My Fear of Public Speaking

For as long as I can remember, I've been afraid of public speaking, like many other people. I am a very shy person by nature, so these two go hand in hand.

One of my friends on Facebook suggested I check out/join Toastmasters. They help people become better speakers and leaders, so you can be more confident in your abilities.

It has crossed my mind a few times, but I don't know how I feel about actually being a part of it. Mainly because I'm so shy.

The Toastmasters nearest me meets at the local library, which is about half a mile away, maybe less. So it won't be a hassle getting  there, if I do join.

I recently bought a Public Speaking for Dummies book, from a local thrift store, to help me out with speaking as well. But, I haven't really read it yet.

My shyness, and fear of speaking, is mainly why I love to write. And blog. I can take my time in thinking about what I want to say/write, without people watching me.

I can be more open, more outgoing, more direct with what I say/what I want to say.

My thoughts can be more organized, and my mind doesn't go blank, forgetting what I want to say. What I need to say.

I would definitely love to be more outgoing, but I know that's not going to happen overnight. And it's going to be really hard to put myself out there, out of my comfort zone.

But, I am willing to go out of my comfort zone, if it means becoming more confident in myself, gaining better self-esteem, and maybe even gain a few new friends in the process!

Back to School Time for Me

This past Thursday was the first day of school for me.

I am taking an advanced cake decorating class. The first day went well. My teacher is very nice, and the class size is small, which I like (including me, there are four students).

 All we did on the first day was go over the syllabus, and what we needed for the class. And then talked for a little bit. That took almost an hour. Which is 1/5 the length of a normal class period.

We will be working on making gumpaste flowers, more piping skills, decorating cookies, and going over what we learned in the beginning cake decorating class.

For the midterm, we have to make a 3-D/sculpted cake, which I'm a little apprehensive about, as I have never made a cake like that before. I already have a few ideas on what I want to do, and hopefully it'll turn out alright.

For our final, we have to make a gumpaste flower bouqet. Which, I suppose, is somewhat easier, in a way.

I am really looking forward to this class, and to learning new skills, that I can most definitely put to use in the future!!

Taking Better Care of Myself

For quite some time now, I have been wanting to start an exercise routine, and to eat healthier. I just lack the motivation to actually start either.

On Monday, a friend of mine offered to give me a three-day pass to a local gym that he goes to. I figured I would take him up on the offer, and we decided to meet up on Tuesday afternoon.

It actually went really well. My friend gave me a tour of the facilities, then we played basketball for a little while, then went on to use the treadmills. We were there for an hour, and to be honest, I was surprised I was able to last that long.

I am trying to find the best gym for me, that doesn't cost too much, and is close by. There are several gyms that are in the area, but most of them are more than I can really pay. Only one is decent, but it is one of the ones that's furthest from me.

Although, the gym I went to with my friend offers a scholarship if anyone needs it, which reduces the cost quite a bit, and it is one of the closer ones to me.

So, hopefully I can figure something out soon. I really want to get in better shape, and I want to start as soon as possible.