PRENEETA SHARMA
In today’s world, women are no longer confined to a single role. They balance diverse responsibilities while establishing their own identities as professionals, mothers, leaders, entrepreneurs, dreamers, and transformation mediators. Among the many stories of perseverance, there are personalities like Pooja Priyamvada who not only inspire themselves to overcome challenges but also serve as a beacon of motivation for women everywhere. Her journey exemplifies bravery, resilience, and the strength of self-confidence. As a single mother, author, academic, translator, therapist, and advocate, she has shown that a woman can embrace numerous identities without sacrificing her essence. She conveys to all women that life’s obstacles do not need to dictate their limitations; rather, they can act as the building blocks for their growth.
Pooja Priyamvada’s tale is more than just one woman attaining success; it showcases a woman who boldly chooses her own route and, in the process, motivates numerous others to have faith in their potential. In a society where women often feel pressured to adjust their dreams to fit societal norms, she stands as a compelling testament to the idea that a woman who recognizes her own power can uplift herself, but a woman who shares her experiences can inspire an entire generation of women.
In this special and inspiring interview with Preneeta Sharma, Editor, Crazy News India, Pooja Priyamvada shares insights into her extraordinary life journey, the influences that have molded her, and the experiences that empowered her to become the woman she is now.
You wear many hats including writer, counsellor, academic and mindfulness practitioner. Which version of Pooja Priyamvada is the most real when nobody is watching?
“I am a learner. Whether someone is watching or not is never been a factor for me. I am a public person in all my professional roles and an extremely private person otherwise, but I am always learning in all roles.” Pooja says
For Priyamvada, identity is not confined to a designation. The different roles may change, but the willingness to learn remains constant.
As a mentor in the field of mental health, what do you believe matters more today: a money or mental health? And can one truly exist without the other?
“Having a safe livelihood is extremely important for good mental health too. However, if making money is affecting your mental health, then that aspect needs to be examined. An adult needs to find a balance. Money and mental health can be complementary and not contrary to each other.”
For Pooja financial security can support emotional wellbeing, but the pursuit of money should not come at the cost of destroying oneself.
Do strong women sometimes feel pressured to hide their emotional vulnerability?
“I think all people in positions of authority have this pressure to appear strong in all situations, not just women.”As a woman leader, however, she believes authority alone cannot build meaningful human connections.“Along with authority, your humaneness is what connects you to the people in your team. So personally, I am not scared to be human and that does involve some emotional vulnerability.”
How can women be encouraged to reclaim their voice and stand up for themselves in a society where internalised patriarchy can sometimes be perpetuated by women themselves?
Women cannot learn to fight for themselves one fine day as adults. The upbringing of both boys and girls needs to change, and the system of conventional marriages needs to become more equal. There will always be women who oppose women’s empowerment or oppress weaker women, and there will always be men who support feminism. But ultimately, one needs to stand up for oneself. Internalised patriarchy is a long battle.
What has been the most rebellious decision of your personal or professional life?
“I think the decision to be a single parent and take my daughter’s first name as my last name is a milestone for me, both personally and professionally. It asserted my identity as I wanted it to be. Now it is for posterity on all my books.”But that was not the only moment when I chose to challenge convention.“Also, I performed the last rites of my father alone as a married daughter back in 2015. I was told it was a first in that main crematorium in Shimla.”
Her rebellion, therefore, was not rebellion for its own sake. It was a conscious assertion of identity, choice and the right to participate fully in traditions that have historically excluded women.
If your life were turned into a book, which chapter would you be most nervous for people to read?
“As I said before, I am enough of a public person, so there is no shame. Also, I have no regrets in life, so why would I be nervous?”
Pooja believes that a life lived on one’s own terms leaves little room for regret. Every choice, challenge and chapter becomes a part of the journey that something to embrace rather than defend.
What is your personal definition of a healthy relationship and does it differ from the popular idea of ‘perfect love’?
“No relationship or love is perfect. It is always two people and their imperfections fitting perfectly together.” For Priyamvada, there can be no universal blueprint for love. But certain values, she believes, remain essential.“Some values must define an ideal relationship—mutual respect, transparency, healthy boundaries and empathy.”
For Pooja love is not about perfection, but about two imperfect people finding harmony through mutual respect, transparency, healthy boundaries and, above all, empathy.
What is more important for a successful relationship i.e compatibility, chemistry or communication?
Priyamvada chooses none of the three as the ultimate foundation.“Empathy is the most important factor. No two people are 100 per cent compatible. Complete compatibility isn’t possible not even with parents or siblings. Chemistry, while crucial, cannot be the crux of your connection. Communication is important, but it would not always lead to an intimate connection.”
For Pooja, empathy for the partner is the basis.
If you could give one brutally honest piece of relationship advice to today’s generation, what would it be?
“Let it go or be dragged.”
Also, be with someone for the right reasons, not for FOMO, not because all your friends are hitched, not because log kya kahenge, not scared of the question why are you single.Always remember nobody is perfect, your partner is a flawed human too and so are you, accommodate that.
“A woman can be many things, and she can still remain completely herself” should be totally a choice of women. One should stop asking women to choose between their dreams and their responsibilities, their emotions and their strength, or their individuality and their relationships.
Pooja’s journey iis a poignant reminder and informs that women need not to be fit into one idea of success. They can be strong and fragile, ambitious and compassionate, public and private, autonomous and profoundly linked all at the same time. The journey also reminds every woman that she does not have to wait for permission to become who she is intended to be. Sometimes, the bravest thing a woman can do is just believe in herself and then have the fortitude to live that belief every single day.
Because when one woman chooses her own path with courage, she does not just change her own life but she illuminates the way for countless others to find their own.
