When I first came to my new class after passing my SLC exam, I had this huge contemplation, this impulse that you have at the beginning of everything new. I had all kinds of ideas about what I’d do, how I’d change myself and how I’d do great at things. It was up to an uphill battle. A battle I have faced about like a hundred, no a thousand times, in life. Right from when I was in Grade One, I promised to myself that I’d do better the next year, in Grade Two. This promise has passed on year after year and I don’t think I have ever fulfilled it.

Being confident, outgoing and whip-smart, this is all I have wanted to become. I always wanted, but never tried. I knew I had to build myself. As I battled with things like loads of homework, unit tests, quarterly exams, results, competitions, new adjustments and new people, I always thought that I kept on going downhill, slowly losing my self-confidence.

All this has a reason. So here’s the thing: everyone’s mind has a sensible decision maker, all determined and ready to go at everything. But oh, in some of us, there also exists a resistor, the great-great comfort zone of ours. And this comfort zone of ours is all ready to throw the resolver back and destroy every opportunity that comes our way. When something comes up, in my mind it happens something like, “Wow! Look! There’s something you want

to do. You should go.” And then it’s like “No-no-no, you can’t go. Is it not better for you to just stay in bed and watch movies the whole day? And what if you fail at it? You’re not that good anyway.”

This comfort zone is just making everything look easy and trying to keep you satisfied for now. It sounds so great in the mind at that time. Because you’re satisfied not getting out of your comfort zone. Because you’re scared that you might screw things up. This is exactly what happens with me.

But it’s just not easy to get past the fear. Sometimes I have thought of myself as a failure. My brain gets exhausted at times. But now, while I’m saying this out loud, I am helping myself change what I think about myself. I certainly am not in my comfort zone right now, but this does feel good. I’m trying to think big again because now I can decide what kinds of thoughts I want inside myself and what I want to throw out. I can decide if I want to remain inside a small room or I want to fly to opportunities. Now I know, all I need to do is put one step outside my comfort zone and let all the magic happen.