Hi ,

It was the year 2003, the hot summer of July. 

I was in my PGDBM class attending Business Communications. 

The very dynamic faculty gave us the assignment. White hairs Professor wearing the Saree, very gracious and amazing spectacles.

Her words, actions, and thoughts were always in sync. 

Amazing respect for such a professor. Very few of these days you will find with such passion and genuine interest to transform the lives of students. 

The whole class was given some assignment to speak in front of 120 people, a batch of PGDBM 2003-05 batch mates.

There were students from across India. Some from cosmopolitan cities, some were like me hailing from a small town called Roorkee near Haridwar. 

I remember speaking on stage once or twice in some functions in my childhood, where I used to put up some chit to remember what to say.

Keywords were being written and then da da da … da .. da .. da was to be spoken. 

This time it was not speaking on stage. 

This time it was a formal class of future managers, many of whom were looking as if they were already corporate professionals - Black suits and formals. Some of them are 5-7 years elder than me. 

As usual, that my name starts with the letter A, I was about to be called after 4-5 people. 

There was no podium where you could hide my legs. 

Speaking was ok. You can speak to anyone even in public, but this time task was tedious. 

Speak sense + You have to connect with the audience + You have to maintain your body language. 

Never can forget the professor who taught me the basics of public speaking so graciously. 

Here came my turn to speak. 

I went to the front row where the speaker should speak. 

The mind went blank for a few seconds. Legs were shaking. Where to hide those shaking legs.

Hands were not finding the place to keep them. It was like the first class of driving and I have to manage clutch, gear, brake, and speed together. 

It was almost like the most uncomfortable situation. Feeling giddy and having a sense of vomit. 

Anyway, the situation was that the theory lesson was already being given. 

The entire class was waiting for the words. Professor was waiting for me to take charge. 

Here I come. Um… Aa… Umm…. Aa... 

I took a pen and kept it in my hands so that at least one part was ok. Hands found the place to be restful. 

Legs started shivering. 

I mugged the speech about it. I Started speaking and Tempo was high. As I became uncomfortable and just wanted somehow this to finish.

I started moving left-to-right da… da. Da… da… 

Da… da.… da…. Da. da… 

In the next 1 minute, I got the first feel and satisfaction that I was speaking.

Even though I was moving, I was connecting with a few eyes. Some eyes were giving me motivation. Legs started calming down. 

I somehow delivered the topic that day. 

This became the sprouting ground for one-to-many speaking (public speaking). 

That was the day when I overcame my first barrier of speaking among many. 

If that class would not have been there in my life I would not have been to places Where I went later. 

Three lessons from this:

1. Get hold of the situation - The first day of driving the car is always tough. Your mind says, “How the hell I will manage clutch, gear, brake, and speed together?

2. Flow with your flow - Even though there are many who have accomplished more than you and they seem to be better than you. Their story and the journey is different. Their start environment and goals are different. Get into the water and try to be with flow.  

3. It is about you, not them - When you are learning a new skill, the entire story is about you. You are not you were. You will not be what you are. This is the playground for you. The match will be played later. Practice practice. Every master was once the disaster. 

Your mindset is the most valuable thing!! Keep it set, do not unset or upset….!! It is not who you are; it is who you become…. It is your journey. The Journey of you becoming the future you. 

Believe in yourself. You can do it!! Miracles happen if you believe in miracles. 

Do you resonate with the story?

Do you have a similar story?

Reply to the email with your story.

I am listening!!

Cheers,

Dr. Ashish Juneja