Confidently.Sensitive
Its been a roller coaster ride growing up. My mom was worried because I wouldn't talk until I was 2.5 years old. All I ever wanted was mom with me. I had a tough time making friends all through my school years because I was a cry baby all the time. Until, I grew up. Now, handling subdued sensitivity.
I am extremely sensitive, I cry for the smallest of things, I lose my temper quite often, I feel offended even if someone makes a statement about my weight. (Don't even ask about all those movies where Amitabh Bachchan dies).
I used to blame myself for all the fights between me and my friends, guilt trip for no fault of mine and wallow in low self esteem. Even a old best friend just stopped talking to me because he was coping with some issues, over which no reasonable person just leaves another friend.
And I spent countless nights crying over the fact that oh, so maybe it's my fault. I said this, I acted stupid, I might have done this, so that's why.
After countless months of coping with various 'sensitive issues' if I may say, I finally decided to take life as it comes.
Instead of changing myself to pretending to be insensitive, I accepted being the way I was. That's a more peaceful and happy me than a happy everyone else and a sad me.
To quote R M Drake,
"She did not find grim in falling apart. For every time she found herself to be broken, she knew she was brutally remaking herself and collapsing to be reborn like a rioting star; haunting the dark sky".
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently.Paradoxical
"You're spreading positivity all the time, what is wrong with you, why are you so sad right now?".
"Didn't you just say that you weren't fond of her? Then why are you helping her out?".
"You just told me how you believe that there is just one God and that God doesn't have a name or a religion, so why on earth are you praying to Lord Krishna?"
As I'm growing older, I'm starting to notice how holding two or more contradictory views at the same time is seen so negatively. It's almost as if society demands for you to pick one side and without questioning and room for context, forces you to stay there and never fluctuate. Why? Because if you do hold opposing beliefs and deviate from your original stance, you are a total hypocrite. You are flaky and insincere. It is all pretense.
I am a storehouse of contradictions and I'm okay with that because I strongly believe in the concept of duality; I believe that it IS okay to feel two completely different things at once. And by that, I don't mean we promise one thing and do another, no. That way, we tend to lose our credibility. I mean that we are not here to just represent the two ends of a spectrum and invalidate everything else in between. It is possible to balance two completely divergent views and that does not make us "fake" or "hollow", it simply makes us human and real. It makes us receptive to the context of the situation, it makes us empathetic, it helps us understand the unknown grey area.
We aren't here to be one thing or another. Black or white. Pro-LGBT rights or Anti-LGBT rights. Love them or loathe them. I can make you smile and still be crying on the inside. I can criticize Modi for not implementing a plan but still admire his efforts overall. I can prefer staying in all day and reading a book but still attend that party. I can be great at Psychology but opt for a course in Computers. I might dislike someone's judgements but still admire them and tell them how awesome I think they are in a certain aspect because I recognize the multiple dimensions of having a belief.
Yes, I am a complete paradox. And I am allowed to be one. You do not have to glue yourself to one podium because that is what is seen as acceptable.
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai — with Malavika Rangarajan
Confidently.Vertically Challenged
I refuse to let my self worth be determined by an attribute that I have no control of. A random interplay of Genes may determine my altitude above sea level, but it will not control my stature in my mind or the way I want the world to look at me.
Granted that I will miss a lot of aerial balls tossed into the area, but then I will also manage to dribble past and below the outstretched hands of the tall defender. Not to mention the perks of standing in the first row in a group photo. And leg room is never a problem… never!
I am, Confidently Vertically Challenged.
- Aliasghar Bawa
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai
Confidently.Dusky
Growing up, I've always been insecure about my dark complexion. I wasn't ever specifically targeted for it, but I always felt like I was. This resulted in my lack of self confidence. Now, at 18, I realised in retrospect that it wasn't them, but me who didn't allow myself to blend in. It was me who built up walls of insecurity for myself. It was me who made me feel like I didn't fit in. My fight was not against society, but against my inner demons. There will always be somebody out there who will try to put me down, who will try to force me to expose the very parts of myself that I want to hide forever. But again, the fight is not against them, it is against myself. I always tell myself - "मन को हारे हार, मन को जीते जीत |" which means that all your battles are in your mind and the one who is able to conquer his mind is the one who ultimately wins. This is what helps me tame the demons inside of me. So take a moment and reflect within. Find these inner demons and destroy them because they don't reside under your bed but within you. So only YOU have the power to erase their very existence.
