Pamposh Dhar (ADB 2000–2008)
After years of writing, editing, and publishing, I quit ADB in 2008 to focus more on the emerging new love of my life: healing. Now, 3 years later, I run the Terataii Reiki and Counselling Centre in Singapore, where I offer not only counseling and Reiki healing sessions, but also meditation and Reiki classes. In addition, I mentor children aged 6–16 through a program called SoulKids.
But I haven’t abandoned my first love: communication. My company, Terataii, lists counseling and complementary healing as its primary business; and communication as its secondary business. I still do writing and editing work for ADB and other clients. I’m co-authoring one book and editing another one, both of which I hope will be out next year.
My communication skills help in counseling and teaching. And they allow me to publish an electronic newsletter on mental health, Reiki, spirituality, and personal development. The content is rather different from the project and portfolio management stories of ADB Review, but the skills honed on that e-zine sure help.
“On this path effort never goes to waste…” says the Bhagavad Gita, which encapsulates the wisdom of India’s Vedic tradition. The reference in the Gita is to the spiritual path, but it seems to me it applies equally well to my professional life.
Pamposh and Reiki healing.
I enjoy helping people resolve old and new issues through counseling, and supporting their health and spiritual growth through Reiki. Teaching meditation and Reiki brings a different kind of joy—really “helping people to help themselves,” as we used to say in the world of development, by giving them the tools they need. Plus, I always learn something from my students too.
Mentoring children is perhaps the most satisfying. I am usually one of 4 or 5 mentors who work with kids in weekend workshops. By the end of the second day, I can see how much happier and more confident the children are. Seeing that difference is a real high for me.
And what can I say about my writing and editing projects? Creating just what I want using only the power of words… I will never tire of that. The book I’m editing is very close to my heart—it’s my father’s view of almost 40 years of Indian history since just before the country’s independence in 1947.
Life is full, life is fun; but of course it presents challenges too. One that I face every day is balance. Balance between the various facets of my work, and between working and taking care of my elderly parents, who live with my husband and me. Sometimes it’s a bit of a juggling act, but that’s a small price to pay for the joy that my work and my family bring me.