I was born on a dark and stormy night.
True story! Thunder, lightning, fire on the freeway that almost kept my parents from reaching the hospital. Good times.
I grew up desperately wanting to become a mad scientist, which may or may not have had anything to do with the epic manner in which I arrived on the planet. Then I realized just how competitive that market can be, and the ungodly amount of math involved in chemistry. Never mind.
Seriously, though, I did start out my life with an unhealthy fear and terror of all things public speaking. Shaky voice, sweaty palms, tunnel vision, the works.
Do the thing you're most afraid of, they said. It'll be great they said. Well, I'm kind of a good example of that. If I hadn't been coerced into taking on an actual speaking role in my senior year high school play, none of this would have been possible.
Sure, I was afraid. I was petrified. But I survived. I even got a few chuckles from the audience, and not because I screwed up. I think.
Had to do a Valedictorian speech at the end of that same year. Didn't die.
Then, I actually volunteered for some theatre roles in college. Still didn't die. I even started having fun, when I wasn't internally screaming.
Fast forward 20 - something years, and oh my god I'm getting old...
I mean, here I am, doing something I never thought I would ever be doing willingly, let alone having a blast doing it. ;)