“Who would imagine going bald at the age of 21? Nobody Right?” This write-up encapsulates that phase of my life which opened my array of vision, collectively more than any of my classroom sessions had ever done.
This dates to 2013-14 when I refrained from stepping out of home to socialize. Premature balding resulting in social anxiety hampered my confidence drastically. Being a sophomore the urge to socialize and expand my operating circle was supported by no motivation. It resulted in me living by a code, that included the stipulated amount of time I spent on travelling and attending college only.
The pain point here were days when I knew this was affecting me, as the treatment I was on, wasn’t being productive and I’d wonder if there’s nothing I could do to help myself, the decrease in my confidence was evident as I was up against my own mind, battling a perception of being judged day in and day out. The hatred simmered for months because I wasn’t able disseminate my anger nor channelize it.
It was May of 2014, roughly a 30-minute conversation with a 52-year-old gentleman on a train changed the way I was looking at this and living with my apprehensions. There’s something he said, that I recollect even today, “It’s your work that is going to speak for you and not your looks” He emphasized on this with an example from his childhood, his classmates who’d heckle and ridicule him for being the shortest motivated him to reroute his emotions towards a positive goal and he ended up being a well renowned doctor in Chennai.
The instigation was laid right there, I worked on a couple of projects with unhindered dedication at my college. I wasn’t ready to stop there. I figured out it was important to put myself amidst new faces to get rid of all the negativity that had piled. Within the next two years 2014-2016, I won 11 National Level Symposiums and Conferences across Southern India and was invited to present my journey to the incoming batch on their induction day in 2016.
I’d wake up each day with a positive mindset of being able to present my work to different sets of people. Places that had no known faces, where I was judged purely on the merit of my work. This competitive spirit is what keeps me motivated even this day, and I’m glad I have been able to channelize my weakness into something I will be remembered for. Lest we forget N.R. Narayana Murthy once said, “Leading by example is the most powerful advice you can give to anybody”
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