‘Courage and growth come when you allow yourself to be seen’

Do you feel like you sometimes struggle to hold a conversation? You are not alone.
In her TEDx Talk, Shivani Patil says she was a painfully shy girl growing up — the person who didn’t talk much, the introvert of the group. She used to get nervous about doing basic things like ordering at a restaurant or answering phone calls. 
She was diagnosed with spelling and reading disorder and when she went to college, she participated in a fashion show. That was what sparked in her a sense of real self confidence; she also realised how much she loved fashion and glamour. She then participated in a pageant, which changed her life. 
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“For the first time, my desire to do something had overtaken my lack of self confidence,” she says in the video. 

While she did not win the pageant, it helped her emerge as a changed individual. Later, she decided to start a fashion blog. While it took her some time to find her footing, she eventually finished college and also made it big as a fashion blogger. 
“I’ve travelled the world with brands, been to events, been in magazines and newspapers, started so many conversations, done all the things I thought I wouldn’t be able to do.” 
She also talks about how she compared her life with others. “Nothing [in real life] is as perfect as it seems online.” 
“I still get scared to do small things and I still get anxious, but being in this industry has taught me to be better than that. I was terrified of giving this talk today, but I realise courage and growth only come when you allow yourself to be seen, and allow yourself to step out of your shell.”
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