DAY 1 — MAA SHAILAPUTRI

The Demon of Self-Doubt: Learning to Believe in Yourself

Theme: You are allowed to begin again.

There is something beautiful about beginnings. They remind us that no matter what has happened before, there is always an opportunity to start again.

Maa Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountains, is worshipped on the first day of Navarathri. She represents strength, stability, determination and the grounding energy of the Divine Mother. Like a mountain, she stands firm, unshaken by the winds that move around her.

And perhaps this is where our own journey must begin.

How many women have spent years questioning themselves? How many of us have doubted our abilities, our decisions, our appearance, our intelligence or our worth because someone made us feel that we were not enough?

Sometimes, the loudest voice holding a woman back is no longer the voice of the person who hurt her. It becomes the voice she carries within herself.

You are not capable enough.

You are too old to start again.

Who do you think you are?

What will people say?

These are the demons of self-doubt, and they can keep us imprisoned long after the doors have been opened.

Maa Shailaputri reminds us that we do not need to have every answer before we take our first step. We do not need everyone's approval to pursue a dream. We do not need to remain the woman we were yesterday simply because that version of ourselves is familiar to others.

Mountains do not apologise for taking up space. They do not shrink to make the landscape more comfortable. They simply stand in their strength.

Why should we expect less of ourselves?

For the woman starting a business, returning to work, leaving a situation that no longer serves her, going back to study or rediscovering herself after years of putting everyone else first, let this be your reminder: beginning again is not a sign of failure. Sometimes, it is the bravest thing you will ever do.

This is something I am learning in my own life.

After ten years as a married woman, this Navarathri feels different for me. For the first time in a decade, I am entering these nine sacred days in a chapter of life I never imagined I would be navigating.

Leaving my marriage has meant facing questions about who I am, what comes next and whether I have the strength to rebuild. There are parts of this journey I am still figuring out, and I am learning to be patient with myself as I find my footing.

But I have come to realise that beginning again does not mean my previous years were wasted. It does not mean that everything I experienced, everything I learned or everything I gave suddenly loses its value.

It means I am giving myself permission to honour the woman I am today, rather than remain bound to the life I once thought I would always have.

Perhaps you are standing at the beginning of a new chapter, too. Perhaps yours has nothing to do with marriage. Maybe you are changing careers, pursuing a dream, rebuilding after disappointment or simply trying to find yourself again.

Wherever you are, you do not have to know exactly where the road leads before you begin walking.

This Navarathri, let us destroy the belief that we are not enough. Let us elevate the courage to try, the confidence to learn and the faith to trust ourselves, even when the path ahead is uncertain.

Your Navarathri reflection: What would you begin today if you stopped doubting whether you were capable?

A prayer to Maa Shailaputri

Maa, give me the strength to stand firmly in who I am. Help me silence the voice of self-doubt and trust the woman I am becoming. May I have the courage to begin again, as many times as life requires.

Jai Maa Shailaputri.

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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. ❤️