A Life Made of Many Lives

By Richa Goyal Katiyar |  Be a Better You

A warm illustrated woman standing peacefully surrounded by soft colorful silhouettes representing her many life roles — mother, wife, daughter, friend and coach — in golden yellow, green, blue and coral tones, representing a life made of many lives.

Everyone gets one life. Given by God, shaped by our parents, and lived by us — from the first breath to the last. In that one life, we do so many things. We study, we make friends, we work, we build families. We serve others, and sometimes, if we are lucky, we pause long enough to serve ourselves too.

But here is what nobody tells you — inside that one life, we are actually living many lives.


One Woman. Many Roles.

I am a Daughter. A Sister. A Wife. A Mom. A Daughter-in-law. A Friend. A Coach. And somewhere in the middle of all of this — I am also just me.

Each of these roles comes with its own world. Its own responsibilities. Its own expectations. It's my own version of me.

And for the longest time, I tried to give 100% to every single one of them. Just like a student who wants to score full marks in every subject, I wanted to be perfect in every role, every single day.

You can imagine how exhausting that was.


I Am a Tree

A colorful illustrated tree with a warm brown trunk representing one woman's core self, and eight branches each in a different color representing her different life roles — Self in yellow, Mom in green, Wife in blue, Daughter in orange, Sister in pink, Friend in purple, Coach in coral and Daughter-in-law in teal.

"The trunk never changes, even as the branches grow in every direction."

One day, I looked at my life and saw a tree.

A tree with one strong trunk — that is me, my core, who I truly am. And from that trunk grow many branches. Each branch is a different role. A different life. Mom. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Coach. Daughter-in-law. Self.

Each branch has its own colour. Its own direction. Its own leaves.

And just like a real tree, sometimes two branches grow so close to each other that they begin to touch. They intersect. They create something new.


When Roles Intersect


A Venn diagram with three overlapping circles in green, blue and coral representing a woman's three roles with her son — Mom, Study Teacher and Karate Coach — with the overlapping center in golden yellow labeled A New Role is Born.
When roles intersect, a new role is created

Here is a real example from my own life.

I am a Mom to my son. I also help him with his studies — so in that moment, I become his Teacher. And I teach him karate too — so I am also his Coach.

Now, when I sit with him to explain something — anything — my mind pulls from all three roles at once. I give him a karate example to explain a life lesson. I use a study analogy to explain discipline on the mat. Three roles, one conversation, one child looking at me, wondering which mom showed up today.

And honestly? I used to feel lost in that. I would ask myself — what is my main role right now? I felt pressure to be fully one thing at a time. But life does not work that way.


The Day I Stopped Trying to Score 100%

I used to feel the weight of every branch. Every role. Every expectation.

But slowly, I started to take a pause.

I realised — it is okay if not every branch is full of leaves all the time. It is okay to miss something. To forget something. To let something wait. To let someone down occasionally — not out of carelessness, but out of humanity.

Because in life, some things are urgent. Some things are important. Some things are okay. And some things can simply wait.

And when I started living that way — something shifted. I did not become less of a Mom, less of a Wife, or less of a Coach. I became more of myself.


You Are a Tree Too

If you are reading this and feeling the weight of your many roles — I want you to know something.

You are not falling apart. You are a tree. With a strong trunk and many beautiful branches. Not every branch needs to bloom at the same time. Not every leaf needs to be perfect.

Your trunk — who you truly are — that never changes. That is enough.

Take your pause. Choose what matters today. And let the rest wait until its season comes.


If this resonated with you, grab your journal and answer this: "Which branch of my life needs my attention most right now — and which one can I gently let rest?"


Write it down. Sit with it. That is where your clarity begins.

I write for every woman trying to find herself in the midst of everything else. If this felt like your story, you are in the right place.


- Richa Goyal Katiyar | Clarity Coach, Journaling Mentor & Writer


Come say hello. I would love to hear which branch of your life needs attention today

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