The confidence to begin

7 years ago I allowed myself to say out loud for the first time, and believe it, “I am good enough to pursue my goal of being a professional speaker.”⁣

See, 7 years ago was the day after the first speech I ever gave where I walked off the campus and thought - “I think those students were really with me. I think they were grateful I was there. I did not waste their time, on the contrary, I think I was actually worth their time!” ⁣

Before then I was pretty sure I was just conning the system and people were going to find out any minute. Who was I to be speaking to these students? I didn’t lose my leg in ‘Nam, I never drunk drove and killed anyone, I never overcame some huge obstacle or navigated an upbringing where I didn’t know when and where my next meal was coming from. No, I was just a privileged white boy who cried a lot when he was homesick his first-year of college, and was now telling jokes about that experience. ⁣

But on February of 2012, at Florida International University those students unknowingly breathed confidence into my sails. The jokes hit which in turn let the hard takeaways stick. They asked great questions and told me their stories. I was doing it, it was working, I was good enough. ⁣

I needed that speech. Maybe even more than then the students did. I'm still friends with many of the students that were there that day. I will forever be grateful to Franklin McCune and the Golden Panthers for validating that I was on the right path. Thank you.