Stepping into a new version

The prime quality for being a life coach is to have that experience in the life of having chosen the fight option and then learn the art of living life to the fullest. While Harpreet Malik, one of the inspiring mentors of Prayaana’s mentorships scheme, switched to the fight mode she did not forget to embrace her life and in the process it presented her with more insights and wisdom. She is now a life coach who readily shares and imparts her inner strength to those who find themselves stuck in a quagmire of life situations.

Harpreet’s story is all about how she picked herself up, learned from her struggles to bring a balance in her life when she came face to face with cancer in 2001 at the age of 41 while she was working as the head of the operations of Saudi Arabian Airlines in Delhi. The disease made her work on her mindset and the lesson she got was that at any cost she had to stop buying her excuses.

The tiring and testing disease hit time, made her come strong and also made her realise, how various gestures from friends and family members will make pick one self-up and face that situation courageously.

Her mother moved to her house to assist and comfort her and her husband was always beside her. There was her friend who stood by her as a pillar of strength and who cooked for her two young children, and also took care of all their needs. Her daughter’s teacher carefully followed her children’s school-related works. She cannot but praise her employer for all the support that they have given to her during those times.

She had enough strength to face the situation and she says that chemotherapy affects one not only physically but emotionally as well. Hairloss, depleted energy level, and loss of appetite make you see the rock bottom and what can make you bounce back is only the inner strength. “It is very important to have positive thinking, trust in your abilities and a strong trust in God. A spiritual anchor can do the best during such times” says Harpreet.

She used to go to work with a chemotherapy ball in the pocket and at times just to keep herself strong and positive, she got into her uniform which also made her children think that their mom was back from the work.

She knows how hard a cancer diagnosis is, how gruelling the treatment is! The physical psychological and emotional lows will make you feel that you are losing your ‘self’. Now she practices as a life coach as she realised that how helpful it is to have a coach, along with your treatment to hold your hands, guide you forward ,motivate you ,and to show you that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

As a certified life coach she is specialising in oncology coaching and is doing oncology mentoring for a long time. She helps and supports one to confront the negative emotions challenge the anxieties, and thus regain balance in life. She says the caregivers at the house also go through a lot of agonies, so she stresses, that not only the patient but the care givers and the family members also need support.

3 years ago she was again diagnosed with cancer and she again went through the same treatment but thankfully within 15 years the treatment was far much evolved and moreover this time it was easier for her as her children had grown up and got settled.

So we can guarantee, for those who are looking to be mentored, Harpreet with all her experience will be a right guidance and support and will make one step into the new version of their self.