Communication has not always been an easy thing for me. Going back in my memory I can recall having to give a speech in front of my fifth grade classmates, and a full auditorium, and I had completely blanked out. How embarrassing!! Since then, I have been able to refine my communication skills while overcoming my fear of public speaking. I believe the most helpful challenge I've had to face regarding communication has been job interviews. I've only participated in a handful of interviews, but afterwards I can always tell what my strengths and weaknesses in my communication are.
My method of communication has changed tremendously over time. Probably more than half of my daily communication happens over computer or cellphone (more specifically, text messaging). There has even been a whole new language created for the internet/text messaging crowd. This new text message lingo has dominated the American public, primarily teenagers and young people.
I had a similar experience...only I was much older. During my sophomore year in college I entered in a speech contest and prepared as much as I could over the course of two weeks. I was super confident and did everything I could to ensure that I wouldn't mess up. However, on the actual day of the speech I was an emotional wreck due to some personal matters. As a result, I couldn't focus and ended up stopping in the middle of the speech and walking out in a nervous mess. Mind you this was the same contest I won third place in just a year prior. Even those who are not usually phased by speaking publicly can still let their nerves get the best of them :)
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