Let me tell you a story, a story that is now a back-bone of mine, a story with is now a bridge that connected me with everything. Forgot which day it was, but never could I ever forget how the day was. The first day I got my biggest exposure towards orating skills, it was in the Manipuri poem house competition, I was in Sainik school – class 8, very tiny from now. I have always wanted to speak, and talk in-front of many people but fear always took my mic away.
I couldn’t get in the main competitors but I still prepared my script – don’t know why but there were two fears in me growing up. First was the fear of trying and the second was the fear of not trying. But standing in the middle was not an option so I chose to fall for killing the tear of not trying – I was all prepared to perform. Still – to remember I was not in the competitor’s list. I was crazy – crazy of wanting to kill the fear. Funny how much I shake that day – but something was to be killed that day – that was what I had in my mind.
Time called us to sit in the hall, I sat in the left-mid of the hall, shaking endlessly. The piece of paper that has to take my fear away was on my hand – I don’t know why I was so strong with weakness all over.
The poem competition started – I was nervous. I held the paper tighter, I was just wishing if I could speak anyhow. I mean – there was no way I could but – yes! I was so crazy. I realised something that day – if you want something to happen, all you got to do it make it happen – no one will lay steps for you. The competition ended, the ‘in-charge’ was just killing time – waiting for result from the judges.
Hello – my name is Birkarnelzelzit Thiyam – I was born with fear and lived with fear – until that moment – the ‘in-charge’ said, “We are still waiting for the result, if anybody wants to present – the mic is open to all.” Waiting for opportunity was hard but seeing the opportunity was even harder.
I was scared, no hands were raised – 10 seconds gone – still in waiting – then in few seconds – I heard a sound, “This is what you have been waiting for,” my timid heart just spoke out loud. I raised my hand, I stood, I heard people clapping, I heard people saying, “Is he crazy? Is he mad? What a dry boy?” but the voice, “this is my chance” from my heart was the loudest – so I kept following it.
I learnt something that day, fear stays until you go in the fear. The moment I tried raising my hand, “What will people say?” that voice was the loudest and the fear was at its maximum and the moment I raised my hand, “So what?” voice came out and I was at the minimum fear. Finally, the mic I saw from 50 meters was just 5 centimeters away from my lips. I took a deep breath – I opened to the new world – I no longer see in fear but fully in command. I smiled and said, “Ei seirang amta thigeysey,” everyone bursts out laughing.
Fear is just an illusion, willpower too is an illusion, all you have to do is believe the willpower – feel that you can do it, feel that it’s your chance. Poor people sell their sweats, common people sell their time, rich people sell their skills and richest people buys everything with their ideas.
Had I not raised my hand that day, life would have been so different. For the first time – I saw heaven – heaven that garlanded me with happiness, overcoming the noises with my voice, that feeling – feeling of living with your dream – that’s priceless. Never forget that – there is only one thing which you can’t do and that is “what you don’t want to do?” and the rest of those which you want, nothing can stop you from doing it – winning is the only price for people who follow their dreams.
The writer is a Motivational orator, who currently resides in Canada. Subscribe to his YouTube channel ‘Live With Bir’ to watch motivational. He can be reached at
[email protected]; Facebook – Birkarnelzelzit – Young Thoughts; Twitter – Birkarnelzelzit, INSTAGRAM – Birkarnal.