There comes a time or two in our lives where we struggle with certain aspects which we will overcome at a later time in life. As a child, I was told that I was very outgoing and friendly, but I felt like a shy and quiet soul. While my friends were shining stars and found merriment in groups, I was just merely a shadow behind them, finding content in being alone. However, teachers would notice this trait of mine and try to pull me out of my shell time and time again. When facing the judgemental eyes of my teacher and curious classmates, I would freeze up and an uneasiness would fill my body from head to toe. Panic would set in and my words would come out in a jumbled mess. Public speaking was just not my forte.
After making the right group of friends at the time, they urged me to open up and not be so tense. While getting to know them, I noticed how they were like me, but they were so confident when speaking in front of others. Their voice never shook and they didn’t stumble over their words. They spoke with ease and assurance, while I was choking up every single time I tried to utter a single sentence. I constantly tried to articulate my words as best as I could, but every time I did, I would just get discouraged. This discouragement stuck with me all the way until the beginning of high school.
Being fed up with not being able to speak fluent English like I knew I could, I began to practice constantly. I knew that public speaking was important in my high school career, so I would find time and form a habit of reciting any work that I had to present in class to myself or to my peers. I also joined a club that revolves around presenting business cases and generally socializing with strangers, which helped me along a lot. I told myself that I would eventually be able to communicate to a large group of associates, and I did so with a few petty mistakes, but at least I had the courage to form complete sentences and share an understanding with the rest of my colleagues.
Although I can be apprehensive sometimes, I knew I could overcome this minor aspect in my life with a little time, hard work, and perseverance. I always knew that my public speaking wasn’t going to be flawless as some of my classmates, but as long as I got my spiel out, I was fine. Undoubtedly, I would stumble over my words and not catch my breath fast enough while I was speaking, but I would recover from the slight error and continue on. Even though I always wish that I could deliver speeches and vocalize my thoughts without any nervousness lacing my voice, I’m content with where I am in my public speaking as of now. I’ve also realized that I shouldn’t be afraid to voice my opinions and thoughts. It will never hurt to provide any type of input and it could possibly change the thought process of another person. If I never express my ideas, I wouldn’t be able to hear about others’ and I wouldn’t be as open-minded as I am today.
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