Balancing Professional Life and Passion | Dr. Tejaswini Manogna | TEDxAIIMSRaipur
Summary
TLDRDr. Tejaswini Manogna shares her inspiring journey from a humble middle-class family to a passionate doctor, dancer, and activist. Despite societal norms and setbacks, she pursued her dreams in medicine, arts, and pageantry, ultimately finding balance and success through hard work, perseverance, and her commitment to service.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Dr. Tejaswini Manogna is a passionate doctor who believes medicine is a calling towards service, not just a profession.
- 🏆 She was inspired by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's words on the combination of art and medicine creating a good human being.
- 💃 Dr. Tejaswini is a Bharatanatyam dancer who has performed extensively and used her art to connect with prominent personalities.
- 🏅 Her journey involved balancing her academic pursuits with her passion for dance and service, even facing societal pressures and expectations.
- 🎓 Despite challenges, she excelled in her studies, secured good grades, and was among the top students in her medical school.
- 🌍 She participated in the Miss India pageant with a vision to be a voice for women and youth, aiming to use the platform for social causes.
- 👑 Despite facing rejections and setbacks in her pageant journey, she remained determined and eventually won the Miss Earth India title.
- 🌳 As an eco-activist, she used her international platform to promote environmental consciousness, such as representing the fight against plastic pollution.
- 🏥 After her pageant success, she chose to return to her medical profession, focusing on serving her nation through healthcare.
- 🧘♀️ Yoga played a significant role in her life, helping her maintain balance and peace amidst her diverse and challenging pursuits.
Q & A
Who is Dr. Tejaswini Manogna?
-Dr. Tejaswini Manogna is a postgraduate medical student, Bharatnatyam dancer, eco-activist, philanthropist, and former pageant contestant who participated in various international beauty pageants.
What motivated Dr. Tejaswini to pursue a career in medicine?
-Dr. Tejaswini was motivated to pursue a career in medicine because she viewed it not just as a profession but as a calling towards service of the nation and humanity.
How did Dr. Tejaswini's interaction with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam influence her?
-Dr. Tejaswini's interaction with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam inspired her to combine art and medicine, as he mentioned that when art and medicine join together, they create a good human being.
Describe Dr. Tejaswini's background and family support.
-Dr. Tejaswini comes from a humble middle-class family that valued discipline, respect for elders, and hard work. Her parents gave her the freedom to follow her passion and supported her in her endeavors.
What were some of the challenges Dr. Tejaswini faced during her journey?
-Dr. Tejaswini faced numerous challenges, including societal pressure, rejections, balancing academics with extracurricular activities, and financial constraints. She also faced challenges in pageants where she was initially rejected and had to prove her abilities.
What achievements did Dr. Tejaswini accomplish in her NCC journey?
-In her NCC journey, Dr. Tejaswini was named All India's Best Cadet among 1.3 million cadets, received the Prime Minister's Medal, and represented India in the SAARC Nations where she received a medal from the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister.
How did Dr. Tejaswini balance her passion for dance with her medical studies?
-Dr. Tejaswini balanced her passion for dance with her medical studies by managing her time effectively. She participated in cultural activities and competitions while maintaining good academic performance, proving that balancing both was possible.
What was the turning point in Dr. Tejaswini's participation in beauty pageants?
-The turning point was when Dr. Tejaswini participated in Miss Earth India and won the crown, despite facing previous rejections and challenges. This victory validated her efforts and dedication to her vision.
What setbacks did Dr. Tejaswini encounter during her international pageant journey?
-During her international pageant journey, Dr. Tejaswini faced setbacks such as missing luggage, broken props, and financial constraints. Despite these challenges, she adapted creatively and won a gold medal for India by performing on a steel dustbin.
What does Dr. Tejaswini consider to be the true definition of success?
-Dr. Tejaswini considers the true definition of success to be the ability to pick oneself up after setbacks and failures. For her, success is not about winning crowns or competitions but about resilience and perseverance.
What activities help Dr. Tejaswini maintain balance and peace in her life?
-Practicing yoga and engaging in philanthropic activities help Dr. Tejaswini maintain balance and peace. She trains others in yoga, runs a yoga show on TV, and enjoys motivating students and participating in eco-activism.
What advice does Dr. Tejaswini give to others who aspire to achieve their dreams?
-Dr. Tejaswini advises others to dream big, have a vision, plan, work hard, and accept failures as part of the journey. She emphasizes the importance of resilience and the ability to overcome challenges to achieve one's goals.
