RobArt Penguin

Daily writing prompt

What fears have you overcome and how?

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Like many, I had a fear of public speaking, more accurately speaking for any audience greater than one. I didn’t start out that way. When I was very little I was a ham in class. Through sixth grade I was always eager to do class assignments that involved making a presentation in class. I did a mean Ogden Nash. Somewhere between then and the end of high school I developed a dread for speaking. I hated being in groups where everyone I had to make an introduction. By the time my turn to speak came up, I had gotten so worked up, I mumbled and babbled my way to getting it over with. I was convinced everyone laughed at me for my lousy presentation. As lawyer, fear of speaking was a problem. Judges didn’t know what to do with an advocate they could barely hear. Maybe it was the countless times that my worst fears never happened, that I finally realized I could speak publicly. Maybe it was joining Toastmasters, a gathering of like minded people who dealt with the same fears. When I began to admit my fear of speaking before groups, my affliction began to fade. I made a habit of starting a talk by admitting my discomfort. Like a switch being flipped, I began to enjoy public speaking. I suppose the ham returned.