My Tragic Story of Glossophobia
When I was about 15 and on the speech team at Downers Grove North High School in Dupage County Illinois, I froze up during speech competition, and that is tragically how my glossophobia started to manifest.
“Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking. The word glossophobia derives from the Greek γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread. Some people have this specific phobia, while others may also have broader social phobia or social anxiety disorder.” ~ via Wikipedia
TRAGIC STORY BUT (SPOILER) GOOD ENDING.
Yes, it’s pretty tragic that my fear actually first manifested on stage during competition. And the most tragic part was that my speech team coach (a new teacher that was filling in for the usual teacher) thought it was because I had a crush on him! That added insult to injury. He was an attractive young teacher, but my issues were mine alone and had nothing to do with him at all.
So fast forward decades, and now I have been a motivational speaker since 2014. How did that happen? Honestly, it only happened because I just kept doing it despite my fears.
