The Day I Found My Voice
Yesterday was my unforgettable 24 hours that I've ever had in my life and I'm still thinking about the energy.
It started with something like a knot in my stomach. I had the presentation and I was starting to grow and this event was about health awareness. It's something I was really passionate about, terrified to speak about it in public. Although I'm not the one or a talented natural speaker, sometimes my voice shakes, stumbles when I'm standing to deliver my speech in the crowd. But something helped me and held me to scale through.
The morning was just calm. I was looking for the note for my presentation and I could not find it and I nearly cancelled it. But while I was standing in the back stage in my school trying to make the presentation watching the crowd, turned back to my brain while I was there.
I was there to share my story about how I overcome my anxiety. When my name was finally called, I was very tense. My leg was shaking but I had to man up and step on that stage.
The first word was a little bit shaky. At least I worked with confidence. but my word never matched my mood. I spoke from my heart about how I've been struggling, my small wins, and I have learned to not give up no matter what. So the crowd was quiet and pleased with me.
Then afterwards they clapped. Some even were passionate about my story. They were compassionate about my story.
So afterwards people started coming to me for questions, sharing their own stories. I can remember that one woman hugged me and said, your words make me feel energetic and now I can do things with confidence. I was so happy. I didn't know that my words and my encouragement, my speech, would make such an impact.
I can remember that night I could not sleep. I kept on replaying that day all over and all over again in my brain. I was feeling very proud of myself. Pride ensnared me. I never believed I could impact people's lives like that.
So I would face my fear, I faced my fear and connected with a totally stranger that I never knew from anywhere. And they were all happy and they liked me in a way I never thought it was possible.
From then I realized that my voice matters. I don't need to be perfect or do things perfectly or be the most popular or the weirdest to I need to be real and authentic to myself and know what I'm doing. That day really taught me a lesson that no matter what, courage is not the absence of It's just about you trying to show up no matter, even if you're scared.
That's why I always keep myself inspired, keep myself motivated, keep connecting with others, sharing my story because I know my story can help someone one day. Everyone got the voice. If someone needs to hear your own part of the story, it might motivate and lift some people who are already down in their life. So what's stopping you from speaking up?
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Public speaking isn't something most people get right the first few times. I've had my fair share
I'm glad you're past it👏
I'm glad it worked out well for you
Public speaking has been quite a hustle for me but I'm getting over it gradually.
Public speaking is a whole lot of work, it's good you could face your fears. We were always given opportunities when we were in children church, to perform, from leading choir, to reciting memory verses, this boosted our self confidence till now.
Self motivation is the best.
This motivated me , thank you for sharing
Public speaking can be very challenging but the moment, you find your voice, it becomes quite easy. Congratulations for the win, it's not a small one.
Cheers and thanks for participating in the Hivenaija weekly prompt.
I almost fainted during my project defense lol, thank God it all played out fine for you..
Positive feedbacks is always a confident booster!
The truth is public speaking as become a part of me, not to say I am an expert in this area but I don't fret in front of the Crowd anymore, one word that I always have in mind is that leaders are not those who are not afraid but they are those who doesn't allow their fear conquer them.