-Kshitija Sonavane
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently.Broken
When you've been to Germany, Spain, Argentina, Holland, Gibraltar, The Canary Islands, Hongkong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, U.A.E., France, Canada, The United States, Belgium, Mauritius, South Africa, China, Japan and a few more, even circumnavigated the Globe, rode a bike on a race track, bought your very own sports bike and a flat!!! And even before you're 25. You know you're kicking ass. And to top it off, you love your job. And then BAM!!! life kicks you right where it hurts most. You end up in a friggin wheelchair! Damn! Damn! Damn! Yes I'm broken... Broken worse than most people perceive. Broken not Beat. Still picking up the pieces, still searching for my peace. Don't need sympathy, don't need pity. Just gimme a hand when I ask and a push when I need. Always remember "I'm Broken not Beat".
Now what would life be without a little comic book reference right...?
"Why do we fall Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves back up."
-Hutaib Adib
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently.Unconventional
I am 25 year old Hyderabadi who is Bumbaiyya by heart, an advocate by day and dramatic all the time!
Back in 2014, right after I graduated from college, I joined my father’s firm. Two weeks after I joined, my dad was under cardiac arrest and was hospitalised. Things got scary. My mom told me that the only way I can help dad out was by taking care of work so that he won’t have to worry about it. I flipped because I had no idea who half our clients were. I didn’t know details of any cases and I had no idea what his case strategies were. I sat in the office for days trying to understand what to do and had a panic attack every second day.
Most of our clients and dad’s friends were extremely supportive, but what was really surprising was seeing how people from my own family told me I couldn’t do it. One such family member lectured me in the ICU waiting area, saying that if I wanted my father to get better I should get married. Preferably to a lawyer, so that he can take care of dad’s practice. In that short period of time he even managed to find me a nice Telugu lawyer boy who lived in Bombay and would serve as a savior for the damsel in distress they hoped I was. Thankfully nothing happened
It has been two years since that day and I still work with my dad. At work, we have a sort of rhythm, he does advisory I do litigation, he deals with the clients and I do the running around, we take turns taking a vacation and we always have each other’s back.
People around me and my family back in Hyderabad tell me to behave like a girl, drive a car and not ride bikes, get married and start a family, stop focusing only on my career etc., but unfortunately for them, I don’t. I am not how they hoped I would be and I am proud of it. I ride a Harley in a dress, work in a male dominated field, love my parents, do philanthropic work and party like there’s no tomorrow.
I am unconventional. And I love every bit of it.
- Pooja Reddy
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently.HIV Positive
"I am divorcing you, I can’t live with you anymore”, said my (ex) husband, whom I married in 2004 (when I was negative and got the virus through MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE), who finally divorced me in 2008, and even took the custody of my only child.
“You are HIV Positive?!”, exclaimed the HR of the company “But I thought that only prostitutes and drug users get it.”
“Jo, your treatments are expensive, how can you support yourself on your meager salary? Since you are my friend, I can do my bit to help, but I can’t keep on helping you all the time since I have my needs too”, said a dear friend of mine, who financially helped me with medication for 4 months and then after that, never heard from him again.
“She is HIV positive, don’t even go near her. If you talk to her or even be friends with her, the whole society will outcast you. Even your friends will abandon you…What will people say? We have a reputation to protect”, said a mother of my friend when he spoke of what good work I am doing for the community and disclosed my status to her.
“What did you say? She is HIV Positive? Don’t even bring her inside the house. Get her out from here right now, right this moment”, said a mother of another friend, and she dusted the sofa where I once sat, took the glass of water where I had sipped and threw it in the dustbin.
“My doctor tells me that saliva transmit the virus thus no kissing”, said my boyfriend, “and Jo, he is a well–qualified doctor, who holds several degrees” ..and the lump formed on my throat knowing that nothing I will do or say will convince him that it is NOT true. But still I educated him that the virus in saliva is not transmissible and virus from blood don’t thrive outside the body and die within few seconds after coming in contact with air. At least he listened.
While I write this, my heart is full of pains. But I knew I had to tell my story, which could be read by millions. My painful past, which had been a lot of learning experience, my struggling present, the motivational chapter of my life that made me spring into HIV activism, and my yearning for a beautiful future that I still dream about, which I wanna make it into a reality…..My reason for blogging, telling my story, showing my face, fighting on to live and inspire the others has only one spark: LOVE. I want that spark to be like a raging fire. People with HIV in India face a lot of hardship, stigma and discrimination.