Outlines
🌟 Journey of a Passionate Doctor and Artist
Dr. Tejaswini Manogna opens her TEDx talk by expressing her joy at being at the prestigious platform, despite the grueling schedule of a doctor. She emphasizes that medicine is not just a profession but a calling to serve humanity. Her journey began with a humble middle-class family that instilled in her the values of discipline, respect, and hard work. She pursued her passion for dance, becoming a Bharatanatyam dancer and traveling extensively, which led her to meet eminent personalities. Her parents' support was crucial in her growth, allowing her to follow her dreams and become a motivating factor for others.
🏆 Overcoming Challenges in NCC and Medical School
Dr. Tejaswini shares her determination to serve her nation, initially through the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Despite initial rejection, she worked tirelessly and eventually became the 'All India's Best Cadet', earning the Prime Minister's medal and the President's appreciation. Her passion for medicine led her to balance her NCC commitments with her studies, eventually securing a place in a top medical college. She faced skepticism from her college about balancing both her academic and extracurricular pursuits but proved them wrong by excelling in both. Her medical school journey was marked by academic success and participation in various activities, demonstrating her ability to balance her profession and passion.
👑 Pursuing Pageantry and Philanthropy
Dr. Tejaswini's journey took an unexpected turn when she decided to participate in beauty pageants, starting with Miss Universe India. Despite facing rejections and challenges, she remained committed to her vision of using the platform to advocate for women and youth. Her participation in Miss Earth India led to a significant moment where she had to choose between participating in a pageant finale and speaking at a prestigious school. She managed to do both, winning the Miss Earth India crown and delivering a speech in Missouri. Her international pageant experience was filled with challenges, but she overcame them, showcasing her resilience and determination.
🌈 Embracing Life's Rainbow of Colors
In her final paragraph, Dr. Tejaswini reflects on her journey, highlighting the importance of resilience and the ability to pick oneself up after setbacks. She draws a parallel between life and a prism, where dispersions lead to a rainbow of colors, symbolizing the diverse experiences that enrich one's life. She emphasizes the importance of dreaming big, having a vision, planning, executing, and overcoming failures. Her gratitude extends to both those who supported and criticized her, acknowledging their role in shaping her journey. She concludes by reiterating her commitment to serving her nation, both as a doctor and an advocate.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Medicine
💡Service
💡Art and Medicine
💡Bharatanatyam
💡NCC
💡Pageants
💡Failures and Rejections
💡Balance
💡Philanthropy
💡Prism
Highlights
Dr. Tejaswini Manogna's speech at a TEDx event at the prestigious Institute of Medicine.
She emphasizes that medicine is not just a profession but a calling towards service.
Dr. Manogna shares her journey from a young girl with big dreams to a passionate individual dedicated to serving her nation.
She discusses her interaction with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and his influence on her belief that art and medicine can create a good human being.
Dr. Manogna's story unfolds from being a young dancer to an empathetic human being and a doctor.
She hails from a humble middle-class family that supported her freedom and passion.
Her parents instilled in her the values of discipline, respect for elders, and a value-based life.
Dr. Manogna's mother sacrificed her job in the U.S. to support her daughter's dreams and aspirations.
She describes her journey of participating in Bharatanatyam dance competitions and winning numerous accolades.
Dr. Manogna's passion for nation-building led her to join the NCC and eventually win the Prime Minister's medal.
She faced societal challenges and expectations but persevered to achieve her goals.
Dr. Manogna shares her experience of balancing her medical studies with her passion for dance and other activities.
She talks about her decision to participate in Miss India and the challenges she faced in convincing her family.
Dr. Manogna's journey in the pageant world, including her participation in Miss Universe India and Miss Earth India.
She discusses the importance of having a vision and working hard towards achieving it, despite setbacks and rejections.
Dr. Manogna's belief that success is about picking oneself up after falling, not just about winning.
She emphasizes the role of yoga in keeping her balanced and focused throughout her journey.
Dr. Manogna's commitment to her profession as a doctor and her dedication to serving her nation.
She concludes by expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to share her story and her dedication to the service of the nation.
