Self-Confidence and Empowerment: Believing in Yourself

Ever since I entered the writing scene in middle school, I fought to get myself involved with anything and everything that could be related to my works in progress. There was the local Josh Crews Writing Project, led by the Flager County Education Foundation, that specifically aimed towards kids wanting to write. They held an “author party” each year, and released a printed anthology book with all the stories the children wanted to submit. At the end of the day, all ages of people became authors. 

The first experience I ever had with live speaking was through the Josh Crews Writing Project. I had self-published a book on my own by that time at only thirteen-years-old, and they wanted me to talk about everything I had done to these kids. While the thought sickened me to my stomach, and the moments leading up to it were filled with a lot of “no’s” from me, the speech had been written and I spoke my piece. 

After that, I returned to the Josh Crews Writing Project annually until I graduated high school, always ending the event with a speech I had written weeks before. As my confidence grew, I applied to host a panel at the Tampa Bay Comic Convention over the summer. I grew up watching comic book movies, action movies, and everything in between. When I got accepted to host my panel on Science-Fiction writing, we hoped on the opportunity and made the plans to spend the weekend at the convention. 

This tradition carried on for a few years! 

At a young age, I was exposed to public speaking on things I was incredibly passionate about. It’s funny how children seem to be more inclined to testing their boundaries and reaching for the sky, when the older I get, the more afraid I seem to become. 

Tomorrow, at the Augusta County Library, I will be holding a workshop on incorporating Norse Mythology into fiction writing. As we have gotten closer and closer to the event, I feel the nerves grab a hold of me more and more. Despite my experience, it doesn’t seem to matter much. There’s too much on the unknown, and allows me to spiral into my own short-comings. 

Today, I want to start the day out with this blog and garner enough confidence to grab this bull by the horns. I know what I have done, I know the skills I have garnered, and I know where I want to go from here. The only thing standing in the way of me achieving is none other than myself. All too often it is ourselves that keep us from being who we want to be. We deserve to be proud of the things we’ve done, to hold up our accomplishments and wear them like a badge of honor.

It is more than okay to be afraid. It’s what makes us human. But what faults us, is when we let the fear rule over everything we do. Be afraid. Be nervous. Be scared. But remember: you are meant to be accomplishing all these great things. Feel the fear, embrace it because you are human. What makes us extraordinary is the ability to see the negativity, understand it, and use it to be more successful. 

I will tell myself this for the rest of the day, and till I begin my workshop tomorrow evening. I will repeat it when I make my presentation, when I self-doubt, when I consider not doing it, when the going gets too tough. 

I am extraordinary, and am meant to do this.

Thanks for tuning in. See you soon :)