You are a taxi driver
During a recent one-on-one session, one of my learners, Harshada, said, “Whenever I go on stage, I start shivering. I have a great fear of public speaking.” Curious, I probed further, asking how many times this had occurred – 50 times, 100 times, or even more?
To my surprise, her response was, “around 5 times.” She continued, “It has happened 5-6 times, and after that, I stopped trying.” It seemed she attributed her struggle to fear, a sentiment echoed by many who lack confidence in speaking English.
Today, I urge you to reshape your perspective. Swap out the word fear with lack of experience.
“I can’t speak confidently because of fear.”
“I can’t speak confidently because of lack of experience.”
“I can’t speak fluently because people might judge my performance.”
“I can’t speak fluently because I don’t have enough experience of talking to people.”
“I have a fear that I might make a grammar error.”
“I have a lack of experience of learning and using grammar.”
See what I’m doing here?
I’m simply altering your mindset. Transforming the way you view the world changes your reality. It’s like wearing yellow-tinted sunglasses, which make everything appear yellow, or wearing blue-tinted glasses, painting your world in shades of blue.
Similarly, our perception shapes the way we interpret things. If you convince yourself that fear is the obstacle, you’ll see fear everywhere. On the other hand, if you view it as a lack of experience, every conversation becomes a small contribution toward gaining proficiency. This is the nature of experience – the more you engage in it, the more adept you become.
I’ve observed this phenomenon in the world around us. Often, experienced taxi drivers driver better their younger counterparts. Why? Because they’ve driven on countless roads, developing a proficiency that allows them to drive effortlessly.
You are a taxi driver. Your task is to drive every day, consistently. Focus on the daily journey. Drop grand plans for improving English; instead, pinpoint moments where you can incorporate a bit of English TODAY. Forget about speaking confidently in next 2-3 years. Focus solely on today.
Don’t worry about the long journey ahead; focus on who you can pick up today. Find those little chances to speak English. By consistently picking up these daily passengers, you’ll become an experienced driver without even realizing it. You won’t need a grammar roadmap because, over time, you’ll know the routes by heart. (Do you really think of grammar rules when you are talking in your mother tongue? Then why stress so much upon English grammar?)
The key is to embrace each day as a new opportunity to drive, picking up valuable experiences that will make you a seasoned language driver.
That today will move you forward. That’s the essence of the message.
What are your thoughts?
