Preeti Monga - Flight without Sight

Hay House Publishers (India) Pvt. Ltd.

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Copyright 2018 Preeti Monga

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by her. They have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews without prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself which is your constitutional right the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

ISBN 978- 93-86832-32-0

ISBN 978-93-86832-47-4 (e-book)

Printed and bound at

Rajkamal Electric Press, Sonipat, Haryana (India)

To

my husband, Ashwani,

whose unparalleled strength, love,

and undaunted conviction in me

keeps me flying higher and higher.

As I sit at my desk, surrounded by my awards and citations, I candidly speculate what am I to do with the honour which has been so graciously bestowed upon me. Most of the time, I feel that these beautifully framed certificates and trophies only add to my daily household chores of dusting and polishing!

But whenever I discover that some kind of recognition is coming my way, my heart secretly bursts with joy and I dance and sing my heartfelt thanks to God for showering His blessings upon me. I immediately start planning what I will wear to the awards ceremonywhich saree, what kind of sandals, and which perfume.

I still remember when my children, Fiona and Mark, were young, they would often ask me, Mummy, why do you get so many awards? I would find it tricky to give them an answer so I would just tell them that I got them because they were my lovely children. To which they would tilt their heads in wonder, smile, and get on with whatever they were doing. Honestly, I did not have the heart to tell my children why. It would have broken their tender hearts.

I have been through a rather eventful life. My life has been liberally sprinkled with an extraordinary dosage of countless ugly and dark moments, as well as exceptionally colourful and exciting experiences. Just like any ordinary person. But the thing is, I am not ordinary.

As a little girl, I had very little eyesight and, since my early teens, have been totally blind. Yet, today, I am living the life of my dreams and that, too, on my own terms. But this is not a book about how I overcame all odds to achieve success. It is about how you can.

We all are born with infinite power to achieve our wildest aspirations and dreams. While you lose yourself into the amazing tale unfolding before you, an incredible passion will consume you, catapulting you into your longing for happiness. I remain with youto motivate and lead youwhile you transmute your challenges into opportunities.

Now, this real-life narration is in your hands to cheer you along. Let it help you.

Count your blessings, not your problems.

Roy T. Bennet

It was 1967 in the then remote township of Agartala, where my father was stationed; it was discovered that there was something wrong with my eyesight. I was being frantically taken from doctor to doctor and from hospital to hospital, desperately looking for a cure for my rapidly-failing sight. My only concern at the time was that no matter what, I should never be fitted with spectacles. I was about six or seven years old and I remember praying that, come what may, no one should make me wear glasses. They would make me look so unattractive and so, I went as far as praying to God that I would not mind being unable to see anything but please, no glasses. And that is exactly what happened. Even with such advanced technology in todays day and age, no type of glasses have till date been invented that could fix my eyesight.

Despite it all, there is nothing that I lackI have all the things that money can and cannot buy. I am a happy person today, and I can say that with complete conviction. At fifty-eight years of age, I have a gigantic dream in my heart and a plan for the next fifty years and much more. Every morning, I jump out of bed with a Thank you, God upon my lips and a raging excitement to take on whatever the day has in store for me. I am healthy, have unlimited energy, access to infinite courage, and a great body and mind to call my own.

Allow me to toot my horn just a bit; Ive earned it, after all! I run Silver Linings, a nonprofit organisation, which works towards empowering people with disabilities. We work in the space of diversity and inclusion and employment of people with disabilities in the corporate sector, as well as spreading awareness about the abilities of people with disabilities. Our mission is to bridge gaps and bring about a completely inclusive society for all. Trauma counselling is a major ongoing programme at our NGO.

A large part of my time is dedicated towards inspiring, motivating, and cajoling private sector companies to hire suitable disabled candidates. On the other hand, I am actively searching for employable disabled people who can fit into various roles in the corporate sector.

I have been conducting various workshops for the non-disabled society, focusing at altering existing, unhealthy inhibitions around disabled people. Since 1987, under various banners and formats, we have unveiled various benefits of their inclusion and full participation in mainstream society. My endeavour has always been to dispel inhibitions and negative attitudes surrounding people with disabilities, while I infuse seeds of positivity into everyone via my motivational talks. I am gifted with a unique power to make my audience feel positive.

Over the last six years, I have visited over four hundred corporates, wherein I have helped change the mindsets of the human resources staff and getting them to adopt an affirmative attitude towards people with disabilities. Furthermore, I have conducted sensitisation workshops at many of these companies. We also provide consultancy services for a smooth inclusion of disabled employees at workplaces and support all the stakeholders around career progression of disabled staff, too.

As recognition of my work in the area of employment of people with disabilities and successfully keeping myself employed, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has appointed me as a governing council member for The Skill Council for Persons with Disability. In 2013, I was awarded the National Award in the area of Employment and Self-Employment by the then President of India. In 2015, I was awarded the Employment Excellence Award by the Department of Social Welfare, Delhi, and the list goes on.