Navarathri Series : DAY 4 - MAA KUSHMANDA

The Demon of Limiting Beliefs: Remembering the Power Within You

Theme: You were not born to live inside someone else's definition of you.

Maa Kushmanda is associated with the creative energy that brings light and life into the universe. Her radiant form symbolises vitality, creation and the power of the Divine Mother to bring possibility where there was once darkness.

What a powerful reminder for women who have forgotten how much they are capable of creating.

We create businesses, nurture families, develop ideas, build communities, solve problems and make things happen, often while managing responsibilities that would overwhelm others.

Yet despite everything we do, many of us still carry beliefs that tell us to stay within the limits someone else has drawn for us.

Perhaps you were told that women should not be too ambitious. Perhaps you grew up believing that certain careers, opportunities or dreams were not meant for women like you. Perhaps you have convinced yourself that you are too old, too inexperienced, too ordinary or too far behind to pursue something meaningful.

These are the demons of limiting beliefs.

They do not always come from strangers. Sometimes, they are inherited from the very people who love us. Sometimes, they grow from childhood experiences, cultural expectations, past failures or years of hearing what women should and should not do.

And because these beliefs can feel familiar, we mistake them for the truth.

But a belief is not necessarily a fact simply because we have carried it for a long time.

Maa Kushmanda represents the power of creation. Through her example, we are reminded that a new reality begins with the possibility of something that did not previously exist.

A woman can become the first in her family to start a business. She can return to education at forty. She can discover a talent she never had time to explore. She can rebuild her finances, develop new friendships, pursue leadership or find a purpose beyond the roles she has always fulfilled.

She can create a life that reflects who she is becoming rather than who others expected her to remain.

And no, you do not have to turn every dream into a business or every passion into a source of income. Your creativity is valuable even when it exists simply to bring you joy.

Perhaps your creation is a home filled with peace. Perhaps it is a garden, a piece of art, a new skill or a healthier relationship with yourself.

Your life is not a finished product. It is something you continue to shape.

One of the most confronting parts of beginning again is realising how much of your future you had imagined around a life that no longer exists in the same way.

After ten years of marriage, I am learning to look at my future through my own eyes again.

Who do I want to become? What do I want to create? What possibilities have I not yet allowed myself to consider?

These are questions I am learning to sit with as I navigate life beyond my marriage. I do not have every answer, and perhaps that is part of the beauty of this chapter.

For so long, we can become accustomed to imagining our future through the roles we occupy and the plans we make with others. When life changes, we may struggle to see what is possible beyond those familiar outlines.

I am learning that my identity is bigger than my marital status, and my potential has not disappeared simply because my life has taken a different direction.

There is still so much to create, experience and discover.

Perhaps you, too, are standing at the edge of a possibility you have not yet dared to explore. Maybe it is a new career, a business, a personal goal or simply the decision to live more honestly.

You do not need to see the entire picture before you begin creating it.

This Navarathri, let us destroy the belief that our possibilities are limited by our past. Let us elevate creativity, ambition, curiosity and the courage to imagine something different.

Your Navarathri reflection: Which belief about yourself are you ready to stop treating as a limitation?

A prayer to Maa Kushmanda

Maa, bring light to the places within me where fear and doubt have taken root. Help me recognise my gifts, nurture my creativity and trust my ability to grow. May I have the courage to create a life that reflects my values, my purpose and my fullest potential.

Jai Maa Kushmanda.

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P.S. These are my personal letters and reflections, written from my own journey and understanding. They are not intended to be deep scriptural interpretations, but rather an invitation to pause, reflect and perhaps look at life a little differently. If these words inspire you to think more deeply, question your own beliefs or see something from a new perspective, then they have served their purpose. ❤️