I Left the Army to Be a Mother. Then I Lost My Identity ft. Capt. (Dr) Sunaina Singh

What happens when a woman spends years building her own identity, only to suddenly be known as someone’s wife, someone’s mother, or the person who is expected to adjust?In this episode of Something Bigger, Rodrigo Canelas sits with Capt. (Dr.) Sunaina Singh, a former Indian Army officer, psychologist, professor, sports psychologist and mother, for a deeply personal conversation about identity, motherhood, career, responsibility, ego and what it really means to choose your own life.Sunaina was the first woman from her village in Belarkha, Haryana to join the Indian Army. She served for 10 years, played handball at the national level, earned a PhD in Psychology and an MBA in HR, and later returned to teaching at Delhi University.But her most difficult battles were not necessarily on the field or in uniform.She opens up about the identity crisis she experienced after leaving the Army, becoming a wife and later becoming a mother. At one point, she says, “Captain Sunaina was someone’s wife.” After growing up with an identity built around her own achievements, that transition forced her to ask a difficult question: Who am I when my old identity is gone?The conversation also challenges the way we think about women and the word “compromise.” Sunaina believes that constantly thinking about what we have compromised can drain our energy, while taking responsibility can give us energy and meaning.From the Indian Army, she learned another powerful lesson: there is no “I”, only “we.” The Army taught her to put ego aside, adapt to difficult situations, accept responsibility and understand that both victories and failures belong to the team.This conversation is especially for women who have ever felt caught between career and family, ambition and motherhood, independence and responsibility. But it also goes beyond women. It is ultimately about how we make decisions, deal with our ego, adapt to life and take responsibility for the choices we make.In this episode:00:00 – When being a woman becomes about adjusting03:35 – Why gender should never decide your competence03:46 – Why Sunaina joined the Indian Army09:08 – Courage, moral responsibility and the lessons of the Army09:31 – How the Army works on your ego10:01 – Why the Army replaces “I” with “We”12:01 – Entering the Army with confidence and a big ego25:35 – Making difficult life decisions26:03 – The identity crisis after leaving the Army26:10 – “Captain Sunaina was someone’s wife”26:17 – What happens when you lose the identity you built31:24 – Finding her identity again42:47 – The unseen life of Army wives and mothers43:15 – Adaptability, motherhood and life as an Army wife47:09 – Why motherhood was not a compromise for her47:44 – What the Armed Forces taught her about responsibility48:54 – Why everything we do should come from responsibility49:14 – Stop calling every difficult choice a compromise51:34 – Responsibility, family, country and starting with the basics52:22 – How your daily choices shape your life54:46 – Why human connection and emotions matter55:41 – “How do you stay happy?”01:00:45 – Why human feelings matter in education01:05:38 – Why today’s generation is overwhelmed with information01:05:47 – The generation that is losing emotional connection01:08:15 – Growing up without letting gender define you#IndianArmy #IndianWomen #WomenEmpowerment #Motherhood #WomenInArmy #WomenAndCareer✅ Subscribe To Our Other YouTube Channels:Something Bigger Show Clips: https://www.youtube.com/@UCJTXqkdrvYel4doPKcv7uAgFollow Rodrigo on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodrigocanelas?igsh=MTluMXdiMmt3eTIxaA==https://www.instagram.com/somethingbiggershowTwitter/X: @rodrigocanelas / https://x.com/rodrigo_canelas?s=11Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigocanelas/Let's keep evolving together.