Resilience and determination can help us overcome even the toughest challenges. All you need is a spark to ignite your spirit
I had a phobia of speaking in public. It is quite surprising given that I was good at debates during school and college. I was also a successful manager as I traversed my professional journey. I dealt with hundreds of staff since I joined the railways as a young officer.
I also interacted confidently with my peers and the seniors. However, I would break out in a sweat and lose my sleep each time I had to be on stage. I was envious of those who could spontaneously break into a joke or recite a poem. I decided to do something about it. I started preparing notes days in advance.
I would keep memorising the lines by rote till they were branded in my memory. I would even repeat them standing in front of the mirror watching intently my facial expressions. This was the best that I could do. I realised in later years that my handicap was nothing when compared to the challenges faced by many. Recently, I watched The King’s Speech, a movie on the life of King George VI, who found himself on the throne after his older brother, King Edward VIII abdicated. The film largely dealt with King George’s determination to overcome his stutter with the help of a speech therapist. I understood that the will to beat the odds comes from within.