You Don’t Always Choose to Grow. Sometimes Life Chooses for You.
CeeVee’s Corner
The Gap Between Qualified and Ready
I still remember the first time I actually rode a scooter — a motorised two-wheeler in India, not the e-scooter you see in the western world.
I had a license. I had passed the test. Technically, I knew how to ride.
But I never attempted it on my own. I was afraid.
There is a big difference between being qualified on paper and feeling ready in real life.
The Moment That Changed Everything
The first time I truly broke that fear was not because I suddenly found courage. It was out of circumstance.
Almost 18 years ago, my son was hospitalised as a baby. I had spent the whole night at the hospital. The next morning, I needed leave from work — but my boss wouldn’t approve it remotely. I had to go in person. My father had left the scooter at the hospital the night before, just in case.
I remember standing there — exhausted, anxious, and deeply unsure — and then deciding that I simply had to do it.
So I rode that scooter 1km to my workplace. And something shifted that day.
After that, I used a two-wheeler for years. It gave me mobility, independence, and confidence in ways I didn’t fully appreciate at the time.
The Quiet Norms That Keep Us Small
The same pattern repeated itself with driving a car.
I had a license. But I didn’t drive — partly due to the subtle social expectation that if there’s a husband, the woman doesn’t need to. It sounds small. But these unspoken norms quietly shape our comfort zones in ways we rarely notice.
Then life intervened again. I got a job 25km from home, and driving was the only option. That old Maruti Suzuki became my business partner and office for years.
Starting Over in a New City
Two years ago, I landed in Melbourne with my children and two suitcases. No friends. No network. Just an offer letter from my university.
Very quickly, I realised that without a car, survival in a large city would be extremely difficult. So the very next day, I walked into a used car showroom — because that was what I could afford — and purchased a fully financed car based on a future salary that hadn’t even started yet.
I was literally shivering driving out of that showroom. The traffic felt bigger. The roads felt unfamiliar. The responsibility felt heavy.
But once that barrier was broken, everything changed. Today, I drive across Melbourne and beyond. That one decision preserved my independence during one of the most uncertain phases of my life.
What These Moments Taught Me
These are small stories. But they carry a big truth.
Comfort zones are not always broken because we feel brave. Sometimes they are broken because circumstances leave us no option.
And when that happens, we evolve — whether we intended to or not.
The same pattern applies to health. Doctors often say the biggest health crisis can become the greatest turning point. A heart attack, for instance, can make someone radically change their lifestyle — and they end up living healthier and longer than they would have otherwise.
A crisis can become a blessing in disguise.
My father’s recent passing was deeply painful. But it forced me to understand the healthcare system more closely — its strengths, its gaps, and the responsibility we each carry for our own health. It changed the way I think about my future.
This Is About More Than Growth
For me, this phase of life is not just about career progression or achievement. It is about building a stronger, more capable version of myself — physically, mentally, emotionally.
Call it health. Call it resilience. Call it living well for longer. The word matters less than the intention.
What I know for sure is this: progress rarely happens inside comfort.
Every time we step beyond what feels safe — whether out of necessity or choice — we expand our capacity. And capacity determines how well we live, how long we thrive, and how independent we remain.
Your Turn
If you look back at your life, I am sure there was a moment that felt overwhelming, even frightening — but that very moment shaped you into a stronger version of yourself.
Breaking the comfort zone is not just about growth.
It is about evolution.
Wishing Universal Love and Abundance
Dr.CeeVee
#drceevee
EDITORIAL BY
Dr. Chandra Vadhana R. (Dr. CeeVee) is an academic, author, entrepreneur, and impact strategist with a passion for empowering women, scaling social innovation, and embedding sustainability in business. With a PhD in management and over two decades of experience across academia and industry, she bridges education, entrepreneurship, and sustainability to create meaningful change. Dr. CeeVee is the founder of multiple purpose-driven ventures, including SheSight, ShePower Club, Prayaana Labs, and serves as a Senior Lecturer in Business at Monash University, Australia. Her work blends research, tech-enabled impact, and community building to shape a more equitable and regenerative future.
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