Oftentimes when I try to speak, my words come out wrong and I say something I didn't mean to at all. I end up saying something that people think is hurtful, when my intentions were actually entirely peaceful and uplifting. This is really frustrating for me, because I never want to make anybody feel bad, but I do.
This happened more frequently when I was younger, possibly because as a little girl I got very upset with anybody who even slightly disagreed with me, and then I didn't think before I spoke. Another reason might be that I never enunciated my words very well, which can always cause confusion. Nowadays it just happens when I don't phrase my words in a clear manner.
It also happens in ways that aren't particularly hurtful, but aren't desirable. For instance, I was giving a presentation on Austrian economics in my class today, and when I was asked a couple of questions after the presentation I muddled my answers completely. What I was saying didn't even make sense to me, let alone the rest of the class.
I want to do something about this. I don't want to keep on making the same mistakes over and over, so I'm going to improve my speaking skills. One way that I'm doing this is having a debate club with my little brother, where we meet once a week and debate something, such as whether wearing boots everywhere is a socially desirable thing or not.
This is a problem that I am sure many of us deal with, as it is so easy to slip up and say something we don't mean to, or to not be clear with what we mean. I believe it is something that we can manage with practice. And I believe it is something that we should try to manage as we progress along the path to greatness.
For me, I find that getting my education at home makes expressing myself hard because I'm not exposed to people very often. In the public school system you are around people more often and you develop the ability to express your thoughts much faster than you do when your home schooled. But that's my experience. It may be different for you.
ReplyDeleteI feel your frustration. Had similar issues when I was younger. You have an awesome idea about debate club! I found over the years that those muddling moments tend to make us feel defeated. A sense of defeat makes us weary and afraid of further defeat. On the other hand, a small sucess or victory helps build our confidence! Dont be too hard on yourself. No sense bringing yourself down, rather, remember you are not alone as many people have this type of problem! Your wisdom and courage to acknowlege it are a huge victory! One that will evolve over time with patience and self confidence! Great post Megan!
ReplyDelete-Greg
Dallin,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't considered that. It's a really interesting idea, and makes a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing.
I always enjoy hearing your thoughts in class, and on this blog. (:
Greg,
Your comment is very encouraging, and gives me a lot of hope. Thank you!