Stage Fright Is Real... But It Can Be Conquered**

Some days ago, we'd a short presentation in the office among the operatives. One of the speakers was a lady and judging from the sound of her shaky voice, you will definitely know she has staged fright. She tried to compose herself but she still looked visibly nervous and it was making people laugh at her.

Seeing this scenario took me down memory lane, during my "master's thesis defence".

If you've ever defended a thesis, you'll know it's not for the faint-hearted. The tension in the hall was too much. You could see questions be thrown at you from left, right and centre from different lecturers, all waiting to see how well you could defend your work because for so many students, instead of doing the research themselves, they pay people to do there it for them.

In my own case, public speaking has always been one of my weakness. It is something I've always avoided since when I was little but unfortunately you can't run from it forever. So I'd to build myself gradually on how to talk and rehearsed my presentation over and over again before the D-day.

It was now time for the presentation and I honestly thought I was ready.

I got to the venue, sat with other students as I waited for my turn. The more I watched students coming out of the defence hall looking so defeated and exhausted, the more my heart sank to my tummy. Some looked like they had been through world war 2. Some ladies came out crying.

Then came this matured lady before me. She was around her late 40s. Mehn.... the questions this lecturers bombarded this lady, you will know that they didn't come to play with you. Before, we knew what was happening, we started hearing lecturers screaming for "HELP!!"

The lady was on the ground shouting:

"My sugar level is low, someone get me Coca-Cola.. I want to faint!"

We don't know if it was real or fake but we all bursts into laughter. Even the young lecturers couldn't hold there laughter.

They gave her a chair to sit down and gave her Coca-Cola to drink to calm her down.

If it wasn't for the HOD that intervened, they would have continued the question because it was clear she didn't write her work herself. Out of pity, they scored her and allowed her to leave. But before she stepped out, the HOD told her to prepare very well for the external defence because low blood sugar won't save her there.

Everyone all laughed again over the statement.

Now it was my turn for defence. As I stepped into the hall every ounce of confidence I had, disappeared immediately I saw the lecturer staring at me like lions that just saw fresh meat.

I manage to summon courage to introduce myself and started my presentation.

Then came the questions from different angles like missiles. It was as if they could smell my fears because the more my voice was shaky, the more the questions. But after answering several questions, I really don't know where the confidence came from but It showed up at the right moment and they finally released me... Mehn, was I glad to be out of that hall and I scored a "B" in that project. I was really happy.

Well, that was many years ago. But I won't lie, even in recent times, my voice still feel shaky whenever I speak in public and still nervous but it's not as bad as it used to be. If I was younger I would have gone to join the dramatic unit in my church to gain that confidence but I'm way to big for that now.

I can only try to build myself gradually by not running away whenever the opportunity comes and face my fears whether the voice is clear or not because confidence isn't something you're born with, you train yourself to become one.