Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable | Tanushri Sriram | TEDxPine Lake Youth
What if the secret to discovering our hidden strengths wasn’t avoiding discomfort, but learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable?
Tanushri is a 12-year-old middle schooler, student of Indian classical music, black belt in Taekwondo, avid reader, and gamer who believes in the power of curiosity, persistence, and gradual growth.
In this uplifting and relatable talk, Tanushri shows how everyday moments like speaking up in class, trying something new, or going on an exhilarating amusement park ride can transform us when we shift our mindset from fear to curiosity. By simply trying, and taking baby steps into the unfamiliar, we begin to grow stronger, more confident, and more resilient.
She also shares a practical framework of four simple questions that anyone can use to face new challenges:
What’s the WORST thing that will happen if I DO it?What’s the WORST thing that will happen if I DON’T do it?What’s the BEST thing that will happen if I DO it?What’s the BEST thing that will happen if I DON’T do it?Through this lens, she invites us to see discomfort not as something to avoid, but as a guide toward hidden capabilities waiting to be unlocked. Her message is clear: when we practice getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, we discover strengths and possibilities we never knew we had.
Tanushri Sriram is a thoughtful and confident young speaker who inspires others to step outside their comfort zones. Once a shy student who hesitated in raising her hand in class, Tanushri learned that true growth begins with stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Her TEDx talk shares relatable personal moments of placing herself in unfamiliar situations, facing fears with a mindshift change and her subsequent growth. Guided by the mantra, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she encourages friends and family to try new experiences, make venturesome choices, and find hidden capabilities within themselves. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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