Fearless / Nirbhau

"As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Nelson Mandela

Fear is an unpleasant feeling caused by the presence of danger. This life preservation act can be debilitating at times.

Loud thunderstorm and my very smart German Shepard dog, refuse to go out. Another day, just as we were getting ready for our morning walk, she froze. No amount of my loving assurances was making a difference.

We sat in our garage for almost 15 minutes. I had my Umbrella open and was ready to take her for her much-needed morning walk. Helplessly I waited and waited.

I am glad the garage door was open and she could see the cars on the road. One of her favorite hobbies is running in circles when a car approaches her.

We have been working hard for Chuhi to overcome this as it can be quite dangerous if she chases a car. This morning a site of a car on the road, made her jump up and she pulled her leash out in the rain, she was ready to chase the car.

Once this act of bravery was accomplished, she forgot all about her fear of the rain and thunderstorm. Confidence took over and she was trotting along her usual route and completing her walk.

I looked at her quite perplexed. Externally nothing had changed. It was still raining heavily and the occasional thunderstorm I could hear. It was Chuhi's self-assurance that made her get over her FEAR.

Nelson Mandela's quote is a needed nudge to all of us. We should constantly evaluate our imaginary fears. The pertinent question to ask ourselves with self-reflection is is that fear stopping me to take the courageous step toward my personal or business goals?

As a true entrepreneur, I did get over my fear of failure, unknown, not enough business expertise, and lack of funds to open our first GNC store more than 31 years ago. It turned out to be one of the best decisions for our family.

As an aspiring Sikh, the word Nirbhau is part of our daily prayers. The literal meaning of this word is fearless, the One who fears none. My journey is to be able to make this empowering trait part of my daily acts.

I hope you make informed choices and don`t let your fear jeopardize your future. I look forward to being your trusted, fearless jolly friend for life.