Public speaking. Two words that actually used to haunt me every day. No joke, I think the the thing I hated most out of ANYTHING in the world was having to stand up, face an entire classroom or group of people, and speak. Honestly, I hated raising my hand in class to answer a question in front of people. Yep, this is how much I hated public speaking. And, this is how unconfident I was in myself and how shy I was.

I bet there are tons of people out there who felt the same exact way I did. To be honest, I still feel that way, but definitely not as much as I used to. Since I took a public speaking class, I have been able to boost my confidence more and speak in front of a class without having a panic attack. I mean, I definitely did not CHOOSE to take a public speaking class. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but in the end, I am so glad that I did.

For my first speech in the class, I remember it being only 30 seconds to a minute and we were allowed one notecard. I also remember going up in front of everyone and basically blacking out. I was sweating, my face was red, I was stuttering, and my hands were shaking so much that I had to clench on to my index cards. It was a really bad experience for me. However, as I went on to do my second speech, I realized how much I was improving. My second speech had to be I think 5-9 minutes long, which was crazy to me! 9 minutes of nonstop talking in front of my entire class... no thanks! However, after practicing and thinking about how my first speech was and constantly telling myself it was going to be okay, I remember absolutely crushing that speech! Of course I was nervous in the beginning and I definitely was shaking in my voice, but as the time went on, the more comfortable I got and I began to feel and speak more naturally. Sooner or later, the final speech came around and I felt great. It is funny because in the beginning of my final speech, I actually blanked out and forgot what I was supposed to say for a whole minute or so. I remember freaking out on the inside but luckily, it came back to me. Anyways, I improved so much from my first to my final speech, and it has stuck with me ever since.

Taking a public speaking class was the best thing I did for myself. Other than learning how to actually give public speeches well, I learned how to calm myself down before speaking in front of people (take long, deep breaths!), how to open myself up to meeting new people, how to not be afraid to answer questions in front of a class, and most importantly, how to be more confident in myself and not care or think about people who might judge me. Before you give a speech or even just speak in front of a group of people, tell yourself that no matter what, you will be okay. I say this because it is all in our heads, what we tell ourselves is what we feel. So, if we take deep breaths, drink water, think of things that make us laugh, and just relax, it will make speaking in front of a classroom feel like you are just by yourself. Then, you will slowly start to feel comfortable and it will all feel natural to you. It could be a slow process to feel that comfort, but you will get there!

I have always been a shy person, and I would like to say that there will always be a part of me that will be. However, taking classes like public speaking or doing anything else that may be out of your comfort zone are things that will slowly open you up to being more outgoing and confident in yourself. Knowing you are strong and capable of anything is so important for you to realize and tell yourself every day!

If you have a fear of public speaking, I say the best thing to do is exactly what you are afraid of. I know it might seem scary, but it will help you so much in the long run and it will make you the best person you can be. That goes for everything! Even if you are overall just a very shy person like me, step out of your comfort zone and do something that you say you could never do. For me, I said I could never take a public speaking class and I could never raise my hand in a lecture hall. I did what I was most of afraid of doing, and I came out more confident in myself than ever. Try to do something that is out of your comfort zone, it could be the best decision you'll ever make.