14/03/2026
Yesterday, something happened that reminded me how fragile confidence can be.
For a long time, I thought I had finally conquered my fear of speaking in public.
I had read books about communication apprehension.
I had practiced speaking in front of people.
I had networked, introduced myself to strangers, and forced myself into conversations that once made me uncomfortable.
I had even gone as far as hosting a class on communication apprehension, teaching others how to overcome the fear of public speaking.
So in my mind, I had crossed that bridge.
Confidence?
Oh, I thought I had it figured out.
Or so I believed.
Then yesterday happened.
I attended an event hosted by someone I knew. It was supposed to be a simple gathering. I was relaxed, enjoying the atmosphere, chatting with people.
Then suddenly, the host looked at me and said,
“Philomina, please come make a toast.”
A toast.
Something I had done countless times.
Something that should have been easy.
But the moment I stood up and walked toward the front, something strange happened.
My heart started racing.
My palms became sweaty.
My mind which usually had so many words — suddenly felt empty.
When I opened my mouth, my voice cracked.
For a moment, I didn’t even know what to say.
It was such a small moment, but inside me it felt like a storm..
Eventually, I said something short, smiled, and sat back down.
From the outside, it probably looked normal.
But inside, I kept thinking about it.
And that’s when the realization came quietly to me:
Confidence is fragile.
Not because we haven’t grown.
But because we are human.
Sometimes we think once we overcome something, it is gone forever.
But growth doesn’t work like that.
There will always be moments that stretch us again.
Moments that remind us that courage is not a one-time achievement.
It is a continuous practice.
Even the most confident people still experience nervous moments.
Even the strongest voices still shake sometimes.
And that’s okay.
Because confidence is not the absence of fear.
It is the willingness to show up anyway.
Even when your voice trembles.
Even when your palms are sweaty.
Even when the moment catches you unprepared.
Because nobody is perfect.
And maybe that’s the point.
We are not called to be flawless.
We are called to keep growing
The Phenomenal Writer ✍️
Naya Philomina
