My First Speech

I had to give a speech today. I had to get up in front of forty people I don't know, and talk about what success means to me. It was an impromptu speech, which means you pull a topic out of a hat, think about it for a minute, then get up and speak about it for a maximum of one minute... Sounds easy right? Not so much. I can get up in front of a thousand people in a crowded airport and sing any song you ask me to with no problems, but ask me to speak in front of anyone I don't know and I start shaking and stuttering like a moron.

I have already dropped this class twice, and since it's a requirement to graduate, my advisor made me sign up for it, and won't let me drop it anymore until I pass it. Sadist.

Thankfully, no one laughed at me and I kept my stuttering to a minimum (I think), and at the end of my torture session, surprisingly, everyone clapped. 

And in the interest of growing and becoming a better person, I was inspired to challenge myself to overcome my fear of public speaking, along with my stutter, by the time end of this semester. I will post updates on my blog and re-read this post at the end of the semester, and hopefully, I will have achieved my goal, or at least come close. 

And since I know you love a challenge just as much as I do, I am challenging my readers as well. I challenge you to overcome a fear that you have had for a long time, and as a result, become a better person. Keep me posted, I'll do the same.