NihshabdBlog

Category: Self Growth

  • The Fears I Overcame (And the Ones Still Paying Rent in My Head)

    The Fears I Overcame (And the Ones Still Paying Rent in My Head)

    What fears have you overcome and how?

    What Fears Have You Overcome and How?

    I’ve overcome quite a few fears.

    Well… “overcome” might be a strong word.

    Let’s say we’ve signed a peace treaty and occasionally exchange awkward nods.

    The biggest one?

    The Fear of Not Being Enough

    Not smart enough.
    Not successful enough.
    Not pretty enough.
    Not productive enough.

    At one point, I was collecting “not enoughs” the way some people collect souvenirs.

    The Fear of Being Judged

    I used to think everyone was watching my every move.

    Turns out, most people are busy wondering if they’re being judged.

    A surprisingly humbling discovery.

    And let’s not forget the fear of failure.

    The funny thing about failure is that it spends years terrifying you, then finally shows up and says,

    “That’s it? You were afraid of me?”

    Most of the disasters I imagined never happened.

    The ones that did happen taught me something useful.

    Rude, but useful.

    I also feared speaking my mind.

    So I stayed quiet.

    Nodded politely.

    Rehearsed arguments in the shower three days after the conversation ended.

    You know, the usual.

    Over time, I learned that being misunderstood is uncomfortable, but losing yourself to keep everyone comfortable is worse.

    The fears didn’t disappear.

    They just got tired of running the show.

    And I got tired of giving them front-row seats.

    Making Peace With Fear

    Now when fear knocks on the door, I let it in, offer it tea, listen politely, and then continue doing what I was going to do anyway.

    Because courage isn’t the absence of fear.

    It’s realizing that fear is a terrible life coach.

    And honestly?

    The fear I’ve truly overcome is the fear of being imperfect.

    These days, I’m less interested in being enough for everyone and more interested in being myself.

    It’s cheaper, less exhausting, and requires significantly fewer existential crises.

    That’s growth.

    Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. 🙂

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    © Nihshabd by Rajeshwari. All Rights Reserved

  • Dear Teenage Me

    Dear Teenage Me

    What advice would you give to your teenage self?

    Advice I’d Give My Teenage Self (From the Girl Who Thought She Already Knew Everything)

    (A Nihshabd Blog)

    Dear Younger Me,

    Yes, you — the confident, dramatic, hyper-independent teenager who believed she had life all figured out. The one who acted like Google, therapist, astrologer, and philosopher all at once.

    Sit down. Future-you has a few things to say.

    .

    1. Please stop trusting people like they’re walking TED Talks

    Not everyone deserves your truth, your softness, your VIP all-access pass.

    Observe first.

    Then trust.

    And always remember this golden rule:

    Your intuition is the Wi-Fi — if the signal feels weak, don’t connect.

    .

    2. What people think about you is none of your business

    Seriously.

    People only notice you for two minutes; the rest of the time they’re busy overthinking their own life.

    So stop adjusting yourself like a radio antenna trying to get everyone’s approval.

    Be you — loudly, boldly, unapologetically.

    .

    3. Expectations? Keep them light. Like popcorn.

    Expect too much and you’ll feel drained.

    Expect too little and you’ll feel lonely.

    Expect just enough and you’ll feel peaceful.

    Balance is everything.

    Not everyone will show up for you the way you show up for them — and that’s okay.

    .

    4. Your feelings are valid. Period.

    You feel deeply — and that’s not a flaw.

    It’s a strength.

    You’re emotional, expressive, and dramatic in the most adorable way.

    Never stop being that girl who feels things fully.

    Just learn who deserves access to those feelings.

    .

    5. Relationships aren’t a syllabus to master

    They don’t come with rules, formulas, or perfect strategies.

    Choose people who respect your space, honour your voice, and understand your silence.

    Choose people who don’t make you shrink to fit in.

    And above all — choose you every single time.

    .

    6. Self-love isn’t about spa days — it’s about boundaries

    Say “no” without giving a PowerPoint explanation.

    Rest without guilt.

    Walk away from nonsense.

    Protect your peace like it’s your password.

    Your future self will thank you for every boundary you set.

    .

    7. Dance. Always.

    Dance when you’re excited.

    Dance when you’re confused.

    Dance when you have no idea what you’re doing.

    Because nothing grounds you like movement.

    Your body remembers joy even when your mind forgets.

    .

    8. Success is not a race — it’s a rhythm

    Your career will grow with your confidence.

    Your dreams will expand with your courage.

    Stop comparing your timeline to anyone else’s.

    Your path is yours — beautifully, chaotically, uniquely yours.

    .

    9. Yes, you think you know everything

    And honestly, that confidence is iconic.

    But life is funnier, smarter, and more unpredictable than you expect.

    Let it surprise you.

    Let it teach you.

    Let it shift you into someone stronger and softer at the same time.

    .

    The Big Advice:

    Choose yourself, without guilt.

    Choose the life that excites you.