Transcripts
Namaste I'm extremely happy to be
standing on this prestigious stead tedx
platform to address this August
Gathering of doctors in this magnanimous
Institute of Ames riper
I'm Dr tejaswini manogna I landed here
straight after six alternate Days of
Night duties each lasting for 36 hours
running around the wards you know in
care of small babies and navigating my
schedules and negotiating my leaves with
great difficulty and standing here today
and I'm so glad that I'm here today
I'm sure I'm sure you all can relate to
the you know struggles of a young
postgraduate student but I'm I'm really
happy that uh you know I've taken a
conscious choice that was my conscious
choice that I wanted to be in medicine
because medicine is not just a
profession it's a calling it's a calling
towards service service of the nation
and service of humanity at Large
I was fortunate enough that once Dr apj
Abdul Kalam sir he happened to come to
my college and you know I got this
opportunity where I could uh interact
with him and I could perform in front of
him and during his speech once Dr
Columbia said art and Medicine when they
join together they create a good human
being
I am here today to unfold my story of
how of how I joined my art and Medicine
my story of prism of ideas
from being a little girl little girl
with Big Dreams to becoming a youngster
with a burning passion that I want to do
something for my nation and becoming the
all India's best kid
graceful young dancer you know traveling
extensively and Performing across the
globe
[Applause]
and and to being an empathetic human
being who wants to do so you know being
a doctor being an eco-activist a
philanthropist and what not and of
course to becoming a young woman who
wants to be the voice of a lot of women
you know walking the ramp confidently as
Miss Earth India to getting back to
hospital as a responsible doctor
so my journey starts like this so I
belong to a really really simple family
a humble middle class family where we
all love sitting down on the floor and
sharing one meal together every day and
you know my parents you know I might not
have had the luxury of having an own
house or owning a lot of facilities that
all of us usually have but they gave me
the luxury of Freedom my parents let me
follow my passion they gave me wings and
they never stopped me I think that is
the treasure that they have given me
that is the property that they have
given me that you know they have given
me the property of discipline they have
given me the property of you know being
you know respecting your elders and a
value-based life and working hard for
your goals setting your goals I think
these are the properties that I imbibed
from my parents and these are the
properties that I am giving to my next
Generations in the form of my talks and
I'm extremely happy about that
so I became a motivating factor to
youngsters across the country and my
journey started like you know
um my mom she was actually working in
U.S she happened to give up her job you
know because she thought she had to
justify as a mother and uh because of
that like she came back and then she
started taking me to classes and
competitions and you know we used to go
in Auto rickshaws where she used to
plait my hair we used to eat in my lunch
box and then changing from one bus to
the other and you know going to
competitions and at late in the night at
11 o'clock 12 o'clock I used to give my
uh you know come back from performances
and wake up 5 a.m in the morning and
again go to tuitions my journey was
something like this and during the
process you know the society was not
really accept of what my mom was doing
they thought you know why you're doing
this all for a girl child you know you
don't really have to do all of that and
uh but me as you know as her daughter
who wanted to justify the effort that
she has putting you know know she's been
putting in me I really worked hard into
whatever she got me into I enjoy doing
that and I slowly started getting some
prizes some medals some certificates and
some scholarships and soon I started
developing you know to the extent of
giving 3 000 performances across the
globe and uh being a bharatnatium dancer
I've traveled extensively and I met a
lot of eminent personalities I had a
close connection with them I had I got
the opportunity to see how these people
have come up in their lives
so you know that was a beautiful Journey
where my brother through my
bharatanatyam after that I had this
passion for nation building I had this
passion for uniform I wanted to wear the
uniform and uh you know I thought as a
young girl who was studying in eighth
standard I thought I could be useful for
the nation in terms of National
Emergency and I really wanted to be in
service so I got into NCC and after six
months of you know extra effort you know
I was actually you know rejected at that
point that small heart of mine was
really broken and I really wanted to go
back and I Rose Like a Phoenix and then
you know I worked hard for 18 18 hours a
day for six months with early morning of
rifle drill rifle shooting and group
discussions in extempores and facing the
interviews with the director General and
commanding the boys contingent and
finally I marched the rajpath and I got
the all India's best credit among 13
getting the prime minister's medal
and the president's appreciation and
later on I happen to like represent
India in the Stark Nations where I got
the SAR country's medal from the Sri
Lankan president and prime minister back
then
and again you know in this journey
people thought I was not even the size
of a rifle but you know I made it to the
becoming the all India's best credit
among 13 lakh people back then and soon
after I finished my journey into NCC
next came the next challenge that uh
