The idea for SoulFlight is based on my own experience of having lived what feels like many different lifetimes in my years on this Earth. I’ve come to believe that there are endless possibilities for us while we are on this planet, and I wish to be of service to help others transition into, figure out, and achieve their many best lives.
I consider myself a global citizen. I was born and raised in the United States but spent several formative years of my life in India. I am well-traveled. Being able to relate to, communicate with, and understand people from various backgrounds is one of my favorite parts of human relationships.
My work experience has taken me through many different industries and environments. This includes working in a science research lab at an esteemed higher educational institution, providing childcare in both business and private home settings, being a social worker in a community mental health setting as well as in a hospital’s HIV/AIDS clinic, being a criminal prosecutor who managed cases that directly impacted people’s daily lives, and being an in-house lawyer in a corporate technology environment.
Through this career journey, I’ve kept myself otherwise engaged in various ways, such as diving into unlikely hobbies like Olympic weightlifting and South Indian vocal music, relentlessly keeping up with local and global political developments and analyses, and passionately following some of my favorite sportspeople in tennis and basketball.
At this juncture, I find myself back in school to become an acupuncturist; an acupuncturist who can provide a service that transcends the system rather than tries to fit in it.
Even if we don’t see it right away, things are always working out and life is always getting better! We all deserve and have the ability to dream big, and make our life whatever we envision it to be. Let me help you along that journey!
Hi, I’m Ruki!
My “Why”
When I first became a social worker, over 15 years ago, I worked in a setting where I shared an office space with a senior social worker, a couple of nurses, and a medical assistant. This open office space was surrounded by doctors’ offices. There was a clear hierarchy of who occupied the offices and who was in the open office space.
As a routine part of work, we were expected to take patient phone calls in that high-traffic, open area, either as needed or in a planned manner. The senior social worker was very comfortable doing these calls and very confident in his skills. At the time, not only was I brand new to that work, but also I remember being extremely self conscious. I tried my very best to only receive and place those phone calls when nobody else in that office space was around; when they were busy in the clinic area, or if they were out having lunch or something similar.
I wanted privacy and wished to be by myself when I was doing those calls so as not to embarrass myself!
In the last four to five years, I have unexpectedly and somehow become a person who has become extremely comfortable with the sound of my own voice, even if it's not perfect. I could not have planned this at all, and I anticipate it is due to a combination of being in a variety of settings where I have been able to hear and learn from folks more senior to me, whether they are social workers or lawyers or therapists or providers or podcasters; being forced to practice and getting better at speaking on the fly and out loud; and also, being able to benefit from the prevalence and ease of use of technology where we can playback what we say to understand what we sound like and adjust it for the better as needed. I have also had several opportunities to use my voice successfully in settings like negotiations and received positive feedback from colleagues and supervisors, all of which has added to my confidence.
Today, the girl who used to avoid phone calls and public conversations like the plague chooses to and prefers to send voice notes rather than a text message, to record a thought verbally rather than write it down, and actually place that phone call she used to be so anxious about previously. She has even started sharing her singing online.
We never know where life will take us, what the journey will be, what confidence we can gain in our own selves and our own voice. I’d love to support you on your own journey in discovering your voice!