Transcriber: Aadit Raol Reviewer: Walaa Mohammed
You’ll never know if you don’t try. That’s something
I’ve had shoved down my throat since the age of five,
surrounded by well-meaning adults who were eager to impart this wise piece of
information. But I never truly understood
the depth of this simple statement until recently.
You see, I used to be what most people would call a nervous wreck.
Constant stomachaches, low self-esteem,
and significant imposter syndrome were a daily occurrence.
And when I was around seven years old,
I started having these panic attacks in school or during tests,
which is not a great place to have them.
People didn't realize I might have a problem until then.
After years of therapy and lots of journaling,
I came to the conclusion that I was so dictated by my fear of failing that
I would rather have lived my life
wondering what would have happened if I had tried than to have tried and failed.
Now, my anxiety might seem surprising to some,
given the fact that I’m up here speaking to all of you,
which is arguably a majority of people's biggest fear.
But I believe this transformation highlights the crucial realization that
the very thing that once crippled you can become
a large stepping stone to your personal growth and self-discovery.
Because the truth is, if you let your fear of failure get in
the way of reaching your full potential. Haven't you already failed? Now.
Fear is a psychological condition. But what does that mean?
Merriam-Webster defines fear as an unpleasant,
often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.
While the APA Dictionary of Psychology defines it as
a primary intense emotion aroused by the detection of an imminent threat.
What do both of these definitions have in common, you may ask?
They both define fear's evolutionary purpose as a survival mechanism.
The irony in that is that while fear aims to protect us,
it often prevents us from taking necessary risks for personal growth.
Fear and potential in themselves are a paradox. There are two types of fear.
Rational, which is justifiable and meant to protect us.
And irrational, which can make us feel overwhelmed and anxious.
The fact of the matter is that everyone is afraid of something.
Take me, for example. As someone who has grappled with fear
and anxiety my whole life, I know how it can infiltrate every aspect of life,
making even the smallest tasks feel insurmountable. And
that’s not even the tip of the iceberg. regarding the adverse effects
Here causes a chain reaction of physical responses in the body,
such as increased heart rate, muscle tension, and heightened alertness.
These reactions prepare the body to face or flee a perceived threat.
Fear can also drive us to take specific self harming actions.
For example, if you fear failure,
you might procrastinate or avoid challenging situations like writing that
paper or making that 1159 deadline,
or when it's 1030 on a Tuesday night and you're writing a Ted talk,
you're supposed to give in a week. However , I think that one's just me.
Genetics can also play a crucial role in our susceptibility to fear and anxiety.
Research has shown that there is a genetic component to anxiety disorders,
and the National Center of Biotechnology informs us that if you have
a family history of anxiety or mood disorders,
you may be genetically predisposed to these conditions.
Now, they tell us that the genes
and variations in neurotransmitter systems are thought to contribute to
regulating fear responses.
All in all, fear comes in many shapes and sizes,
but it's when we start understanding the causes and effects that we can take
the proper steps to overcome it
and eventually regain control over our lives.
Now, I'm not going to get up here and lie to all of you and say that
I never get anxious or nervous
because I definitely do. Like last year at freshman orientation,
I thought it’d be a great idea to sign up for the speech and debate team to try
and ease my way out of my comfort zone,
which seemed like a great
idea at the time until
I actually had to start debating people.
So, being the procrastinator I am,
I wrote my debate case the night before my first round, which was a struggle.
But that next day I walked out of that practice room feeling accomplished
and glad I persevered.
Yeah, that feeling lasted for about 30 seconds.
That was when my teacher told me I'd have to do the exact same thing
the next day, and I could have sworn my heart stopped for a second.
So that next day I anxiously walked into that practice room and saw my opponent,
a boy a year older than me, computer in hand. And you know what I did?
I ran out of that practice room crying and called my parents.
Not one of my proudest moments, I'm aware.
I ran down to the nurse's office
and tried to convince one of them to pick me up, and of course they didn't.
So I had no choice but to tell my teacher that I needed to quit.
By some act of God, he convinced me not to
and assured me that although debate might not have been for me,
speech could be. At that moment,
I remembered something my parents always told me when I would have these episodes.
They'd say that if you were stressed or worried about something
and thought that you would never get it, you're on the right track.
So he gave me these stapled papers with a bunch of words I had to memorize.
And when my first tournament came around, I was feeling, you guessed it, scared.
I managed to get through all my rounds of that day without fainting,
and went home that day feeling prouder than ever.
On the way home, I received news that I had won my first tournament.
I felt great and sustained no injuries.
If we're not counting my hugely inflated ego.
It's safe to say that that feeling lasted longer than 30s.
It's not always going to be that easy though, and most of the time it won't be.
Now, I mentioned the terme, the comfort zone earlier in that story.
The comfort zone refers to a mental and emotional state in which
a person feels in control, stress free and at ease.
We all have a comfort zone,
and it's not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of public speaking.
In life, the most dangerous place to be is in your comfort zone.
That's because it won't allow you to move or grow, and to put it bluntly,
will make your life insignificant.
Now, the main question I get when I tell people about my talk is,
how do I get out of my comfort zone and get rid of fear?
Which is a loaded question since it's not possible to completely get rid of fear.
Nevertheless, when you hear that little voice inside your head telling you what
to do and all the possible things that can go wrong,
the best advice I can give you would be to listen to it,
try and comprehend where it's coming from, and then do the complete opposite,
because that means that the risk you're about to take is worth far less than
the reward. And while gradual exposure might work for some,
I found from personal experience that if you just count to three and do it,
you will reap the benefits more often than not.
Sometimes all it takes is a leap into the unknown,
to discover the boundless possibilities and opportunities that lie beyond
the confines of your comfort zone.
In essence, fear is a formidable adversary and
a potent catalyst in our susceptibility to fear and anxiety.
While some may argue that failure is not always a necessary component
for personal development on paper there, right.
But the truth is, failure is inevitable because nobody is perfect.
And rather than fearing it, we need to look at it from a different perspective.
As we navigate the complexities of life,
we must remember that courage is not the absence of fear,
but the willingness to confront it. By embracing the wisdom of you'll never know.
If you don't try. We can step out of our comfort zones, chase our dreams,
and unlock the boundless possibilities that lie beyond what we're afraid of.
I encourage you to do the same and remember that anyone can beat fear.
Thank you.