At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from India and around the World. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate coach and entrepreneur – Aruna Singh for an exclusive interview with us. Aruna is an Educator, Coach, Teacher, Trainer, Mentor, Change Maker and Author. Let’s learn more about her inspiring journey, background and advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Aruna:
Talk us through your background and your journey, please;
My professional journey so far has helped me cross-pollinate ideas across a wide variety of students and helped them to achieve success through their hard work and dedication.
I was offered a job as a teacher when I went to enrol my child in school. I was without a B.Ed and had no ambition to teach at that time, but realized very quickly that I was made for this role only.
Continued teaching and took up all kinds of roles possible in the ecosystem of a school like activity in charge, house warden, Head of the science department, coordinator, headmistress and finally Principal. It has been a very interesting and enriching journey.”
Currently, I am working as a consultant for a K12 school and really enjoying the journey and along with life coaching is happening so on a very happy space right now.
What made you passionate about ‘Coaching’?
During my journey as a teacher, principal it was clear to me that students, teachers and parents make up the vertices of the triangle. Each vertex has to be managed well and there are too many gaps between these people, relationships are not as they should be. So I was trying to understand how to bridge these gaps between these people. That was the beginning and so the passion of coaching.
Helping others heal and live life as incredibly is truly my passion. My goal is to guide my clients to find happiness and live their life to the fullest. I believe we all are capable of making any change we desire for ourselves. Now I am going to launch a program which will benefit everyone from a 15-year-old to a 70-year-old.”
Whether you are dealing with anxiety/phobia, pain, limiting belief or weight issues, can enhance your ability and give you the tools you need to help you change. What’s holding you back, the repeating negative thoughts, self-sabotaging or negative self-talk habits and more. The only requirement is to become aware, take action or the first step to connect with me, the rest is my job to give you the road map.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
My ambition is to see people happy and prospering around me. I am more than happy to help people to become their incredible selves. Coaching helps the clients to identify themselves and learn about the core values on which they thrive, when there are conflicts in these areas there is a lot of friction and pain which needs to be addressed.
At “Joy Of Life ” as the name suggests we are always helping people to live a life of your dreams. No one wants to live with comparisons, competitions and conflicts. The experiences we have and the circumstances shape our belief systems and our character too, which needs to be addressed and molded as per what you want to do and achieve now. I strongly believe change is the constant. As the saying goes “old ways will never open new doors”
My mission for “Joy of Life” is to have Healthy, Responsible and Productive people for better nation-building and the program “Emotional ABCD” is an Integrated system with Emotional Intelligence, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Lifestyle changes, Yoga, Meditations & Life Coaching. This program has the potential to create major mindset changes to the people who will follow the program.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
Problems are the stepping stones to success!! We think differently and try to find a solution to the challenges we are facing when we are facing those roadblocks in our own lives.
My life changed when my husband suffered a brain stroke which left him full left side paralytic and made him bedridden and finally succumbed to it after suffering for 3 years in bed.
This made me think and wanted to help people so that they do not suffer this way. With time in my hand, the covid lockdown had given me the time and the opportunity to study further and get certified to become a coach.”
My second son and daughter-in-law have been my big supporters, they encouraged me to do whatever interests me and gives me happiness. They taught me a lot of technological nuances and how to deal with the media.
My friends have been a big source of motivation and their belief in me always pushes me ahead to do things which otherwise would be very difficult.
Please share with us – what has worked well for you so far?
Word of mouth and the fact that people are getting value for their investment. These days everyone needs a life coach due to the challenges and the life style we are leading, Covid has added fuel to the fire in many ways. You have to have solutions to their problems and it has to become visible to them.
Coaching is believing in each other! The coach has to be non judgmental and the client has to be open andsubmitting to the coach with honesty and trust would take the client a long way in achieving the outcomes which are aspired for.”
A life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps people make progress in their lives in order to attain greater fulfilment. Life coaches aid their clients in improving their relationships, careers, and day-to-day lives.
Life coaches can help you clarify your goals, identify the obstacles holding you back, and then come up with strategies for overcoming each obstacle. In creating these strategies, life coaches target your unique skills and gifts.
By helping you to make the most of your strengths, life coaches provide the support you need to achieve long-lasting change.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are quite many:
(1) Learning,
(2) Listening to people and reading a lot.
(3) Asking for help whenever needed.
(4) Maintaining my health.
(5) Always being resourceful and helpful to others.
(6) One thing I have learned is to keep consistency and keep educating.
(7) Ability to take risks & venture into uncharted territories.
Please share with us a unique challenge you faced in your early career?
As already mentioned, I was offered a job in the school where I was trying to get my child admitted. I was very bad with Hindi and could only speak English, Telugu & Bengali and the students were expecting bilingual explanations with English & Hindi. One parent had some issues about the test I took for the children and he directly approached our principal to complain about it.
I was called over and the principal asked the parent to talk about his concern, and then asked me to give an appropriate reply. After I completed my explanation, my principal told the parent that I was absolutely right as he had his son studying in the same class. He is following the curriculum and I am too. That was a big boost for me and my methodology of teaching.
So teachers do not have to know whose children are in your class, accept all with the same love and affection and do whatever is right and encourage them to do well.
Another challenge I faced was when I started coaching and one client said I thought that it was free for all, I said OK let us consider it free, let us work on you. After two weeks the lady paid me the full amount without any questions. My biggest challenge was to reach out to people especially the ones who are in need as they are usually closed and withdrawn.
Do you have to be critical if it is your passion or addiction?
There have been children who have got into professions which were forced upon them and later on they shifted to pursue their passion or their own ambition!
There are so many professions today which did not exist some years back, explore and see that it is just not a fancy thing you are running for but a sure practice which you would love to be doing even after 30 years. Look, pause, ponder and then follow your heart.
A small note to the parents here please advice your children, but do not try to live YOUR dreams through them. This will destroy their personality and confidence.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Since I am into coaching, speaking and writing I believe in giving 10X value and your business will never be stagnant.
Connecting with people and giving them the confidence that the program would certainly benefit them in all possible ways.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
My motivation comes from painting and creativity. Making daily posts and writing puts me in a great state of mind. Discipline is one of my baselines- morning walks, small sessions of yoga and 20 minutes of meditation helps me to be motivated and ready for action.
A healthy body with an active and working mind helps you to remain in a positive and happy space and you are eager to do more than what you can and have planned to do.
My grandfather taught us to write a gratitude journal every day and that habit stayed with me till now which has helped me to stay grounded and real. Buzz moments like painting, gardening, playing with my pet, listening to good old melodies, cooking makes my day a great one.
I love to read, so books which have great content and show how people have done well and how they have overcome their challenges inspire me. Spiritual books also interest me a lot.
Last but not least my stimulation comes from the breakthroughs my clients get and the clarity they achieve.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
Since I am of the old school but dealing with the new age students there has been a paradigm of change in my attitude, vision and action.
There are a few very important factors which lead to success are:-
(a) Set your goals with clarity.
(b) Address your challenges and be prepared with them.
(c) Whatever you are doing, keep yourself updated well.
(d) Be curious to know more.
(e) Discipline, dedication and consistency matter a lot.
(f) Keep your mind, body & soul in a good space.
(g) Always look forward to a challenge and achievement.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
You have to understand your personality, then your basic values and then decide early what you want to do and visualize yourself in 5 years from now.
Evaluate your basic skills, your passion and your ambition. Observe and see when time flows and you are loving what you are doing.
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