I was great at hiding in the corner

It might be hard to believe how a TEDx speaker was afraid of being on the stage?

By the way, the stage was not only a TEDx stage. It was everywhere in my life.

When I was in the class, I always hoped to hide in the corner so the teachers wouldn't ask me any questions. I was happy that there were 60 peers in my primary school class.

I just needed to lower my head and try not to look into the teachers' eyes. I did it..successfully.

But sometimes, my teachers did call my name, which speeded up my heart pace. My face colour didn't change that much because my skin colour was a bit dark.

I never imagined myself speaking in front of an audience; I had an intense fear of doing that. How strong was it?

The first time when I applied to attend the student union in the college, every candidate had to do a short pitch.

When I walked onto the stage, my hands couldn't stop shaking; I was coughing to pretend that I didn't forget what I wanted to say. What a good strategy!

Also, I couldn't speak Mandarin properly because I only spoke my dialect, 东港话 (dōng gǎng huà), before going to the college.

It was really a double pain for me.

Yes, I didn't finish my pitch. I can never forget the scene... even now, the experience is still vivid in my brain.

I wish I could hide in the corner again as I did in school.

But, just because such a shameful experience made me be stronger.

It took me a long, long journey to the TEDx talk stage.

How weak I was, how strong I am and will be!

If you are interested in knowing how I overcame the double pain in my life, now is an excellent time to subscribe to my newsletter.