Being Visible Is A Choice – Kavitha, 50

This week’s ‘Share Your Story; the Women the WSJ Missed!‘ comes to us by way of Bangalore, India. The desire to be seen and heard is universal and I am thrilled to be sharing Kavitha Garla with the Kuel Life Community.
Kavitha heads Business Development for Talk Temple and is also a Corporate Trainer. Talk Temple is a soft skills training organization that prides itself on delivering programmes that are transformational and life-changing. Kavitha is also an avid blogger and her musings can be found on her site: Kavitha Garla.
Here is Kavitha’s story:

KUELLIFE: What are you pursuing now, at this stage of your life, that surprises  you or might appear to others as if it comes out of left field?

KAVITHA: At 50, I am pursuing a number of things that I am passionate about. I am continuing my journey to empower more people, especially women to find their True Potential. I think what surprises me and others about ME at this stage is that I am more motivated than ever to live my life the way I WANT IT … more Genuine and Authentic to myself and not any other way. Also the fact that age has not slowed me down but actually increased my pace, surprises many people. When I took up modeling at my age, it surely shocked some people!

KUELLIFE: What’s a typical day like for you?

KAVITHA: If there is one thing that helps us sail through life’s ups and downs … it is the perfect alignment and harmony between the body, mind, heart and spirit. I feel every day we have to strive for alignment amongst these four dimensions, which in turn, will give us the focus and strength to move in the right direction … especially in today’s unpredictable world. For me there is no “typical day”, it’s all about aligning these four aspects of being towards helping me grow and others grow. I have described these in detail below.

KUELLIFE: With what do you struggle?

KAVITHA: I struggle to understand and accept people, especially women, who don’t even try live up to their potential … why do people settle for mediocrity?

KUELLIFE: How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

KAVITHA: I motivate myself by: Positive Inner Dialogue – I feel this increases my productivity and happiness quotient.  … Belief in Self propels my confidence to achieve more and be better than yesterday and most importantly I purposefully and constantly give. I truly believe what Zig Ziglar said … “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”.

KUELLIFE: What advice would you give fellow women about aging?

KAVITHA: I have always thought of age as just a number. I would first tell women to embrace their age gracefully, especially as they grow older, as I believe a healthy mind has been the key to a healthy being​. Spend ​time nourishing your mind with positivity and goodness. The body is our temple and like they say these days ‘Health is the new Wealth’ so eat well and exercise regularly.

KUELLIFE: What does vulnerability mean to you? What has the ability to make you vulnerable?

KAVITHA: For me being vulnerable is not just about showing the parts of you that are shiny, pretty, and fun. It’s about revealing what you deny or keep hidden from other people. With vulnerability, you experience true connection—true love for yourself—and you begin to attract people to you who are inspired by your openness. Being vulnerable is like removing all the band aids; exposing my wounds and letting them air out and then letting them  heal one by one, naturally. For me being vulnerable has actually made me strong, honest, and brave enough to face my fears and weaknesses. I have realized that as I share my vulnerability with others … it has given others the courage to do the same.

KUELLIFE: What are three events that helped to shape your life?

KAVITHA: While so many events shape our lives, three distinct events that come to mind are:
1: After living in the US for 14 years, making the decision to come back to India was the BEST decision my husband and I made. Coming back to my home, my India, has given me the roots (stability) to grow, and the wings (flight) to soar high.
2: The second important event in my life was finding a Mentor/Coach who helped me rediscover myself and helped me shift my mindset to a more positive mindset.
3: Building a community of people who are on the journey to becoming leaders of stature with a focus of Making India #1. 

KUELLIFE: Who influenced you the most in life and why?

KAVITHA: My Mother – Sulochana is the one woman who has inspired and influenced me the most. The more I grow up, I realise I have imbibed so much of her in me, without even making a conscious effort. She has never worked a day in her life but yet she is the best Sales/Marketing person I have met … always there to share, promote and spread the word about her friends and relatives. Is it any wonder that I too love Sales and Marketing and I am really good at it? They call me Networking Queen; but the queen who taught me how and what networking really meant, is my mother. When you give, help, and share without expectation is when you build an army of people who will be by your side for life. She and I both have awesome networks. She has inspired and influenced not just me but so many around her with her grit, kindness, patience, and selfless love. I am indebted to her forever.

KUELLIFE: What is the best advice you’ve been given from another woman?

KAVITHA: STOP LOOKING FOR VALIDATION

KUELLIFE: What woman inspires you and why?

KAVITHA: Answered above

KUELLIFE: Are you grown-up?

KAVITHA: I am in the process ☺ … Like they say “ Growing Old is Inevitable … Growing Up is a Choice”

KUELLIFE: What do you do for self-care?

KAVITHA: Self-Care is four parts for me:
Body – To stay fit I do Cross-fit and love it. I am a foodie, so I am careful about what and how much I eat! I always remove my make up before I sleep and generously hydrate my skin. It takes just four seconds to make a first impression – so I make an effort to always be well turned out – no matter where I am.
Mind – Try to keep my positivity high at all times, I love to write blogs that help people understand a different perspective on and evolve their lives. Being a part of a Leadership Tribe my mind is always engaged in high-level conversations with other leaders – keeps me alert and in a learning mode always.
Heart – The epicenter of our emotions and feelings. This is where my most precious relationships reside. I make sure I take time to nurture relationships every day, this helps me stay connected to people who matter the most.
Spirit –or soul is where our core resides. We need to nourish this part of our being so that the above three thrive. I like to introspect and spend time with myself to make sure I am on the right path; (i.e. my compass is pointed in the right direction) – towards my passion and purpose. When I nourish my spirit, the right energy and message echos into the universe.

KUELLIFE: And last but definitely NOT least: What are the top three things on your bucket list?

KAVITHA:  1.Ted Talk  2. Launch Kindness Project, Bangalore  3.Travel Travel Travel

I believe my new life is beginning at 50 … I am empowered with the right tools, incredible knowledge gained thru real-life experiences, wisdom from the roller coaster of life, the confidence of knowing who I am and what I stand for … what better way to start the next 50 years of my life?

You can be most VISIBLE after 50 … If you choose to be!