Public speaking used to be my biggest fear. Now it’s my career.
It’s crazy to think about how we end up where we end up. My mom used to beg me to take a public speaking course, and I finally took it just for her to stop talking about it. I left that class thinking “phew, thank God I will never have to do that again”. And yet here I am, speaking to students, coaches, parents, teachers, almost every week, sometimes twice in one day.
I took one of my biggest fears – speaking in front of others and potentially being judged for who I am, what I say, what I look like, or how fast I talk and stumble over my words, and I turned it into something I love doing.
My fear still very much exists. Sometimes it haunts me as I get ready to open my mouth and start speaking, but I pause and I remember why I am speaking. I am not speaking with the intention that everyone there will like me or won’t judge me, because the judgement from others is an inevitable part of life, I am speaking to give a voice to those who have not yet found theirs. I am speaking for those whose stories are just like mine, but haven’t yet found the courage to tell it. I am speaking for those who are crying out for help and want to ask for it so badly, and after my speech, they finally feel empowered to do so. I am speaking for those who don’t even recognize their struggle, but when they recognize it, they will know exactly what to do.
My biggest fear is being inadequate, not being good enough. But every day, I am learning, that the same fear that used to hold me back, is the fear that propels me to go after something bigger than myself every single day.
Our fears are real. They can debilitate us if we let them. But behind that fear, is a blessing. Behind that fear, is you chasing your wildest dream and becoming all you have ever wanted to be. Behind that fear, is the life you have dreamed of.
Even though some days my fear speaks louder than my dreams, my mission continuously speaks louder. So I continue to get in front of small and large crowds, calm my racing heart, practice my power poses, and tell myself that this is not about me, I am lucky enough that I have already found my voice, this is about those who are on the edge of their seats, ready to find theirs, ready to heal, ready to get their lives back, ready to be exactly who they are and love themselves despite their flaws.
My fear speaks pretty loud some days, and I am sure yours does too. But how beautiful would it be if you pushed past that fear, and did the thing that scared you anyway? I keep finding out that pushing past our fears, can put us on a path that we never dreamed of, a path that is so much more beautiful than our wildest dreams.
Today, I challenge you to push past your fear. You are worth it. Trust me.
Xo,