Sometimes we are abandoned by our families/relatives, we are ostracized by the society, left to fund on our own, treated like untouchables, looked upon as a person who had multiple affairs……and hence cursed! I have been through a lot, and I am willing to go through it again. Though it hurts and breaks me down, I can “feel” that very pain in the mind and the heart of the rest of the people sailing in the same boat. I can imagine what they have gone through and why they live in fear. Suicide rates and depression within people having HIV/AIDS is extremely high here and I was also one of them. Two failed suicide attempts and a series of depression and anxiety attacks that took me to the lowest bottom, thinking that people don’t understand me, they don’t care, and I am victimized by their attitude/behavioral changes. Until one fine day, I finally woke up and smelled the coffee!
IGNORANCE leads to STIGMA, thereby leading to DISCRIMINATION. One cant expect people to understand you unless you yourself can make them understand. Change begins from YOU, from “within”…and its you only who can implement the change by coming out in the open, by speaking about it, by educating the masses, by generating support. Those who are unable to come out due to the fear of the society can at least learn to accept themselves and move on rather than dwelling in self-pity and hatred. THINK positive. BE positive. TAKE a positive approach to life. Change your mind, weed out all the negative energies and build a garden in it, watering them with all positive blooms that would fragrance your soul. With that done, your everyday living will become stronger. Healthier. Beautiful.
Now when anyone tells me “You are HIV positive? But I thought that only prostitutes and drug users get it” I reply back with a pitiful smile (pitiful yes, because of their ignorance) “Have you ever tested yourself? You too may never know. I didn’t know I was carrying the virus until my blood got tested when I was undergoing abortion” And I could hear the gasp, I could see their stunned face with wide eyes, open mouth and dropping jaw, and believe me, I ABSOLUTELY love the reactions I get!
As for “She is positive, don’t even go near her. If you talk to her or even be friends with her, the whole society will outcast you. Even your friends will abandon you…What will people say? We have a reputation to protect”, I had replied to that lady straight on her face, “Aunty, there are thousands of people who admire our courage to speak up. And they are those people who back us up. And your son is one of them who had participated in Awareness Program and who encouraged others to join in.” And she was glaring at her son as if wanting to know what I had just said was right and her son was facing her proudly and boldly saying “She will always be my friend”.
I even answered to my dear friend’s statement “Jo, your treatments are expensive, how can you support yourself on your meager salary? Since are my friend, I can do my bit to help but I can't keep on helping you all the time as I have my needs too”. I emailed him that I am thankful for him to help me and being with me during the worst of my times. Yes, treatments are expensive and my salary is meager BUT money is NOT everything. PEOPLE are. The love I give to the people makes me rich with their unlimited blessings that till now I am still on medication, still living to tell my story. You also did your bit to help without my asking. Why? Because you loved me as a friend and you did try your best till the last. Thus, I really appreciate small things in life.”
And oh yes….coming to the point of a hysterical mother of my friend “What did you say? She is HIV Positive? Don’t even bring her inside the house. Get her out from here right now, right this moment,”, said a mother of another friend, and she dusted the sofa where I once sat, took the glass of water where I had sipped and threw it in the dustbin. Before leaving the house I had told her that HIV Virus is not transmittable by air/water/sharing. I reminded her that I had come to this house many times and she had served me many tea/coffee/water in crockery that has also been used and reused for other guests. She wasn’t aware of my status then and now that she is, just throwing off one glass in the dustbin won’t suffice, she should throw off all the crockery in the kitchen if and only if she find one of the guest having contracted the same. Having said that, I could almost hear my friend giggle.
My ex boyfriend is now my husband. We got married on 2013. He still kisses me, heck, more than that, the husband-wife do. Twice a month he tests himself which is always "negative". And HIV negative he should always be.
Last but not least, as for the divorce from my ex husband, I am blessed that it had happened because now I realized the “purpose” of my life. This is where I belong and this is where my heart is: HIV Activism….To reach out…To give love to many people who need it and to spread the love to those seeking it. My suffering is not mine alone, it is also their suffering as they are also the part of my journey, walking through the same winding thorny path, having many long way to go, many difficulties and hurdles to cross to finally find the path laden with bed of roses.
