{"id":67,"date":"2016-01-04T18:16:15","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T18:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/uocgavel\/?p=67"},"modified":"2016-01-04T18:16:15","modified_gmt":"2016-01-04T18:16:15","slug":"stepping-out-by-charuni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gavel.cmb.ac.lk\/?p=67","title":{"rendered":"\u201cSTEPPING OUT\u201d BY CHARUNI"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uocgavelclub.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/10\/charuni2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-64 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/uocgavelclub.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/10\/charuni2.jpg?w=474\" alt=\"charuni2\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" \/><\/a><\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Last\u00a0year\u00a0Farha\u00a0called\u00a0me\u00a0up\u00a0one\u00a0day\u00a0and\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cHey,\u00a0so\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0hoping\u00a0to\u00a0start\u00a0a\u00a0gavel\u00a0club\u00a0in\u00a0our\u00a0uni\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0University\u00a0of\u00a0Kelaniya\u00a0is\u00a0helping\u00a0us\u00a0out.<span id=\"more-63\"><\/span>\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0having\u00a0our\u00a0first\u00a0meeting\u00a0tomorrow.\u00a0Would\u00a0you\u00a0like\u00a0to\u00a0come?\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0had\u00a0not\u00a0heard\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0gavel\u00a0club\u00a0before\u00a0so\u00a0I\u00a0asked\u00a0her\u00a0what\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0about,\u00a0to\u00a0which\u00a0she\u00a0replied,\u00a0\u201cWell\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a\u00a0club\u00a0that\u00a0helps\u00a0develop\u00a0public\u00a0speaking\u00a0and\u00a0leadership\u00a0skills\u2019.\u00a0I\u00a0told\u00a0her\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0fear\u00a0of\u00a0public\u00a0speaking\u00a0and\u00a0she\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0exactly\u00a0why\u00a0you\u00a0should\u00a0come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u00a0have\u00a0great\u00a0admiration\u00a0for\u00a0people\u00a0who\u00a0are\u00a0able\u00a0to\u00a0stand\u00a0in\u00a0front\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0crowd,\u00a0be\u00a0very\u00a0much\u00a0at\u00a0ease\u00a0and\u00a0communicate\u00a0their\u00a0ideas\u00a0effectively.\u00a0Going\u00a0for\u00a0that\u00a0meeting\u00a0would\u2019ve\u00a0given\u00a0me\u00a0a\u00a0platform\u00a0to\u00a0develop\u00a0my\u00a0skills\u00a0but\u00a0I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0go.\u00a0I\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0asked\u00a0to\u00a0deliver\u00a0a\u00a0speech,\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0simply\u00a0asked\u00a0to\u00a0attend\u00a0a\u00a0meeting\u00a0and\u00a0yet\u00a0I\u00a0turned\u00a0down\u00a0that\u00a0opportunity\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0time\u00a0it\u00a0came\u00a0my\u00a0way.\u00a0However,\u00a0Farha\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0few\u00a0other\u00a0friends\u00a0eventually\u00a0convinced\u00a0me\u00a0to\u00a0go\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0gavel\u00a0club\u00a0meetings\u00a0and\u00a0here\u00a0I\u00a0am\u00a0today,\u00a0a\u00a0happy\u00a0gavelier!<\/p>\n<p>It\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0take\u00a0me\u00a0too\u00a0long\u00a0to\u00a0realize\u00a0that\u00a0public\u00a0speaking\u00a0in\u00a0itself\u00a0was\u00a0not\u00a0what\u00a0I\u00a0feared.\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0uncomfortable\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0thought\u00a0of\u00a0being\u00a0judged\u00a0by\u00a0people\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0mistakes\u00a0I\u00a0would\u00a0make\u00a0when\u00a0delivering\u00a0a\u00a0speech.\u00a0But\u00a0the\u00a0more\u00a0I\u00a0thought\u00a0along\u00a0those\u00a0lines,\u00a0the\u00a0more\u00a0I\u00a0felt\u00a0that\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0merely\u00a0an\u00a0excuse.\u00a0I\u00a0figured\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0real\u00a0problem\u00a0was\u00a0my\u00a0unwillingness\u00a0to\u00a0step\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0comfort\u00a0zone.<\/p>\n<p>Most\u00a0of\u00a0us\u00a0are\u00a0more\u00a0comfortable\u00a0being\u00a0part\u00a0of\u00a0an\u00a0audience\u00a0than\u00a0being\u00a0IN\u00a0FRONT\u00a0OF\u00a0one.\u00a0What\u00a0you\u00a0may\u00a0not\u00a0realize\u00a0is\u00a0that\u00a0you\u00a0are\u00a0never\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0grow\u00a0if\u00a0you\u00a0continue\u00a0staying\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0place.\u00a0All\u00a0it\u00a0takes\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0little\u00a0courage\u00a0(and\u00a0sometimes\u00a0an\u00a0extra\u00a0nudge\u00a0from\u00a0a\u00a0friend)\u00a0to\u00a0step\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0comfort\u00a0zone.\u00a0This\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0to\u00a0say\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0completely\u00a0overcome\u00a0my\u00a0fear\u00a0of\u00a0public\u00a0speaking.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0something\u00a0that\u00a0happens\u00a0overnight.\u00a0It\u00a0takes\u00a0time,\u00a0all\u00a0you\u00a0need\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0to\u00a0change.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson\u00a0Mandela\u00a0once\u00a0said\u00a0\u201cI\u00a0learned\u00a0that\u00a0courage\u00a0was\u00a0not\u00a0the\u00a0absence\u00a0of\u00a0fear,\u00a0but\u00a0the\u00a0triumph\u00a0over\u00a0it.\u00a0The\u00a0brave\u00a0man\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0he\u00a0who\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0feel\u00a0afraid,\u00a0but\u00a0he\u00a0who\u00a0conquers\u00a0that\u00a0fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So\u00a0I\u00a0encourage\u00a0you\u00a0all\u00a0to\u00a0think\u00a0about\u00a0it\u00a0what\u00a0it\u00a0is\u00a0that\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0afraid\u00a0of.\u00a0We\u00a0all\u00a0have\u00a0fears,\u00a0and\u00a0let\u00a0me\u00a0tell\u00a0you\u00a0this,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0not\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0overcome\u00a0them\u00a0in\u00a0an\u00a0instant.\u00a0But,\u00a0it\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0take\u00a0forever\u00a0either.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0time\u00a0to\u00a0make\u00a0a\u00a0change.\u00a0Embrace\u00a0the\u00a0challenges\u00a0that\u00a0come\u00a0your\u00a0way.\u00a0Let\u00a0your\u00a0mistakes\u00a0be\u00a0lessons\u00a0for\u00a0life.\u00a0And\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think\u00a0twice\u00a0about\u00a0stepping\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0comfort\u00a0zone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last\u00a0year\u00a0Farha\u00a0called\u00a0me\u00a0up\u00a0one\u00a0day\u00a0and\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cHey,\u00a0so\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0hoping\u00a0to\u00a0start\u00a0a\u00a0gavel\u00a0club\u00a0in\u00a0our\u00a0uni\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0University\u00a0of\u00a0Kelaniya\u00a0is\u00a0helping\u00a0us\u00a0out.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0having\u00a0our\u00a0first\u00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