For Maya Khan, instinct never lies

Actor shares her take on red flags, letting go

In a recent appearance on the FHM podcast, actor Maya Khan delivered a life lesson on the perils of ignoring red flags, the importance of detachment, and the dangers of compromising too much in any situation.

"After I got married, I realised you shouldn't ignore red flags," confided Maya, who learned the lesson about red flags the hard way walking away from two marriages. "Instinct never lies, but we ignore it. We want to see a red flag as green, but we are in denial. You always think you can change someone, but you can't."

As a cautionary tale to other women who may go through the same, the Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum actor added, "Learning to accept the red flags for what they are is something that can only come from experience. I saw the red flags and I chose to ignore them."

Having experienced her share of trauma in relationships, Maya revealed that she now actively practises emotional detachment in a bid to focus on her own mental health.

"The power of detachment is very important," she stressed. "Attachment kills you. It took me four years to understand this. I would always have FOMO (fear of missing out). I would be anxious whenever the phone would ring. But now I know that my time and my peace are more important. I don't want to be tied to anyone else."

Not only does Maya no longer form attachments to people she feels are holding her back, she has also ruthlessly purged her material belongings to live a minimal lifestyle.

"Do you have extra clothes? Get rid of them!" she urged firmly. "Don't have emotional attachment to things you don't use. Get rid of the things you have no use for. I only wear and use what I use or utilise. It's the power of detachment!"

According to Maya, embracing the power of detachment proved to be the turning point that allowed her to free herself from other people's weighted expectations and focus only on bettering herself. "I don't care what you think of me," she shared. "All I think about is, am I a better person than I was yesterday? I am not your responsibility. I am my responsibility. I'm still learning. I will still make mistakes. But I will try and choose to make new mistakes."

Maya's motivational words are a reminder to those who have experienced dark times that they have the power to drive their own changes towards a better life.