Confidence Ignite the Spirit

In the rather tumultuous year that passed by, we witnessed several earth-shaking events.

- Smriti, Manoj

Even more earth-shaking were the feelings that they generated. At the individual level too, each of us have faced difficulties, some of which may have ben unnerving. As we go ahead, the question then arises is what things can help us march ahead despite challenges and the feelings they generate. Yes, there are many such things, and the most important among them is confidence. This cover story was inspired by women who have the confidence to overcome challenges and achieve greater heights of success. Our objective is to spread out that confidence to more and more women. Smriti Pandey was at the front end for this report and Manoj Agrawal was at the back end.

Part 1: Defining Moments that Boost Confidence

This is the question we posed to the women leaders: Can you share a defining moment in your early life that significantly boosted your confidence and motivated you to dream big?

Confidence is not something that most people are born with. A new born baby is pretty much helpless. One sees the first expression of confidence on the baby's face when he/she takes the first walking step. And as the baby tries and accomplishes more things, confidence starts building up.

Is confidence building in professional life also a continuation of the same? Are there many defining moments in a person's life where there is a confidence boost? Let us learn from some varied examples.

DIFFICULTIES ABROAD