My fears

       
 Who does'nt have  any fear. Every one has experienced fear at some time in his/her life. When a child is small, it is the parents ,who are responsible for inculcating some or the other fear in the child's  mind. Just sample this. The mother tells the child," Don't go to that room alone at night. There are ghosts there". "Drink your milk or the 'baba' will put you in his bag." or"Don;t go out  alone at night, a snake may bite you".  The result is that a fear complex  overtakes  us right  from childhood. 
A very common fear which almost everyone has experienced is  addressing a  group of people.I  too had this fear right from childhood. I remember when guests came home, my father would invariably ask me to sing a song. Immediately the fear complex would over power me. Those days parents were not very  receptive. I remember that on this account, I got   beatings from my parents. The result  was that  the fear, which developed in childhood, continued till I  grew up. 
                            I joined the Education Department as a teacher. Within six years I was promoted as the Principal of a school. Teaching a class was not a problem; the same students  I had to face every day.  As Principal, I had to address the assembly. The very thought gave me goose bumps. In the beginning I used to write on a piece of paper, whatever I had to speak.  Slowly I discarded the paper and started addressing the assembly impromptu.  After I was promoted to higher positions, I could  address even an audience of thousand people  extempore. It became a second nature with me.
                                            I have got another fear complex. I cannot say 'no' to anyone. I have a feeling that if I refuse to  comply  or  do something against the request/order of  others, they will  break friendship with me. I  am now slowly trying to overcome this habit. I hope I will succeed in  giving up the practice very soon.I promise to myself that I will make all efforts to make my self courageous  and self confident.


Written in response to Everyday Gyan, Write Tribe Carnival 'what would I do if I was'nt afraid'.