My Most Significant Challenge

My most significant challenge is not being introverted when in a situation where I have to speak
publicly. I’ve had stage fright for a while. Up until recently, I’ve trembled when talking in front of
an audience. When I met my relatives as a child, I would hardly talk to them because I didn’t like
talking. This challenge has affected my academic achievement. At school, especially high
school, I have to work with my peers to complete an assignment or a project. I would work with
them, rather well. However, come the day I have to present, I would get chills, and stutter a little.
The steps I’ve taken to overcome this challenge is forcing myself into situations where I have to
talk to people. My dad also helped me with my issue. He told me that in life, one should “hope
for the best, but prepare for the worst.” He said that I won’t get everything that I want, and I
shouldn't expect to get everything. However, I should always be prepared. This advice that he
gave me has stuck with me, and I’m applying it to my life. I Will always try my best to accomplish
my goals, however, I will not always expect to achieve the goal even though I tried my best. An
example of this is working with a friend of mine on a project in my Theatre Production class. We
had to choose a topic we didn’t know much about, and present it in front of the class. Since I
knew I had to fix my stage fright, I chose to become the “leader” of the partnership. I let my
friend take the easier part of the project. This decision forced me to talk more during the
presentation. I kept my dad’s advice in mind while I presented. Although I was nervous, this
approach worked. I surprised myself by how well I did. My willingness and my dad’s advice has
helped me diminish my fear of talking in public. Talking publicly is important because improving
this situation will make me a well rounded person.