Hi, I’m Grace — the quiet, shy, invisible girl in the room. The one you hardly notice.
I still remember what I considered the worst day of my life — the day my teacher gave me the “honorable” role of being the chief speaker for our school’s debate competition coming up that Friday.
Debate??? Not even a quiz o. A full-blown debate!
My heart almost stopped. I tried everything in my power to dodge the responsibility, but my teacher was convinced I was the best candidate. I was one of the bright kids, after all. 😩
So when I realized there was no escape, I braced myself and got to work:
Practicing my speech
Polishing my pronunciation
And desperately searching for confidence 😭
As chief speaker, I had more lines than anyone else. Thankfully, I memorized the speech my teacher, Mr. Ola, had written for me in no time (told you I was a smart kid 😉).
The night before the debate? Hectic. The chaos in my heart? Worse than Sodom and Gomorrah.
I ironed my uniform, retouched my braids, and tried to look as neat and “ready” as possible. My partner and I looked sharp. But brethren… I looked everywhere for confidence that morning, and I still couldn’t find it.
I was shaking. Nervous. Close to a panic attack.
We were to support the motion: “Girls are better than boys.” And if you’ve done debating before, you know the supporting side speaks first.
I somehow stood up — black shiny shoes, wobbly legs — and walked to the podium. My greeting:
“Hello Mr. Chairman, panel of judges…”
You could barely hear it. My breath was unstable. My soul almost left my body. 😭
But guess what?
I didn’t stammer. I didn’t forget my lines. I made it through. 🙌
(Shoutout to my three days of prayer and fasting — you really came through for me, Lord!)
We won that day. But my real victory wasn’t the award. It was knowing I could do something I was terrified of
The lesson?
Don’t run from opportunities to grow — especially because you’re shy or introverted. Push yourself. You might just surprise yourself.
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