Meet Aditi Surana
In today’s world, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to do what they love for a living. But our today’s #AmrutamNari is a brilliant example of indomitable willpower and perseverance that led her to live the life she had always intended. Allow me to present to you – Aditi Surana, Graphologist & High-Performance Coach.
When I first heard about and her work around Graphology, my curiosity was immediately piqued. It wasn’t the first time that I had heard about Graphology, but it certainly was the first time when I was about to interview someone who took it up as a profession.
“My father was an artist. And a staunch communist. So, we read a lot as a family. There was a lot of curiosity growing up, we were encouraged to ask questions and taught to not conform to the regular norms. And when one of us did ask questions, we were rewarded with gifts and chocolates!”
A Magical Incident
Aditi was 14 years old when something magical happened. She had enrolled in a personality development course. Now, you might wonder that a personality development course must have had several stimulating activities to test the acumen of the child. But the instructor gave one simple activity: to make as many zeros as possible on a piece of paper. Suddenly, Aditi began to see patterns and started talking to people about how they felt and their habits. And quite surprisingly, her guesses about people’s behavioral patterns were astonishingly accurate! Even though her estimates were purely based on instinct, people began to show immense faith in her ability in helping them discover and get over their intrinsic problems.
“I always knew that I wanted to work with people, but I never thought handwriting would be the way!”
Growing up, Aditi was never popular among her teachers as she was diagnosed with dyslexia. But the more she studied people’s handwriting and deciphered their personality, the more inclined she felt towards helping people with the gift she was blessed with. Eventually, someone told her about a course in this particular field and suggested that she receive formal education to strengthen her practice. This was a life-altering moment for Aditi, for she knew it in her heart that it was what she was always meant to do!
An Unconquerable Spirit
“Unfortunately, Graphology doesn’t have any formal school or institution. But there are a few international courses and certifications that one may take up to pursue Graphology and related fields professionally.”
As politically unyielding and firm as Aditi’s father was, he outright rejected the idea of pursuing a career in Graphology. The concept of studying people’s handwriting to make a living seemed unequivocally absurd to him! “He just could not wrap his head around it,” she adds. So, at 18, when most teenagers are about, to begin with, their hassle-filled college lives, Aditi left her father’s home to pursue her true calling. Her spirit was unconquerable!
At this moment I am barely able to contain myself and scream – “You are my inspiration!” And Aditi laughs enthusiastically!
Taking Charge of Life
For the first few years, Aditi lived with her friends, living off her savings that she had so preciously saved. What started as a hobby finally became a source of income for her. She gradually started charging for her services, engaging with people, and spreading knowledge about it.
By 22, Aditi Surana had her radio show in Mumbai where she interacted with celebrities and entrepreneurs. As terrific as a conversationalist she was, more and more people began to show interest in her work! Magazines and newspapers started covering Aditi’s work and eventually, her clientele expanded tremendously! After realizing how well she had been doing in her life, Aditi’s father gave in and finally grew supportive of her work.
Aditi truly learned the benefits of Graphology when she suggested her mother to take up Graphotherapy. Having been diagnosed with diabetes, Aditi’s mother resorted to Graphotherapy and with regular practice, she went off medication in six months!
If I were to list down the names of people Aditi has helped in the span of over 15 years, I would probably run short of ink. Having studied over 10,000 handwriting samples in her career as a Graphologist, Aditi has worked with several multinational corporations like JSW & IBM, and small-scale businesses and start-ups. She has also rendered her services to popular public figures like John Abraham and Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, former President of India among others.
An Introvert who speaks a lot!
Aditi identifies as an introvert who “speaks a lot”! Since her work involves intense use of her mind and psychological abilities, constant engagement with clients often gets exhausting. Which is why Aditi needs a lot of time by herself. She goes into silent retreats and tries to observe silence at least once a month. “Silence helps in recharging my energies. I am regular with my Yoga & Meditation practice as it helps me immensely,” she explains.
Along with studying handwriting, Aditi also hosts a podcast titled “Absolutely Write” where she gets into open conversations with people who have sought Graphotherapy and have experienced the benefits of it first-hand!
It is no secret that writing as a form of communication is dying. And so, Aditi believes that Graphology could best be used as an aided tool in probing into people’s minds. A certified Yoga Instructor, Aditi is also a certified Psychometric Test Practitioner and conducts psychometric tests to analyze and unravel psychological traits and characteristics!
