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ArealtestinMylife
WhenIwasaten-year-oldgirl,Iwasonceaskedtodeliveraspeechtitled”ArealTestinMyLife”.totalkbeforethewholeclass!Justimagine!Thatwillbea“realtesttome,thensoterriblyshyastotrembleatthemerethoughtofutteringanywordwithsomanyeyessetuponme.
Ihadnootherchoice,though.Firstwastodraftthespeech.Thisjustapieceofcaketome;Iwasagoodwriter----somethingtopridemyselfin.thehardpartliedwithmyoralpresentation;toreadfromthepaperwasnotallowed;Ihadtogivethespeechfrommymemoryandinfrontofsuchabigaudience!ArealtrialbeganwhenIstoodontheplatform,mymindblankandmylegstrembling.Somewherefromthatcornercamesomegigglingorwhat.MyeyesbecamedimandIvaguelysensedsomecooldrippingdownmyface.Howmuchtimehadpassedby,Ididn’tknow.Myaudienceswerestillwaiting,patientlyandwithoutsignsofrushingme.Graduallyfoundmyselfback,stammeringoutmyspeech.FinallyIfinished.Afterwhatseemedtobeahundredyears,Ifoundmyaudienceapplauding.Imadeit!
Fromthenon,myfearfortalkingbeforeanaudiencedisappeared.Actuallywithmyconfidencebuildingup,Inowturntobeagreatspeaker.Lookingback,Iknowthegreatestobstacleonourwaytosuessisourfear;overeitandletourpotentialout,andwewillmaketoourgoals