during that time I was in my 11th grade
next thing I had to do was my you know I
was in by PC I had to give my exam for
medicine clear mcet and get into
medicine
and during that time the college where I
was studying thought you cannot balance
both of it you either do this or that
and it wasn't really supportive of them
so you know I had my my home became my
college I happened to sit in the home
and then my mom tried to manage some
tuitions and then I actually like got a
good grade and then I got into you know
my State's best to samanya Medical
College and I finally got into medicine
and um
once I once I got into medicine people
thought people told me that hey you've
done a lot of things so far but once
you've got into medicine I don't think
this is possible you know that's when
the journey started like any others in
school I actually worked out for 18
hours a day I got good grades and I was
amongst the Toppers in my class but at
the same time when people got time to
chill that's when I used to go and
participate in a lot of activities for
example I went to Ames you know Ames in
Delhi pulse uh so all my Coco batchmates
like they came there to enjoy but I
actually went to Ames and participated
and won some medals so in that way like
I went internationally and then I got
Student of the Year and a lot of
accomplishments even during my medical
school and finally like my medical
school professors believed that hey we
are actually proud of you and we know
you could balance both of it you know
the trick was about balance balancing
your profession and passion and soon
after my medical school that's when I
realized that hey I think I want to go
and participate in Miss India because uh
during my childhood I always heard that
you know I was born when sushmita sen
was crowned and I had the features of
Aishwarya Rai so that somehow instilled
the spark in me that I always wanted to
participate in Miss India somehow so me
being a traditional girl from a quite
traditional family it was very hard to
convince my family people that I'm going
to participate in a pageant like this
all of them told me that you know all
these pageant winners they speak on
stage but you know I don't think they
would actually Implement any of the
service activities that they're actually
speaking on stage so I had to prove my
family members wrong that you know I
said I have a vision why I'm
participating in my pageants I want to
be the voice of women I want to be the
voice of Youth I want to be on the
platforms like UNICEF and who and
propagate for the Youth of my country
and finally my family people were
convinced where I started to participate
in Miss Universe India initially
and me being some a proper traditional
girl you know not very tall as the
models and not as beautiful skin and all
but still I managed to be the top five
of Miss Universe India I was so close to
winning the crown I was supposed to win
the crown but some things are prefix so
you have to you know adjust with that
and I was told that you know when I was
low at that point that I could make to
the crown I was told that hey I think
you deserve you know you deserve bigger
things in life I went back to the
pageant again I next time I went back I
was rejected by my co-participant who
was you know light in the local rounds I
went back again but then the organizers
started to tell me that you know what
you should win a filmfare award and then
come back and only then we will let you
participate I was like why me like you
know participation is my basic right why
am I denied of my basic right I asked my
mom like why me like why is this
happening to me and then she told me you
know maybe God has better plans for you
and at that point I actually gave up on
my passion journey and I started to
study for neat and without my mom's
notice I just applied online for this
pageant called Miss Earth India and I
got a call from them as soon as I got a
call from them uh and I booked my
tickets I was ready to travel and my mom
was like no this time we are not going
I'm not letting you break down again so
we are not going so I wasted my tickets
I didn't travel but still you know there
was this one friend of mine who came up
and say is this what you were working
for in the last two years no you have to
go for it and then I convinced my mom
and then we happened to travel to Delhi
and at that point uh you know in that
one week of pageant on the same day as
my finale I had this opportunity to go
to this uh a wonderful School in
Missouri the Saint George's school you
know where eminent personalities usually
come and you know address this Gathering
there it was on the same day which was
August 31st 2019. I wanted to do both
you know I didn't have the guarantee
that you know what if I don't make it to
the crown this time I might miss this
opportunity of going to send judges what
if I go to Saint George's I might not be
able to come back to participate in my
pageant so I had to make a choice you
know with full night of rehearsals going
on at four o'clock I told them hey I
have an exam in Hyderabad can I please
go and come back and then I happened to
go to Missouri I happened to actually
give a speech there I happened to come
back to Delhi at 4 pm to 5 PM and I
participated in my finale and I made it
to the crown that was the best day in my
life
you know it was worth taking a risk that
I could do both of it and then comes in
the next 15 days my International
pageant 15 days is really less for an
international pageant okay I had loads
of luggage and then the moment I got
into the airport the you know airport
that always told me that you can't carry
so much of luggage you'll have to pay 80
000 extra which was much beyond the
ticket ticket price so I could not
really carry my luggage I left half of
the luggage here and then I went to
