I Failed at Everything — Then I Rebuilt My Life | Preeti Monga | The Literature Lounge

Through a deeply honest and moving conversation, Preeti reflects on what it means to grow up blind in India, to be thrown out of school without explanation, to navigate depression and suicidal thoughts, and to find the courage to start again — not once, but many times. She speaks about abusive marriages, motherhood, financial dependence, and the long, painful process of reclaiming dignity and independence.

Drawing from her lived experience, Preeti talks about how self-learning, persistence, and an unshakeable belief in one’s own worth helped her become India’s first visually impaired aerobics instructor, and later go on to found Silver Linings Trust, an organisation working with blind women and girls across India.

A conversation about disability beyond pity, survival beyond victimhood, and building a life on your own terms — even when the world tells you it’s impossible.

What this episode is REALLY about
Not inspiration as a slogan.
Not disability as tragedy.
Not survival by luck.

It’s about:

• Growing up blind in a society built for sighted people
• Being denied education — and still choosing to learn
• Leaving abuse and choosing economic independence
• Motherhood, fear, and the decision to live
• Building self-worth when institutions fail you