I didn't know myself. This is how I did.

Before you read this further let me tell you a bit about me as a person that I was. I always topped my class and getting the first rank remained my priority till school. I was quite introvert and my teenage was spent reading course books. I remember how badly I cried for days when I got the second rank in my third standard. I defined success as getting the first rank and made myself so accustomed to it that I just couldn't accept failures. I always stuck to the safe path and followed what I thought would bring me success for sure. I couldn't enjoy the uncertainties and did what was tried & tested. I completed my school & was waiting for my results. With no course books to read and no interest in watching TV, I got mad sitting idle. And that's how I started exploring myself.

I can write
Luckily, I got an opportunity to join an Internet Marketer. I remember my first meeting/interview with him. He asked me a very simple question on how to search a book on Google and I didn't know that. This was somewhere around 2005 when the Internet was a luxury and we just had a computer at home with no Internet. He asked me to join and I was a bit surprised to see that failing an interview can also bring you a job. I was not aware of what I was supposed to do but the field sounded exciting to me and I thought it would be better than sitting at home. Every day was a new day filled with learnings and failing at things. He gave me a new task every day and I have to figure my way out. One day he asked me to re-write an article. He read the article and said you write well. I learned that I can write. I interned with him for almost 2 yrs during my college time and believe me this helped me in getting my first job.

I can lead
I went for an MBA after completing my graduation & got my first job as an Internet marketing Intern. I enjoyed working there in my initial years but at the end of the second year, I started feeling the urge to do something else. I had no idea what else could I do. I was quite unhappy & just couldn't continue. I quit my job without telling my family and started with content writing & consulting on a project basis. During that time, I was also searching for a community of entrepreneurs where I can meet like-minded people sailing in the same boat. I joined a few meetups but most of them were one-to-many or too formal. My search ended with a community known as EntrepereneurCafe.org. Their concept is to connect with entrepreneurs over a cup of coffee in a cafe and discuss topics related to entrepreneurship. The informal format of the meet-up is what made me tick. I reached the co-founder and got to know that the chapter in my city is not active. He asked me, Would I like to volunteer? I was introvert & told them that I am not sure but I would like to give it a try. I organized around 20 meetups and turned myself from a follower to a community leader. I learned that I can lead too and can strike conversations with a stranger.

I can become an expert
I did the consulting thing for around a year and realized that visual communication is on growth. I had no idea how to make videos but till that time I started believing that I can learn & experiment. I started making videos using DIY tools and people loved it. In a year or so, I created hundreds of videos and became a DIY video expert. I expanded my team by keeping everything remote and made a brand, CrispTalks, which now works with businesses & educators globally. I am further learning e-learning tools. I learned that I can learn new things & become an expert.

I can be on my own
I did my first solo trip almost two years back and felt so much more confident after that. I went to a place named Mcleod & one of my friends asked me to go on a trek to Triund. I trekked earlier too but I was always accompanied by my friends who picked me up when I tripped, waited for me, and made me complete the trek. I was never sure about trekking alone but my friend said you just can't miss seeing Triund. I being a nature lover took it quite seriously & started my solo trek. I was the first and last. Nobody had to wait for me. I took breaks when I wanted and I did complete my first solo trek. I learned that we define our boundaries and only we have the power to redefine them.

I can stand out
I was so engrossed in my studies that I never participated in any extra-curriculum activities. But that phase made me self-disciplined and sincere. I realized that these qualities did make me stand out. I started other initiatives (enTRIPreneur.in, ProjectShoonya) with a bunch of awesome people who are excellent in what they do. They all came with skills that I wish I could have but I realized that I am good at something and they are good at something else. I learned the beautiful process of collaboration and how the combined skill-sets can be used to create something meaningful. I have now become more open to collaborations rather than working all on my own.

I can talk and connect
I always believed that I am an introvert and I still feel it when I am in a big group of party people. A year back I started a community for creators and learners (Jaipur Creative Commune) just out of my passion to connect with creative people. I started with a random post on Facebook by asking people whether they would like to have weekly meet-ups where we can just connect and share our creative skills. Today it has grown to 300+ people and I can easily connect and talk to each one of them without feeling intimidated. I realize that I am not an introvert but I choose my circle and connections.

I CAN FAIL
I realized that it's OK to FAIL rather than regretting that you didn't try. I realized that sometimes to be uncertain can also lead you to a wonderful path of self-discovery and contentment. I realized that you can start anytime you wish to. I have also realized that you have to let go of a few things. You can’t have it all but you can always choose what you surely want to have in the longer run. I am slowly realizing that failure has a lot of power and all I can do is try my best to harness this power every single day.

So the next time you question whether you can do it or not, just tell yourself that there is no harm in trying if you feel related to that task/initiative. The worse that could happen is that you will get to know what you are not good at and knowing that would give you a lot of hints on what you can be good at. This is my first try writing about my fears and overcoming them every single day. Do like, comment or share if you feel like doing it.

Do you have a story to tell about conquering your fears? Tell me in comments, it would make me a bit stronger and may ignite a ray of hope for someone who is trying hard to figure his/her way out.

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