IN LIFE, THERE ARE ALWAYS LESS THAN PERFECT CONDITIONS...
Pic..: Anima D'Cunha
IN LIFE,
THERE ARE ALWAYS
LESS THAN
PERFECT CONDITIONS,
WHICH ARE
RATHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT HELP US
TO EVOLVE AS
CONFIDENT PERSONS
- Pratap Thampi
(Founder Trustee – Harmony Internation School)
I very vividly remember having
read an article where the interviewer, a much-decorated Lt. General of the
Indian army, asking the candidate who spoke very little English, “Why have you
come to this world?” It was an interview for IPS officers’ selection. The
candidate, Vishwas Nangare Patil, who studied Marathi literature, replied in
chaste Marathi, “Me sangharsh karayala
alo”… meaning, “I have come to struggle”. This answer pleased the Lt. General
and, today, Vishwas Nangare Patil is a well-known Police Officer!
Harivansh
Rai Bachchan, once, said to his more famous son, “Jeevan hai to sangharsh hai”… meaning, “If there is Life, there is
a struggle.” This was when his son was facing turmoil in his life, with more
than sixty cases in various courts and all banks after him! The son, Amitabh Bachchan, never looked back
after that.
So,
in life, there are always less than perfect conditions, which are rather
opportunities that help us to evolve as confident persons. In spite of these
obstacles, keeping cool and having trust in self is, what I think, to be the
art of developing confidence… yes, slowly and steadily.
Human
nature is full of fear, doubts and worries; but, a person who keeps moving crosses
these obstacles. Slowly, the fear of losing fades away and one does those
things which are close to his heart and becomes confident. It is just like a warrior
learning to fight/defend himself. A clearly-defined purpose in life is the
first step en-route to being confident. When one moves towards the defined goal,
slowly and steadily, confidence comes along.
Way
back in 2006, we had visualized to generate employment for at least 100 persons
and committed ourselves to achieve it. Truly, this goal was achieved in 2013
with the right infrastructure, too. These small targets lead to larger goals like
institution-building or creating employment, wealth and welfare for society.
One has to work one’s way up… and there is no short cut to it.
WHEN I AM
CONFIDENT,
I GET THE
COURAGE TO FIGHT MY FEAR.
- Shrishti
Pherwani (Age 13)
I would start by
saying, that we must have belief in ourselves… belief that ‘Yes, I can do it’. We
should not lose hope.
So, in my case, having belief in me is the key that makes me confident.
Belief in my parents makes me confident…
Belief in my teachers and friends makes me confident…
Having knowledge makes me confident. Though I may not be having knowledge
of everything, the belief in knowledge I possess makes me confident.
Taking part in elocution competitions makes me confident.
When I stand on the stage and speak in front of people and if someone
appreciates me or applauds for me… these things enhance my confidence.
When I am confident, I get the courage to fight my fear.
I would like to share my experience with
you. It was my first day in the P.D. class. I think I was in 3rd
standard... I was very nervous. Suddenly,
sir called me on the stage. I went up and stood there. My legs were shaking and
my eyes were full of nervousness. It seemed everyone was just staring at me as
if I was an alien! I was scared and trembling with fear… ‘Oh God, what will
happen now?’ I was thinking… Sir understood that I was getting nervous and
scared. He told me everything about how I could handle my nervousness… ‘That’s
done!’ I thought. Many days passed by and my confidence level was increasing. I
was very keen to know that what would happen next? I attended the sessions the
next year, too. This way, I kept attending the sessions year after year and
gained more and more self-confidence in public speaking.
So my dear friends, I believe, that there
is self-confidence in each one of us. We only need to unearth it… by facing our
fears.
IF OUR GOALS
ARE CLEAR
AND IF WE
TOTALLY FOCUS ON THEM,
WE BECOME
CONFIDENT IN LIFE.
- Pravin
Pahuja
(Businessman
and Jewellery Designer)
My goals make me confident
Everybody on this planet is very strong and at
the same time weak. The same is with me.
When
I was 12 years of age, my goal was to learn driving. When my elder cousins were
going to the driving school to learn how to drive, I used to sit on the back
seat and focus with complete attention. In a few days, I was confident enough
to reverse and park the car in our compound. I used to practice the parking
usually at 6 o’clock when my family was asleep. Then, after a few months, I was
confident enough to drive the car on road, with both confidence and fear… Fear
of being caught driving the car at such an early hour. My body used to shiver…
I don’t know if it was because of the
morning cold or fear! But, my confidence got me going. A time came when my
family members themselves would send me here and there for their work allowing
me to take the car. Through my confidence, I built their confidence in me.
I,
often, jokingly tell my friends, that if I had not become a businessman, I
would have, certainly, become a Formula -1 car-racing champion!
Similarly,
my goal was to be a businessman. With my confidence, I joined our family gold-business
when I was still a boy…and started creating beautiful and attractive bangles,
which, our customers would not say ‘No’ to. In the starting days of business,
with both my confidence and fear, I used to go to the customers anxiously… “Will
they like my designs or will they not?”… “Will they take me seriously or will
they not?”…
In
the end, I would find our customers praising me for my designs and call it a ‘hot
cake’. They would never let me go without buying my creations!
So,
I would like to conclude, that if our goals are clear and if we totally focus
on them, we become confident in life.
GERLAD D’CUNHA
(P.S.: These are the impromptu speeches made by our on-going PD-course students on the topic: ‘WHAT
MAKES ME CONFIDENT’. Also, from some adults. I shall be
sharing them here on my blog for some days, and
they will be published in a book by the same title on 12th June, 2016, the day of the
certification.)
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