🌸 Even the shyest voice can inspire others — if it dares to speak.

 

There was a time when standing on stage felt like the scariest thing in the world.

My hands would shake, my heart would race, and my mind would go completely blank. Even the simplest thing — like introducing myself in front of the class — felt like climbing a mountain.

I remember one moment so clearly: I stood there, holding the mic, trying to say, “Good morning everyone,” but my voice cracked and the words got stuck. I smiled awkwardly, said “Sorry,” and wanted to disappear. It wasn’t just about speaking — it was about the fear of being seen, of being judged, of not being good enough.

For a long time, I thought confidence was something people were born with. But over time, I learned that it’s not. Confidence is something you build — slowly, painfully, and beautifully — one small step at a time.

I started with the little things: joining class discussions, speaking up during group projects, practicing in front of the mirror, and recording my voice to hear how I sounded. I learned to focus more on what I *wanted to say* instead of what people might think. And little by little, the trembling in my hands began to fade.

Now, I still get nervous sometimes — but it’s different. The fear doesn’t control me anymore. I’ve learned to turn that nervous energy into excitement. Being on stage isn’t something that terrifies me now; it’s something that empowers me.

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💭 Why Many Gen Z Feel the Same Way

The truth is, I’m not alone. Many people my age — especially Gen Z in Indonesia — feel anxious when speaking in front of others.

Recent studies show that around 50–60% of Indonesian youth experience moderate to high levels of public speaking anxiety, and about 15–20% even feel extreme nervousness or panic before facing an audience.

These findings were supported by educational research conducted among university students in West Java, which found that 18% of participants reported high anxiety, 63% moderate, and 19% low levels of fear when speaking in public (Educasia Journal, 2023).

There are a few reasons why:

🌫 Fear of being judged or making mistakes. We’re scared our voices will shake, that we’ll forget our words, or that people will think we’re not enough.

📚 Lack of practice. We rarely get the chance to speak in front of others, so it feels unfamiliar.

📱The pressure to be perfect. Social media makes us believe we always have to look confident, smart, and flawless — even when we’re not.

💬 More online, less real life. We talk through screens more than face-to-face, so real interactions can feel scarier.

🎓 Environment and culture. Sometimes, we grow up in spaces where we’re told to listen more than to speak — and that makes public speaking feel even harder.

But the good news is: this fear isn’t permanent. It can be managed, understood, and even transformed.

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🌼 What Helped Me Overcome It

✨ Practice, not perfection. The more I practiced, the less my fear controlled me.

✨ Breathe. Before going on stage, I take a deep breath and remind myself: “I’m ready.”

✨ Focus on the message. I stopped worrying about how I spoke and focused on what  I wanted to say.

✨ Accept mistakes. Everyone stumbles sometimes. It’s okay.

✨ Be yourself. The most beautiful thing you can do on stage is to be real.

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🌙 What I’ve Learned

Today, when I step on stage, I don’t see it as a battlefield anymore — I see it as a space to share my heart.

I’ve learned that confidence isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the courage to stand tall even when your hands still tremble.

And maybe that’s what growing up is all about — learning to speak even when your voice shakes, to show up even when you’re scared, and to believe that your voice deserves to be heard.

Because public speaking isn’t really about speaking.

It’s about connecting, inspiring, and being brave enough to be yourself.🌷

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🕊️ Written with courage and gratitude,

Alandra, 2025 ✨