DARE TO DARE

When a group of students were asked at a convocation ceremony that,what has been the most educative experience of their life,surprisingly no one mentioned the degree course they had just completed from that elite institution, but mentioned incidents of their life when they managed to find solutions to problem situations where odds were stacked against them, and it was their sense of dare, quick thinking and equanimity that saved the situation.
Does that ring a bell somewhere? Is your mind also filled with pleasant memories of similar experiences when you found unique solutions (big or small) to the challenges staring at you at your face.

This shows that our emotional sense of well- being comes from meeting challenges big or small head-on. It also comes when we handle our fears at least temporarily with a sense of dare(In crises situation it may be a do or die situation).If we have this thought with ourselves of handling problems as challenges, then I'am sure we can do wonders, literally touch a little star everyday.But, we tend to lose it as we go through life.

The biggest reason is that we fear failure, we fear making mistakes, we want to be very sure of what the outcomes will be, what will others say.These are the kind of fears that prevent us from achieving our true potential, and of course we pass these to our children also.

So how to deal with it? For starters, whenever you are gripped with fear, imagine- what is the worst that can happen?Imagine yourself dealing with it.Reinforce this image, imagine yourself dealing with people's reaction to it, and that you are dealing with it in the most calm manner. Add humour to it if you can. Now also imagine what it would be if you succeeded in what you want to do. Hold the two pictures together, and I'am sure the answer to our fears will be before us and also remember what the wise old man Mark Twain said once"I'am an old man and I have known many troubles, but most of them never happened."