Your Fear of Looking Stupid is Holding You Back

‘No Way! That’s the dumbest idea I have ever heard’ – was said to Graham Bell when he was working on the world-changing invention of electric bulb.

I was talking to a friend, who was concerned about her weight. And I instinctively suggested her to go to the gym. She got anxious and mumbled something about not having a good enough physique to take to a gym (which sounded absurd because aren’t gyms supposed to help you get a better physique?).

Here my friend’s fear of embarrassing herself in front of regular gym goers and thinking that they would judge her appearance was keeping her from achieving her goal. A fear that keeps us from achieving our goals is the fear of looking stupid or keeping our thoughts to ourselves to save ourselves from the embarrassment.

I came home and pondered about this and recalled how I once made a complete fool out of myself at a debate competition (that I was reluctant to participate out of fear but went anyway). I went blank in front of an audience for the first 2 minutes during the competition; that was one point when I truly faced my fear. But my teacher and friends, keep inspiring me and I atleast completed my participation.

Well, 15 years passed and you can join my TED talk in November this year.

I am pretty sure that I would never have been able to get over my fear if I had backed out that day.

So one must know that there are no rewards when one doesn’t take any risks, one HAS to take a leap or they would never be able to fully utilize their potential.

Also, it is a responsibility of leaders/teachers/friends to motivate people around them, because your cheers have made me who I am, and it is now my responsibility to make more leaders.

The function of leadership is to produce more leaders not more followers. - Ralph Nader

Agree?????

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#inspiration #fearofrejection #inspire #takerisks #beyourself