What Are You Scared Of?

It was my first internship. I started off with my tasks and then suddenly it drew upon me. Cold calling? I just can’t do it. Talking to a complete stranger seems like the most hilarious idea. My palms all sweaty and my mind all blank. But finally, I did it. It felt different. I was over one of my worst fears.

There were moments in your life when you wanted to do something, say something but the consequences didn’t let you. It could be as little as asking for a pen from your colleague or as big as addressing a crowd of thousands. Whether it was a start-up idea or just a doubt in your class, what holds you back to speak up? There are people who don’t face this problem on a small scale but all of us have faced this at least once in our lives. Some are so shy they don’t speak up at all. Are you one of them?

“What would people think of me?” This is the most common question that crosses our minds. Let them think what they want to. That’s their job. At the end of the day it’s you who’s going to stand strong and tough.

If you’re shy that’s probably because since childhood you never got an opportunity to stand out. Or you did but you never seized upon it. You probably have the fear of the consequences. Of what is it going to lead to?

Well, consequences are of two kinds- Physical and Psychological.

Physical consequences are planned with knowledge, experience and practicality. If you don’t study well for your exam, you are going to score less. This is not an illusion created by your brain, it’s for real. Unlike the psychological consequences. The ones that your mind cooks. This is where you could alter. You fear talking to your professor for a doubt. Why? He’s not going to eat you up. You think the doubt is stupid? But what’s the maximum he would say? But if you don’t get to the answer, you’re stupid anyway. Adrenaline and shyness are just mechanisms of your brain, just defending you against these new circumstances. It’s all a lie. A made-up story. All you need is a breakthrough. Get out of your comfort zone. It’s not going to be easy the first time but if you don’t start now, when?

You could argue “What’s the need to fight it off?” Well, there’s nothing to lose. But a lot to gain. Add some thrill to your life. Challenge yourself. Nobody likes to read the same page.

Face your fears. You’ll be scared of water until you learn to swim. Sit in a dark room or talk to strangers. Do what you think you can’t. Not everything you ‘think’ is true.