“As counselors & therapists, you ought to take people at their words. Even if they may be hiding certain facts or not being fully honest about themselves, there is no scope for cross-questioning. However, when you study their handwriting and decipher their behaviors, it opens doors to more questions. Handwriting gives you a reference point as it is not a fully controlled activity.”
A Woman of Conviction
Contrary to popular belief, a change in handwriting does not amount to change in expression. Aditi says, “Handwriting is like skin, it changes with transitioning.” When we transition from elementary school to high school, to college and then a job, our handwriting keeps changing with us. It is a simple and natural process that occurs beyond our control.
Half an hour into our conversation and I am brimming with questions! How does handwriting help in changing behavioral traits? If one changes handwriting often, how do you decide which is the real handwriting? Well, fortunately, all my queries are answered with patience and absolute conviction.
“Change in handwriting helps in changing behaviors. The way controlled breathing and pranayamas help in cleansing toxic elements from your body and restoring your health, bringing skillful and measured changes in handwriting can also do wonders! It helps in overcoming psychological constraints and developing a healthy relationship with oneself!”
When I naively ask Aditi if good handwriting is a measure of healthy psychological patterns, she chuckles. She goes on, “Just as a good-looking spouse is not guaranteed a good spouse, pleasant-looking handwriting does not mean the person is free of any fallacies.”
Every Conversation is a Dance
Does she love her work? Hell yes! But does it involve gigantic responsibilities that can be taxing to deal with? Umm..maybe. Being a healer involves the humongous amount of faith in one’s conviction and intuition but Aditi leaves no page unturned to help her clients. Aditi believes hers has been a case of good fortune combined with loads of hard work – that she puts in to ensure the best for people who seek her help!
“I think I have always been very passionate about my work. Somehow, the challenges never felt like a problem. When you believe in your purpose, something magical happens. It is almost as if the Universe conspires to lead you to the path you were always meant to pursue. All you need to do is to have faith in yourself.”
For Aditi, every conversation with a client is like a dance – both people have to be on an equal platform. A client cannot expect a professional to magically heal them, efforts must be made from both ends. This is why Aditi rejects the concept of a healer being ‘superior’. “Once you establish that you are above someone and they are beneath you, you have to constantly play that role and it gets tiring after a point,” says Aditi, who admits to being a big movie buff!
Biggest Influences
“For different times in life, I had different role models to look up to, who were constantly recreating themselves. Michael Jackson, Maya Angelou, among others, are people who have inspired me deeply. One thing that was common in all of them was that they walked the path they believed in absolute authenticity!”
Presently, she’s reading – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Kriya Yoga by Swami Yogananda. A strong believer in the mantra “if you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it”, Aditi decided to break this rule last year. Despite never having cooked in her entire life, she vowed to cook every single day and adhered to it! She also backpacked and traveled, and served in several Yoga Ashrams in her quest of getting closer to herself.
Despite being much senior to me in both age and experience, Aditi appears to have a child-like curiosity and gaze towards life. Her laughter is so infectious, I cannot help but smile ear-to-ear throughout our conversation.
Questioning the “Normal”
With time, Aditi’s bond with several CEOs, CFOs, and COOs has bloomed beautifully. Humanity has been one of their biggest strengths, she goes on, and their ability to learn and respond to situations timely. As someone who has always believed in working behind the curtain, I understand what Aditi is trying to convey. It is not to keep doing all tasks at all times that matters, but having the willingness to work uninhibitedly, without any bias in the heart that truly makes a difference. All the little things that fall in the flow of reaching a certain goal must be done with the same reverence as doing all the major things.
In 2020, Aditi looks forward to people questioning the idea of “normal” that they have been fed with over the years. She sounds positive but also understands how optimism can blind you. So, she keeps questioning the norms, as she was raised to do while doing all the work that it takes.
“Humans have an undying capacity to figure things out”, she says. This year, she’s also hoping to launch her book and project that will help people deal with anxiety. And also, a Netflix show starring her sister, scheduled to be released later this year!
Superpower as a Woman
Women are gifted with an intuition that I get to directly implement in my work, says Aditi Surana.
“There is already a nurturing aspect to being a woman and that has helped me excel at what I do. My ability to connect with people on an emotional and deeper level helps me become a good coach. Empathy comes naturally to me, and that is my superpower!”
Her message to our readers is – Acceptance is the key to be able to change. Learn to be kinder to yourself and good things will come to you!
Amrutam celebrates phenomenal women like Aditi who are passionate about changing the world!
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