AS I BEGIN MY ARTICLE I OFTEN WONDER WHAT THE AUDIENCE MIGHT THINK OF ME. ALL OF US HAVE SUCH THOUGHTS.WHILE ALL OF US WORK ON SOMETHING, WE TEND TO THINK UPON THE LIKES AND DISLIKES OF PEOPLE.

DON’T WORRY I’M NOT GOING TO LECTURE YOU ON APNE DIL KI SUNO, LOG JO SOCHTE HAI SOCHNE DO. THE GREATEST FEAR PEOPLE HAVE IS FACING THE FEAR. WE ALWAYS AVOID THE SITUATIONS WE ARE AFRAID OF. I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO PLAY KHATRON KE KHILADI AT YOUR HOME. WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY HERE IS DO SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK WILL GO WRONG. WHAT IF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE MY IDEA, WHAT IF MY BOSS DIDN’T LIKE MY PRESENTATION, ETC. I KNOW IT IS EASY TO SAY BUT DON’T YOU THINK IT IS ALL IN OUR HEAD? ONCE WE FACE OUR FEAR, WE WON’T BE AFRAID OF DOING THE SAME THING ANYMORE. AT TIMES WE DO NOT DO THINGS NOT BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO BUT BECAUSE WE’RE TOO AFRAID OF DOING THEM EVEN AFTER KNOWING THAT IT CAN BRING US PROGRESS AND JOY. THIS IS WHAT I REFER TO AS THE GREAT ESCAPE. THE SHORTCUT THAT WE TAKE. IF YOU ALWAYS CHOOSE THE EASY PATH YOU WILL STOP DOING THINGS THAT ARE CRUCIAL.

WE KNOW IT IS WRONG BUT WE ALWAYS MAKE PEACE WITH OUR DECISION. ALL OF US NEED TO STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES OR ELSE IT IS LIKELY THAT OUR FUTURE AIN’T BED OF ROSES BUT THAT OF THRONES. IN THE MOVIE DEAR ZINDAGI THE CHARACTER JUG RIGHTLY STATES THAT KABHI KABHI EASY OPTION CHOOSE KARNA CHAHIYE BUT KABHI KABHI AND YES I ABSOLUTELY AGREE. WE CANNOT ALWAYS AVOID OUR FEARS. THERE ALWAYS COMES A TIME WHEN WE HAVE TO FACE OUR FEARS, INSTEAD OF MOVING AWAY PULL UP YOUR SOCKS AND CONFRONT THEM WITH CONFIDENCE. FACING CERTAIN SITUATION CAN MAKE US SELF-ASSERTIVE AND STRONG. EXPOSING YOURSELF TO YOUR FEARS WILL HELP YOU OVERCOME YOUR ANXIETY. DON’T BE TOO HASTY IN DECISION MAKING. TAKE YOUR TIME AND YOU’LL COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

Masoom Kotecha
Third Year B.P.T