I have a question for you. Do you regret not doing something which was worth a try? Yes! Almost all of us are guilty of having hesitated to step ahead and take action and most likely the reluctance came due to some fear or anxiety. Most often we delay or deny an action due to fear. The fear of failure, of being laughed upon, of being rejected, of not being good enough and many other such reasons.

Fear is an emotion which is triggered by the perception of danger, which could be real or imaginary. It stems from our insecurities. We, as humans are social animals and hence people’s attitudes towards us affect us. We try to portray ourselves in a certain way to the society and then are forced to confirm to that image. This gives rise to a deep – seated insecurity and we act the way we do.

It is this reason why an actress cannot look unkempt, a person of authority cannot be nervous, a parent cannot make mistakes or an intelligent student cannot have doubts. And all hell breaks loose if anyone tries to do any different, tongues start wagging, people start questioning, fingers are pointed and the spirit is broken. It is this fear of being stigmatized or rejected or ridiculed that makes us feel insecure and we do not try to take a step worth taking.

But the people who take action and are courageous enough to take a stand, are the ones whom the society treats as role models. So, it takes a Deepika Padukone to talk openly about loneliness and depression and a Mahatma or a Bose to believe in themselves and go on to create armies of people to fight the British, whether through peace or war.

It is the inaction that breeds doubt or fear in our abilities and we start living our fears not dreams. How can we allow such a thing to happen to ourselves? We cannot be afraid of what we do not know and have not experienced. It is the fear of the unknown that paralyses us. The day you decide to take action, confidence and courage follow you quietly and give you the conviction that it can be done.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said, we gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face.” So, do not hesitate to ask that question which bothers you, don’t worry about the world and go ahead to chase your dream, don’t question your ability if you have the will to live your dreams and don’t be afraid of failures because it is them that become the stepping stones to success. The very people who try to pull you down come clapping when you have climbed your Everest.

So, as Zig Ziglar put it, “Fear has two meanings, ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise’.” The choice is yours for it is the road you choose that makes all the difference.