Elizabeth Monologue

Through details, choice of words and especially the style in which this story is written, Callie, the narrator, guides our responses as well as our views of the events and people. From Callie “…remember[ing] exactly”(1) how it all started to finally telling us that she “…want[s] to get better”(150) we grow to understand what caused her sense of hopelessness and how she came to deal with wanting to cut herself.

Just like the sentence mentions, many people are afraid of the future and what might happen next. The thought of not knowing about the future frightens them and this leads to people in a constant state of stage fright.

Have you ever performed in front of a lot of people? Well I had to at my music teachers guitar concert. It was a big challenge I faced. I was really frightened because there was a lot of people and I was worried that I would mess up. In fact I was so frightened that my shirt was all wet and my hands were shaking. No matter what I did I couldn't calm myself down. From this I learned that I had stage fright, but I was still brave enough to face it.

Her knees were wobbling, her hands were shaking and her mind was zooming through different thoughts at one hundred miles per hour. Claudia Croft was adored by everyone, she had golden blonde hair, sun kissed skin and deep blue eyes. She was always known for being the sweetest girl in our year with a voice of an angel. But there was one problem. She did not enjoy public speaking, I mean, sure no one did but it was different. Claudia hated it! How did I know this? Well, that’s easy because I was her best friend. I remember that it was the night of her big event where she spoke her thoughts to the school, there was a congregation of people waiting for Claudia in the auditorium.

Whether skydiving out of a plane or sitting on the street at 3 am in the morning, life is a crazy train of indecisive moments that every alive person encounters. It seemed like life wanted to take Anabelle and me inside a club at 11’oclock at night. The scene was us at an empty bar, Anabelle downing drinks like a mad woman, and me watching her like I always do. Anabelle picked herself up and moved to the dance floor. I shook my head at the convenience, smiling at how funny the scene seemed of Anabelle doing her usual chicken dance. I looked at my outfit, red dress, my father’s gold pin, and black flats for comfort. “Come on Thomas! Get your lazy butt over here!” I glared at Anabelle, I was the least lazy one out of the two of us. Reluctantly about to join her, I stopped as I felt a looming presence over my shoulder. I felt a hand grab my wrist with threatening force “Come to the bathroom stall in five minutes” I felt a shiver catch my ear and dryness reach my throat, “or my men will kill her”. Time seemed to stop as my heart dropped, rapidly moving

The first day of rehearsal for Claire was just about as scary as jumping out of a plane. Everyone was just as scared as me, but for some reason I was shaking and I was about to pass out. As I was looking around the

Everyone can relate to feeling anxious before giving a presentation, but those with social anxiety disorder experience an intense fear of being looked at closely and negatively evaluated by others in social or performance situations. Some literally feel sick from fear in nonthreatening situations. Some may become anxious during routine activities such as starting a conversation with a stranger, participating in class, dating and attending parties. Physical symptoms of social anxiety disorder may include blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, headaches and feeling of detachment and loss of self-control. Psychological symptoms of social anxiety disorder may include

Being on stage is an unparalleled feeling. The bright lights and the impatient crowd make it an experience that is both overwhelming and thrilling. The most stressful part of performing is the waiting. The backstage of a theater is like an alternate reality, with every performer anticipating their moment, rehearsing their songs quietly to themselves. The energy is palpable, a mix of nervousness and excitement so intertwined it is impossible to distinguish the two. I had rehearsed my song for hours on end, but I still found myself whispering the lyrics to myself just in case. When it comes to performing, there is a point where you have to decide to trust yourself and your talents, otherwise you may never make it on stage.

Lexi was very nervous but she was a little bit better about her performance. She knew that she would do somewhat well. In Choir, they had run through the whole Solo Vocal Festival and then done the usual. Later that night, it was the solo vocal festival time. The place was in the cleaned up cafeteria, with the cafeteria benches shaped into seats for the audience so they didn’t stand. They had started the solo vocal festival already. While she was waiting for her turn, she was getting tense. Her palms were getting sweaty, she was freaking out internally. Then, after a while, it was her turn to sing. She walked up to the stage, said her introduction, and started singing. She was the greatest person up in Solo Vocal Festival. She did everything right and everyone complimented her on her solo. Then Lexi thought, “You know what? It wasn't that horrible. I did a decent job on my solo and no one hated it. I obviously shouldn’t of worried about my

Try to think of stage fright in a positive way. Fear is your friend. It makes your reflexes sharper. It heightens your energy, adds a sparkle to your eye, and color to your cheeks. When you are nervous about speaking you are more conscious of your posture and breathing.With all those good side effects you will actually look healthier and more attractive.—Tom Antion, author of the article

-Fear is mostly in your head, remember you are teaching something new to your audience, you shouldn’t be intimidated by their presence, but they; instead, should be impressed, inspired and informed by the content of your speech.

Stage fright can be one of the most embarassing occurences for a person trying to be as professional as possible. Displaying a lack of presentation skills is detrimental in many job areas and can seriously inhibit a person's integrity. Not only that, but issues with stage fright can be exceptionally difficult to face. Personally, I have struggled with giving effective speeches for most of my academic career, and though I have improved, it is still a problem I have not yet fully mastered.

In the process of the LAUNCH Cycle, I am on step step three and four. The reason for this, is because stage fright hits people differently and the reaction of their body is different too. On step three (Look,Listen and Learn), this step seems to be a bit complicated because there are many reasons why people get stage frights and trying to get people to be themselves on stage is challenging. For example, maybe people have insecurities about themselves whether it's physically of mentally. The idea of people being insecure physically can be hard because maybe they don't like how they look or act in front of an audience. Also the mental part ties with the physical part because once that person doesn't like how they look or act they intend

Over the last twenty-five years, a large amount of research has increased our understanding of the nervous presenter and our knowledge of how the nervous presenter can be helped. Much of the information is scattered throughout journals in several disciplines and has never been synthesized. The most important recent findings are that presenter nervousness is both widespread and serious (Halverson-Wente, 2002).

As a result, a person feels uncomfortable participating in everyday social situations." (Kids Health) I can identify with this because I have the same fear as the definition. I wonder if my clothes look alright or if I 'm my hair is good. I always stress about if I 'm going to stutter which I tend to do when I 'm under pressure. The Genard Method said "Public Speaking anxiety is often learned behavior. You failed at some point in an important or high profile speaking situation, and the see was planted then" (The Genard Method) This is very true, as I 'm about to present in front of everyone, I think from my past, all the times I 've embarrassed myself in front of people. According to Public Speaking Tips, "believing that public speaking is inherently stressful" (Public Speaking Tips) A big thing about public speaking and having social anxiety is having stress. I have a lot of stress because everyday I think if have to present a project or have to share something about myself.