Stage Fright

Daily writing prompt

Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

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I’ve performed in a school band before. It was way back in middle school. I don’t remember much about it. I might have been a little nervous, but since I was in a larger group, I wasn’t too worried about anything.

The biggest presentation I’ve given by myself would be the ones I did in school. I always hated these. It was extremely high pressure to me. I was worried about any little slip up I made. I was most worried about any ridicule I might receive from my peers. My brain was always worried about that sort of thing. It seemed instinctual to me that I would avoid situations where I thought I might embarrass myself. But these mandatory presentations were impossible to avoid.

I can safely say that they weren’t good presentations. I was way too nervous to be coherent. But I can see now that it’s important to develop exposure to the things you aren’t comfortable with. To engage with the things that give you anxiety to train your brain. To realize that it wasn’t as bad as you were thinking. To overcome your anxieties.