My fearless moment came when I decided to look my fear of public speaking square in the eye and say “no more!”  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not shy. I’m definitely what one would classify as a “Chatty Cathy.” I could talk to anyone about seemingly anything for hours on end. Entertain a small group of people? No sweat! But the idea of standing up on a stage and delivering my message to a room full of onlookers left me both terrified and exhilarated – mostly terrified.  I was scared I would not have anything interesting to say or that I’d fumble through my speech or – worst of all – people would judge me. All of this kept me from taking the plunge and going after speaking gigs.

I knew that ultimately speaking was where I wanted to go. I’m passionate about reaching out to others and inspiring them to live bold & stimulating lives. I knew that my message is an important one and I didn’t want my uneasiness with public speaking to stand in my way. It was time to take action and stop letting fear dictate my path.

Signing up for Toastmasters was a huge step for me. I had to get over my fear of being judged by strangers and I also had to admit that it was ok to ask for help in something. I noticed my confidence building with each speech I delivered. Thinking of content for new speeches made me incredibly excited. I couldn’t believe I had wasted so much time being nervous about speaking.

Being fearless allowed me to identify what was holding me back and figure out a way to nip it in a bud. If I’d decided to stay in my comfort zone I would never have realized how much I actually enjoy speaking. But even worse than that, I would have been depriving the world of my unique message and my unique energy. Being fearless can be terrifying and difficult, but we owe it to ourselves and to everyone around us to take bold, vibrant, fearless steps each and every day.

Nailah Blades

Nailah Blades is a Los Angeles based life purpose and career coach who specializes in the quarter life experience. After waking up one day face to face with her own quarter life crisis, Nailah became determined to help other women unlock their true passions so they may begin living insanely fulfilling and authentically happy lives. Nailah earned her B.A in Communications & Sociology from the University of Southern California and was certified through The Life Purpose Institute. When Nailah isn’t coaching or writing she enjoys reading, wine-tasting and bad reality TV. You can join her free weekly newsletter for advice, tips and inspiration through her website: www.PolkaDotCoaching.com, read her blog: www.PolkaDotCoaching.com/blog or follow her on Twitter: @PolkaDotCoach.

Everyone benefits when you share:
What bold, vibrant and fearless step are you ready to take?

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