Thus by ending, I would say….THINK positive, BE positive, TAKE a positive approach to life. Everything happens for a reason. Don’t take life for granted but be thankful for small things. No one is in charge of your happiness except YOU. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE…..
- Jyoti Dhawale Surve.
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently.Diabetic (too sweet)
It all started a year back. I had started loosing immense amounts of weight and simply attributed it to stress and other minor factors. I distinctly recall treating the issue as a joke.....
Here the real story begins.
November 2015: My mother came home with the reports of my blood tests. I was nervous but even I did not anticipate the outcome. She was completely distraught, a sight I had witnessed only once before.
The reports declared the lack of any and all the Insulin in my Pancreas.
I think my mother's reaction was justified. At the end of the day she is also a mother and I love her for that.
I was admitted to the hospital for 8 days which were torture. It was 8 days of being pricked by a needle every 2 hours and seeing my family cry over my fate.
During all this I had a lot of things going on in my head. " I CAN AND I WILL MAKE IT OUT OF THIS TROUBLE TOO LIKE THE OTHERS" was the most dominant.
Then came an angel in my life in the form of my doctor. She taught me to NEVER GIVE UP IN LIFE. She inspired me to fight harder. And from then there was no looking back.
I've been turning the negatives into positives and fighting against all odds.
But, I feel that for anyone having a small or big problem that God is testing us and he has the faith in us that we will conquer it!
Smile more:)
- Sai Deepesh Motwani.
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently. In Love
"Suraj and I have been together for 16 years. Our story is pretty 'filmy' as our relationship started off by me making prank calls to him. We then started chatting on the internet and he asked to come and meet me. All that while, I hadn't told him I was in a wheelchair and couldn't walk, because of the fear of losing him if I did. When I did tell him, he insisted on meeting me. I still remember the first time he walked in to my room and it was love at first sight. He spent a few hours with me and when he left, I wondered if he would call back. Well, he did! A few months of chatting and talking on the phone and one day out of nowhere he asked, "will you marry me?"
We had to get married without our family consent as they just couldn't see our relationship working out. They were wrong. It's 13 years since we've been married and we have a gorgeous 3 year old son. I am so grateful to my friend Vinita who gave me Suraj's phone number because without that I would never have been with him.
Life has a strange way of turning things around, I lost both my parents in the car crash which left me paralysed chest down, but I found true love and my little son, both who are my life! - Sanam Suraj Karunakar
Confidently.Flawed : Powai Edition in association with Rotaract Club of Bombay Powai.
Confidently.Dink
"There is a societal norm of crossing a milestone at a certain age. All my life I've been told to chase good marks at 17 just before my boards, focus on a good career at 21 just after my graduation....look pretty and click pictures for a near perfect groom when I was 24. It's like there is a revolution connoting - you've gotta do this at THIS specified age. I chose to break free from the set norms of society. I was very comfortable not having a child of my own. I was subject to incessant grief from my mother , my relatives who just wouldn't understand that I dint have a problem. It's just that I wasn't ready. As a mother of a child - the prime responsibility of a human being is to ensure that every facet of the newborns life is perfect. I said a big NO as I wasn't sure in mind that I could have a baby in a perfect ambience.
I was accused of being selfish and lazy by many. I was called baanj (infertile) by others.
My resolve however stands strong as ever. I'm not going to give in to pressures of society. This is my life and the choices are mine. As a couple we are confidently DINK." - Naini Roy Choudhury Thakkar
Confidently.Dyslexic
"In the second standard I couldn't even write 3 letter words and was really bad at studies.That same year I was diagnosed with dyslexia. The school said I couldn't continue and that I should be shifted to another school with a different board. My mom fought with the school authorities and they finally agreed (after a year) to let me continue if I improved.
I went for regular remedial classes and tutoring. I had an amazing remedial teacher and mentor. My support is the MDA. In the 5th my results were excellent and in the tenth I scored a 91.2.
No one really believes me when I say I have dyslexia. Not everyone with dyslexia has to "look" a certain way, it's just that our brain works a little differently from the rest. In fact, I like the way my brain works...I really think it works amazingly for me.
Frankly I don't even know what dyslexia means, I have it but that's normal for me. I don't know where normal ends and dyslexia begins. People should not treat learning disability as a problem which needs eradication. We may be similar, but no two people are the same! Just because a person cannot fit in with our education system doesn't mean that the person will never learn. Teachers should stop being so rigid with students.
MDA has this quote, "if I can't learn the way you teach will you teach me the way I can learn?"
