By Stacie Prada
If I could talk to my younger self, I know she’d be surprised, excited, proud, and likely a bit skeptical to learn that I’ve genuinely found fulfillment in imperfection.
I was a very timid and quiet child. I feared making mistakes, looking dumb, and not doing things right. I tried to avoid any possibility that I’d do something to be ridiculed or judged negatively.
I visibly shook throughout a presentation on candle-making to my fourth-grade class. It was torture to be the center of attention in a classroom. A high school presentation of a memorized poem wasn’t much better. Neither my nine-year-old self nor my 15-year-old self would ever have imagined that someday I would frequently present with confidence to large groups. Young me would be amazed that I overcame my fear of public speaking. People who have only known me for the last 10 years would not believe I was ever that shy and fearful.
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