From Nobody to Noticed: Breaking Barriers | Bhavika Dabur | TEDxKnowledge Tree World School
A speaker from Chandigarh shares her personal journey of overcoming self-doubt to become a public speaker and mentor. She argues that developing personal branding and believing in one's unique story is key, illustrated by her own progression from winning a rabbit race to speaking at UN diplomacy events. She concludes by encouraging the audience to believe in themselves by asking, *"Why not you?"* ## Speakers & Context - Speaker resides in Chandigarh, India. - Speaker's background involves her family's connection to the army. - Speaker mentors people on soft skills and treats strangers like family. - Speaker has organized for UN diplomacy events. - Speaker previously represented India as a youth representative in Riyadh. ## Theses & Positions - Personal experience and story-telling are central to navigating life's journey. - The ability to speak and mentor stems from a personal realization, not inherent talent or guidance from teachers. - Personal branding is crucial, requiring the commitment to make one's professional presence recognizable to others. - The concept of "consistency" is insufficient; the core realization is "capacity shifting," which means perpetual movement. - Believing in oneself is paramount, as one must champion their own story. - One's fear is not an enemy but the "biggest friend." - Individuals should pursue their own desired path, not imitate others. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Circular carpet/circle:** Symbolically represents life's journey, where everything eventually circles back to dreams and manifestations. - **Soft skills:** The subject matter the speaker trains and mentors others on. - **Capacity shifting:** The concept that the goal is continuous movement, suggesting a mindset of perpetual evolution. - **Personal branding:** The effort to ensure that when anyone sees you, they "know them" immediately. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Mentoring:** Training people and discussing soft skills; speaking to strangers as if they are part of the inner circle. - **Public speaking development:** Progression from initial experiences (e.g., rabbit race) to formal public speaking events. - **Networking:** Understanding the power of connections, especially in the context of travel alone. - **Marketing self:** Applying self-marketing techniques to build a personal brand online (e.g., using LinkedIn). - **Consistency realization:** Shifting focus from merely being consistent to realizing "capacity shifting." ## Named Entities - **Chandigar** — Speaker's place of origin. - **Riyad** — City visited for a representation role. ## Numbers & Data - Time waited for current opportunity: **21 years**. - Competition certificate won: **Rabbit race** (won in class **first**). - Number of students mentored: **more than one lakh plus** (over 100,000). - Number of events speaking about: **trickled down to 200 plus events**. - Years in experience: Period covered by journey includes time leading up to the present moment. ## Examples & Cases - **Initial confidence:** Did not expect to be a speaker; teachers did not think she would be one. - **Early achievement:** Won a rabbit race in class first, where she emulated being a rabbit on the ground. - **Career pivot point:** Period in college where she wanted to avoid everyone and not let anyone see her because she had "no answer." - **Travel anecdotes:** Traveled to Riyadh, representing India, despite initial lack of direction. - **Personal branding method:** Started marketing on LinkedIn, initially with **no likes**, then **three lies** (herself, her mother, and her father). - **Contrast:** The early success of the "rabbit race" versus the later complexity of organizing UN diplomacy events. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **Google Maps:** Used as an analogy for life navigation. - **Auto rides:** Used as an analogy for spontaneous guidance. - **LinkedIn:** Platform used for self-marketing. - **Mic:** Represents the opportunity/stage that will eventually be owned by the youth. ## References Cited - General concept of the "circle" as a life journey motif. - The phrase: *"Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Or maybe behind every successful woman, there's a man."* ## Counterarguments & Caveats - Acknowledges that the journey and topic (soft skills) might sound like a "beautiful journey" but requires deeper substance. - Acknowledges that she is "still shivering" when speaking, showing vulnerability despite experience. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The audience should believe in themselves, believing that *“one day you shall own this mic as well.”* - The core advice is self-belief and self-advocacy, encapsulated by the question, *"Why not you?"* - The speaker emphasizes that the most crucial element is the individual's internal belief, rather than external qualifications or knowledge. ## Implications & Consequences - The power of one's *voice* is framed as personal power, surpassing technical skills like grammar knowledge. - The journey from self-doubt to public platform suggests that overcoming initial fear (even fear of self) unlocks professional and personal potential. ## Verbatim Moments - *"I don't know if the mic is ready because I'm I'm about to share a journey that is very close to my heart."* - *"red, a color that is SOS by nature."* - *"Leave none of you behind. Leave no one you know behind."* - *"I have mentored more than one lakh plus students."* - *"I remember I I myself as a rabbit."* - *"Why not me again? Why is it that anyone around me is making me feel like that I am not enough?"* - *"In my case, we have Google Maps. We have those random auto rides."* - *"It is also about capacity shifting."* - *"I would want you to believe in yourself. You to understand that one day you shall own this mic as well."* - *"The only thing that you need to believe in is perhaps you. Your mind, your brains, you yourself, your fear."* - *"Then why not? Why not us? Why not you?"*