“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly”
For millions of people, this quote is a perfect description of their lives. Vanraj is one of them.
Vanraj, 22, is a final year engineering student at Parul University, Vadodara, one of Gujarat’s top private universities. In fact the day we caught up with him, he had just written the last exam of his programme. Confident, wise, and fluent are some terms that come to mind when you speak with this warrior. So what led him to seek support from YourDOST.
Vanraj had lost his father in 2016. He suddenly felt the overwhelming weight of the responsibility of taking care of his family on his shoulders. He internalised the worries instead of sharing them with anyone.
When he joined his undergraduate program, neighbours and acquaintances came over to congratulate him and his family. But what they said only made him worry more.
People would tell my mother that now your son will become an engineer and also get a great job. So your life is problem-free now. This made me feel all the more pressurised.
A few months ago, when he was writing another set of exams, he found his mind overwhelmingly clouded with worry.
I was so worried about my future. What will happen? How it will happen? When it will happen? Questions like these kept cropping up in my mind and I started feeling very anxious.
That’s when he decided to approach YourDOST for guidance. He connected with Expert, Ms. Nilanjana RC, and they hit it off from the get go.
She was so nice. She listened to me so patiently. I felt so good after speaking with her. She gave me courage and hope.
Over follow-up sessions, they started exploring what exactly had been bothering Vanraj. He described how he felt embarrassed about his lack of English proficiency.
English proficiency is such an important skill to have nowadays. Even when it comes to job interviews, English is a must. I felt that my lack of English skills would lead to failure.
Nilanjana assuaged Vanraj’s worries. She suggested a simple exercise for him to improve his English and his Vocabulary.
She told me to learn 5 new English words everyday from books, newspapers, internet, anywhere.
This was something he found quite simple to accomplish and slowly he found his vocabulary expanding like never before.
Even though I’m not in counseling anymore, this is something I continue to do on a daily basis.
Vanraj also explained how he always found it difficult to communicate with others. He states that he was always a shy person. He would often find his friends having discussions and he would feel an urge to participate but was unable to.
I would feel the points I wanted to discuss rise up in me. But I somehow just didn’t feel confident enough to express what was on my mind. I felt the same way even at home with my family
Nilanajna advised Vanraj to start expressing himself without the worry of sounding wrong. Easier said than done but Vanraj did it.
I found myself opening up. I started feeling more confident about holding conversations. Every conversation I have with people now gives my confidence a boost
What has emerged from Vanraj’s counseling journey is a new, improved version of himself – Vanraj 2.0. Full of hope, confidence and courage, he is ready to take on the world.
In conclusion, he encourages others to seek counseling without hesitance.
I feel that in the current times, everyone is in need of counseling for some issue or the other. I request them to give it a shot. They will only benefit from it.
We thank Vanraj for sharing his story with us and wish him all the best for his future.
Many more of you, like Vanraj, may find yourselves feeling under-confident. If you would like some professional assistance to give your confidence a boost, our Experts are here for you 24×7. Connect with them today.
Vanraj’s Warrior Tips:
1. Seek counseling. It will only benefit you
2. Express yourself when you feel you have a point to make
3. Don’t internalise your worries. Discuss them with someone