Respected Dignitaries on stage, off the stage , teachers and my dear friends,

A few months back, it was the peak of the board season. Meaning, board exams were around the corner, pre-boards were over and it was the last week of school classes. One English period, in fact the very last , our teacher told us ,' Kids , you should all be like a bird that sits on a tree' . She is never afraid of the branch breaking because her trust is not on the branch but on herself. Whatever comes and goes in life, all of you should never leave the belief that you have in yourself.”

So, why is believing in yourself important?

When you believe in yourself , it'll help you in tackling any situation that is put before you .For example a debate contest or a speech contest at school. When you participate in it you will start seeing your potential .You might get nervous at first but then you realise that all it requires is a deep breath and a little confidence. Another important thing is you start being optimistic and radiate a positive energy because of the confidence that you already have. It is said that energy attracts energy and hence almost every time because of the confidence you attract success.

Believing in yourself also helps you to be creative. This is because you are never afraid of putting your ideas forward. We all know that life puts forward different challenges , along with challenges comes failures . Once you are confident , the impact of failure hits you less harsher and you start seeing it as another obstacle.

Let me give you an example.The corona virus has had a huge impact globally. India is on a lockdown for 21 days.During this time by believing that you can overcome this period , you are creating confidence not only in yourself but also in the people around you. You will start being very hygienic and also will this pandemic on a positive note and as an experience .

Now, how to start believing in yourself?

When you set goals , make it realistic and strive to achieve it.

Start trying out new things: this will help you to identify new potentials and help you to make yourself better. Repeat, Repeat and repeat: when you keep practicing a certain activity you get used to it , it's not new to you so you get confident. Surround yourself with positivity : walk away from anyone or anything that makes you doubt yourself . As this will help in attracting positive energy , which further attracts success. Never compare yourself to anyone . what might be your strength might be their weakness.• Self talk : this is one of the most important things to do . Everyone around you is telling you that you can't, so why not tell yourself that you can.

We always have to remember that life is never easy and nobody is perfect. Whenever we fall or fail we should never stop ourselves from standing up again and being confident about ourselves no matter what anyone says. Remember that believing in yourself and knowing who you are is very important as what lies in you is the greatest obstacle to what lies before you.

Thank you