My timid mother was the ultimate people pleaser - until the day she stared down racist bullies... and taught me to channel the power of defiance. Here's how you can too

As a child, my mother seemed the embodiment of compliance; unaggressive and unassertive, she always quietly deferred to others.

A small woman in a sari, she epitomised selflessness, smiling pleasantly in response to every request, be it making fresh rotis for my dad or looking after a neighbour's toddler. She never said 'no', even if she didn't have the time or the energy…

You can read my full article in the Daily Mail.