After being an outgoing person throughout my school, I suddenly turned into an introvert and started to withdraw from people. Knowingly or unknowingly, I started to fear performing on stage and standing in front of people. I couldn’t realize then but all my decisions had a major contribution of this fear. It wouldn’t allow me grow!!
And as Les Brown says,”When you don’t grow, you can’t be your best; and when you can’t be your best, you can’t be happy”. So, I was also unhappy somewhere deep in my heart, not knowing how to deal with the fear. In fact, I felt it was a part of my essential tremor problem. Even doctors had warned me that it would be almost impossible for me to face people. I didn’t have much trouble sitting and speaking but when it came to standing before people, the very thought would give shoc ks that I couldn’t control. I had tried scores of times only to fail miserably each time I wanted to stand and speak.
Later on, I realized that, to an extent, the problem is there with everyone. To my amazement, I found out that today, one of the greatest fears in the world is the ‘fear of public speaking’. And there are training centers to make people a better and more c0nfident speaker.
Knowing this, I started looking out for the institutes training people at public speaking. At last, I came across one that really trained people for speaking on stage and not only for improving their English. It charged students far more than most other institutes. I was again in dilemma – whether to join it or not!
Then I asked myself – Sunny, do you really need it or not? The reply was – YES! I again asked the same question – Do I need this? And again I got the same reply – Yes, this is the biggest roadblock in achieving my goals! Henceforth, I enrolled for the course.
For the past 6-7 months, it has taken great effort to be able to gain confidence and start coming on stage. But it has paid – I felt it when I delivered my speech in front of hundreds of audience. I was so happy after delivering the speech.
I still remember those arguments with everyone around clarifying all their doubts and queries for joining a course where you are taught to speak! I still remember those hours of speech practices I would do standing before the mirror. And I still remember the continuous practices where every moment only one thought came to my mind – I can, and I have to!
At last, recently, on 5th February, when I delivered the speech in front of hundreds of audience, I felt so so so free. Well, I couldn’t win any award, though.
In spite of this, I felt so great – those 2 minutes were the best 2 minutes for me, till date. The scene from the stage was so much like the picture I would visualize everyday. It was as if A DREAM HAS COME TRUE!!
Have you ever done something you earlier felt you will never be able to? Have you felt the joy of a dream coming true?
