PRACHI SACHDEV

PREFACE

“The Courage To Be Me – A Teen’s Guide To Overcoming Self-Doubt” isn’t just a book; it’s a heart-to-heart conversation, a friendly hand reaching out to guide you through the exhilarating yet sometimes perplexing expedition of teenage life. But why did I choose to write about this topic? Well, the answer lies in my own past, my struggles, and my eventual transformation from a self-sabotaging journey.

The subject of self-doubt hits close to home. As a teenager, I was bullied and body-shamed, and the only escape I found was becoming anti-social. I’ve always been an introvert. However, being introverted didn’t mean I didn’t want to excel in class or participate in extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to prove my worth at anything. No one took this petite, timid, average-looking girl seriously. I was someone who couldn’t even gather the courage to say ‘present ma’am’ during morning attendance. Most of the time, I felt invisible among familiar strangers.

But I didn’t want my story to end there, and I knew that countless teens like you must be facing similar challenges. Teenage life is a time when you’re figuring out your place in the bigger scheme of life, while people around you start labeling you based on that one encounter. In an era when I’m about to complete my half-century, I’ve come to realize that what people think about me is not my business. My personal and professional growth is not dependent on their validation.

My motivation for writing this book was simple yet heartfelt; I wanted to offer a guiding light to those navigating the tumultuous waters of adolescence. I wanted to share the strategies, insights, and stories that had helped me emerge from the shadows of self-doubt into a place of self-confidence and resilience.

Introduction

Life is not always fair. And problems are gender-neutral. A lot has been said and written about the plight of girls and women. There have been lectures and moral guides for girls. They have been manipulated, abused and used, and rehabilitated. Most of us even had to fight for our existence. Yes, it’s a tough life for this gender. Indeed, measures have been taken to improve women’s physical and mental health. Support groups are there to help them with emotional and financial stability. What about boys? For generations, boys have been raised to be tough, macho, sporty, and strong, as the perception is boys cannot be seen as weak ducklings. The men we are dealing with today are closed, emotionally unavailable, and hard nuts to crack when it comes to communication. And what is it that we can do about it? A lot, in fact. But only with the generation of boys, we are now raising.

As parents of boys, I believe, we have a responsibility to break the gender barriers that make them vulnerable to society’s judgments. We have to be the pioneers to help our boys explore their emotional side of them. We have to teach them that mental pressures are not easy to deal with. And that anger, violence, escaping, and shutting themselves up are not the solutions to any problem. There is so much our boys have to unlearn so that they can learn to embrace their true selves. In this fast-paced world where kids are growing closer to technology and gadgets and are easily influenced by others on social media, it is a challenge to bring them to love and accept their true identity.