Hello again!

Apologies for not sending a message for a while, been busy with family issues. I'm sure you know how it is.

I thought for a change I would tell you my personal story, as I hope it will help you out.

Years ago I faced one of the biggest struggles of my life. Shyness. It affected everything I tried to do. It probably killed most of the joy from my teenage years and lasted much longer than that.

I went to university, and that was tough! Asking questions and giving presentations were things I dreaded. I was sure others knew how panicked I was because I became so easily embarrassed and felt a hot spotlight on me, which caused me huge stress.

It stopped me from socializing as much as I could have, it stopped me from communicating. I became lonely sometimes when I should have been out having fun.

I had to get it under control and master my fears so that I could grow my self-confidence.

I read books, practiced self-hypnosis, and relaxed myself at critical moments. It was slow progress, and the pain continued. It was only when I started to create goals and challenges that I faced my fears in small steps. I gave myself grades in the form of an achievement diary and recorded my small successes.

I started to grow in confidence with each small success. As I became more social and confident, I moved onto each challenge with more energy and purpose.

It took years to come out of my shell, and it was not easy, but I persisted and didn't give up.

Now, all these years later, I respect myself more and communicate more easily with others. I gave a speech at my daughter's wedding; I have been teaching with confidence and success for years. I have given interviews, and my fear has gone away.

I was so shy that I was once afraid to speak to others.

What is the lesson from all this? You can, like I did, overcome your fears. You will have to work hard at it and persist. At times, you may fail, but you have to build on your successes and lift yourself up again to face the next challenge.

So, stay strong. Be sure that there are solutions to every problem. You can find them!

Wishing you all the best,

Speak again soon,

Karl Perera

Author and teacher

https://karlperera.com