Philippines I've given my best
throughout every each day that I
participated there and every day was a
challenge for me number one that I
didn't have all my luggage number two
when it came to one of these uh you know
a competition where I had to represent
the country's outfit I chose to present
an outfit where I I Pro portrayed the 18
hands of goddess Durga and I showed
mahishasura mardini in the form of
killing pollution you know instead of
holding ahead and killing it like that I
threw a plastic packet like that and
started killing it to represent you know
the power of a goddess you know killing
the plastic pollution and then the next
round was my talent round in my talent
round I usually dance in a mud pot and
after I went there I realized that my
pot was broken I had no choice you know
I giving up was never an option for me
what I did was I went to I went back to
my room I found a Dustbin a steel
Dustbin thankfully I decorated with
flowers and I danced on it and I got a
gold medal for India by dancing on a
Dustbin
and then intelligence round intelligence
round I topped it you know I got the
best and I was People's Choice like I
was the global People's Choice Award
winner people loved me for what I am
every competition was seen live
everywhere and when it was about the
finale I I was sure that you know I was
in the top four I was making it there
you know winning the international
ground and coming back but boom that was
it that was a business deal at the end
and then I came back with no crown and
then I was so heartbroken I was like
okay what am I doing next in my life
like what next I had this question
people started asking me I had this
question to my own self like you know
what am I going to do next the only
answer that I gave I started asking
myself and I thought that you know I
want to do best to my nation and to
myself and that's what I want to do that
I wanted to get back to my profession of
being a doctor
there started the journey again all new
you know starting from neet examination
again sitting down and preparing for
neat and then making it to post
graduation and finally coming into my
dream branch of Pediatrics that I'm
doing right now what was expected out of
after pageants was movies put in
contrary to that I choose to get back to
my profession and justify myself as a
doctor
because I wanted to be in service of my
nation in real terms and you know as I
said I'm going through the struggles of
you know being a postgraduate right now
with all my activities lying it's with
you know negotiating mind leaves too you
know it's really hard to make time for
all of this right now
so out of all my journey what I realized
is that you know setbacks rejections
I've seen so many rejections like
rejections will be a part of your life
and what is success success for me is
never about winning a crown or winning
any pageant or winning any competition
success for me was definitely about
picking up myself the next time again
after I fell down that was success to me
success definition
every time you fall the way you pick
yourself up is Success you know just
like a prism that's the topic of the
aims tripod with uh now you know this
year a white light goes into the prism
and then a diversion happens and then
that direction gives you a rainbow of
colors just like that you know life
definitely throws you down and gives you
a lot of diversion dispersions you know
and that gives you a rainbow of colors
in your life and which will actually
help you realize the capabilities that
you know the possibilities that can
happen in your life right
and throughout this journey I think what
kept me balanced what kept me peaceful
was my activities like you know while
studying now right now and it was my
yoga I'm a trained yoga practitioner and
I trained people in yoga uh and I've
been training police academies and I've
been training and my yoga show runs on
daily in the TV so it is that yoga which
kept me balanced and cool throughout the
process you know out of what all I've
raised in my life and uh of course like
you know it's that activities like I'm
not really a party person like I I enjoy
going to schools and like seeing these
kids smile so a lot of philanthropic
activities like being an eco-activist
and then you know going to a lot of
schools and colleges motivating them and
telling them like you know how I could
achieve this much in a given span of
time and what you can do to achieve you
know in the given time you know it's the
the capsule is just simple that firstly
you need to have you need to dream big
once you dream big you need to have a
vision once you have have a vision you
need to plan yourself and once you plan
yourself you need to start executing
that plan and you need to work hard
towards that plan and you need to know
that failures will be a part of your
journey but how you move ahead
overcoming those failures is what
defines you and what gives the
definition of a life to you
so I'm extremely grateful at this point
you know
this point that I'm able to stand in
front of you all and talk like this you
know Ames is a beautiful institution
everybody dreams of studying here to be
able to stand in front of you all and to
be able to address you all I'm extremely
grateful for all of that I'm extremely
grateful for people who've been part of
my life who've given me a Pat and the
people who have criticized me also
because all of them have been part you
know have played an equal part you know
in making me today and uh thank you so
much for this amazing opportunity and I
am tejaswini manogna and I'm sure that I
am for the service of the nation and I
dedicate myself to the Nations across
today on this stage thank you so much
for giving me this wonderful opportunity
[Applause]
thank you
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