Congratulations MS. PARUL SHARMA from Australia for being selected as a finalist of Mrs India International Queen 2022! Let’s know more about her. We interviewed Ms. Parul and here are her amazing answers:
Name:Parul Sharma
Profession: Power System Controller
Qualification: Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Higher Distinction)
Location: Sydney, Australia
Strengths: My perseverance, strong will, and never give up attitude. I offer others confidence, joy, and hope and can put people at ease
Weakness: Overthinker at times
Likes: Honesty, being organized, hard work, dancing, singing, painting, and reading
Dislikes: Dishonesty, Hypocrisy, and laziness
Tell us about your family:
I am a single mother of two beautiful young daughters Aria and Aarvi. My young daughters and I share a very special and unbreakable relationship. They look up to me for inspiration and advice while I look up to them for their innocence and endurance.
They make us laugh with their incredibly humorous take on the world. Everything makes them laugh and I aspire to take the world in the same shoes as they do. My daughters also share a very loving and respectful relationship with their father.
I have my supporting mother and father who have been my pillars. My brother and his beautiful family are in Melbourne which is our usual go-to local holiday destination.
We also have a beautiful nanny Innes who is from France and is like a big sister to my daughters. And finally, we have two cute pet budgies who are friends with not just us but our whole neighbourhood.
Quotes that keep you going, motivates you:
- “Your body is not a masterpiece but your life is!”
- “Spring is not just a season, but a state of mind.”
- “Being magnanimous is a treasure”
- “Life is not in the body only, but also in the mind”
- “Accomplish deeds of benevolence”
Achievements/ Anything you are proud of yourself:
When I was a kid, my aspirations were simple, I wanted to be a top ranker in the class, wanted to make my parents proud. I use to tell people when I grow up, that I want to become a doctor, why? Because it was the most pleasing answer for the adults to hear. Oh! What a good choice! I was always ambitious but hardly knew what I was shooting for. Now when I think of it all, it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child what do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.
So, I believe there is a lot more to achieve as I am still growing but so far one of my most proud achievements is to be appointed as the first woman in New South Wales, Australia as a Power system controller to manage dispatch, voltage control and security of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. After my appointment, I encouraged other women to join the transmission grid control room and now we have two more women. The position I hold professionally is one of my biggest assets. The way we handle complex networks on daily basis has not only enhanced my personality professionally but personally and has given me a platform like nothing I could have imagined.
Another grateful achievement was to overcome grief/depression after losing my son to an early miscarriage. Have overcome my fear of never being able to be a mother to successfully paving my way with bed rests, and medications to finally being the proud mother of two beautiful daughters. It challenged me, humbled me, lifted me up, and shrank me down, sometimes all at once.
And finally, the very important achievement to date is to acknowledge the importance of self-worth/love, balance of body soul, and mind. There is a lot of ME in me that I could only realize after making a sincere effort to listen to my soul, learn to let go, learn to fight and overcome fears if any, and stop trying to be perfect in everything. Our bodies have five senses touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. But not to be overlooked are the senses of our souls, intuition, peace, foresight, trust, and empathy. The differences between people lie in their use of these senses, most people don’t know about inner senses while only a few people can rely on them just as they can rely on their physical senses.
What is Women’s Empowerment according to you?
To me,women’s empowerment is being respectful and non-judgemental, where there is a focus on strengths and abilities, where women feel comfortable discussing their feelings, and opinions, where women have the right to be educated and be financially independent and she is accepted for the decisions she makes about her own life, where she understands the importance of self-worth/love.
There is power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story. And there is grace in being willing to know yourself and hear within, attain mind-body, and soul balance.
How will you give back to society after becoming a Queen?
I want to be an inspiration to all women who are still struggling to overcome hardships and may be dealing with low self-esteem, or who are struggling to be heard. A firm believer that the best way to enrich/empower a woman is through another woman.
For every door that’s been opened to me, I’ve tried to open my door to others. Maybe then we begin to fear less, make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same. It’s not about being perfect but where we get ourselves at the end.
I am a lover of laughter and those moments were tears of joy start to flow, give me life. I would love to share my experience, would love to give other women whether the married or single sense of self-confidence and keep cheering/motivating other women along the way. Big fan of women with raucous laughs, who spot lipstick on teeth and help each other, when mother nature calls.
Why have you participated in Mrs India International Queen?
Mrs India International Queen platform has given me yet another chance to bring a proud smile to my young daughter’s faces who look up to me and are constantly watching me, learning lessons and who see me as continuing to keep myself connected to a force that’s larger and more potent than winning and that is being optimistic.
For me coming all the way from Sydney all alone with two young kids is a form of faith, an antidote to fear.
And finally, participation in this contest will be one of my most memorable sailboat billowing with confidence, and just like a soldier in battle, I shall persevere under fire and come out with yet another beautiful memory and learning.