The afternoon sun was shining brightly over Big Apple. Aaliyah and I were going through some of our old albums. We came across a picture where I was receiving an award as the best speaker. “Look how confident you look, Bob!” expressed Aaliyah. “Yes, I do. But, this confidence wasn’t there always. I had to work on myself,” I replied.
“Really? But, I have always known you as a confident man!” she said. I smiled. “That happened over time. Back in school, I was afraid of public speaking. Stage fear was a real struggle which I had to overcome,” I expressed.
“How did you overcome the fear?” she asked. “My family encouraged me. I remember how my dad had broadened my vision in high school after narrating to me the story of Cinco De Mayo. Every story in history has something to teach us. The story made me reflect deep within,” I replied.
I explained to Aaliyah how I connected to that story on a personal level. The victory of the unequipped Mexican soldiers over the outnumbering French soldiers on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla, showcased their fearlessness and confidence. They triumphed over the strong enemy only because they did not let any fear to question their own capability!
“That’s a very good way to look at things! Learn and then incorporate it in our own lives,” replied Aaliyah.
“Yes! First, understanding the issue is the key. Then comes self-motivation. And lastly, facing the fear is important. Working on ourselves will ensure the transformation of the weakness into strength,” I said.
Aaliyah hugged me. “I’m so proud of you! Glad that you did it!” she expressed. I pulled her cheeks and then we started flipping through the pages of the other albums.
Enemies need not be standing on the opposite side always. In reality, life hardly makes us stand on a battlefield to fight against soldiers. Real enemies like ‘fear’, ‘anger’, ‘jealousy’, ‘worry’ and the like are within us which hinder our progress. Winning over them is crucial!
Don’t let such enemies intrude with the day to day happy flow of your life. My biggest enemy was ‘fear’ which I overcame! In the end the victory felt great!
Do you have a similar story of personal victory? If yes, then share it with me!
