As part of our ongoing quest to get you meaningful and powerful stories from the startup ecosystem, we invited yet another passionate and purpose-driven woman entrepreneur – Arouba Kabir Pathan for an exclusive interview with BrilliantRead Media. She is a Mental Health Therapist, Counsellor and Founder of Enso Wellness. She is also a Certified practitioner for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Hypnotherapy, Expressive Art therapy, Transformation Yoga & Meditation. Let’s read more about her inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive Interview with her:
We would love to know more about your powerful story and how you overcame all odds. Please talk us through it;
So I was born in a small village of Kashmir and I have been battling with a rare and chronic illness called CYSTIC FIBROSIS. It’s a progressive genetic disorder which affects multiple organs. I used to be sick most of the time during my childhood and it was only at the age of 21 when I got too sick and got admitted for a long time. That’s when doctors told us about this rare condition.
Getting diagnosed with CYSTIC FIBROSIS made antidepressants my bedside essentials. The doctors didn’t expect me to live beyond 27, and I was 21. When one is supposedly so close to a terminal date, one should feel weak, helpless and depressed. I also felt all of these! But somehow, I knew I had the inner strength and support of others along the way.
I have a background in Psychology, so I graced as an intern with a psychologist to learn the practical aspects of the human mind.”
I started assisting counsellors in India and abroad, took a lot of internships, and also did courses in mental health. I even undertook courses in Yoga, Pilates and Meditation, and started working with my sister as a part-time physiotherapist which also gave me an understanding about how the human body works. Subsequently, I applied for a physiotherapist technician course in her institute- KRV physiotherapy.
Within two years I was doing well, my psychiatry medicines were gone, lung function had improved and I learnt to understand my body and what it needed, which resulted in a career shift to mental health and wellness specialist.
I chose a holistic approach which not only helped me heal myself but applying it to my clients today, gives results which would be tough with an isolated form of therapy. It has produced remarkable results so far. My purpose now is to share all my knowledge and experience with others.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
I always feel everyday is a blessing and I look forward to it as I want to make the most of it. I want to help myself and others as much as I can. My purpose is to impact as many lives as I can. Every morning I have something new and productive that I have not done yesterday.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
I chose entrepreneurship to do something which is very close to my heart and to add value to the lives of others. Earlier I worked as a freelance consultant but I soon realised I would need a more structured and seamless way to do it. In 2015, I founded my organization called Enso Wellness. It is a safe haven for people where we welcome everybody – Sufferers, Survivors, Heroes and absolutely everybody in between. It has been a journey full of challenges, learning, excitement and great experiences.
Tell us more about Enso Wellness and its vision.
Our aim at Enso Wellness is to cater to an individual’s needs in a holistic manner. We don’t just focus on isolated forms therapy as we understand that every mind is different thus we have an array of professionals on our panel from musicians to healers to therapists to fitness instructors amongst many others. Together, we help to outgrow and overcome the ailments.
We also have had the privilege of associating with several corporates and schools and we conducted sessions on Posture and Alignment, the Importance of career choices, Work on relationships, Overcoming rejection and failure, Understanding how the mind works, Increasing productivity, Mental de-stressing amongst various others. These workshops provide a wide array of introspection for the attendees and help them grow eventually.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Well, you can imagine there were many – be it my uneven health or the pain of mediocrity particularly in terms of mindset. But, thanks to the support of people around me who gave me strength.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
None. First for me is always – thoughts.
The Reason is – Depending on the kind of thoughts, I generate emotions, depending on the kind of emotions, I act, depending on my activities I make money. So the first is always thoughts. Even if I have to choose, I will choose thoughts over anything.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I just do one thing – monitor my thoughts.
When I realize that I am feeling pressure or am stressed or anxious, I simply change my thought pattern consciously. But I must admit it did not happen overnight. It took a consistent practice to tune my mind and thoughts and that’s what became a game-changer.
What are some of the strategies that you believe has helped you grow as an entrepreneur?
There are a few –
Being mindful
Always being resourceful
Taking extreme ownership and responsibility for my actions Courage
Ability to take risks & venture into uncharted territories.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones –
Accepting & Loving myself.
Responsibility for my actions
Standing up for myself
Resourcefulness
Curiosity
Positive Attitude
Taking massive action (execution) with consistency and belief
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
With my journey and experience, the advice that I would pass on to all the aspiring women entrepreneurs would be –
Don’t jump on to something just for money because money is a by-product of how much value you add in the marketplace.
When you start something just for money, you will soon realize that enthusiasm and willingness are fading away because perhaps it is not something that you are passionate about. Always follow your passion!
Never quit because when you never quit then you never fail. And when you never fail, then you finally get what you want.
Ignorance is not bliss. It’s a disease. Never start anything that you are ignorant about.
Be resourceful. You may not have resources all the time. But what will get those resources to you is your resourcefulness.
Every problem has a hidden meaning, so look out for the meaning that it is trying to tell you.
And finally, when life itself is temporary, how can problems be permanent. So remember that everything is just temporary and Why to expect too much when you are going to leave back to this world once you are gone.
How did you overcome your fears of the possibility of death?
I guess I came up with my motto- I understood that we can be happy every day and understand all this is an inevitable part of me but it’s not something which should define me for the rest of the days I live.
My medical condition can slow life down a little bit as there are a lot more therapies that one needs to do, but my belief is you can have a disease but you can also have the rest of your life in full form. It’s an everyday job to keep reminding myself that I am the only person who can decide whether to live in fear or live happily. Death is the ultimate truth and we all have to die one day but I want to give life my best shot and then leave rest to the creator.
There were many dark days with doctors giving me not more than 6-7 years more to live. Today, in my 30’s, I am one among the oldest healthiest Cystic Fibrosis patients in India we know of so far.
Even with your medical condition, you’ve always fancied travelling, what inspires you to go out there and leave your worries behind?
I remember, as a child, I would always get dreamy-eyed at the mere thought of travelling. I decided if life is so short, I’d rather make my heart happy and thus I began travelling.
Travelling and travelling alone always gives me this feeling of contentment- to be independent, meet strangers, walk unknown paths, and breathe the air of different places.
I believe travelling has evolved me into a better person; someone who values friendship, humanity, love, and smiles more. I have been overwhelmed by nature’s beauty across the globe. I still have many places to go to, many people to meet, be friends with unknown people, know the cultures, and get back to my nest.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My life changed around when my pillars; my husband – Faraz and my dogs, Jigar and Mishka, graced it.
Faraz accepted me and married me even when he knew the intricacies – he chose to be with me when others were hesitant.
To be honest, now that I am with Faraz, so many people want to be with me but back then when the situation was not in my favour – no one would have accepted it because all people wanted was either their partner to be submissive and listen to them or they want an equal earning partner. I was none. He is my biggest strength. He has since become my safe spot and anchor. Jigar, my dog has always been right there next to me like a true companion. Lately, he’s been joined by Mishka, who is learning the art of overflowing love from Jigar. Their love has kept me smiling, shining, and warm. Both my families and my friends have also been very supportive.
How difficult/challenging is it to create an awareness about mental health especially in Indian societies?
Good question! I am glad you asked this one.
Well, it is quite challenging to build awareness because it is still considered a bad thing. People worry about what others would say if they get to know about your mental health issues. They will start calling you ‘MAD’. It is also because of this fear that people are skeptical about sharing their mental health issues in Indian societies. They don’t give much importance to mental health as much as they give to Physical health.
Over the past 7 years, I have been trying to build awareness and educate people that it’s absolutely ok to have mental health problems. Taking care of it should be as important as Physical health. We are now seeing some good results as people have started to acknowledge these things.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
