Hasitha Illa
If I had told my 10-year-old self that I would grow up someday to become a content and successful woman, I would have never believed myself then!
When I was a child, I was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia. It affected my walking, my speech, and my heart. It was mentally very, very exhausting. Heartfulness meditation was a boon to my life. It was practiced by my grandfather who introduced it to my parents and then, me. Initially, I was extremely adamant not to incorporate this into my routine however, the day I started my practice was when I actually started living my life!
Once I became immersed in this practice, I realized that my life was being mapped out by the almighty. Whether it was my completely accessible college or my encouraging experience at CCMB, Hyderabad, it all seemed destined for me guided by a higher power. An event that greatly affected my confidence was at ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ with Shankar Mahadevan when I was asked to give a motivational speech – maybe I wouldn’t have been given this opportunity had I not been in a wheelchair. These made me aware of my life and made me extremely grateful and accept myself as a whole! (Yes, my disability too.)
From that day on, it was like a ripple effect of opportunities. From motivational speaking to modeling, I have done it all. And I cannot thank Heartfulness enough for changing me into a person who thousands of people look up to. Of course, meditation has brought peace into my life but more importantly, it transformed me into someone I could never dream to be 15 years back – courageous, confident, bold and full of joy!
For me now, the most important thing that matters in life is how you look at things. Since the day I started my blogs, the number one thing that people tell me is how inspired they are to see my unique point of view. I am extremely grateful as Heartfulness is the reason behind my positive personality. Every aspect in life, whether it is good or bad, has a purpose. Let the higher plan work out for you.
