbai. I relocated to Mumbai, and after a few months contacted Sumaji once again, wanting to join Life Positive. Sadly, the only place was filled already. Yet I had a strong conviction that the job was coming to me sooner or later. In October 2011, I received a call from her, telling me that there was a vacancy and from November 2011, I joined. Ever since life has been a beautiful unfolding of my spiritual self as I grew from strength to strength under the gentle guidance provided by Life Positive.

Within a few months of joining I got an opportunity to interview a holy man. My first ever.  And in the process I found my guru. Someone who had not materialised in a decade of seeking, entered my life within five months of joining LP. He had said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Meeting me on the day of Guru Purnima is no coincidence. I am your guru.”

I also learnt the finer nuances of good writing under the able stewardship of editor Suma Varughese. The magazine gave me the space to express myself in complete authenticity. In short Life Positive has been like a guru to me, holding me gently with its strong, supportive arms helping me chisel myself through the concepts and ideas floated by it. Interacting with an aware and evolved editor (I was impressed by the way she consulted her conscience before making a statement), reading various articles that came for editing, and absorbing their message in the solitude of my cubicle became a sort of virtual training in evolution. Yes LP has been my training ground in becoming a better version of myself. Thank you, LP.

Deputy Editor with Life Positive, Shivi Verma is a devotee who found all her answers in loving God passionately.