This is something our teachers should understand."—Saffana Siddiqui
Confidently. Bad-At-First-Impressions
“Some people have zero filters—the kind who say something really obnoxious the very first time you meet them just to scandalise and humour you. I am that kind of person—cheeky, fun-loving and brutally honest at times (with the right intent, of course).
“It's nice to meet you but I'd really be so much happier at home.”
You get the idea.
Being cheeky and being honest can be fun at times, but can occasionally really backfire. And it’s not like I can help being that way anyway, it’s just the way I am.
There were times when people couldn't adjust to such behaviour and this really didn't work in my favour. I would come across as arrogant and overconfident. It took some time but I was finally able to understand that it really doesn't matter. It's not possible to please everyone and if some people aren't compatible with my personality, it’s absolutely fine.
Be yourself, everybody else is already taken.”- Advait Makhija
"So what have you picked?" He asked.
"Confidently fat!" I said.
"Why would you pick such a derogatory term?" He followed.
"Cause that's the thought I want to change!"
Over time we have conditioned ourselves to believe that "fat" is a bad word, something derogatory. But in fact, it's simply an adjective which defines what you look like and not what you are as a person. Surrounded by slim friends in school, college and especially in dance classes I have struggled with this all my life. I wish to put an end to it. Tell every other fat girl out there to not be ashamed of what she is but be proud, own it and above all love yourself not in spite of being fat but with it.
As J. K. Rowling once said,
“Is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be? Is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring' or 'cruel'? Not to me.”- Shivani Gawde
Confidenlty.Assamese
"I belong to a small town called Tinsukia in Assam. Ever since I came to Mumbai, I have received many hurtful remarks such as "Are you Chinese?", "Do you belong to Nepal?" or "Do you eat momos for lunch?". People don't treat me and others like me as Indians. They harass us and label us as Chinese. I just want people to consider us as a part of this nation and treat us the same. Thank you."- Neelabh Nath
"As a child, I was criticised for enjoying things 'meant for boys' and now, as a young adult, I'm criticised for it because apparently 'I'm doing it to get attention from boys'. But I don't care about what society thinks, I will obsess over comic book characters, quote Japanese graphic novels, gather merchandise from sci-fi shows, and game all night if I want to. My gender does not decide who I am. I am confident in what I love, and my opinions will not change." - Sasha Kalrani
Confidently.Anime Fan
"Since a mere age of 6 I've been influenced by anime. I'm not talking just Pokémon and Beyblade and DBZ here. I actually considered that stuff as regular cartoons. I mean that I watched anime on animax. Inuyasha was my gateway into the anime world! I've seen numerous other anime as I grew older and even at a young age I was criticised for it.
"Why are you watching "Chinese" shows?" No mom it's Japanese and not Chinese. Even now I'm criticised for having a passion. My family respects it to an extent but not many people do. Watching anime isn't all that I do. I also read manga. It's yet another Japanese creation. Well those are Japanese comics (translated to English of course!).
Just how much do I love anime and manga? I love it enough to have convinced my parents that I'm not growing out of watching it. Enough to make them buy me a ton merch . If that's not enough, I've got a list. Anime: 121 (excluding short ongoing series) and I don't know how much manga I've read.
People consider childish as I watch "cartoons" but they don't get my end of the story. So here's the sentimental part, from around 5th to 7th, I had no real friends at school and I could only meet those in my building when we went down to play. The only one that constantly stood by my side was anime. I love it enough to even be called an otaku. In Japan it's considered a bad term but in the community, people who watch lots of anime and read manga are called "Otakus". I know that my tale isn't long but I really don't need to scream it out loud to the world . I mean, you'll be able to see me as I am and I am this person because of anime. Thank you for reading!" - Siddhant Gupta
''My whole life I have been called a guy. It's really funny how the gender of a person is decided by the way they behave or the way they look. Just because I don't do things that most girls do, don't dress up like other girls or keep short hair, doesn't make me (or anyone for that matter) a guy. It's really annoying sometimes when you're called and considered a guy by almost every single person. Yes I'm very tomboyish and that's the best quality I have!''- Durga Mhatre
Confidently.Unsuccessful
''Today, I see many of my friends achieving so much in their lives that it makes me wonder whether there's something wrong with me. I'm not as successful as they are. Maybe there's something I could've done differently that would have taken me places. But then I remember that I have Jesus. Jesus went through insults, curses, sticks and stones for me. He died for me. But it is in His glory that I confide. His success in my success. As written in the Bible - 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'"- Rob Shields
Confidently.Hriday
"Ok so many people who I’ve met at the various MUN conferences know me as this really dynamic guy who is extremely confident in his own skin. But I wasn’t always like this…
Back in middle school I spent like 4 years being ragged by legit almost everyone in my grade, including my “friends” just because I was different.
