Maushumi Lata Padhi is a poet and seasoned civil servant with over 32 years of experience in public service. Through her poetry, she channels hope, resilience, and quiet strength drawn from everyday life. Calling herself “2 in 1”—both a teacher and a lifelong student—she believes learning and teaching are inseparable journeys. Her debut poetry collection, A Better Me, reflects her deep belief in transformation through courage, simplicity, and an unwavering spirit to rise above life’s challenges.
The Literature Times: A Better Me centers on self-discovery and transformation. What personal experiences inspired this journey?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: The journey is still on at 56 years. Since the age of 5 years, I was suffering from severe asthma, which is now chronic. Slowly over the years, I got more ailments added to my bouquet, which all became chronic. The wake-up call was my menopause followed by hormonal imbalance, COVID, Dengue, Piles, and Pneumonia in the recent past. So, coping with physical pain from childhood was one part. This impacted my studies, emotional well-being, moods, mobility, social life, daily normal routines, job, career, and apart from that, personal setbacks, demise of loved ones, relationship frictions, societal expectations, apart from being an unattached lady without a partner in a patriarchal society. First, I clung to hope even when I felt hopeless. I enjoyed whatever I could do within my limitations. I relished the love, affection, warmth, and bonding which I had from childhood with my grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins, relatives, siblings, niblings, school friends, and other friends. Second, I accepted that I was suffering and I was ready to seek help from my near and dear ones and doctors. Over the years, I became a student of life and never gave up, worked hard and kept up my enthusiasm To learn new things and to unlearn a few. Thirdly, I learnt to stop trying to be perfect. I reset my targets as for my potential, focused on small success in every sphere, and enjoy simple moments. Fourthly, I embraced my fears, failure, failings, weaknesses, and mistakes, which earlier I used to be overwhelmed from, now it’s a learning and unlearning activity. Instead of yearning for fixed outcomes, I choose to live in the moment. This helps me to be more calm, stress-free, and anxiety-free. Public service has been an eye-opener as it made me realize the abundance I had compared to millions around who have no basic amenities.Finally, I am following “Inner Engineering” now. I am focusing on being grateful for whatever I have, trying to be more humble, kind, empathetic, inclusive, more tolerant, patient, and other qualities like being mindful, living in the moment, and trying to be calm.
The Literature Times: How has your long career in public service shaped your perspective as a poet?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: It has been a big learning experience till date, being in public service, and I got, starting from being a clerk, to inspector, to commissioner, I came across various people of all age, gender, caste, etc. I saw positive changes in both men and women when they were given an opportunity to be heard. To understand people with empathy, without judgment, changed my perspective. I became grateful for what I had after seeing the pathetic condition in which people lived. I got an opportunity to overcome, unconscious bias, become less rigid, cherish moments with people and meaningful interactive and more flexible, also learnt that as a leader. I had influence which I have to use with care. Solving the problems gave me an internal joy which no material thing could give. It made me realize that people want dignity and respect first, not just money. Empowering people with awareness was my, was very liberating. Boosting someone’s confidence, especially those who are voiceless, have no strength or social security like PF and pension, they were powerlessThat gave me immense satisfaction. In office, I learnt how to handle pressure amidst pressing priorities Meet tough deadlines. Support new entrants Teamwork, patience, tolerance, and interpersonal skills, communication skills, bonding, etc. I also got to see the difficulties which women both in public and office face. It gave me an inner strength and a strong desire to help people in general, understand people better, and be patient. As officer in charge of women’s cell, I realized the problems being faced by women, whether married, single, etc. and how we must create an inclusive workspace with support system for women. I also felt that women who are better off in every area could try to develop and empower other women who are less privileged.
The Literature Times: You emphasize finding strength in home, family, and simple joys—why do you feel these elements are often overlooked?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: These are overlooked because since childhood we are conditioned to believe that success is in material comforts, status and wealth. We stress on external validation and intelligence quotient. Emotional intelligence is sidelined. Failure and mistakes are treated harshly vis-à-vis career, competitive exams, and marks. Thus, one is trained to compete and achieve target after target since childhood, ignoring a child’s interactions with nature, relationships, little explorations, and adventures. Instead of appreciating the effort one puts in the journey, we see the end result. With social media and mobiles, personal interactions like earlier days with loved ones like grandparents, parents, siblings, friends, neighbours, community, and near and dear ones have been replaced. We believe that success is happiness when it is the other way around. The focus on “human connect” is decreasing.
