Copyright gqindia
Being a victim is a choice, believes entrepreneur and former actor Rhea Chakraborty. Speaking at the inaugural edition of GQ Heroes in Bengaluru, Chakraborty said her faith in herself and her truth, helped her to not only survive an extremely difficult time, but also to find the strength to move forward and carve out a new path for herself. In the time after the death of her former partner, Rhea was subjected to a vicious hate campaign, but she chose not to allow that experience to dictate the rest of her life, choosing instead to take control of the narrative. “Unfortunately, a lot of people seek external validation. I didn't have the opportunity to have any external validation for many years which is why I was forced to seek inner validation. I was forced to speak to myself and tell myself that you're good, you're golden, you're going to get better. But people need to consciously do that." Rhea added that although people are constantly coming up to her to apologise for the trauma she was put through, she does not see herself as a victim. “You can either choose to be a victim or you can choose to be a survivor. A lot of people are drawn to the victim complex because it's very seductive. It’s very attractive. I choose to not be a victim, no matter what happens in life. It's a mindset. Also, if you have a relationship with yourself and you understand that your inner validation and inner voice is more important than anybody else's, only then can you surpass anything that other people are saying to you.” She has since chosen to move forward, focusing on the next phase of her life, including her new business venture - a clothing line with her brother called Chapter 2, and a podcast, which Rhea hopes is a safe space for everyone who participates in it.