Because while everyone shared Eminem’s new music, I’d sit alone in the corners listening to the Jonas Brothers.While everyone sat discussing football matches, I’d wonder why no one saw Hannah Montana last evening.
We live in a world where we are all told to just live our life the way people around us do. But the world never meant anything to little Hriday, “it never had and never would”, he thought to himself before sleeping at night. He’d rather dream of the stars than be conscious of a world where everyone was meant to be part of the status quo.
Though at some point he did try to change, he tried to become like them because he felt lonely. He started listening to bands that everyone listened to, started watching football matches so that he could converse with them in the lunch break, but no matter what he did, he was always ridiculed back into his corner. Everyday walking into school he felt like a court jester, who was only meant to be laughed at. And finally he realized, that it wasn’t what he watched or how he spoke that they had a problem with, it was him, he was the flaw.
And he took it upon himself to embrace that, and now, 4 years later, he’s invulnerable to them.
I realized that my very existence is a miracle, it has taken innumerable stars to explode in order for me to be formed, that I am made up of the same carbon and Iron and phosphates that once burned brightly in them. This helped me find my place in this infinitely large cosmos.
I have my highs and lows, I love washing my fingers every nanosecond cause I can feel dust particles on them, I love taking care of my hair, I love binge watching Doctor Who, I believe in long term relationships, I love gaming, I love discussing random “girly” stuff with my girlfriend, I love MUNing, I love Physics, I love eating(not vegetarian though, ew), I love pets, I love geeking over Elon Musk and how I wish I could help him take humanity to Mars. I love being who I am because that makes me happier than almost anything else.
I finally am, in the true sense, Confidently Hriday."- Hriday Chhabria
Confidently.Talkative
"I know and I've been told time and again that I talk a lot and so I find the need to constantly apologize for talking a lot but you know what? It's fine. It's okay that I always have something to talk about. It's okay that I talk a lot and that I can talk to anybody at any given point of time, because if I didn't I wouldn't have met some of the greatest people and had some of the best discussions of all time. It's okay that I always have something to share atleast I can make people smile if nothing. I classify this as a skill now.
So now instead of apologizing for talking a lot, I'm sorry that I'm not sorry about it. It's a form of expression and it's okay to talk. It's okay to express yourself more than others. It's okay."- Prachee Mashru
Confidently.Short
'As a kid, I always wanted to become an NCC Sergeant — I was fascinated by the Military crest, uniform and insignia that was conferred on the Cadet Corps. In the 8th standard, I enrolled myself for an for an NCC training camp. Although I displayed true capability and leadership qualities and the officers acknowledged my skills, at the end of the training course I was dismissed — ‘Beta, tumhara kaushal toh theek hai par tum Sergeant nahi ban sakte — tum chhote ho naa!’ (Son, you’ve got good skill but you can’t become a Sergeant — you’re short no?). I was shattered but far from giving up. A few months later I re-enrolled myself for an NCC camp. Initially, they didn’t let me join in on the pretext of no accommodation space. But I was determined so they put me up with a bunch of kids whom I didn’t know. On my first day, I figured that the officers who were training me were my height (some even slightly shorter). Today, I am a bona fide and authorised NCC Sergeant! Thus, I am Confidently Short in every true sense.'- Pravisht Mishra
Confidently.Emotional
'When I was younger my cousin sisters would call me Bubbles from Powerpuff girls. Back then I used to think that it's because I was cute, bubbly and always exuberant and so I was given that name. But now I know why, it was because I was very sensitive and vulnerable. Over the years I realised that it's my basic nature. I am extremely emotional and delicate. I get upset because of friends, annoyed because of small arguments and feel scared to open up to people, I despise being vulnerable to anyone around me other than a few close friends because I get hurt easily for weeny reasons. Also because it's hard for me to accept the fact that people might understand my problems. Earlier I ignored all the sick feelings wrenching in my gut when something would hurt me and to it shun off the tears and sadness I would mask the emotions by being angry or laughing it off. But now I realise how wrong I was. If it's a part of me then I should be ready to accept and embrace me. Being very emotional and sensitive makes me who I am and accepting that makes me stronger. I could share my passions and interests with a million different people making me similar to them but my shortcomings and flaws set me apart. I've realised this and learnt that my sensitive nature has always made me a compassionate person and I'm happy I'm that way.'- Hasri Hemnani
