Do everything that scares you

Enjoy because you won’t get this chance again.

Saumya Pal

Published in

Story Saturday

3 min readJul 7, 2024

The best and the only advice that I believe truly exists is —

Just DO what you fear.

Chase adrenaline!

Take those fearful risks.

Set no limits.

It’s actually fun and we have just one life, it’s a “MUST” to enjoy it to the fullest.

In the past few months, I have started to love my challenging life.

Yes, I am a hustler, I have a really hectic schedule, I am a high-school student and aspiring entrepreneur, I do not live an ordinary teenage life, and I do not waste my time partying with friends,… BUT that does not stop me from enjoying.

I love to challenge myself. I am curious to know how far I can go.

5 months ago, I discovered I had stage fear when I dropped the mic on the school stage, unable to speak a word because I forgot the first line of my speech. Out of anxiety, nothing else did pop up in my head than to say thank you and leave the stage.

After that, I became a victim of social anxiety as well. Everywhere I went, everything and every person I spoke to, felt like I was being judged. I thought they didn’t like me or talked bad behind my back. So, I stopped approaching people.

I also had this entrepreneurship myth in my mind — Success demands complete solitude.

Then, I felt like it was enough!

I challenged myself to talk, appreciate, or help 30 strangers in 30 days.

While I still had this fear of being judged and what they think of me, I continued because

CHALLENGE TO MYSELF IS THE REAL CHALLENGE!

I went to local stalls to talk to people — image from pinterest

I started easy, visiting stalls around malls and monuments where needy people sold their products. I either shared cookies or had a fun chat (a selfie was mandatory). I noticed the genuine smile on their faces I was looking for. Their happiness touched me — they rarely expect care from passersby. Some even offered me free items to show their gratitude.

I also dropped 4 injured street dogs to the government veterinary hospital where two of them had been adopted by a good family.

I shared my fears and 30-day challenge (which eventually expanded to 150 days) with my parents and some teachers.

The funniest part of my challenge? Cracking a joke in front of the most strict teacher in my school. I never saw him smiling. My heart was pounding a million times before I stood and spoke in front of him and that too, was a joke.

He took this positively and I saw him laughing the first time in 12 years of schooling. It was a pleasure seeing the shocked faces of all the students.

Lastly, I joined a debating club. I am not perfect yet, but delivered 17 speeches so far in the past 5 months.

In the past 150 days, I have built many strong connections, linked with over 130+ people online that constantly push me to move only forward in life. I have had conversations with many inspiring entrepreneurs. I have become a confident person now and developed my own skill sets which sets me apart from a normal teenager.