I was painfully shy as a kid. Not sure how I ended up like that but I eventually realized my low self-esteem was getting in the way of my happiness.

So I decided to take action:

• I joined a martial arts school because I wanted to be like Bruce Lee.
• I started playing chess after school with my teachers and fellow students because I enjoyed the game.
• I raised my hand in class to answer questions because I knew the practice of speaking up would help.
• I started acting like I was confident - even when I wasn’t - because I thought I could fake it till I could make it.
• And I started to tell myself a different and more empowering ‘story’ about me because that story (good or bad) is the one I keep hearing in my head all day long.

I still feel a bit of insecurity creep in from time to time - like when I give a speech in front of hundreds of executives - but you would never know :)

I owe a lot to the things I’ve done. But I owe even more to the people around me who patiently encouraged me when I needed it most.