The Literature Times: What does the phrase “a never say die attitude” mean to you personally?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: It means never giving up despite facing failures and severe challenges, the ability to rise again even after failures, mistakes, personal setbacks, wrong decisions, demise of loved ones, breakup of relationships, loss of job, health issues, or financial woes
The Literature Times: How do you balance being both a teacher and a student in your life and writing?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: I try to make most of the 24 hours in a day. Being in public service and handling departments with diverse workforce, one has to be constantly on one’s toes. Learning and unlearning is a daily activity as we grow and as we tackle problems and meet deadlines. Whether it is leadership issues or management skills and techniques or recent updates in software and technology or work methods or soft skills to handle people we have to lead, train and teach staff or juniors. In the same way, we have to undergo training and learn things, upskill on our knowledge in this contemporary fast-paced digital world and e-governance. After office hours, it is for self and learning new skills vis-a-vis cooking, gadgets, soft skills, legal acts as a student. Weekdays and holidays are for writing as a hobby. I write only when I am free from my work and family responsibilities. If some idea crops up during lunch time or after office hours, I update it in my WhatsApp channel instantly.
The Literature Times: Was there a particular moment when you realized poetry was the right medium for your thoughts and emotions?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: During COVID, I faced health issues. Being far away from my family, for the first time, it was more painful with uncertainty, fear, and despair. But slowly, together with my sister-in-law, we both braved the odds and became grateful for all the support from office, companionship, help from people around, rest, and simple joys like cooling together, watching TV, etc. This transformation from chaos to calm led me to write Deep Rest, my first poem. It resonated well with all. I got feedback to write more poems. This journey started from there.
The Literature Times: What emotions or reflections do you hope readers take away after reading A Better Me?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: The first takeaway is that hope is as eternal as daily struggles. So, with hope, we can get confidence to face challenges better. The poems like “Deep Rest”, “Thank God It’s Friday”, and “Before Monday Knocks” will resonate with all readers as it relates to overcoming sluggishness, ennui and laziness apart from the fact that rest is paramount in one’s life. A better me will connect with all as it focuses on the fact that all can start afresh again by embracing the new day with a new version of oneself which tries to balance between the mind and the heart, even if it’s time-taking, one does not do grand things to be happy. Everybody has their place in the sun and all are precious. And finally, being mindful and grateful for the little things in life will build inner strength. That’s when family, home, genuine friendships, nature, and work will inspire and motivate to handle daily struggles of life with togetherness. These poems emphatically point to the fact that if we look inwards and pay attention to the little things around us, transformation is possible. From chronically ill patients to aged people to Gen Z to women, hopefully all will relate to these poems.
The Literature Times: How do you overcome creative blocks or moments of self-doubt while writing?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: If I feel any such things, I stop writing. I listen to music or roam in our garden or call up a near and dear one to refresh myself. At times I go through my WhatsApp channel to relive some moments of natural joy. Then the words flow again.
The Literature Times: Do you see poetry as a form of healing—for yourself and for others?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: Yes, it is a cathartic experience. It is exhilarating as well as it encourages one to see beauty in little things and get happiness as it’s easily accessible to all. I feel at times I have been harsh to myself, but I feel better. I pen down words of gratitude, acceptance, and abundance as it makes of after writing. I feel empowered and satisfied for being aware of things now. I feel more positive and I feel more optimistic. Readers will also pause, reflect, and feel rejuvenated as they will appreciate small moments more. When they will derive deeper emotions from ordinary moments, they will be full of gratitude and well-being.
The Literature Times: What advice would you give to readers who are struggling to become a “better version” of themselves?
Maushumi Lata Padhi: I feel all are struggling in some way or the other as the only certainty in life is uncertainty. I can speak only from my experiences and share. I would like to tell that hang in there, have patience, and focus on things which are under our control. We should not try to control or change things which are not in our hand. Be grateful, kind to self. Also embrace change. Little tiny progress will give confidence. Do not get overwhelmed by past experiences, failures, indecisions and setbacks. Please accept things and then move forward. Then, if needed, please seek help from near and dear ones and doctors if things like physical and mental health issues arise.Nurture in good friendships, connect with nature, family, and avoid toxicity. It’s very important to unlearn, learn, reset targets, be flexible, set small goals, pause, take rest apart from prioritizing one’s strength and potential. Try, try again. Hope is eternal and you are precious.
