Am I good enough — a question I have faced many times, at various junctures of my life. That deeply vulnerable feeling, a hesitant uncertainty — has surrounded me many times. Am I good enough for this? Capable enough? Or have I bitten off more than I can chew? Questions that have played relentlessly as background music to the on-stage dramas of my life.

But the tragedy lies, not in asking these questions — but in succumbing to them.

Since childhood, we have been raised by responsible adults, to grow into yet more carbon copies of responsible adults, conditioned thoroughly, to live the American dream or Indian dream or Asian dream — based on where we come from. We have been raised a certain way, educated a certain way, and are expected to wear the school uniform of societal conformity at all times. No wonder then, we are often assailed by self-doubt and question our own capabilities.

A fish is a talented swimmer but if it is asked to compete in a flying tournament, can it win? Many of us are like talented fish, with our unique set of creative tools and in-born capabilities — but we are expected to spread our non-existent wings and soar high in the sky. If we search deep within us, most of us find that we are not utilizing our soul talents in our life at all. We are living the logical, practical life that has been carved out for us by someone else. We have become masters of the ‘daily grind’. For instance, a born writer or poet who has no inclination for numbers, may end up spending his whole life doing dry accounting work in tranquil mediocrity, because it is more lucrative. It is safe. It is what everyone else is doing. Yet if someone tells him — ‘you should be a writer’, the question of ‘am I good enough to be a writer?’ will crop up instantly and he will back away from it. Ironically, self doubt is most evident on the path traveling which, we can truly embrace excellence. On which, every day can become a symphony of magical bliss, doing what we do well, instead of what we are expected to do, all the time. Imagine the great loss to the art and sculpture heritage of this world, if Michelangelo had ignored his talent and become an electrician instead. If William Wordsworth had lived and died a gardener, instead of penning an ode to the beauty of a host of golden daffodils.

Life can become a work of art for someone who is born to be a painter. It can reveal itself as a universal symphony of melodies for one who is born to be a musician. If we embrace our true potential, life reveals itself as a beautiful masterpiece — instead of being a saga of struggles.