FROM ''EAGLETS'' TO ''EAGLES''- CELEBRATE YOUR ''INSECURITIES'' !!!

The Know Thyself Series- Insight 3

Are you ''Insecure'' about any particular area of your life?

Your career, your leadership position, your wealth, your competitors in business, your senior or junior colleagues, your marriage, your children, your old age, your abrupt death, your friends…the list can go on? Is this a negative quality? Well, its just ''human nature''!

At any point in time, if people tell you that ''you're an insecure person''- don't get perturbed!

''Smile'' at them because, most of them who are pointing their fingers at you, are also deep down insecure about something or the other in their lives. Yet they could be cheating themselves in pointing fingers at others while, they are wearing a ''plastic look''  with a ''plastic smile'' on.

Very few of them, would have conquered their own insecurities (some or most of their fears, apprehensions, self-doubts) and would intend to alert you to take those constructive steps and set yourself free from your own insecurities.   These could even be total strangers who pop into your life to just 'show you the mirror' or your own well-wishers ! Be grateful to them !
Gauge the people who ''point their fingers'' at you  and then act positively towards your own well-being. One of the best ways is to watch their eyes, if you're unable to sense their vibes- people who are ''secure'' have deep, twinkling eyes and smiles that are bold and expressive  !!!

''Insecurities'' arise in a human being's life because the future is precarious,  many at a times it's due to  past challenges and shortcomings .  ''Insecurities'' also crop up in the subconscious mind ,  due to unhealthy childhood conditioning that impacts a human being even in his/her adulthood journey.  Apart from the above, imaginary fears also dawn quite unconsciously in the mind of a sensitive human being when he/ she observes others experiencing catastrophes in different areas of their  lives.

There are both ''creative & rational ways'' to free oneself from ''Insecurities'' . These techniques  when practiced regularly, can enable one to develop what I call ''divine resilience'' which is way above the ''earthly resilience'' that most people are aware of. ''Earthly resilience'' comes with a lot of effort, hardening of oneself towards ''self and others''  and ''divine resilience'' flows in with a natural sense of ''firmness/assertiveness & freedom'' that one experiences in different situations and in their relationships with themselves and others.  

One of the signs , of  a human being feeling secure within himself or herself is when one is able to 'look at himself/ herself' with full honesty even when he or she has committed a blunder. Even in smooth and difficult relationship situations,such human beings are also able to deal with others in a  ''straight forward'' manner without mincing words.

NOTE- IN EVERY ''NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE OR HABIT'' LIES THE BIRTH OF A ''SPECTACULARLY POSITIVE BREAKTHROUGH''….JUST LIKE IN ''FAILURE'' LIES THE ''BIRTH OF SUCCESS''…

Let's take a closer look at some of these cases below:

It's a very high possibility that, the following human beings must have felt shaken and defeated at some point in time in their lives. But, they didn't dwell on their defeat for too long.... They surely have had to confront their own ''internal demons of self-doubt, fear and insecurity'' because of their experiences in the ''external world''.

Let's delve into their experiences that were filled with challenges and setbacks before they walked their way towards ''Victory & Freedom'':
Bill Gates- Gates started a business called 'Traf-O-Data' which was a failure and he dropped out of Harvard. But his passion for computers and his vision led him to start and build the sustainable  Microsoft Empire.

• Oprah Winfrey- Today Oprah is a renowned American Media proprietor, talk show host, producer and philanthropist. She was fired from her first TV job as an anchor in Baltimore. She confidently states that, ''There is no such thing as failure. Failure is life trying to move us in another direction''.

• Narayana Murthy- Murthy, started a company named Softronics and the company failed within one and a half years of it's inception. He joined Patni Computer Systems as an ''Employee''. Well, he could have stayed on in Patni and reached a senior Leadership position with far lesser risks than having to try his hands at ''Entrepreneurship'' again...But his indefatigable zeal led to the creation of a global corporation called Infosys!

• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw -  Kiran was trying to build an enterprise in an area that was relatively nascent in India, and the fact that she was a woman and had no family money to fall back on didn’t help either. She was 25 years old, when getting banks to fund her venture-it seemed nearly impossible.  But these setbacks did not hold her back from setting up office with a seed capital of Rs. 10, 000 . ‘There are many examples of failure. I had a huge credibility hurdle to overcome. I failed to get financial support. I failed to recruit people I wanted to. The first 15  years were all about survival,’ says Mazumdar-Shaw looking back at the initial years of her entrepreneurial life. After the launch of Biocon, growth was slow, as a pioneer Mazumdar-Shaw faced resistance and discrimination from all quarters - employees didn’t want to work for a woman and investors remained wary of investing in a woman run company.But Mazumdar-Shaw persevered ! Source: Excerpt from the book 'Why I failed: Lessons from Leaders' by Shweta Punj

• J.K.Rowling- Rowling was a secretary who used to write stories on her computer at her workplace. Her employers found out and fired her. She was broke, lived on welfare, divorced single mother who simultaneously wrote Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone (the first book in the Series) . She faced 12 rejections from publishers, eventually the book sold for an equivalent of $ 4000. She says, ''It's impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all- in which case, you fail by default''. The series went on to break numerous sales records and turned into a phenomenally successful film series and won the hearts of children and adults world over.  She is a billionaire today. Source: Huffingtonpost & lifehack

• Thomas Edison- Edison, one of the most prolific inventors in history (holding over 1000 U.S. patents), was told as a boy by his teacher that he was ''too stupid to learn anything'' and suggested that, he should choose a field that did not require intelligence. Yet he tried more than 9,000 experiments before he created the first successful light bulb.

In the context of narrating Edison's experiences and also in the cases of certain women who are ''naturally different from the crowd'', I am coaxed from within , to make a point on  the ''mass mediocre mentality'' that still prevails in this era, be it  in the corporate world , the world of education or in any other professional circle (any industry) or social sphere. Most people  term, other people who think  and operate ''differently from the herd'' as ''mad/ loony/ stupid/ crazy''...English is indeed sometimes a misused language... ! This mediocre culture of indulging in ''loose talk'' commences right from homes, within family circles, schools, colleges, within social and cultural circles and further spreads into professional atmospheres as well too.

It's high time that, we civilized human beings learn to 'raise our consciousness' and appreciate each other for ''our authentic sense of worth'' and also develop the ability to ''constructively criticize'' if it's in the best interest of another than indulge in ''destructive criticism''!!!

In being ''constructive'' , we are creating a conducive atmosphere in our professional and personal environments that nurture a feeling of  ''safety and security'' in one another and above all , we tend to find a space within ourselves, where we experience ''safety, security and freedom'' which is beyond imagination. If you've already experienced it , you will know what I am referring to....

IN CONCLUSION,  THE CHOICE IS YOURS TO ''ENJOY THE ADVENTURE OF LIVING ON THE EDGE'' , TO ''ENJOY THE PAIN OF YOUR INSECURITIES'' AND TO PROCEED TO ''FREEING YOURSELF'' FROM THEM…OR TO ''PERISH WITH THESE INSECURITIES''!

MOST IMPORTANTLY IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND- PEOPLE WITH ''EXTRAORDINARY POTENTIAL, CALLING AND VISION'' ARE LIKELY TO HAVE MIGHTY CHALLENGES ON THEIR PATHS UNLIKE THE ONES WHO WISH TO SURRENDER TO MEDIOCRE NORMS AND EXISTENCE. BE PREPARED !

REMEMBER THAT YOUR ''INSECURITIES'' CAN ''MAKE YOU'' into a ''NEWLY TRANSFORMED PERSON'' OR CAN ''MAR YOU FOREVER'' ! CHOOSE YOUR FREEDOM !

Come-on start your fearless journey towards an extraordinary path of ''Self-discovery'' now !

Love & Light,
''The Eagle Spirit Life & Leadership Series''
A ''Thought Leadership Initiative''
By ‘’Reena Ram-LIVE THE EAGLE SPIRIT'' MISSION

About the Author:

Reena Ram is an ''Inspirational Life & Leadership Coach'' and ''Human Rights Warrior'' who helps people from different walks of life, to master 'Self-leadership' by living a 'holistic life' filled with 'ambition & meaning'. She inspires people to use their 'Intellect' & 'Intuition' effectively, to manifest their dreams and goals.

To ''Book a Session'', connect with her directly through a personal note on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected]