Have you ever feared something that you now enjoy? That’s exactly what happened to me. As a child, I always had a fear of speaking in front of people. This fear continued until adulthood. I still remember my first project presentation during a cooperative internship. I had just completed my summer assignment and it was time for all interns to give a 10 minute overview of their project. I remember feeling intense anxiety as I prepared for the presentation. Fortunately, I had a supportive manager who encouraged me to simply do my best. However, even her well wishes failed to diminish the uneasiness that I felt inside.
I still recall having a nauseous tummy prior to the presentation. When it was time for me to present, my legs and hands were shaking intensely and I’m sure that my voice was trembling. I was so nervous that I almost forgot my name during my introduction. Luckily, I had written my name down on an index card. When my presentation was over, I remember feeling extreme relief despite the fact that I had done a horrible job on my project overview.
With a down trodden head, I proceeded back to my cubicle. When I arrived to my desk, I noticed a small gift wrapped in silver paper. To my surprise, my manager had given me a beautiful pen set with a note that read “job well done”. This message brought an immense smile to my face because it was then that I realized that as long as I had done my best; that was all that really mattered.
Today, what was once my fear has now become my passion. Because of my corporate experience, I was trained to teach a process improvement methodology to employees at all levels of the organization. Initially, I was fearful of teaching and speaking in front of my colleagues. However, the more I trained, the more I developed an affection for sharing and imparting knowledge that helped individuals grow and flourish. I turned this love into a Life Coaching business designed to help people discover, identify and operate in their unique purpose.
Sometimes our fears are linked to our greatest passions.