The Positive Fear

I was taking a class for some students of a school about public speaking. One after the other, all students came on the stage to share the stories of leaders. They shared stories about Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhiji, Mother Theresa, Sachin Tendulkar and many others. These students were supposed to narrate these stories without the help of any print material. Each one of them tried to give the best speech possible. Some had practised the speech at home but still couldn't share it easily. They had a kind of fear which was obstructing the flow of speech through their vocal chords. Not just these small students, every speaker has this fear lurking inside before s/he goes on the stage.

Fear is one of the best motivating factors. The fear of failure has stopped many from taking action while it also has helped many to always win because they were afraid of failure. That apprehension inside us before we jump into doing something or expressing our talents or skills in front of people is called fear. There is an uncomfortable feeling due to the fear of not being accepted by the audience. Steven Pressfield says that every performer shall always undergo such fear before any performance. So, it's natural for one to fear. In fact, the presence of that small amount of fear before plunging into the open air of performance is a symbol of your seriousness towards your work. It's a positive fear that inhabits us for a temporary interval of time. The butterflies inside the stomach accelerate their speeds as we are just about to take on the stage. Let them not choke your voice down your throat. You must rise above it and deliver your performance. Let that positive fear be an indication that you are in the right direction than becoming a deviation in your path to success. Use the positive fear as a positive morale booster to boost your performance better. This fear is not because of any self-doubt about one's own preparation or talent, it's just a warning unto us to not let down those who have trusted in us and believed in our performance.

Not just in any stage performance alone, even in life too, such positive fears keep attacking us every now and then if we are trying to do something new every now and then. This positive fear differs very much from the real fear of performing. The positive fear compels you to take on the stage of life to exhibit all that you have got. On the other hand, the real ferocious fear shall stop you from even trying. Hence, use this positive fear which can be overcome very easily by taking a simple single step towards action. No matter which field you are in, taking initiatives will always be challenged by a positive fear. Accept the fear and take action, and the victory shall come and dance in your arms.