Confidently.Emotional
'When I was younger my cousin sisters would call me Bubbles from Powerpuff girls. Back then I used to think that it's because I was cute, bubbly and always exuberant and so I was given that name. But now I know why, it was because I was very sensitive and vulnerable. Over the years I realised that it's my basic nature. I am extremely emotional and delicate. I get upset because of friends, annoyed because of small arguments and feel scared to open up to people, I despise being vulnerable to anyone around me other than a few close friends because I get hurt easily for weeny reasons. Also because it's hard for me to accept the fact that people might understand my problems. Earlier I ignored all the sick feelings wrenching in my gut when something would hurt me and to it shun off the tears and sadness I would mask the emotions by being angry or laughing it off. But now I realise how wrong I was. If it's a part of me then I should be ready to accept and embrace me. Being very emotional and sensitive makes me who I am and accepting that makes me stronger. I could share my passions and interests with a million different people making me similar to them but my shortcomings and flaws set me apart. I've realised this and learnt that my sensitive nature has always made me a compassionate person and I'm happy I'm that way.'- Hasri Hemnani
Confidently.Faghag
""Fag hag is a gay slang phrase referring to straight woman who either associate mostly or exclusively with gay and bisexual men. The phrase originated in gay male culture in the United States and was historically an insult."
But like here's the thing Right?
it's just another way to delete female bisexual identity. The problem here is that we shame women for things we need from them. The way the stereotype that men are supposed to have a lot of sex, the way we shame women for both having not having them. Putting down women for wanting to be friends with someone who would not ever sexualize them, doesn't sound unfair. Well, now that I've said my piece, F A G H A G O U T." - Akshata Narayan
Confidently.Bindass
"5 years ago, I reckon not fairing well in my last semester of the eighth grade. It lead me into dropping science due to my inability of understanding the subject. I was tormented with questions by voices like what would i want to be in the future if not a Doctor or an Engineer? I was already been seen as a failure in life before I could accomplish anything massive. It had a colossal impact on my mental state of being whereby I had become a loner. It was then that I decided to take a stand for myself. I would not be crippled by the society's opinion about me. I decided to be unanxious without requiring validation from anyone. Barely had my new semester begun when I had found my new passion. Economics. Once again I was faced with another round of questions - How could you like such a dry subject? Do you even think there is any scope if you pursue it ?. Nevertheless, giving no weightage to the society's judgement, I went ahead in order to follow my dreams. As days started passing by, not only did my grades improve but also there was an absolute change in me. It felt akin to rebirth. With the impressive results and increasing passion, I realized how shutting down one avenue had opened down a more worthy avenue for me. It gave me all the confidence I needed in order to breakfree from the mainstream and be nonchalant about it. Today, the so called failure has risen against all odds with a better mindset, having no restraint, breaking boundaries, being independant and carefree of the society's judgement. Bringing down the curtain, by ignoring my weakness I turned into a bindaas person and eventually the same weakness worked in my favour and has made me who I am." - Aanchal Dusija
Confidently.Vocal.
""You know boys dont like girls who are so.. spoken.. And strongly opinionated, right?"
I've been brought up in a family where my parents and my brother always encouraged me to speak about things I truly care about.
My brother is a rapper who raps on society and its constraints amongst other things... not money, girls and weed. My father was a poet and my mother came from a family which was quite liberal for their time and age which eventually rubbed off on her.
As I got older I started to feel more passionately towards certain ideologies and causes. And everytime I researched and made an opinion about a certain concept, my family respected it whether they agreed with it or not. I started using different forums to speak out. Blogging, school events, poetry, and so on. And as this happened I met people who had difference of opinions which I accepted, it sometimes ended as a casual debate. But often I'd meet people who'd say I was too... 'vocal'.
I am unapologetically vocal about my opinions and I am not ashamed or shy to discuss them. A lot say it isn't 'ladylike', but I wonder, why should my gender restrict me from having a voice?
But I am vocal.
And I am opinionated.
And I am open minded.
And I am proud."- Aranya Johar