    Choose the work that energises you.

    Choose the people who value you.

    Choose growth, even when it feels uncomfortable.

    And please — trust your own voice more than the noise around you.

    .

    A Final Thank You

    To my teenage self:

    Thank you.

    For believing in magic,

    for dreaming without limits,

    for trying fearlessly,

    for laughing loudly,

    for being bold enough to imagine a future no one else could see.

    Aaj jo main hu…

    it is because of you.

    Your courage.

    Your clarity.

    Your wildness.

    Your stubborn belief in yourself.

    I’m proud of you — endlessly.

    .

    —Rajeshwari 🧿💕

    (Poem ©Rajeshwari.

    Unauthorized copying, reposting, or use of this content is not allowed.)

  • NIHSHABD (Beginnings Moving with Fear, Choosing to Begin)

    NIHSHABD (Beginnings Moving with Fear, Choosing to Begin)

    What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?

    What’s the thing I’m most scared to do?

    Almost… everything.

    I’m an introvert.

    Fear isn’t a rare emotion for me

    it’s a regular visitor.

    Doesn’t knock. Just walks in.

    Speaking up? Scary.

    Starting something new? Terrifying.

    “What will people think?”

    That fear comes with a lifetime subscription.

    I’m like a pretty little plant

    that flinches even in sunlight,

    yet somehow keeps growing

    because not growing was never really an option.

    The funny part?

    The very things I try to run from,

    life places right in front of me

    no warning, no choice.

    “Here. You have to do this.”

    And every time I think,

    Should I run?

    Hide?

    Disappear into a corner where nobody will find me?

    And I ask myself,

    What would it take to get me to do it?

    But then… something happens.

    A tiny initiative.

    The smallest beginning.

    Hands shaking, heart racing

    yet one step forward anyway.

    Yes, people judge.

    And yes, I judge myself even more.

    But somewhere inside that fear

    lives something rare

    like a diamond hidden inside a difficult stone.

    Quiet. Precious. Real.

    I’m not fearless.

    I’m just moving

    with fear beside me,

    with love in my pocket,

    and a little sense of humour to survive.

    Maybe courage isn’t about being brave at all.

    Maybe it’s about existing,

    and still choosing to begin.

    “A clenched human fist breaking through cracked stone, holding a glowing diamond, symbolising quiet courage and inner strength, with the text ‘Quiet Courage’ and a quote about moving forward with fear, love, humour, and Nihshabd.”
    “Courage doesn’t shout; it moves anyway”

    —Rajeshwari 💕

  • What Is My Dream Job? Choosing Meaning Over Noise

    What Is My Dream Job? Choosing Meaning Over Noise

    What’s your dream job?

    I want to succeed.

    Yes, I do.

    Not loudly,

    not by becoming someone I’m not

    but in a way that still sounds like me.

    I want my work to travel far,

    yet stay gentle when it arrives.

    To reach people’s hands,

    and somehow find its way

    into their hearts .

    My dream job is writing

    that doesn’t scream to be noticed,

    but stays

    like a line you remember later,

    when life gets quiet.

    It’s illustrating without rushing,

    creating without hardening myself,

    letting softness be a strength

    and slowness be a choice.

    Some days success will look like applause 👏🏻.

    Some days it will look like silence 🤫

    the kind where someone feels understood

    but doesn’t know how to say it.

    I want work that grows,

    and still lets me pause.

    Work that builds a name,

    without erasing the soul behind it.

    There will be days I write.

    Days I draw.

    Days I simply feel.

    And all of it will still matter.

    Maybe my dream job doesn’t fit a title.

    But I know this much

    I want to succeed,

    and I want to live

    in people’s hearts while I do.

    And if my work can do both,

    that will be enough.

    “Success, for me, is being remembered softly.”

  • Reducing Clutter Gently: A Poetic Reflection on Mind, Heart and Memories

    Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

    I am afraid of clutter.

    Not because there is too much

    but because letting go hurts.

    I keep things.

    Not out of habit,

    but out of love.

    Old memories,

    unfinished affection,

    people and moments

    that once felt like home.

    So when I hear

    “declutter your life,”

    I fall quiet.

    Because not everything we hold

    is a burden.

    Still, I ask myself

    where can I let go?

    Not the house first.

    The mind—

    where thoughts stay longer

    than they should.

    The heart—

    where some ties remain

    only because leaving feels heavier

    than staying.

    The words—

    that don’t need to be spoken

    anymore.

    And some people

    who disturb my peace,

    even if distance

    comes slowly.

    The things I keep

    I don’t throw them away.

    I soften their place.

    I change their purpose.

    Because nothing old is useless.

    Some things just need

    a kinder corner.

    This is how I declutter

    not by emptying my life,

    but by making it

    lighter.

    A thoughtful woman sitting amid sentimental clutter such as old letters, books, and keepsakes, reflecting emotional decluttering, inner confusion, and a search for peace.
    “Not all clutter needs to be removed. Some only need to be understood.”