I have heard a few adjectives about myself. I told I am intimidating. I am told I am blunt. I am told I am confrontational. Unfortunately, women like me don’t easily fit in. Simply because we are unafraid of voicing our opinions. And they can come across as strong!

I have felt bad about being judged. But in all honesty, I would never trade these traits of mine, no matter what. Some people can just afford to live the black and white life rather than hiding behind grey curtains.

But I wasn’t always like this.

As a kid, I was shy and timid to the extent of getting bullied. I remember my brother putting up a fist fight for me. And he is 3 years younger. I remember my Mom accompanying me to the house of the bully to sort things out. While I was still scared. But my Dad was by far my biggest cheer leader. He showed me the power of speaking up. As I went from tweens to teens, I was still the very introverted and scared rabbit. So my father enrolled me in a Karate class. I got kicked and punched and made to run till I felt stiches in my chest. But the result, the anger and valour within fired up. And before I could figure what was happening, fear had set me free. Next, each time I came home feeling scared of an eve teaser, Dad would bring me back to the culprit, face-to-face, and straighten things out with them. The instances decreased sooner than I had expected.

Before I knew it, something called courage had already begun making its way into my existence. Over the couple of years that followed my Karate regimen, I magically transformed. I began to acknowledge the strength that was so intrinsic to my core. It was almost like Elsa from Frozen. In what felt like a different lifetime, I was afraid of everything. But then, repeated instances of my Dad leading by example, helped me get stronger.

Today, I am grateful to be raised in a family that taught me the power of belief. That gave me the gift of courage. And that taught me to stand up for  myself. Unafraid, unfiltered, unapologetic. I am grateful to be me. You are free to judge me all you like!

P.S. It is a blessing when you are surrounded by loved ones that help you break the cracks of fear, shyness and vulnerabilty. It is a blessing when you receive constant reinforcement that you are enough. And that is the best muscle to build. To trust in one’s ownself. To have the courage to go left when the world moves right. Except, when you are driving. Because on the road, it is important to follow the rules.