It was the year 1997, I completed my 10th class board exams and my holidays had just begun. I was sure of securing a good score, and I reserved my place in the computer science group for the next 2 years of schooling. After a week of whiling away time at home, and hanging around with friends… boredom slowly started to creep in. Holidays back then are not as entertaining as today’s digital centric days.
My father found an advertisement in the newspaper regarding a public speaking course by Mr. Ravi Ramanathan. This is apparently a popular program that is being conducted for several years. So, my father insisted that I go for a free introductory class and then decide if I like to be part of it.
Here is a little perspective for you… Back in my school days, I was not fluent in spoken English. I vividly remember the time when I accidentally said “It’s too sun” instead of saying “It’s too sunny”. Though I knew the correct way of speaking, I utter out wrong words accidentally at the spur of the moment. I also never got opportunities to speak on stage in public forums. So, I thought this public speaking program may help me in some way.
This 1 month program by Mr. Ravi transformed my life in ways never imagined. To me, the outcome was a miracle. True story! Here is what happened to me in that 1 month.
During the program, I was asked to speak on dais many times until I was completely confident about handling it. The formula for getting over a fear is to do it repeatedly… Eventually, a great deal of confidence sprouted in me. This confidence brought several hidden gems in me out to the world. Just like magic, my spoken English became music to the ears. In my opinion, this program is more about confidence building than public speaking.
I noticed that speaking good English and playing the game of Tennis has been in me all through… Yet, I never realized my true potential. When CONFIDENCE was induced into me, my skills blossomed and I shined at whatever I did. My academic rank in the following years improved drastically, and my game of tennis improved all of a sudden with no extra effort.
May be this is what the concept of “Enlightenment” also refers to – That which is in us all the while is realized. Thus one becomes a realized person.
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